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| Other horns: | 4 |
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2005-11-04 03:49 CEST | |
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Hey guys, just want to clue you all into what I think is the greatest trumpet embouchure method book ever written. Thats a big call I know, (and i have a heap of other books to compare with) but I truly believe it. It's called The Balanced Embouchure and was written by a guy called Jeff Smiley. This method will take you through certain exercises that will show you how to make the lips work properly. As that is really the secret to great trumpet playing. This is the web site here : www.trumpetteacher.net Also, Jeff is the moderator of the Balanced Embouchure forum, which is located on the trumpet herald web site. www.trumpetherald.com (click on forum and then scroll down to the balanced embouchure). Check out the web site, Jeff has put up several complete chapters of his book on the site to read for free. Run, don't walk to ordering this book. Cheaper than a new mouthpiece it will help your tone, endurance, articulation, easy of playing and of course RANGE! I am not associated with Jeff in any way and am not on a commission to plug his book. I practise out of the book and have seen huge benefits from it that is why I want share it with you all. Any questions regarding this method please post them! 
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marty
Moderator |
Posted: 2005-11-04 18:47 CEST | |
| I can vouch for this book. I've heard some really amazing things from my friends. I personally use the Gordon method, but I'd be willing to give this a shot. | ||
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2005-11-05 05:03 CEST | |
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Hey marty, you might be interested to know that Jeff Smiley studied with Claude Gordon for a period of time. Although the two methods are quite different, (Gordon says forget the lips, Smiley says the lips are the key) Smiley does use some Gordon exercises. Stuff long tones that are held until empty and power cresendos. (although these are a very small part of the overall method). One other thing I forgot to meantion, this method is an indirect method. Thats means you play the exercises (i like to do them first thing in the morning) then play your other exercsies/music/band stuff/gigs/whatever normally. Although your embouchure may slowly change over time, you will NOT be stuck playing mary had a little lamb for 6 months trying to get a new embouchure working. |
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2005-11-14 02:52 CEST | |
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Reid
User |
Posted: 2005-11-16 04:58 CEST | |
| Hey, can you post some more info on the "balanced embrouchure". I'm very interested, and I'll eventually end up buying the book. Just some more general info would be appreciated, from a trumpet player's standpoint. Thanks in advance! | ||
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2005-11-16 08:31 CEST | |
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Hey Reid. Check out the website www.trumpetteacher.net You can read some chapter out of the book free on the site. Anyway, the books main theme is the lips must be free to move under the mouthpiece. They must roll out for low notes and roll in for high notes. The book provides exercises to help accomplishes this. The exercises are indirect. Meaning you play them, then later in the day you can play however you want (gigs, other practice, whatever) The exercises slowly become habit and sink into your embouchure. On the web site www.trumpetherald.com in the Balanced Embouchure forum there are personal stories of people who have used the book. One story is of a professional player who was stuck at a High D/E who after using the book for about 2 or 3 years can now play solid (loud useable) high G and working up to a double C. This is not just a high note book tho. It will get your lips doing the right thing, this will help tone, endurance, flexabilty and easy of playing. There are some stories of professional classical guys using the book as well. Hope this helps
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2005-11-24 05:46 CEST | |
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2005-12-15 06:13 CEST | |
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2006-02-02 04:38 CEST | |
| Back to the top! | ||
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Reid
User |
Posted: 2006-02-08 04:43 CEST | |
| Yo Dizzy. How's this book been working for you? I've been meaning to buy it, I just keep forgetting. I was just curious as to your progress with the book. Thanks! | ||
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2006-02-12 03:16 CEST | |
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Progress has been very interesting with this book. I have learnt a lot about the embouchure both from reading the book and my own experiances. Basically I have gone from being a High C/D with pressure player to being able to play loud G's above this. However I'm not willing to try it in performance yet. I like to think of it this way. When I started learning trumpet I was tought a low note embouchure. I played like this for 8 years. Then I got the book. I slowly learnt how to play high notes. Now what I'm working on the third and most important stage of connecting the registers. I find that E just above tuning C is like a transition point for me and if I don't get my chops ready to accend by rolling in very slightly, then I have to use mouthpiece pressure to go up. (stuck at high D) But if i do get ready for it I can play a fourth higher. Now this my not seem that big a deal a fourth but by getting my top lip down off the rim and into the air (into the action!) I have better tone and because my top lip is not on the rim anymore (when i play correctly) it doesn't get mashed with my teeth and swell up. I played a big band gig the other night on third trumpet and I played trying to concrentate on not falling into bad habits. When I played like this at the end of the night my lips felt fine but it was the muscles around my lips that felt tired. This is just my experiance, if you check out the trumpetherald forum there are heaps of simalar stories. Hope that made sense it was a bit rushed, any question feel free to ask. |
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2006-04-22 07:55 CEST | |
| Too important to be lost in the archives! To the top! | ||
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2006-11-08 04:31 CEST | |
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WarpedRyan
User |
Posted: 2006-11-09 03:15 CEST | |
| I agree that this shouldn't be lost. It is very interesting and merits my looking into it... Thanks for keeping this prominent. | ||
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Drew the Jew
User |
Posted: 2006-11-09 12:49 CEST | |
| I actually came across this page when I was looking for ways to change my embouchure online (I've been running into a number of snags while playing recently), but I am somewhat disappointed that I couldn't find any useable exercises on there. I't just a basic overview of the issue, and some understanding of why and how. But it doesn't give any real techniques on how to change and/or fix inefficient embouchures. Unless I was reading wrong... | ||
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Dizzy
User |
Posted: 2006-11-11 08:59 CEST | |
| Although many complete chapters are on the site, to gain all the info you will have to eventually purchase the book. Trust me though, its worth it. | ||