TEACHERS WELCOME.


TEACHERS WELCOME!



Since we all are teachers, whether ultimately "our own teacher", teaching others privately or teaching the youth in a school setting such as Middle School, High School or College level, I will be gearing FixYourBrass to include teachers and performers. My posts will have various "topics" (Range, for example), with information for development and maintaining these categories as well as problems that may arise. The posts may be followed by my own "comments" and as to solutions to these problems watch for follow-up posts. So please add your own comments as to create a dialogue regarding said posts as well as any "personal problems" that I can help with. Looking forward to this exchange.

Dave

Sunday, July 17, 2011

#8 of "Things You Can Do..."

#8.

After a series of low register playing phrases, remember to

Retrieve The Lower Lip .

When the lower lip starts to "creep forward" and away from being in the original setting of just slightly "in and over the lower teeth" (derived from initial placement), attempting to ascend into the high register from any low register or middle register playing becomes difficult. Unless the lower lip is "retrieved" (slightly sucked in during an inhalation),too much lower and middle register playing will gradually limit ascending into the high register. This is why so many players in the section below the lead part get "locked into" the low and middle registers. The lead player doesn't have this problem, because he stays mainly in the upper register, where the lower lip remains in a stronger position and is not usually "blown" forward by careless LOUD low and middle register playing that the lower parts trap you into overblowing, opening the lip aperture too wide. A good rule to follow is: NEVER PLAY THE LOW AND MIDDLE REGISTERS WITH MAXIMUM LIP APERTURE, and by all means: Retrieve The Lower Lip whenever possible during inhalations.

1 comment:

FixYourBrass said...

A viewer mentioned on another site (Facebook) that this was a great point and stressed the fact that one should not let up in the low and middle registers, keeping control there at all times. I would like to add that mouthpiece pressure in the middle and low registers is an important factor to consider. By that I mean, never let up on the mouthpiece pressure on the lips in these registers. In fact, mouthpiece pressure should be practically the same in ALL registers. So, keep the weight on "down there" and problems will be less apparent in your playing.