Teaching Trumpet Embouchure Eric Swisher

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure Eric Swisher

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Trumpet Embouchure

• Each students embouchure will be slightly
  different
• This is due to variations in tooth, lip and jaw
  structure
• Remember A good embouchure is one which WORKS!
• Use your ears as well as your eyes when judging
  an embouchure
• It should allow the student a reasonable amount
  of flexibility, range and an acceptable tone
  quality
• Avoid the words Tight, Force, Push when talking
  to trumpeters

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Trumpet Embouchure

• Good Embouchures have certain common
  characteristics
• Firm Corners
• Flat Chin
• Red portion of both lips inside the mouthpiece
• Mouthpiece centered from top to bottom and left
  to right

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Trumpet Embouchure

• Vincent Chichowicz
• Common Elements
• Firm Corners
• Flat Chin
• Mouthpiece Centered
• Deviations
• None

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Trumpet Embouchure

• Adolph Herseth
• Common Elements
• Firm Corners
• Flat Chin
• Centered Mouthpiece
• Deviations
• Scar on his lips from a car accident!

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Trumpet Embouchure

• Maurice Andre
• Common Elements
• Flat Chin
• Firm Corners
• Deviations
• Smiling
• Mouthpiece a bit higher then normal
• Lips rolled in-French School

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Trumpet Embouchure

• Phil Smith
• Common Elements
• Firm Corners
• Flat Chin
• Centered Mouthpiece
• Deviations
• Slight Downward Angle
• Trumpet Held at Angle

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Use non-verbal communication
• Images and sounds are much more descriptive then
  words
• Students will respond better
• Keep it Simple.
• Find a simple way to describe a complicated
  process
• Work in small incremental steps
• Avoid information overload
• Demonstrate every step first

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Show the student an example of a well-formed
  embouchure
• Live examples work best
• Picture will work if necessary
• Point out the firm corners and flat chin
• I have found it best to emphasize the corners
  when teaching a trumpet embouchure the chin will
  flatten and the lips will be in the correct
  position if the corners are firm

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Allow the student to demonstrate the embouchure
  formation
• No sound yet, just the formation
• Do this work in front of a mirror
• Allow them to compare their embouchure to the
  example
• Careful not to let the student smile too much
  as they get the feel of the corners
• Keep the information simple and practical
• Careful not to overload them!

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Ask the student to inhale normally (no
  embouchure)
• Then exhale through the formed embouchure
• No sound yet, just air (OH)
• Hopefully you will have already taught the
  student to breathe correctly. I do this before
  I teach embouchure formation.
• Allow them several breaths to get used to the
  feeling of the air moving through the embouchure

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Demonstrate Lip Buzzing
• I have found a little bit of lip buzzing can be
  beneficial before the student buzzes the
  mouthpiece
• Not all students are good lip buzzers, that is OK

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Place the mouthpiece on the students embouchure
• Ask the student to form an embouchure
• Place the mouthpiece on the embouchure, do not
  allow the student to do this for the first
  several times
• Place it in the center of the left-right and
  top-bottom axis
• Do this several times, then allow the student to
  demonstrate the correct placement

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Demonstrate how to inhale and exhale with the
  mouthpiece on the embouchure
• Inhale through the mouth with the mouthpiece
  placed on the lips (embouchure not formed)
• Form the embouchure at the top of the breath
  after the inhalation and before the exhalation.
  Do not allow the air to stop
• Exhale through the mouthpiece
• Student may accidentally buzz, that is ok!

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Buzzing the mouthpiece 1
• Go through the same process as the last step
  (inhale, form embouchure, exhale through the
  mouthpiece)
• But this time tell the student to keep his lips
  together as he exhales
• The lips should buzz at this point
• DO NOT try to fix the buzz, allow them to
  explore it.
• Allow them to play what ever pitch comes out,
  unless it is very tight and forced.

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Buzz long tones on the mouthpiece
• Buzz sirens on the mouthpiece
• Will teach them to manipulate the pitch
• To make the pitch go higher
• Smaller aperture
• Do not tell them to tighten their embouchures
• Vigorous air
• Arch the tongue (eee)
• Whistling can help to demonstrate this
• To make the pitch go lower
• Larger aperture
• Less vigorous air
• Lower the tongue

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Show the student how to hold the instrument
• Make sure the right thumb is between the first
  and second valve casing.
• Place the mouthpiece in the instrument
• Remind the student of the previous information
  (embouchure formation, mouthpiece placement, a
  good breath etc)
• Demonstrate a low C on the instrument
• Some will get a G to come out, that is ok
• Keep the call-response going until everyone can
  play a C. Then move to a G.
• After everyone can play a C and a G you are ready
  to move into your band books.

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Teaching Trumpet Embouchure

• Go through this process EVERYDAY for at least two
  weeks
• Have the students practice this process at home
  once or twice a day as well
• It is time-consuming but will prevent many future
  embouchure problems

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Trumpet Equipment

• Middle School
• Cornet or Trumpet
• Brand not important yet
• Bach 7C or 5C mouthpiece
• High School
• Bach Stradivarius
• 37 bell, ML bore
• Yamaha Professional or Xeno
• Mouthpieces
• Bach 5C, 3C, maybe 1 ½C (Curry, Yamaha, Schilke,
  Monette)
• Lead mouthpieces appropriate for lead players
  only
• Try a Schilke 13A4 or 14A4 (no A on the end)
• Mutes
• Straight-Dennis Wick, Tom Crown, TrumCor
• Cup-Dennis Wick
• Harmon-Bubble Mutes
• Practice mute-TrumCor, Dennis Wick