I've got issues... lol

[pitn0926]

I don't think more air is necessarily the solution. Faster air might be more appropriate. The difference being that higher partials require a smaller, faster column of air than lower partials. More air will just make you louder. You should try to keep your exhalation as constant as possible.

A few suggestions for faster air:

-Experiment with vowel sounds. For the C, think "ah" and for the E, think "eee".

-Another thing to think about is the position of the tongue. For higher notes, try raising the

back of the tongue. Imagine the tongue in the shape of a slide. As you play higher, the

slide gets steeper.

-Also, buzz the two notes on your mouthpiece or with just your lips. Then plug it back into

the instrument.

I hope these help.

[FlankinIt]

More Air & less lip is true. I used to have the same problem but from going to an E to a G in the staff. Also since you've been playing for 9 years you've developed a mental block when it comes to the C to E slurs. I had it too, relax and just blow through it. You need to kick the air & lift the tounge as said in the previous post. I use the "tuu-wee" air analogy kick the E with the "wee". Good luck

[kksop17]

What really, really helped me with the C-E lip slurs on the staff were to go from playin them with a c to e fingering.

For me it was mostly just mental.

I knew I could do it, I was just pysched out because I had been unable to do it for so long. Not, that I couldn't do it. It just wasn't responding very well.

Really, what helped has when my teacher had me just relax into it. The main problem most people have with lip slurs is that they try and force the notes in. My teacher told me to relax and just let it happen.

When I did it worked out pretty well, I also noticed a huge increase in range and tone using what he called the just relax and play method.

I dunno.

Really, you have to figure out what works for you on your own.

Cheers

[Krista]

What really, really helped me with the C-E lip slurs on the staff were to go from playin them with a c to e fingering.

Silly me... why didn't I think of using that as a start. Perhaps if that makes it a bit eaier for a bit, I can lose the e fingering, and it'll work just as well!!

However, I'm still working on them...probably too often which is what's tripping me out. BUT, they are getting better. Thanks to all you who've asked about it...and have been gracious enough to post suggestions! I appreciate it!!!

[cheezedogg 23]

Well its all bee said. For me i've tried almost all of those, but blow... blow baby blow... thats all. Kepp it going and practice practice practice. Blowing is the best way to get somewhere in playing. Keep the air supply there and let it fly....

(I'm sorry, was my freudean slip showing??)

[ContraMan]

A few suggestions for faster air:

-Experiment with vowel sounds. For the C, think "ah" and for the E, think "eee".

-Another thing to think about is the position of the tongue. For higher notes, try raising the

back of the tongue. Imagine the tongue in the shape of a slide. As you play higher, the

slide gets steeper.

-Also, buzz the two notes on your mouthpiece or with just your lips. Then plug it back into

the instrument.

I hope these help.

Comments for what is said here.

-The vowel experiment works for middle schoolers, but when playing for true performance, the vowels change tone and it's nasty. If anything think "oh" and "oh" only. The concentration might have to be directly on the embouchure itself and of course using more wind (that's right wind, not air, air is without motion, wind is air IN motion)

-The messing with the tongue idea is also faulty because it'll just cause tension in your playing... and tension=enemy. The tongue should always be down and out of the way of your airstream.

-The mouthpiece buzz practice is good. The way to work this properly is to slowly slur up to the E from the C almost hitting every note in between (ie. C, C#, D, D#, E) then start speeding up the slur to where it just sounds the C and the E. Another thing to consider is being able to have it where you don't have to raise or lower your position on the mouthpiece when playing up and down on the horn. Make sure you take in plenty of air to make plenty of wind for song. Our focus is wind and song. :)

Always remember the "egg breath" too when breathing. When taking in a breath, make sure your mouth opens vertically to the point of an oval shape as if you were trying to fit an egg in your mouth top side up. This also helps focus with putting the tongue down and out of the way of your airstream.

My two cents taken from a master class with Jens Lindemann, trumpet virtuoso. (yes a tuba player that took a master class from a trumpet guy... it's amazing the things we can get out of playing from our brass brothers and sisters.)

[spiritsop01]

-The vowel experiment works for middle schoolers, but when playing for true performance, the vowels change tone and it's nasty.  If anything think "oh" and "oh" only.  The concentration might have to be directly on the embouchure itself and of course using more wind (that's right wind, not air, air is without motion, wind is air IN motion)

-The messing with the tongue idea is also faulty because it'll just cause tension in your playing

-

Yeah we use the vowel principles and the tounge arch principles at spirit, and they work. You dont have to worry about tension if you keep your throat open. The tounge arch just speeds up your air... eh, I mean wind, kinda like when you cover part of the hole of a water hose to make the water come out faster. Just keep your thorat open and your tone wont sound constricted.

Edited November 22, 2002 by spiritsop01

[pitn0926]

-The vowel experiment works for middle schoolers, but when playing for true performance, the vowels change tone and it's nasty. If anything think "oh" and "oh" only. The concentration might have to be directly on the embouchure itself and of course using more wind (that's right wind, not air, air is without motion, wind is air IN motion)

-The messing with the tongue idea is also faulty because it'll just cause tension in your playing... and tension=enemy. The tongue should always be down and out of the way of your airstream.

Thanks for your expertise criticism, but I'm pretty sure these techniques work for older students as well. I think that after studying for six years with a horn expert would have given me just a little knowledge about brass instruments. I also use these techniques with my brass line and they seem to work pretty well. And yes, we've all read Arnold Jacobs' book, so thanks anyway.

As for tongue position, I use this technique in my every day playing. Now, I'm assuming you also play the tuba which requires a lot more "wind" (in terms of quantity) where arching the tongue might get in the way. But for high brass players, it is an invaluable tool.

[Dave]

Whenever I have trouble with something like that, I just practice it a few times on the mouthpiece. That helps me get used to how the notes feel without relying on the back-pressure of the horn to make them sound. Then when I play them on the horn, it's a piece of cake.

I don't recommend using free-buzzing for this kind of thing. It's good as an isometric lip exercise, but on your mouthpiece, you will never (or shouldn't, anyway) use that much pressure to play the note.

[sonya]

hey,

like a lot of people on here have said, it's not easy to do lip slurs, and most beginning high brass players have difficulty with them. for years I was taught to do lip slurs by saying "O, A, E" and moving my jaw accordingly; however, when you do it that way you use your jaw more than your lips and that causes the notes to sort of stumble into each other, rather than smoothly change, and does nothing for your flexibility.

I hope that made sense :P

try looking in a mirror when you play and make sure your mouthpiece stays in the center of your aperture as you do the lip slur. also be sure that your chin or jaw isn't moving, and that you use only the corners of your mouth to change the size of your aperture -- and NOTHING else -- to do the lip slur. it's hard at first, but once your emouchure adjusts to doing lip slurs correctly you'll sound better and it'll be tons easier to play them. I hope this helps. Please keep us posted.