Re: mouthpiece position


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Jay Bertolet on December 04, 2000 at 09:26:57:

In Reply to: mouthpiece position posted by Ross on December 03, 2000 at 10:19:08:

As far as the red ring goes, my own philosophy is that your "correct" embouchure position is a very subjective thing. By that, I mean that if you can do all the things you need to do on the horn (flexibility, range, dynamics, etc.) with your current setup then your position is probably okay. If there are things you can't do, you may want to experiment with a more centered position and see if it helps. Just like everybody is physically different in appearance, so it is that every person has a slightly different musculature in their embouchure. Find the fit for you and work from there. Beware the red ring is not the result of too much mouthpiece pressure. Too much pressure can be a very dangerous thing to your embouchure!

As far as the escaping air, I would imagine there are two obvious causes: Too little pressure on the mouthpiece or not holding your embouchure flush against the rim of the mouthpiece. Both could cause air leakage. The latter could be a result of poor position or it could be a result of the shape of your face. I've heard of instances where players had specially shaped mouthpieces made for them that conform with the shape of their face. This type of issue is best addressed with your private instructor. Only a trained professional who can see exactly what is going on would really have a chance to correctly diagnose the cause. Best of luck to you!

My opinion for what it's worth...


Follow Ups: