1.play with the outside of lips in cup of mouthpiece 2.tighten corners and dont puff cheeks 3/4place your lips evenly in cup so that the mouthpiece is half on each (center mouthpiece on lips) bonus: dont push mouthpiece into mouth dont force throat open like so everyone can see
Hi Jeff, Thank You so much for your video, I am a beginner trumpet player, I found your video helpful and amusing at the same time, you have a good sense of humor, you made me laugh the way you explain things, I am subscribing to your channel.
Hey Jeff, really appreciating your videos! A teacher once told me to "go into the piece" instead of pulling the horn into the face. It sure worked for him! He also referred to that spot above the upper lip where the rim of the mouthpiece feels anchored and the bottom lip just comes up to join in on the action. My bottom lip would roll under so he suggested to sneer and keep everything flat. That helped a lot! He'd say I was trying to look good when I played and to sneer instead. Lastly, he suggested keeping the corners firm to support it all. That also made a positive difference.
Good to be seeing u , I’m friends with ur brother James , he taught me how to play some guitar tricks , he dated my aunt . I’ve seen ur other brother who is a drummer at hotel de anza few years back . Now I’m a trumpet player ! Thanks for the upload !
The “RIGHT embouchure", is VERY individual. I’ve played with the best and they all have violations of the 4-6 norms presented in this video. Also, I spend 35 years playing on what I was told by a gazillion teachers was "the perfect embouchure". It wasn't. I suggest working to understand what top TH-cam players say about lip vibration in various registers and then visualize how that might work for you; internalize their ideas. Only listen to, and WATCH real players, playing, not the teachers. Then experiment.... For me, I found a simple movement of the mouthpiece placement downward to isolate more top lip was a KEY FIX for me. I had wasted tons of time trying to strengthen an inferior, albeit perfect appearing setup :) PS: Know from my bodybuilding days that everyone has an opinion. Take mine as some simple input....
"The “RIGHT embouchure", is VERY individual"- I agree 100%! My sole intention for this video was to have a starting point of reference for players to begin with an embouchure that is imo a good "starting" point. Then, you start to manipulate as you see fit for sound, range, endurance, flexibility, etc. If that means playing 20-80 top bottom (or vice versa), to the left or right of center, puffing your cheeks, then, as always, do what works for you. Thanks for watching!
First video of yours I've seen - nicely laid out, nicely worded and clearly spoken. Points 1 and 2 nicely explained and generally agree. Point 3 definitely disagree - many, many successful players and indeed many of the greats play with ratio's way beyond 60:40 (or 40:60 for that matter), and in general 50/50 itself can encourage type switching between upstream and downstream and can cause more problems than it's worth (though what feels like precisely 50/50 probably isn't). Point 4... well, you nailed it when you said "teeth", almost all players who are off to one side or other won't have perfectly straight teeth (as do a surprisingly large number of the best highnote players - to the point that it might not be wise to assume coincidence). In general, if the setting naturally sits a little left or right, it isn't a massive problem (though "fixing" it might become one) Couldn't agree more with your additional points - throat tension is almost universally bad, nor is excessive mouthpiece pressure... though from my perspective I've always seen mouthpiece pressure as a balancing act - slight forward motion of the embouchure to balance out a small amount of pressure (and in most cases, a little bit more of both in balanced way in the extreme registers). Will have to have a look through some of your other videos and consider subbing - all the best!
Thanks man! In regards to Point 3, I agree with you! My intent was either for players who were really struggling, or for beginners to have at least a starting point and to not complicate the process too much at first. Eventually, we all settle in to something that is semi comfortable at least and experiment from there. Lets face it, the most important thing is air! For me, I'm always trying to find out how to sound better and how to get around the horn easier. Lets face it, when it's a struggle, it's no fun. If it's no fun, you may quit. I'm just trying to give some small amount of guidance for those players who may need a little nudging and a little encouragement to maybe check out if there may be an easier way for them to play. However that may be for them. Thanks for watching!
Fats Navarro and many trumpet players had a top cheek puff which many say is ok to do. Some call this the "donut" puff or something which isn't as detrimental as the lower cheek puff.
Jeff Lewis Trumpet I’m working on trying to get a good tone but my mouth tends to move and every time I buzz my mouthpiece tends to move all of the place. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong I’m trying to follow many tips from other videos but their not helping. I’m in highschool and I have to play 1st part soon and I’m having trouble with high register. This problem happened in middle school when I wasn’t really listening to my teacher but mostly to my friend. I follow what he’s doing and it probably affected my tone. So please tell me some ways to improve you embochure to improve my tone. Thank you!
I see. Do you play with wet or dry lips? Maybe try playing with the inside part of your lips being wet and the contact points dry? Also, it may be your jaw that is moving when you are playing. Try controlling that first and see what happens. Let me know if that helps.
When I got braces as a kid my embouchure changed and I started playing in the red. My teacher back in the day never really put any attention to it so now I've been playing like this for 15 years. I'm trying to change it but the problem is, when I play with my wind band I always switch to the old position since it's easier to get the high notes out and play louder. Have been trying to fix it for over a year now...
My first question has to be do you need to change? Does it sound good in your upper register? That is usually the "game changer" as higher notes tend to sound thin on the red. Maybe you don't need to change?
hi Jeff, thanks for the suggestions they really helped me. After watching this video, i realized that i do close my troath (as you name it "pigeon" problem) when i am in the lower register with staccato. I wanna ask another advise about the problem. Can you suggest me some excercises? Thanks.
Usually, once you recognize that you are closing your throat in certain registers, the problem eventually goes away. Just the fact that you identified it is half the battle! Here is a link to my breathing video which can also help to maintain proper air support which in turn eliminates the need to "throat" notes. Schlossberg "Daily Drills" has many tonguing exercises as well. Best of luck! Let me know how it goes. th-cam.com/video/AY_LKLtgjhM/w-d-xo.html
I wish I had his "condition"! Haha! Trombone Shorty has huge puffed out cheeks and he sounds fantastic! There are always exceptions. I say, do what works. Thanks for watching!
Do you have any advice for someone who has developed a habit with closing the jaw while keeping the teeth apart? It does create tension and it is hard to break the habit...do you have any suggestions? It would be very much appreciated :)
Here is a weird tip. Lately I've been trying to practice with the teeth lightly touching and evenly aligned. This is called the Cat Anderson method. A teacher of mine said it was "training wheels for the embouchure". Even though you probably don't want to play with your jaw/teeth together, it becomes easier as you are more aware of the lip/jaw alignment and placement. Make sense? Give it a try and let me know how it goes. It's not easy at first.
Some degree of puffing may not be a problem if it's generally contained behind the front part of the embouchure. Some people call it the "donut" look. Try free buzzing (lips only). Free buzzing usually promotes the feel of not puffing the cheeks out. once you obtain that feel, you can try transferring it to the trumpet. Also, you can use a mirror to visually isolate the problem. It's hard to determine if there is a problem without me seeing it. Also, it may not be a problem. Let me know how it goes. Best of luck!
I used to play with a 17c mouthpiece my sound was ok but when I switch to a 7c my sound was horrible and my lips are more easily tired and easy to loose strenght . What do you recommend i do? Ps I lost the 17c mouthpiece
That is indeed a tough question! It really depends on the sound concept and to a certain extent feel you are looking for in my opinion. The 17 is much narrower so there is less "lip" in the mouthpiece. We tend to get tired faster as the mouthpiece gets wider and deeper (at least I do). I assume you are using Bach mouthpieces? Maybe a softer "bite" to the mouthpiece would help? I would try a variety of makes and models for the type of music you enjoy playing and/or the sound concept you have. It is such a personal preference and no two players are alike. Sounds like you may like a narrower mouthpiece? it is, unfortunately, trial and error. Best of luck!
What do you do if you're in the middle of playing and you get an air pocket by your lips? This usually happens to me when I'm in the middle of playing a piece during my band class. I always get an air pocket at the top left or the top right area about my lip and I don't know how to fix it. The air pocket ruins my sound.
I know that is a bummer! The hardest part is becoming aware of it, which you are. That's a good thing! Try focusing on the problem when you are doing some simple lip slurs out of the Max Schlossberg Daily Drills book or "27 groups of Exercises" by Earl D. Irons. Just focusing on the problem usually helps correct it. It is difficult, however, to focus on physical aspects when addressing musical passages because your attention is on the music and not on "how" you play (in my opinion). Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.
Just curious if anyone would have any advice. My son is learning the trumpet. I find that sometimes it sounds like he is producing a vibrating, almost growling sound. It isn't spit. He does produce a lot of spit when playing. But the cause of this sound isn't the spit.
Hi Allicia, Trumpet sound isn't always pretty when first starting but It is hard to say without seeing him play. It may be time for a lesson or two? I would seek out a qualified teacher in your area to assess the situation.
Hi thanks for good information! I have a question, what is the difference between jazz music embouchure and classic music embouchure?! Are they different?
Pushing the mouthpiece too firmly towards the mouth will cause horrible fatigue. It is hard not to do so when you are playing screaming high notes. But practice, practice, practice!
Air pockets, particularly what people call "the donut" (a pocket of air that is created behind the orbicularis oris), are completely fine. If it helps, and you sound good, then it's ok. Everyone is different. I find it is useful for beginners to try and play without air pockets at first. I love the Jeff Smiley book! The roll in exercises have been extremely beneficial to many of my students.
Jeff Lewis Trumpet Me too. It’s a very good book that I have to reread many times to fully understand it. Air pockets and rollin are very beneficial for me! Thanks very much for sharing your excellent videos et advices. Best regards! Francis.
Ouch! Does it hurt? Could be you have a herniated neck. Have you seen my breathing video? You may be able to transfer some of that tension to your abdomen to free up the throat and neck area. Hard to tell without seeing you play. Check out the video here; th-cam.com/video/AY_LKLtgjhM/w-d-xo.html Best of luck!
Hi! I play in the red of my top lip, but only in the upper register. In the middle register of the horn, my embouchure is great, but as I ascend I need to set my mouthpiece higher and higher as I ascend. When I used no pressure and its a good day, I can play a double c pretty easily, but when I use my middle register embouchure in the upper register nothing comes out. I have some endurance problems in the upper register, although I don’t have any tone issues up there. Any ideas on how to fix this? I’d really like to have the same embouchure for every register and to have better high note endurance. I also play a little to the left most of the time. Any tips on how to fix this? Thanks!
Have you tried "Advanced Lip Flexibilties" by Charles Colin or "27 Groups" by Earl Irons? Seems like you may be a perfect candidate for the book as it's all lip flexibilities. It's not the exercises so much as it is what you learn from them. Try to work your way through the book slowly, with a metronome. With the exercises, you must do them with one setting. It is up to you to adjust when you descend and ascend. The main thing is that you cannot stop, readjust, and then continue. Check it out and let me know how it goes.
I usually play with my mouth piece just slightly off centered. not too much but just a tiny bit. If I play all the way centered it just sounds awful. Is that all normal? When I was being graded on my playing the judge took off a point for not keeping my emboucher perfect.
How do you sound with the air pockets? If you have a nice tone, good endurance, and can get around the horn well, maybe you don't need to? However, if that is not the case, sometimes "free buzzing" (buzzing the lips without the mouthpiece) can identify a playing position that is free of air pockets. It takes some experimentation but usually self analysis is the first step in correcting any habits that are detrimental to your playing. Best of luck in your journey!
I play in the “red” and want to try to play not in the red. I tried to change but cannot for some reason. I feel like playing in the red is restricting my ability to play higher notes, any thoughts on that? I play trumpet, French horn, and the mellophone.
I believe playing in the red can definitely hinder the upper register in general. First, I would get "The Art of Brass Playing" by Philip Farkas. It is a great place to start and I wish I had read it in high school. Although it may or may not solve your embouchure issues, it will at least give you some tools to at least adjust it so you can experiment with a new setting. Unfortunately, no one can tell you exactly how to set your embouchure as it is specific to only you. That being said, the more you can manipulate it it, the better chance you have of finding the embouchure that is right for you. Let me know how it goes.
I am not a big fan of free buzzing as we don't normally play the horn the same way we free buzz (unless you want to use it as an isometric exercise). That's just me. Other players love to do it. I wouldn't worry too much about how it looks when you free buzz as it is a usually a separate component unrelated to your true embouchure used when playing. Also, playing trumpet and french horn can be confusing to your embouchure as they can be quite different from each other. I think if you know that ahead of time you will be sure to treat them as such. I am not recommending not doubling on other brass instruments as it can be a lot of fun, but, be sure to compartmentalize the embouchure differences. Best of luck!
If your mouthpiece is moving that much it may be a sign that you are using too much pressure, particularly in the upper register. Do you play with a “wet“ or “dry“ embouchure? Try keeping your contact points dry so they stick a little bit more and then just wetting the lips prior to your first attack.
Chet Baker, one of my favorites! Lee Morgan looked as if he was playing "in the red" sometimes. Dizzy, well, the whole puffed cheek thing. My whole thing is, if you can get around the horn and you sound good, do whatever you need to do! Thanks for checking out the video!
Try manipulating your lip position, jaw position, and tongue position until you are able to get a good sound in all registers. It is a lot of trial and error.
If it doesn't affect your sound or range, I would leave it. However, it won't hurt to experiment "tucking" your top lip into the mouthpiece and see how it feels and sounds. You can always go back to your original setting. Give it a whirl! Let me know how it goes.
How does it feel/sound when you tuck your lips in? If you can play for a couple hours that way that's good! it is difficult to establish a new embouchure because it feels so wrong.
Just like what you said it feels wrong when i tuck mine but surprisingly my range can go higher when tucking my lips but i have problems hitting low notes
Yes, that usually happens at first. However, over time, you end up figuring how to play low without the "fuzzy" or stuffy tone on the bottom end of your range. Don't give up! It's a long process.
I hate the logic of this video. There are 100 ways to do anything wrong. The possibilities are endless. If instead you just so how to do something right, you won't need this video, nor should you cloud the mind with mistaken alternatives. This video concept is ill-conceived from jump street.
1.play with the outside of lips in cup of mouthpiece
2.tighten corners and dont puff cheeks
3/4place your lips evenly in cup so that the mouthpiece is half on each (center mouthpiece on lips)
bonus: dont push mouthpiece into mouth
dont force throat open
like so everyone can see
Sounds like a plan! The rest is all micro adjusting.
This has helped me so much. My embouchure kept locking up because I was playing in the “red”. Thanks so much!
Great! Glad the video helped you.
29 years away from it. this was great. thanks.
Awesome! You are welcome.
Great commonsense advice Jeff. Well worth repeating for players of all levels of advancement. Thanks for posting the clip.
Thanks Brian. You're welcome!
thank you Jeff! I am a begining trumpet player and i hope to get in my school's spring concert this will definently help me. ;)
Great! Best of luck!
Hi Jeff, Thank You so much for your video, I am a beginner trumpet player, I found your video helpful and amusing at the same time, you have a good sense of humor, you made me laugh the way you explain things, I am subscribing to your channel.
Glad I could help! Thanks for watching!
Common sense...but very important! The last tip is really great because many of us press harder as we go higher!
Hey Jeff, really appreciating your videos! A teacher once told me to "go into the piece" instead of pulling the horn into the face. It sure worked for him! He also referred to that spot above the upper lip where the rim of the mouthpiece feels anchored and the bottom lip just comes up to join in on the action. My bottom lip would roll under so he suggested to sneer and keep everything flat. That helped a lot! He'd say I was trying to look good when I played and to sneer instead. Lastly, he suggested keeping the corners firm to support it all. That also made a positive difference.
Sounds like you had a great teacher! Many teachers avoid addressing the embouchure formation all together.
Good to be seeing u , I’m friends with ur brother James , he taught me how to play some guitar tricks , he dated my aunt . I’ve seen ur other brother who is a drummer at hotel de anza few years back . Now I’m a trumpet player ! Thanks for the upload !
Small world! Thanks for checking out my videos.
got a baritone horn yesterday and as a complete beginner i am actually getting better results by using a few of these.
Awesome!
Thank u sir......im a beginner I no u will be of great help to me...
Awesome! You are welcome!
The “RIGHT embouchure", is VERY individual. I’ve played with the best and they all have violations of the 4-6 norms presented in this video.
Also, I spend 35 years playing on what I was told by a gazillion teachers was "the perfect embouchure". It wasn't.
I suggest working to understand what top TH-cam players say about lip vibration in various registers and then visualize how that might work for you; internalize their ideas. Only listen to, and WATCH real players, playing, not the teachers. Then experiment....
For me, I found a simple movement of the mouthpiece placement downward to isolate more top lip was a KEY FIX for me. I had wasted tons of time trying to strengthen an inferior, albeit perfect appearing setup :)
PS: Know from my bodybuilding days that everyone has an opinion. Take mine as some simple input....
"The “RIGHT embouchure", is VERY individual"- I agree 100%! My sole intention for this video was to have a starting point of reference for players to begin with an embouchure that is imo a good "starting" point. Then, you start to manipulate as you see fit for sound, range, endurance, flexibility, etc. If that means playing 20-80 top bottom (or vice versa), to the left or right of center, puffing your cheeks, then, as always, do what works for you. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Jeff
Aritra Dasgupta You are welcome!
Thank you
You’re welcome!
it helped me a lot
Great! Glad I could help.
First video of yours I've seen - nicely laid out, nicely worded and clearly spoken.
Points 1 and 2 nicely explained and generally agree.
Point 3 definitely disagree - many, many successful players and indeed many of the greats play with ratio's way beyond 60:40 (or 40:60 for that matter), and in general 50/50 itself can encourage type switching between upstream and downstream and can cause more problems than it's worth (though what feels like precisely 50/50 probably isn't).
Point 4... well, you nailed it when you said "teeth", almost all players who are off to one side or other won't have perfectly straight teeth (as do a surprisingly large number of the best highnote players - to the point that it might not be wise to assume coincidence). In general, if the setting naturally sits a little left or right, it isn't a massive problem (though "fixing" it might become one)
Couldn't agree more with your additional points - throat tension is almost universally bad, nor is excessive mouthpiece pressure... though from my perspective I've always seen mouthpiece pressure as a balancing act - slight forward motion of the embouchure to balance out a small amount of pressure (and in most cases, a little bit more of both in balanced way in the extreme registers).
Will have to have a look through some of your other videos and consider subbing - all the best!
Thanks man! In regards to Point 3, I agree with you! My intent was either for players who were really struggling, or for beginners to have at least a starting point and to not complicate the process too much at first. Eventually, we all settle in to something that is semi comfortable at least and experiment from there. Lets face it, the most important thing is air! For me, I'm always trying to find out how to sound better and how to get around the horn easier. Lets face it, when it's a struggle, it's no fun. If it's no fun, you may quit. I'm just trying to give some small amount of guidance for those players who may need a little nudging and a little encouragement to maybe check out if there may be an easier way for them to play. However that may be for them. Thanks for watching!
EnglishTMTB i struggle with switching with upstream and downstream but im getting better at it
This helped!
Fantastic! Glad I could help in some way. Thanks for watching!
Fats Navarro and many trumpet players had a top cheek puff which many say is ok to do. Some call this the "donut" puff or something which isn't as detrimental as the lower cheek puff.
For sure! Check out Ryan Kisor, Christian Scott, or Trombone Shorty (who also happens to play killer trumpet!) to name a few.
OMG THIS HELPED ME SO MUCH THANK YOUUUUU!!!
So happy to hear that! You are welcome. What kind of embouchure things are you working on?
Jeff Lewis Trumpet Well I have a problem with moving my mouth a lot and I don’t know how to fix this problem it becomes a common issue.
Jeff Lewis Trumpet I’m working on trying to get a good tone but my mouth tends to move and every time I buzz my mouthpiece tends to move all of the place. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong I’m trying to follow many tips from other videos but their not helping. I’m in highschool and I have to play 1st part soon and I’m having trouble with high register. This problem happened in middle school when I wasn’t really listening to my teacher but mostly to my friend. I follow what he’s doing and it probably affected my tone. So please tell me some ways to improve you embochure to improve my tone. Thank you!
I see. Do you play with wet or dry lips? Maybe try playing with the inside part of your lips being wet and the contact points dry? Also, it may be your jaw that is moving when you are playing. Try controlling that first and see what happens. Let me know if that helps.
Jeff Lewis Trumpet Hmm okay I’ll try
Thanks for your video.
I really apreciate. Simple and on Point.
Mr Jeff, which city you leave in?
You're welcome! San Jose CA.
Thks.
You're welcome!
This tipped me off I was playing in the red, which is why I had a terrible, buzzing tone and couldn't hit any notes above the staff. Now I can.
Awesome!
When I got braces as a kid my embouchure changed and I started playing in the red. My teacher back in the day never really put any attention to it so now I've been playing like this for 15 years. I'm trying to change it but the problem is, when I play with my wind band I always switch to the old position since it's easier to get the high notes out and play louder. Have been trying to fix it for over a year now...
My first question has to be do you need to change? Does it sound good in your upper register? That is usually the "game changer" as higher notes tend to sound thin on the red. Maybe you don't need to change?
Thank you.
Wow~~-
Thank you too!
hi Jeff, thanks for the suggestions they really helped me.
After watching this video, i realized that i do close my troath (as you name it "pigeon" problem) when i am in the lower register with staccato. I wanna ask another advise about the problem. Can you suggest me some excercises?
Thanks.
Usually, once you recognize that you are closing your throat in certain registers, the problem eventually goes away. Just the fact that you identified it is half the battle! Here is a link to my breathing video which can also help to maintain proper air support which in turn eliminates the need to "throat" notes. Schlossberg "Daily Drills" has many tonguing exercises as well. Best of luck! Let me know how it goes.
th-cam.com/video/AY_LKLtgjhM/w-d-xo.html
Here are some tonguing exercises.
th-cam.com/video/1ZWO6BVoVSk/w-d-xo.html
and
www.jefflewistrumpet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Tongiung-Ex.-1.pdf
there is an interview with dizzy talking about his cheeks... he said that it is a condition.
I wish I had his "condition"! Haha! Trombone Shorty has huge puffed out cheeks and he sounds fantastic! There are always exceptions. I say, do what works. Thanks for watching!
Sure, thanks for sharing!, Trombone Shorty is a great musician two!
Do you have any advice for someone who has developed a habit with closing the jaw while keeping the teeth apart? It does create tension and it is hard to break the habit...do you have any suggestions? It would be very much appreciated :)
Here is a weird tip. Lately I've been trying to practice with the teeth lightly touching and evenly aligned. This is called the Cat Anderson method. A teacher of mine said it was "training wheels for the embouchure". Even though you probably don't want to play with your jaw/teeth together, it becomes easier as you are more aware of the lip/jaw alignment and placement. Make sense? Give it a try and let me know how it goes. It's not easy at first.
Any suggestions on how to stop puffing out your cheeks. I just can’t stop puffing them out when I play a b flat and above
Some degree of puffing may not be a problem if it's generally contained behind the front part of the embouchure. Some people call it the "donut" look. Try free buzzing (lips only). Free buzzing usually promotes the feel of not puffing the cheeks out. once you obtain that feel, you can try transferring it to the trumpet. Also, you can use a mirror to visually isolate the problem. It's hard to determine if there is a problem without me seeing it. Also, it may not be a problem. Let me know how it goes. Best of luck!
I used to play with a 17c mouthpiece my sound was ok but when I switch to a 7c my sound was horrible and my lips are more easily tired and easy to loose strenght .
What do you recommend i do?
Ps I lost the 17c mouthpiece
That is indeed a tough question! It really depends on the sound concept and to a certain extent feel you are looking for in my opinion. The 17 is much narrower so there is less "lip" in the mouthpiece. We tend to get tired faster as the mouthpiece gets wider and deeper (at least I do). I assume you are using Bach mouthpieces? Maybe a softer "bite" to the mouthpiece would help? I would try a variety of makes and models for the type of music you enjoy playing and/or the sound concept you have. It is such a personal preference and no two players are alike. Sounds like you may like a narrower mouthpiece? it is, unfortunately, trial and error. Best of luck!
What do you do if you're in the middle of playing and you get an air pocket by your lips? This usually happens to me when I'm in the middle of playing a piece during my band class. I always get an air pocket at the top left or the top right area about my lip and I don't know how to fix it. The air pocket ruins my sound.
I know that is a bummer! The hardest part is becoming aware of it, which you are. That's a good thing! Try focusing on the problem when you are doing some simple lip slurs out of the Max Schlossberg Daily Drills book or "27 groups of Exercises" by Earl D. Irons. Just focusing on the problem usually helps correct it. It is difficult, however, to focus on physical aspects when addressing musical passages because your attention is on the music and not on "how" you play (in my opinion). Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.
Just curious if anyone would have any advice. My son is learning the trumpet. I find that sometimes it sounds like he is producing a vibrating, almost growling sound. It isn't spit. He does produce a lot of spit when playing. But the cause of this sound isn't the spit.
Hi Allicia,
Trumpet sound isn't always pretty when first starting but It is hard to say without seeing him play. It may be time for a lesson or two? I would seek out a qualified teacher in your area to assess the situation.
Hi thanks for good information!
I have a question, what is the difference between jazz music embouchure and classic music embouchure?! Are they different?
I think most would agree that the "difference" is in the sound rather then the embouchure.
Also, classical players tend to use different mouthpieces, in general, than jazz or "lead" trumpet players.
Pushing the mouthpiece too firmly towards the mouth will cause horrible fatigue. It is hard not to do so when you are playing screaming high notes. But practice, practice, practice!
For sure!
thanks teacher ----- thanks gays
Hi Jeff, What do you think about air pockets that are advocated by Jeff Smiley in his book "the balanced embouchure"?
Air pockets, particularly what people call "the donut" (a pocket of air that is created behind the orbicularis oris), are completely fine. If it helps, and you sound good, then it's ok. Everyone is different. I find it is useful for beginners to try and play without air pockets at first. I love the Jeff Smiley book! The roll in exercises have been extremely beneficial to many of my students.
Jeff Lewis Trumpet Me too. It’s a very good book that I have to reread many times to fully understand it. Air pockets and rollin are very beneficial for me! Thanks very much for sharing your excellent videos et advices. Best regards! Francis.
I have air pockets in my neck. How do I fix that?
Ouch! Does it hurt? Could be you have a herniated neck. Have you seen my breathing video? You may be able to transfer some of that tension to your abdomen to free up the throat and neck area. Hard to tell without seeing you play. Check out the video here;
th-cam.com/video/AY_LKLtgjhM/w-d-xo.html
Best of luck!
Hi! I play in the red of my top lip, but only in the upper register. In the middle register of the horn, my embouchure is great, but as I ascend I need to set my mouthpiece higher and higher as I ascend. When I used no pressure and its a good day, I can play a double c pretty easily, but when I use my middle register embouchure in the upper register nothing comes out. I have some endurance problems in the upper register, although I don’t have any tone issues up there. Any ideas on how to fix this? I’d really like to have the same embouchure for every register and to have better high note endurance. I also play a little to the left most of the time. Any tips on how to fix this? Thanks!
Have you tried "Advanced Lip Flexibilties" by Charles Colin or "27 Groups" by Earl Irons? Seems like you may be a perfect candidate for the book as it's all lip flexibilities. It's not the exercises so much as it is what you learn from them. Try to work your way through the book slowly, with a metronome. With the exercises, you must do them with one setting. It is up to you to adjust when you descend and ascend. The main thing is that you cannot stop, readjust, and then continue. Check it out and let me know how it goes.
Jeff Lewis Trumpet thank you so much! I will get these books and try this out! Thanks so much for replying man, I appreciate it! :)
I usually play with my mouth piece just slightly off centered. not too much but just a tiny bit. If I play all the way centered it just sounds awful. Is that all normal? When I was being graded on my playing the judge took off a point for not keeping my emboucher perfect.
i think it was back when I was playing in the red. It may not be because of my off centered emboucher but jsut to be safe
Left or right of center is never a problem in my book, particularly if it sounds better as that is the goal!
Does anyone know of a good way to get rid of the air pockets?
How do you sound with the air pockets? If you have a nice tone, good endurance, and can get around the horn well, maybe you don't need to? However, if that is not the case, sometimes "free buzzing" (buzzing the lips without the mouthpiece) can identify a playing position that is free of air pockets. It takes some experimentation but usually self analysis is the first step in correcting any habits that are detrimental to your playing. Best of luck in your journey!
I got a trumpet and it's really difficult to blow into
It is one of the most difficult instruments to play!
I play in the “red” and want to try to play not in the red. I tried to change but cannot for some reason. I feel like playing in the red is restricting my ability to play higher notes, any thoughts on that? I play trumpet, French horn, and the mellophone.
Whenever I try to buzz normally without a mouthpiece, a flap of my lips (red) that comes out. How do I fix that?
I believe playing in the red can definitely hinder the upper register in general. First, I would get "The Art of Brass Playing" by Philip Farkas. It is a great place to start and I wish I had read it in high school. Although it may or may not solve your embouchure issues, it will at least give you some tools to at least adjust it so you can experiment with a new setting. Unfortunately, no one can tell you exactly how to set your embouchure as it is specific to only you. That being said, the more you can manipulate it it, the better chance you have of finding the embouchure that is right for you. Let me know how it goes.
I am not a big fan of free buzzing as we don't normally play the horn the same way we free buzz (unless you want to use it as an isometric exercise). That's just me. Other players love to do it. I wouldn't worry too much about how it looks when you free buzz as it is a usually a separate component unrelated to your true embouchure used when playing. Also, playing trumpet and french horn can be confusing to your embouchure as they can be quite different from each other. I think if you know that ahead of time you will be sure to treat them as such. I am not recommending not doubling on other brass instruments as it can be a lot of fun, but, be sure to compartmentalize the embouchure differences. Best of luck!
My lips seem to be slipping off the mouthpiece after playing higher notes or long pieces of music. Do you have any tips for how to fix this?
If your mouthpiece is moving that much it may be a sign that you are using too much pressure, particularly in the upper register. Do you play with a “wet“ or “dry“ embouchure? Try keeping your contact points dry so they stick a little bit more and then just wetting the lips prior to your first attack.
@@JeffLewisTrumpet I try this. Thank you.
Chet Baker had a noticeable top-lip air pocket, but then again he did have his teeth knocked out. Played like a boss of course.
Chet Baker, one of my favorites! Lee Morgan looked as if he was playing "in the red" sometimes. Dizzy, well, the whole puffed cheek thing. My whole thing is, if you can get around the horn and you sound good, do whatever you need to do! Thanks for checking out the video!
when I put my mouthpiece a bit higher I get the higher notes easily easily
Great!
@@JeffLewisTrumpet yea it is, but It makes my lower notes go away
Try manipulating your lip position, jaw position, and tongue position until you are able to get a good sound in all registers. It is a lot of trial and error.
@@JeffLewisTrumpet will do. Thank you for the advice
Im playing for two years but my embouchure is in red part
If it doesn't affect your sound or range, I would leave it. However, it won't hurt to experiment "tucking" your top lip into the mouthpiece and see how it feels and sounds. You can always go back to your original setting. Give it a whirl! Let me know how it goes.
I sometimes practice tucking my lips but after about couple of hours i forgot how i did it so i just keep playing with my original emouchure.
How does it feel/sound when you tuck your lips in? If you can play for a couple hours that way that's good! it is difficult to establish a new embouchure because it feels so wrong.
Just like what you said it feels wrong when i tuck mine but surprisingly my range can go higher when tucking my lips but i have problems hitting low notes
Yes, that usually happens at first. However, over time, you end up figuring how to play low without the "fuzzy" or stuffy tone on the bottom end of your range. Don't give up! It's a long process.
4:22
My whole band before a high note
Yep!
You kinda look like my dad tf
At my age, I probably look like a lot of Dads! Haha!
Jeff Lewis Trumpet like my dad is bald and you almost have the exact same face
I hate the logic of this video. There are 100 ways to do anything wrong. The possibilities are endless. If instead you just so how to do something right, you won't need this video, nor should you cloud the mind with mistaken alternatives. This video concept is ill-conceived from jump street.