Thanks David! When I was 20 my college Tbone instructor informed me that I would never get better unless I changed my embouchure. He wanted to convert me from upstream to downstream. After I left that school I went to a Jr college and did get better gigged jazz for a few years but never really pushed myself because I though "why bother" I'll never really be good at it. I eventually picked up bass guitar and let the trombone go Now at age 55 I'm trying to pick it back up again for the enjoyment
I have this embouchure and I want to find a mp that will give me a darker tone... my tone is like EEE not OOO. I play horn. Im thinking about getting Farkas extra deep or very deep cup... any suggestions?
Yay a professional that has the same placement of the mouthpiece as me I thought it was unusual playing so low now I can continue to play with no worry's.
I needed this video. My upper lip is barely used at all when playing my french horn. It almost rests on the top of the mouthpiece. I have a range from about a double g above treble staff to an f below the staff bass. My teacher and several volunteer horn clinitians have tried to change me but I'm second horn in my band and I've made all region every year placing well. Now I known I don't have to change my embouchure =D. Thanks!
I am a living testament to how many things are wrong in this video. I played all the way through college with an upstream embouchure. I played fairly well, but never like the virtuosos that I envied. Then I got Jeff Smiley's book on Balanced Embouchure and it has completely changed the way I play. One of Jeff's points is that lips can vibrate in many different ways but the way most people do it is "inefficient." Look up "The balance Embouchure" if you want the truth.
Sorry, but you are completely wrong. Trumpet can be played in many different ways. I'ved tried Jeff's book and didn't see anything worth looking at in it. I found more in Jerry Callet's book, and little in that. Great players have used all methods. Some people have too large of lips to place all their lips in the piece. What should they do? The answer is obvious-what works for them.
"Lips can vibrate in many different ways, but the way that most people do it is INEFFCIENT." Is that somehow unclear? "Trumpet can be played in many different ways," thanks for that wonderful revelation. It's almost like I said that in my previous post. If you had read Jeff's book, you would know that he gives most of his credit to Callet, and that people that have too large of lips only need to roll them in to fit inside the mouthpiece. But, not like you read the book or anything...
Thank you very much David Wilken for sharing such great advice! I have a very stubborn college professor who doesn't like my horn mouthpiece placement not for the way it makes me sound but the way it looks. I struggled all last year trying to change it for him, while sacrificing my own tone, range, and overall ability. I would change back and forth every other day because he would never make up his mind on whether or not I should actually make the change or stick with my current embouchure!
thats true what you say stephen but you have to keep in mind not one person is the same therefore some may play better upstream or downstream naturally.
i dont get why horn players would do either. i play all in the center of the horn mouth piece and my tone and control are fine. i never move lower or higher to hit higher range notes. the only time i move is down to hit the lowest notes which are double pedal and are never used. i think that regardless of the placement the sound is the only matter of dispute; when you produce something beautiful, and you can reproduce it, who cares how you do it?
Thanks David! When I was 20 my college Tbone instructor informed me that I would never get better unless I changed my embouchure. He wanted to convert me from upstream to downstream. After I left that school I went to a Jr college and did get better gigged jazz for a few years but never really pushed myself because I though "why bother" I'll never really be good at it. I eventually picked up bass guitar and let the trombone go Now at age 55 I'm trying to pick it back up again for the enjoyment
cblood56 4 months ago
@cblood56
I also notice that Kai Winding had the same embouchure while I was watching some videos today. He seemed to do alright with it.
cblood56 4 months ago
What about mouthpeices? Do the size and type of the mouthpeice make a difference? do certain mouthpeices work better with certain embouchures?
samuelyork93 6 months ago
hi wilktone
I have this embouchure and I want to find a mp that will give me a darker tone... my tone is like EEE not OOO. I play horn. Im thinking about getting Farkas extra deep or very deep cup... any suggestions?
SABAustick 6 months ago
Just discovered that mine is the rarest type of embouchure! Yay!
JerzyBrzozo 9 months ago
Yay a professional that has the same placement of the mouthpiece as me I thought it was unusual playing so low now I can continue to play with no worry's.
alexbaturi 2 years ago
I needed this video. My upper lip is barely used at all when playing my french horn. It almost rests on the top of the mouthpiece. I have a range from about a double g above treble staff to an f below the staff bass. My teacher and several volunteer horn clinitians have tried to change me but I'm second horn in my band and I've made all region every year placing well. Now I known I don't have to change my embouchure =D. Thanks!
LatinRockGuy 3 years ago
I am a living testament to how many things are wrong in this video. I played all the way through college with an upstream embouchure. I played fairly well, but never like the virtuosos that I envied. Then I got Jeff Smiley's book on Balanced Embouchure and it has completely changed the way I play. One of Jeff's points is that lips can vibrate in many different ways but the way most people do it is "inefficient." Look up "The balance Embouchure" if you want the truth.
eric37a 3 years ago
Sorry, but you are completely wrong. Trumpet can be played in many different ways. I'ved tried Jeff's book and didn't see anything worth looking at in it. I found more in Jerry Callet's book, and little in that. Great players have used all methods. Some people have too large of lips to place all their lips in the piece. What should they do? The answer is obvious-what works for them.
jakeengler 3 years ago
"Lips can vibrate in many different ways, but the way that most people do it is INEFFCIENT." Is that somehow unclear? "Trumpet can be played in many different ways," thanks for that wonderful revelation. It's almost like I said that in my previous post. If you had read Jeff's book, you would know that he gives most of his credit to Callet, and that people that have too large of lips only need to roll them in to fit inside the mouthpiece. But, not like you read the book or anything...
eric37a 3 years ago
check out red allen playing st james infirmary blues
Bradentucky 2 years ago
Wow, nice find! Great playing, and he's almost definitely an upstream embouchure player.
wilktone 2 years ago
Thank you very much David Wilken for sharing such great advice! I have a very stubborn college professor who doesn't like my horn mouthpiece placement not for the way it makes me sound but the way it looks. I struggled all last year trying to change it for him, while sacrificing my own tone, range, and overall ability. I would change back and forth every other day because he would never make up his mind on whether or not I should actually make the change or stick with my current embouchure!
germxspider 3 years ago
thats true what you say stephen but you have to keep in mind not one person is the same therefore some may play better upstream or downstream naturally.
greatpilot85 3 years ago
i dont get why horn players would do either. i play all in the center of the horn mouth piece and my tone and control are fine. i never move lower or higher to hit higher range notes. the only time i move is down to hit the lowest notes which are double pedal and are never used. i think that regardless of the placement the sound is the only matter of dispute; when you produce something beautiful, and you can reproduce it, who cares how you do it?
stephenjacobsl 4 years ago