Hello,

I am currently working on my embouchure, and lip strength. I'm wondering if anyone knows any useful exercises to strengthen the corners of my lips. Whenever I seem to forum the right embouchure, my the corners of my lips always spread apart instead of staying closer to the mpc.


Thanks


-Panada
xoxo

I can't think of any exercises for the corners specifically. Mostly I would suggest playing to strengthen them. If you can't keep them in at all, it's probably not a matter of strength, but of how you're forming your embouchure. I've found that a lot of people misinterpret the description of the clarinet embouchure. Make sure you aren't rolling your bottom lip in too much. I've found that if you don't think of the lip coming in, but actually almost think of sticking it out by bringing the corners in and the letting the mouthpiece/reed push a little bit of the firm lower lip over as they slip into the mouth, that will give you the correct amount.

Several years ago I found a lip excercise to strenthen the embouchure-- You might try it. I have and can't say it changed mine much but it can't hurt. The drill is to (1) purse you lips to form (OOH) as tight as you can, and hold for a couple of seconds. Then (2) grin and spread your lips as wide as possible and hold for several seconds. Do this 50 times and yes, you will get tired. Do this several times a day . It seems to me that if yu want to strengthen any muscle in the body , it takes a lot of repetions, and the face is no exceptin. Good luck.

This isn't specifically for the corners, but it's a set of exercises that Dave Bourque taught me to strengthen the embouchure.

1. Place two fingers against your upper lip, and push your fingers down with your lip. Just the weight of your fingers is enough to make this exercise work, so don't push with your fingers.

2. Place two fingers on your lower lip about a centimeter apart and use the lip to pull them together. Again, just use the weight of your fingers as the resistance.

3. Turn your lips in as if you were forming an oboe embouchure, and press the lips against one another and hold for 10 seconds.

Repeat all of the these exercises 15 times to form one little workout. I still think that if you can't keep your corners in at all it's probably to do with the way your forming your embouchure, but it certainly won't hurt you to work on embouchure strength and endurance as well. Just remember that the mark of a strong embouchure is that it requires less effort to get results than with a weak embouchure.

Play a trumpet or other brass instrument. That will stop your leak.

I'm thinking you are trying to put your lips together too hard.
If you try and squeeze them together, they will leak.

If you use a 'string purse' type embouchre you will have all the strength you need and you will seal the air in. So instead fo trying to tighten those corner of your mouth and instead of trying to squeeze top and bottom together, try squeezing in at the sides. Push the corners of your lips into the side of the mouthpiece and then add your up and down, or top and bottom pressure.