A couple of days ago I decided to change my embrochure because the mouthpiece was positioned very low on my lips such that you could see most of my upper lip. My band teacher said that I "would not get very far" with such an embrochure. My main problem is that my range has dropped tremendously; I can barely play a high C (third space on the staff). I haven't memorized my new embrochure yet and sometimes when I play my trumpet, the notes sound very distorted. I know that not every embrochure is the same but what would your tips be for getting and practicing a new embrochure?
Re: (Bad?) Embrochure 20:26 on Monday, April 23, 2007
Get a private teacher that plays trumpet, not your band director(unless he or she plays trumpet as thier main instrument)
And it is embouchure not embrouchure.
Re: (Bad?) Embrochure 14:07 on Thursday, April 26, 2007
I used to have the same problem. I played with the mouthpiece low on my lips so that the pink of my upper lip was showing. You're doing the right thing by changing your embouchure, trust me. Once you have completed your embouchure, you will have a much better sound, endurance, and air flow. It is completely normal when making this kind of embouchure change to considerably loose range because you have to learn to play the instrument correctly. When you play low on the mouthpiece, you are pinching your upper lip which helps you to play immediately higher...and you probably can play higher than your friends. The problem is, if you continue to play with this setup, you will hit a brick wall and damage your lips. Pinching your upper lip will eventually damage your setup and can cause irreparable damage to your chops. So stick with the change...practice with little pressure, and fix it. I guarantee you will be glad you did in the long run. Good luck