Embouchure help

[thederek]

So I've been practicing baritone for auditions coming up soon...and its been awhile since I've done any serious playing. I'm sounding very good but I have one problem. I'm having a hard time keeping a tight embouchure, air is constantly leaking out the sides of my mouth while I play. What are good things to do to help improve this? I vaguely remember doing breathing exercises through a straw or holding a pencil in your lips for long periods of time or something like that.

Help please.

[Martybucs]

So I've been practicing baritone for auditions coming up soon...and its been awhile since I've done any serious playing. I'm sounding very good but I have one problem. I'm having a hard time keeping a tight embouchure, air is constantly leaking out the sides of my mouth while I play. What are good things to do to help improve this? I vaguely remember doing breathing exercises through a straw or holding a pencil in your lips for long periods of time or something like that.

Help please.

DANGER!! WILL ROBINSON!

Can open!!! Worms everywhere!!!!

Actually, sounds like some muscle weakness. Pencil exercise is good. Google "embouchure" and while away the hours.

You may find something that works because there may be more than one reason and answer for you question.

[tubajoe]

I'm having a hard time keeping a tight embouchure, air is constantly leaking out the sides of my mouth while I play. What are good things to do to help improve this?

Help please.

One thing...

L OOOOOOO N G Tones.

It's a simple muscle strength thing.

Dont do any goofy pencil / nickle / dime exercises.....,

rather give yourself TIME, and consistency, like any type of muscle building exercise

You embouchure consists mostly of the orbicularis oris muscle -- which is a ring shaped sphincter muscle -- but it is also a

a vortex of many fibres woven in from other muscles from all over the face.

The orbicularis orbis is fairly strong, but the fibers from the other many muscles are not. You are dealing with a physical conditioning process, just on a very small level.

It is probably as much a situation of form, as it is of sheer strength (which is why I advise strongly against those extra strength exercises mentioned in this thread)

Start with what you CAN already do... dont push it to extremes in range (you may create bad habits)

Play LONG tones on mid-low and midrange notes. Play scales as high and low ONLY as far as you can go without shifting or adjusting your embouchure. (let music guide you, not physicality)

Gradually (over the course of days) work things in either direction range-wise.

It is important to understand that this takes TIME. Buzzing on your mouthpiece alone (preferably tunes, not just exercises) as well as on a visualizer (mouthpiece ring) is a big help as well. Keep everything musical. Look in a mirror and see if your form is good. Do this with the mouthpiece alone.

It's important that you do your best to play EVERY DAY. ...even if it is just a little bit. 15 minutes a day, every day is FAR better than several hours once or twice a week. Start slow, and build up gradually.

It is also important to note that breathing exercises probably do not have anything to do with this loose embouchure issue. But, while playing, make sure you are doing the breathing thing correctly (as deep as possible and using no pressure)

....that being said, let me say a bit about inner air pressure. Dont use it, you dont need it. Dont create it.

Above all, go take a lesson from a local pro (drum corps or not) preferably someone with a GREAT sound. That's worth at least a thousand words.

peace

[Shadow_7]

I used to have that problem back when I was i High School. The short answer is to use more pressure. Although that's not the desired solution. As pressure kills endurance. I would think the issue has to do with muscle strength, since I haven't had that issue since before I marched my rookie year in drum corps. Or maybe I've had enough contact time with pressure that my dental structure has changed enough to create a good seal.

Long tones are a good suggestion. Those other gimmicks are mainly for travelling when you're away from circumstances that allow you to actually play your horn. Just make sure you focus while doing long tones. You want a clear and clean tone that is steady, while remaining as relaxed as possible.

[BMBob]

You're going to get this answer eventually from somebody, so it might as well be me. Take a private lesson - at least one, or start weekly, if possible. If you practice any kind of exercise with improper technique, that technique problem will continue and become even more of a habit. None of us can "diagnose" your problem accurately without seeing you play, like a private teacher can. He or she can, after seeing what you're doing, give you exercises designed to combat your specific issues.

[Drew Wilkie]

A "tight" embouchure is exactly what you don't want.

Efficiency is the name of the game in playing a brass instrument. Tension inside the mouthpiece, or in the body, will just dampen your sound, range, endurance, and flexibility.

Concentrate on relaxing the stuff inside the mouthpiece...you'll be surprised just how little air you really need to play. Consequently, this will also help to solve your leaking problem, as you already have enough innate facial strength to play the instrument well.

Less is more, weakness is strength, coordination is everything.

RELAX...brass playing is easy!

[Shadow_7]

So anyway, I picked up a mellophone the other day for open house. It's been a while since I've done so. And towards the end of practice while trying to play louder than my endurance would allow. I too started leaking out the sides of the mouth. And I got a pretty good cramp in the side abdoman area. The solution of the hour was to aid facial structure with a finger to plug the leak. And to not play quite that loud so my body would stop reminding me of how old I really am.