Wow, thank you for sharing. It certainly makes sense that if you’re too tight in your throat that it will impact your playing. I haven’t experienced the pain you’re describing when talking, but I do recall one experience in high school–I marched the same parade twice with two different bands; my high school band and a community youth band I was…[Read more]

France, sorry for posting yet another post but it just so happens that I’m at a point in the course (again) that is supper relevant to this thread.

After posting the above post, I watched the very next video in the course: Andante Fundamentals – Leadpipe Transition (or something like that)

In that video, Greg really explains how the tongue fits…[Read more]

Frances,

I just watched the following video in the WW Course and thought of you, this thread, etc.

Andante Fundamentals – Aperture Corner Development

I can’t link the video as it’s part of the course and not a free video, but I recommend you go back and watch that. I think Greg did a great job explaining how to get the corners in–your…[Read more]

Glad to hear you have improved, Frances.

That’s how it seems to work–we make an improvement to a certain point, then have to work on that point; after a while, we improve again.

I recall Greg talking about finding the point at which you struggle and paying close attention to what you’re doing to figure out what it is that’s inefficient.…[Read more]

Francis, great to hear from you and great videos. It looks good to me, but it does appear at times in the videos without the horn or mouthpiece a little like you’re still moving things top to bottom a bit more than from the sides; however, if it feels and sounds great on the trumpet then I think you are on the right track then.

How does it…[Read more]

Hi Reijer,

You may need to if you dont feel that the air is coming out straight through the visualiser and is blowimg the tissue up as much as without it (straight).

My teeth just so happen to meet in the middle; no over or under bite ( still have my wisdom teeth).

But I used to blow downward towards the ground and roll my bottom lip under;…[Read more]

Great, Caleb. Enjoy, its a Great course.

Never realized Elton played Trombone…😏

No, it is good to see that. Vizzuti had a video and demonstrated the same, and Lynn Nicholson showed in a video of his that we blow air into the mouthpiece, we dont buzz actively.

But I think buzzing early might encourage too tight of an aperture,which is probably what eckleberg experienced.

Buzzing…[Read more]

Hi Caleb,

Glad you’re less frustrated than normal and experiencing so many improvements.

I’m sure most players on here relate to your frustration regarding range and is why many of us are here and why Greg created WindWorks, etc.

It’s hard to help you without some more information. Perhaps for starters if you could share how long you’ve been…[Read more]

Reijer,

I think the key is to ensure that the air stream is relatively straight out of the visualizer and blows up the tissue as Greg demonstrates in the video.

Perhaps you should try to only adjust as much as necessary to blow that tissue up, etc.

Best,

John

I dont have a visualiser either, I use my wedding ring–works for me.

Great post and question, Reijer! I know others are struggling with this as well.

It would be great to get Greg’s response to this, but my recollection is that Greg himself pointed out that he played for many years by blowing the air downward towards the floor and that he attributes much of his difficulties playing to that issue, etc.

I,…[Read more]

Francis,

How is it going? Do you feel like you’re making good progress, and that things are making sense?

I hope so and that you’re doing well.

Best,

John

I have to use mine to practice due to schedule as well. Not my favorite way to play, but sometimes its necessary. I also have one of those old bucket mutes with the cloth in it that muffles the sound but is open on the sides; I play that when it’s not too late/early as it keeps the sound from carrying but doesn’t stifle the air as much.

I do…[Read more]

Here’s one of the videos Greg did that covered the setup in which he says it’s more about the sensations / approach to playing that is the whole point of MmmmWwwwwwaaaahhhhhOooohhh, etc.

Great videos, gents. Peter, that’s a great video. Definitely hard to explain or demonstrate, but that’s the gist.

I think people (not just you, Frances; others are and I did too) are getting caught up in following the setup a bit too literally. If you listen to what Greg says in the videos, he explains that it’s more about the sensation of…[Read more]

You’re welcome, Peter. Thanks for posting that video, it was great. I saw another part of that but not that section. Definitely supports Greg’s teachings.

My focus on passive air is because I believe it will ensure I’m using proper and consistent form.

Active air support could be used as a crutch to open up a collapsed aperture due to…[Read more]

Thanks Peter, yes that’s correct–the aperture is reduced as the corners are tightened inward from the sides horizontally while I try to keep my top lip relaxed and avoid clamping top-to-bottom (like a clam).

The extreme of this movement would be a pucker or fish face, but not much engagement is necessary to change pitch and the mouthpiece…[Read more]

You’re welcome.

I think the Jason and Greg are probably playing the same way.

It’s just dangerous focusing on air speed in the beginning, as air speed can make up for bad form by forcing open a clamped down aperture and enable you to fight with yourself more than necessary early on.

And the concept of tightening in a ring horizontally and…[Read more]

Me too, Peter. Ive seen clear mouthpieces (acrylic). And there are mouthpiece visualizers which fit into the horn–basically full mouthpieces with the cup cut away.

The problem though, is we really need to learn this by feel, not by looking. Looking is helpful, I think, when trying to help someone else but we need to learn the feel, sensations…[Read more]