I just go my braces off about a week ago. I have several rehearsals/ sectionals for band coming up and practicing is not going too well. I was trying to take it slow, but I had band class two days after I got then off. We are playing The Gianinni symphony for band mvnt.'s 2 and 4 and I'm on 1st part which has all these high A's and such. My tone in the middle rang (middle C to upper D) is absolutely fine, but then when I get up to E's and above the notes just won't speak much. I know it will take time, but if anyone has some suggestions on how to deal with this I would really appreciate it. Than you!!

Yeah. Having a lot of metal taken out of your mouth like that definitely would affect your embouchure. You might try to form your embouchure like it was when you had braces, this would at least use about the same muscles that you've been training for the time you had braces. But like you said, whatever you do, it'll take some time to get used to the lack of oral restraining brackets of a metallic nature.

It may help you to know what is going on. You shouldn't have too much of a problem adusting. I had three students this year get their braces off and they were back to normal within days.

While you had your braces on your lips stretched out over them. The younger you are the sooner they will stretch back. The muscles and skin are very elastic.

My suggestion::
Each day you should play your horn. Here is a two-part 7 minute exercise that will help. If you can do this once in the morning and once before you go to bed at night that will be best. Start on 'C' just below the treble clef, play chromatically up to the 'C' third space, and then back down to the lower 'C'. Do this again going up to 'D' and back down to 'C'. Again up to 'E'. Then 'F', and then 'G'. What this is doing is retraining your orbicularis oris muscle and your depressor oris. This should take about 3 minutes. Don't rush and don't skip.

Part 2 - Start on 'G' (second line on treble clef) It is best to be looking at a clock with a second hand. Play the 'G' for 30 seconds (or as long as you can up to 30 seconds), rest for 15 seconds, and then play 'G#', again 30 seconds, rest 15 go to 'A', A#, etc up to 'G' above the staff. (This should take about 5 minutes)

Important:: (this is controversial but,) after playing the high G. Do not bother to play low notes to cool down or relax. Let you lips stay with the feeling of the high G. It will encourage the lips to retract back.

Thank you sooo much. That was exactly what I was looking for! I will definitely try those exercises!

notmello,

After you have tried it. Come back here and post it so others know that is works, or if it doesn't work .

Your exercises were miracle workers. After just a couple of days doing them twice a day like you said my range expanded to nearly what it was with my braces. My lip response has vastly improved and my tone of the higher notes is beginning to fill out again. I cannot thank you enough!

And also for others in my place, another thing I was having trouble with was clear and crisp articulations. An exercise that I have been doing with good results is to play any scale (I use concert f because it's a nice range and an easy scale) and play the scale using first two then four then eight eighth notes per note, then three and six triplets and finally four then eight sixteenths and end with two sixteenths and finally one. Start slow and repeat as many times as you want slowly increasing the speed, but stop increasing when the articulations become muddy or fuzzy.