Page 28 - Embou-Sure Book Series

Baritone-Trombone Embou-Sure
THE MECHANICS
The mechanics of playing a brass instrument can be described as being directly analogous to that of singing. When one sings, an impulse goes from the inner ear to the brain and then to the vocal chords in the voice box. The resulting pitch is then amplified in the natural resonating chambers in the chest and head. With a brass instrument, the impulse goes from the inner
ear to the brain then to the vocal chord (lip) in the voice box (mouthpiece) resulting in the correct pitch. The brass instrument serves as the resonating chamber. Given that one utilizes ample and free breath maneuvers, playing a brass instrument is simply a matter of “singing (buzzing) on the mouthpiece” and “plumbing” with slide or valves. If it is so simple, then why are there not more good players? For the same reasons there are so few good singers today:
1. Counterproductive embouchure and breathing habits. 2. Lack of good tonal imagery.
SETTING THE EMBOUCHURE
The proper time to set a correct embouchure is, of course, at the very start, as necessary changes require extraordinary patience and commitment. Some salient points in setting the embouchure:
I. The corners of the mouth are firmed exactly where they are on an expressionless face. The degree of firmness should be not unlike that of a warm, friendly handshake. Neither the limpness of the “dead fish” nor the tightness of the “hungry tiger” handshakes is appropriate. The corners of the mouth do not move nor should the degree of tension change from one register to another.
2. The mouthpiece should be centered on the lip and placed approx- imately one half on the lower and one half on the upper lip. Many low brass players place slightly more upper lip in mouthpiece. Problems in range can result from extreme vertical placement.
3. Mouthpiece pressure on the lip should not exceed an amount neces- sary to establish the area that will do the vibrating. Excess pressure will result in reduced range and endurance. Another result will be a strained, edgy tone quality and an aperture in the embouchure that is too open, thus requiring even more pressure to reach the upper range.
TONAL CONCEPT
Tone quality is invisible and intangible, making verbal description difficult. The basic “bel canto” tone quality on the low brass instrument is similar to singing a rich letter “O.” The throat will be open in an “O” configuration and the embouchure will buzz the “song” in an efficient, resonant manner. Once good tone has been produced it can easily be reproduced; achieving it in the first place requires thoughtful listening and experimentation on the part of the student. And the teacher must search to discover which aural and verbal examples will “unlock” good tone in the individual student.
On the assumption that the brass student has a concept of the sound that he or she is seeking, failure to deliver that sound can be attributed to one or a combination of the items shown on the chart.
#1-CORRECT RESULT Many times a reasonable result will occur. SOUND EXAMPLE #1
PROBLEM SOLVING
#2-TIGHT, THIN, PINCHED TONE This deserves special attention due to its universality, particularly among young players. In an effort to achieve volume, resonance and range, players will often ”work hard,” setting up an isometric standoff between the breathing mechanism and one of four conso- nants positions of the tongue or lip:
“P” - The embouchure is a vibrating, elliptically shaped opening not unlike the shape of a bassoon or oboe reed It is not a closure that is blown open. If it is too closed, a pinched sound will result Feeling the warmth of the air across the lips and relaxing the solar plexus (cough mecha- nism) can help here.
by Robert Spevacek
Embou-Sure – 31