How to set a new embouchure

How to set a new embouchure

Posted on July 27, 2004 by Clint McLauglin

I’m always playing in the red. HELP.

1. Everyone PLAYS in the red. That is the main vibrating surface. What you are talking about is placing the rim on the red. Again no big deal.

2. The fastest way to successfully go to a closed embouchure is :

Lip Buzz:
Do this 15 – 30 minutes a day. Buzz scales, songs, arpeggios, etudes….
Set your new embouchure:
Buzz a note and while holding the buzz sneak the horn & mpc into playing position.
Take ALL breaths through your nose (so you don’t disturb the embouchure). (Most open aperture players try to start closed and open up the chops as they breathe. They pin the lips in place while separated and can only make the lips touch by using mpc pressure.)
And play songs and etudes.

(After the new setting is secure go back to normal breathing.)

Stay in the staff until you have strengthened the NEW embouchure.

Do a lip setting drill:
Buzz and sneak the horn into place to play 1 note. Remove the horn and start over. It takes thousands of good reps to break a bad habit.

Do those things for 1 month.

Then AFTER the new embouchure is set and the chops are stronger you can work on the Stevens palming exercise. I only do open arpeggios with this. Do it 15 minutes a day and after a month you should be able to play over High C with almost no pressure.

Then you must learn to relax the face and let the tone become full. Work on pulling the corners in to adjust tone color and assist range. Relearn your pivot and tongue arch. Work on more efficient breathing….

An embouchure change covers all of that; not just setting the lips this way.
There is no substitute for smart hard practice. Short cuts for embouchure changes usually mean incomplete changes and years instead of months.

Pops