Posted by ken k on November 14, 2001 at 18:53:23:
In Reply to: Practicing Highnotes with a Trumpet MP posted by Tracy H. on November 13, 2001 at 22:22:51:
For most of my playing career I had the worst embouchure there was. I never kept a good centered embouchure and often missed notes due to sloppy setting of the embouchure. Only after I started teaching beginning trumpet and french horn players day after day at my elementary school did I start to realize the importance of a firm setting (keeping the chin flat and jaw still). Once I started playing trumpet consistently (BTW, I only play at school. I would never play it in public! I can only get up to G on top of the staff on a good day!)I found that carrying that concept over to my trombone and tuba playing made all the difference in the world. Accuracy, flexibility, tone all improved immediately! To the comment below that trumpet players use a completely different embouchure than tuba players I would say that just is not so. Granted the oral cavity may be more open and the lip a bit looser to play the lower register, but the concept of focusing the embouchure to the center and keeping the oral cavity stll with a firm chin and jaw is the same. There is some beniefit to playing a smaller mouthpiece. Just keep in mind you need to think of a tuba tone when playing tuba, you do not want your tone to thin out on the tuba.
ken k