Recently I have been:
(Note, I try to rest as much as I play throughout, sometimes I cheat)

1. AAHOO Leadpipe long tone x 3 to 5
2. Leadpipe staccato releases x 3 to 5
3. AAHH OOO on low C# – Singing tone – big sound x 2
4. C# (123) to F# (123) Harmonic Slur – the basic: Corners in, AW – OO, Airstream up x 3
5. Single harmonic slur routine from…[Read more]

Awesome to hear. I used to ice up my top lip after a 2 hour Big Band gig. Now, I feel I have another set in me after as well as more usable range throughout. Yep, Greg is a guru!

Hello,

Sounds awesome overall.

I don’t get a buzz when removing the mouthpiece at all on standard 2nd line G for example, but do get a buzz when removing during a lip bend (say down a tone or more). I don’t know if that means anything. Lip bends really sure up my aperture corners and I love em.

Single and double harmonics sound good. Fast a…[Read more]

Hi Reijer,
Do you have a mouthpiece visualiser? When working on straight airstream, often it changes back down when we place the mouthpiece on our lips. With the visualiser you can blow through this and straighten it up again. If i don’t have it handy i either use my fingers or actually blow the airstream angle slightly upwards.
You should a…[Read more]

Hi Whitehead1919,

It has been explained to me that unwanted buzzes are a cause of lips “fighting for supremacy”. Meaning that when lips are buzzing one lip is always dominant. When they are exactly even it sometimes causes a ‘double buzz’ especially with a pinched embouchure.

Simply try pivoting the horn up or down to see if this removes the…[Read more]

For me airstream was the main key. AAA-OOO, Airstream straight, then corners in and airstream up as you ascend. Practice on your hand. Can you make the air go up without tilting your head?

You should feel tired in around under the lip as you muscles you have never used start to get a work out.

Folding in the bottom lip is the enemy!

Good luck.

“Before taking your lessons, in the past I have felt I can play high notes and in fact all notes better if I setup a little to the right of centre. Does this seem like a good idea? Thanks for your help.”

Hi lyndaarmstrong07,

IMHO Claude Gordon demonstrates that mouthpiece placement is not critical, just find your
sweet spot. Terryl Stafford…[Read more]

Hi,
If you are beginner then you may not have developed the lip corner strength for a G yet. Start with C and feel free flowing straight airstream with resonance. Then try Hum,Sing,Play leadpipe first then get the same feeling on a low Eb. G will come. If you are still struggling, a good teacher or someone who can assess you via video may help you…[Read more]

“I think about singing the phrase as I’m playing it and that’s helping me a lot.”
Great tip johnelwood, I’m re-focusing on this now.

Keep going LeoBaroni19, you won’t regret it!

Its the most challenging yet, rewarding instrument to learn IMHO. Welcome to the forum, look forward to reading your posts.

Air kick is a definitive ‘kick’ from the abdomen like yelling “Hey”.
My take is Air Support is more ‘following’ the Air out to maintain compression. If you can be full of air then ‘Air Release’ a squeak a note from your lung compression alone, try adding ‘Air Support’ afterwards to increase volume. This idea is throughout Greg’s exercises. The way…[Read more]

Hi wjtakacs,
I used to basically curl my bottom lip inwards and blow hard to go higher. Airstream went down and all the pressure went on the top lip. I worked hard on thinking about the airstream up as well as constantly blowing into my hand using the mouthpiece visualiser (no buzz) to make sure my airstream was straight or heading up. Thinking…[Read more]

I agree with Greg and Johnelwood,
Best to judge your progress on a monthly basis with trumpet, not weekly IMHO. Is your airstream going up and corners in as you ascend?

Hey Hixta, that is great advice, thanks.

I want to clarify as to not create confusion, that the “air going up” idea is, in my opinion based on my research, is more of a…[Read more]

Hi Jakob, to be honest all those questions need to be answered by you. Listen to your body and chops and put the horn down when they are tired or start to swell. When I first started MTM I only managed 10-15 min studying the concepts. This created a new ’embouchure’ set for me and as I had regular gigs I had to swap between my 2 embouchures for…[Read more]

Steve, don’t overanalyse it.

Stick with the Windworks plan. Your “new” way will take time to take over the old way. That means some time with a lower range, then a time when it catches up and finally takes over with way less fatigue and way more resonance.

Trust me (or more importantly, Greg) I have been where you are and whilst I am not a…[Read more]

Played ‘in the red’ for years as a kid. It hurt my top lip, a lot.

The way I fixed it many years ago was with the help of a local legend who put me onto Jerome Callet’s Double pedal ‘slide ups’ (this is an from an early book, not his current spit-buzz program). This helped train my top lip to stay close to my teeth. That’s the term “Top lip…[Read more]