What Is My Embouchure?
The embouchure is a very important part of
learning to play a brass or woodwind instrument. The word come
from the French word "bouche" which means mouth. The
embouchure is the proper way of shaping the muscles around the
mouth for a particular instrument. Each instrument has a slightly
different embouchure.
If you want more information on
the embouchure for your instrument, click on your instrument for
some helpful hints.
- Remember the basic "buzz" position of your lips and try to keep this position as you play.
- Keep your lower jaw down in a semi-relaxed position.
- Try to make the air do the work--not the embouchure.
- Keep the bottom lip firm or "hard" and slightly stretched across the bottom teeth.
- Frequently check your embouchure as you play in front of a mirror. Avoid any bulging air pockets.
- Keep the upper teeth resting on the mouthpiece at all times.
- Lower lip should be slightly stretched over the bottom teeth and be held firm or "hard".
- Keep the chin DOWN, FLAT and POINTED at all times.
- Frequently check yourself in the mirror for the above. Avoid bulging or bunching of flesh in the area of the chin and lower lip. You have muscles to hold this area flat--USE THEM!!!
- DON'T puff your cheeks! DO use plenty of breath support.
- Be certain the tone hole of the flute is centered on your lips.
- Form your lips as when you say the letter "P" before you blow.
- Keep the lips in a relaxed position except with a slight stretching of the lower lip across your bottom teeth. (Stick out your jaw very slightly.)
- DO NOT puff your cheeks. Play in the mirror to check your embouchure.
- Always be aware of using plenty of breath support.
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What is ToneQuality?
The tone of your instrument is the characteristic sound
for that particular instrument. If you play flute, you should
sound like a flute etc. Here are seven hints for developing a
good tone on your instrument.
- Good Embouchure
- Good Breath Support
- Good Mouthpiece (and Reed)
- Good Instrument
- Good Ears
- Good Posture
- Plenty of Practice
Since most of the instruments in the novice band program
need air to make them produce the correct sound, proper breathing
is an important skill. When you play an instrument that needs air
to produce a sound, it is important to inhale and exhale so that
your air is used most efficiently. You should always inhale
through your mouth - never through your nose! For brass players
the air can be taken in through the corners of your mouth so that
the mouthpiece remains in the center of your lips. Clarinets and
saxophones should also draw air through the corners of the mouth
to prevent slippage of the mouthpiece. Flutes may have the
easiest time because there is no mouthpiece sitting in or on
their mouths, but they do need to make sure that the head joint
remains below the center of their lips when inhaling.
Always take a full breath!
Imagine for a second that you are pouring a glass of
milk. Where does the milk go as it is being poured. Yes! -
straight to the bottom of the glass. When you inhale, your air,
like the milk, should go to the bottom of your lungs. Your
stomach will feel like it is being pushed down and out as the air
fills your lungs. Never breathe with your shoulders since they
are not connected to your lungs. Inhaling a full breath should
only take one second so pull the air into your lungs quickly.
Let it flow! Let it flow! Let it flow!
Exhaling your air is like squeezing a tube of
toothpaste. If you squeeze the tube in the middle, sometimes you
will stop the paste from coming out of the tube. The same thing
goes for your air! When exhaling you want to use muscles, not
bones, to squeeze the air out consistently. The best muscle for
this is your diaphragm. Make a fist and place it in between the
two sides of your rib cage. Firm up the muscles like you would if
someone was about to hit you in the stomach. That is the
squeezing feeling needed to produce a constant pressure when
exhaling. Speaking of pressure - try this. Take a piece of paper
and hold it approximately 15 cm. from your mouth. Take a full
breath, firm up your diaphragm and blow out with a consistent air
stream. The paper should move from a vertical position to a
horizontal position and remain there through the entire exhaling
of the air. If it does not, you need to keep the air more
consistent as you exhale. Good tone on your instrument is the
direct result of two things - proper embouchure formation and
proper breathing.
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What Should I do When I Practice?
We are all trying to reach a standard of 150 minutes of
practice each week. If you are practicing properly for this
amount of time, I can almost guarantee you success as a musician.
We practice to do several things - reinforce habits and skills
that we learn in the classroom, discover what we know about new
material, problem solve by listening, analyzing and modifying our
current habits. Practice will not make you perfect but you will
be much closer! I recommend thirty minutes of practice per
session. In that thirty minutes the following should happen:
Warm Up - 5 minutes
Review - 10 minutes
Problem Solving - 10 minutes
Fun - 5 minutes
During the review and problem solving portions of a
practice session it is important to set small achievable goals.
For example - I want to fix the rhythm problems in Pevensey Castle (bars 110-114). If you know where you are going before you
leave, the journey is usually more pleasant! The fun portion of
the session is also important - play your top ten list of
favourite songs and enjoy yourself!
Don't forget to mark the time down in your
practice calendar!!
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Do All Musicians Have Good Ears?
As I said above, problem solving includes listening as a
skill. I believe that all musicians need to develop their
listening skills. Music is meant to be listened to - not looked
at, smelled, tasted or touched! One of the most common problems I
see with novice musicians is that they have not been listening to
themselves when they play. Think about it - that is what you ask
your audience to do when you play for them! So how do you listen
effectively when you practice? Try to pick on one aspect of the
music to focus your listening. For example, tone can be focussed
on by counting the number of notes that do not have good tone
when you play a line of music. The next step would then be an
analysis of why am I not producing a good tone on these
particular notes - poor breathing, bad embouchure or weak air
stream. Decide on an approach to change these notes and play the
line again - listening for the tone. If you were successful then
remember what you did differently - this is good problem solving!
Remember your product is for the ears so test it out on your own
before you are ready to play for others!
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How Can I Learn By Watching Other Musicians?
Watching other musicians may be the most overlooked
aspect of you becoming a better musician. There are plenty of
opportunities to see other musicians perform whether it is on
television or at a live performance. When you see musicians
perform look for the amazing skills that you may see and ask
yourself - what do they do to demonstrate such a high level of
skill? I have learned so much about posture, hand position and
playing technique from watching others play. Steal their ideas -
if it works for them it may work for you! When we are doing
playing assignments in class watch your classmates during
demonstrations. Even seeing the wrong way to do something can be
a learning experience because you are reinforcing the correct way
to demonstrate a particular skill when you recognize someone else
doing it incorrectly. Remember your eyes, like your ears, are
your friends!
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How Do I Keep My Instrument CleanAnd in Good Working Condition?
(Regular Instrument Maintenance)
INTERIOR (AFTER EACH TIME PLAYED)
- Insert a clean cloth through the hole at the top of the cleaning rod.
- Make sure that the metal at the top of is completely covered and wrap the cloth around the rod.
- Remove any water from the inside of each part of the flute.
EXTERIOR (AFTER EACH TIME PLAYED)
- Remove any dirt, including fingerprints, from the surface by gently rubbing a polishing cloth along the length of the body, but do not press the keys.
- Wipe the keys gently with a cloth, making sure not to damage the pads.
- If the instrument has been played for an extended length of time, use absorbent paper to dry the pads by placing the paper between the pad and the hole and gently pressing down. Next lift the key and remove the paper.
- Always store your flute in its case when not in use.
Each Time Played
- Take your reed off of your mouthpiece, dry it and place it back in a reed holder.
- Remove all moisture and dirt from the inside of your mouthpiece by drawing the cleaning swab through it.
- Draw the cleaning swab through the body and remove all moisture.
- Dry the tenons(ends of body pieces) and the barrel.
- Wipe any fingerprints off the body, barrel and bell before storing in the case.
Every One or Two Weeks
- Wipe off any old cork grease from all corks and regrease the corks.
- Using a tone hole cleaner(Q-tip), clean out any dirt in the tone holes and around any other keys. Be careful not to force the keys or bend them in any way.
- Visually check the pivot screws. If one appears to be loose bring it to the attention of your band director.
After Each Time Played
- Take the reed off of the mouthpiece, dry it and place it in a reed holder.
- Wipe out the inside of the mouthpiece with a cleaning swab.
- Dry off all moisture from the inside of the neck with a cleaning swab. Remove moisture from the water keys of the bari sax.
- Draw a cleaning swab through the body from the bell and out through the neck joint.
- Wipe off any fingerprints from the exterior of the instrument and store properly in the case.
Every Two or Three Weeks
- Wash the neck with a lukewarm solution of liquid soap and water. Scrub the inside of the neck with a bottle brush. Protect the tone hole with a piece of adhesive tape. Rinse out all the soap solution and dirt with water and dry the neck with a cleaning swab.
- Visually check the pivot screws. If any appear to be loose, bring this to the attention of your band director.
After Each Time Played
- Remove any fluid from inside of the instrument- from the tuning slides and the water keys.
- Wipe any fingerprints from the exterior of the instrument with a polishing cloth.
Every Two or Three Days
- Unscrew the valve cap and carefully pull out a valve in a straight line.
- Apply the valve oil so that it coats the valve and replace the valve in the instrument. (Oil one valve at a time and make sure the valve is replaced exactly the same way it was removed.)
- Check to see if slides need greasing. If so, wipe off old grease and place a light coating of tuning slide grease on the slide.
- Scrub mouthpiece with a Q-tip and liquid soap to remove dirt from the inside. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
Every one or two months follow the cleaning instructions.
After Each Time Played
- Remove any fluid from inside of the instrument- from the tuning slides and the water keys.
- Wipe any fingerprints from the exterior of the instrument with a polishing cloth.
Every Two or Three Days
- Wipe the slide oil from the main slide and coat with new oil making sure to work the new oil onto the slide.
- Check to see if tuning slide need greasing. If so, wipe off old grease and place a light coating of tuning slide grease on the tuning slide.
- Scrub mouthpiece with a Q-tip and liquid soap to remove dirt from the inside. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
Every one or two months follow the cleaning instructions.
- Turn snares off on snare drum to release tension of the snares.
- Return mallets to the percussion cabinet at the back of the band room.
- At home, cover your bells when you are finished practicing to keep the dust off of them. Once every two months , wipe the bells with a damp cloth and dry them.
- Replace drumsticks when they are cracked or chipped at the tip.
- Fill a tub with lukewarm water mixed with a squirt of liquid soap.
- Carefully remove the valves from the horn and lay on a cloth. (Do not submerge the valves in water!)
- Pull out the tuning slides and unscrew the bottom valve caps. Place these parts and the instrument in the water.
- Use a flexible cleaner to clean the inside of the tubing and the valve casing.
- Clean the outer surface with a soft cloth.
- Rinse all of the parts thoroughly in clear lukewarm water and dry.
- Apply a small amount of tuning slide grease to the inner slide surfaces and replace each slide. Move the slide in and out several times to spread the grease evenly.
- Wash the valves in the same soapy lukewarm water, being careful to keep the felt cushions dry.
- Replace the bottom valve caps. Rinse and dry the valves, then oil and replace them into the instrument the same way you normally do. Replace the bottom valve caps.
for Trombones only
- Be extremely careful when washing both the inner and outer slide of the instrument. (Bending either part of the slide may cause problems in the future!)
- Grease the tuning slide as usual after rinsing and drying.
- Oil the slide as usual after rinsing and drying. (Be sure to work the oil over the entire slide for the best slide action!)
this procedure should be done every one or two months
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The Keys to Performance Success
Stay Calm
Stay Focused
Work Together
Listen to Each Other
Put Life Into the Music
Watch Me: I'm Here to Help.
Be Proud of Your Accomplishments
Have Fun!
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For more information try the WSP Band Index.
to 7oaks arts pages or school home page or to School Division pages
