{"id":362546,"date":"2019-05-06T18:03:02","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T16:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/?p=362546"},"modified":"2020-04-22T16:21:56","modified_gmt":"2020-04-22T14:21:56","slug":"7-embouchure-tips-for-brass-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/learn\/7-embouchure-tips-for-brass-players\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Embouchure Tips for Brass Players"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your embouchure<\/b>\u00a0has a decisive influence on your ability to play with perseverance, a pleasant sound and also in higher registers. Ultimately, you control the sound of your instrument through the interplay of certain muscles, breathing and trained technique. The higher the notes and the longer the passages, the more exhausting it becomes for the lips and facial muscle. Only consistent training will help. Here are a few tips for you!<\/b><\/p>\n

#KissMyBrass ??<\/strong><\/p>\n

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1. What is embouchure?<\/h3>\n
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source: Google<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When we talk about\u00a0embouch<\/em>ure<\/strong>\u00a0we refer to the mouth<\/strong> (bouche<\/em>\u00a0in French)\u00a0and the way it touches the mouthpiece of a brass in\u00a0instrument<\/strong>. But it’s not as simple as puckering up your lips<\/strong> for a kiss, in brass playing\u00a0lips cannot work alone<\/strong> under any circumstances. The lips and facial muscles<\/strong> should be properly developed and exercised before playing<\/strong> and on a daily basis even when not playing<\/strong>. You can only play brass safely<\/strong> and precisely<\/strong> with carefully\u00a0trained lip, facial and diaphragm muscles<\/strong>. Pleasant side effect: With an ideally trained\u00a0embouchure\u00a0you play much more relaxed,<\/strong> this\u00a0is the key to tone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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2. Embouchure\u00a0training with the instrument?<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, this only works in moderation. You really can’t get any further on the instrument during your training. The reason: If you practice on the instrument and the embouchure is not really correct, you will compensate for any discrepancies by breathing differently<\/strong> (and often incorrectly<\/strong>)\u00a0and straining your diaphragm<\/strong> and other muscles. The lack of strength<\/strong> and coordination<\/strong> of the lip<\/strong> and facial muscles<\/strong>\u00a0would simply be covered up. So do the initial training without an instrument<\/strong> or with a methodical training tool<\/strong> (as we will see later), which regulates the pressure on the lips.<\/p>\n

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breathing differently…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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3. Training your embouchure on the go<\/h3>\n

Let’s admit it, a brass instrument<\/strong> can’t really be played anywhere. Be it during the day an the office, at university or perhaps on holiday. Muscles – as you know from other sports – have to be trained regularly<\/strong> and for days on end<\/strong>. One solution,\u00a0Mouthpiece Practice Adapters<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0such as the Warburten P.E.T.E.<\/strong><\/a> have proved their worth. They allow you to perfect your embouchure anywhere<\/strong>, any time<\/strong> and they work! If you have to take a break from your instrument for a few days, it makes your return<\/strong> much easier.<\/p>\n

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Another option is the\u00a0Stratos Embouchure trainer set<\/strong><\/a>, which also gives you good results. The system was developed to ensure that a good embouchure comes about by itself. It forces you to play without excessive pressure<\/strong> that could damage the lips or strain the jaw and face muscles. This system is versatile<\/strong> and works for all brass instruments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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4. Lip exercises<\/h3>\n

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Further training possibilities can be found with so-called lip calisthenics<\/strong>, or\u00a0lip exercises<\/strong>. Sounds like bodybuilding,<\/strong> right? Well, it is, after all. Lips, facial muscles<\/strong> and the diaphragm muscle<\/strong> are the specific areas that have to be built up according to the same principle. There are many exercises you can do constantly<\/strong>, in the morning, throughout the day, at work, at school, (without making any noise<\/strong>). Check out this video<\/strong> for some ideas:<\/p>\n

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5. Mouthpieces<\/h3>\n

Of course you can also practice with only your mouthpiece<\/strong>, just like that, no instrument. The advantage of this variant is that you can adjust the lips to the specific dimensions of the mouthpiece<\/strong> at the same time. You also have a real feeling<\/strong>. Only by trying different mouthpieces<\/strong> will you know which one suits your physiology<\/strong> and your needs<\/strong>. The 3C mouthpiece<\/strong><\/a> from Arnolds & Sons<\/strong><\/a>, for example, is popular for the trumpet. Trombonists<\/strong> like to use the 6-1\/2 AL-S mouthpiece<\/strong><\/a> from the same manufacturer.<\/p>\n\n\t\t