Lip Slurs Advance Your Playing

This is a tough area.  It depends on the playing level you are on. That’s why so many players have an incomplete picture of it. They think of it as 1 size fits all.

Ways That Lip Slurs Advance Your Playing

(Tongue level only is NOT true. They use the embouchure to make register changes like low to high. So the normal description you get from this group is a very inaccurate one trying to show an idea by leaving out the other factors like chops and air,)

The reason that air support alone doesn’t work well until they are more advanced is because they don’t have the embouchure muscles or control to handle that technique. They blat rather than play music. This ruins any concept of tone that they are trying to develop. That’s why I teach it last. Used correctly it is very controlled and musical. 

I take the work away from the lips of advanced players and make them learn to use better support. (Think gut slurs.)

In intermediate students, I focus on correct tongue arch (Anchor Tonguing). This is a forward arching of the tongue. WE arch forward towards the teeth for several reasons. It helps to keep the throat open, and it keeps the overall oral cavity larger for a big sound. Most importantly it is the only type of tongue arch that focuses the airstream which helps in playing higher notes. I also work on the idea of LIp Setpoint or always setting for the same note when we play.

With beginners they need to learn to move the embouchure.

When I play lip slurs in music I will use all 3 things embouchure, anchor tonguing and breath support If the slurs are big enough I will even use a pivot. This is why an experienced player can do the Irons so much easier and quicker. So when done correctly Lip Slurs Advance Your Playing.

Pops