Howdy,
You should be able able to use your right hand to feel for the leak. Move your hand to the lips on the right side. Where precisely is the air coming from? You may not having enough tension in your mouth corners that extends along the lips to the aperture corners.

Go back to Greg’s “The Mouthpiece Revisited”. Do all the release activities…[Read more]

Ha, the cup mute explains the sound.

Yes, the aah-oow will make a wider aperture than you need. It is establishing the corners and is the opposite of clamping the lips. Greg even suggests that big aperture would be best suited for playing pedal tones. One of the exercises for developing corners is to form the aah-oow around the tip of the…[Read more]

Also, do aah-oow before to form your embouchure. Discovering your aperture corners is important. You may feel like you get it, but this is why I have to go back to start so many times. I learned to play 49 years ago without private instruction. I think my problems concern manipulating lips and horn to get less than pure results. There has to…[Read more]

Hi Hugo,
I am always struggling with the basics. I continue doing the WindWorks methods, and I always start having problems. So I briefly return to the beginning. I begin with breathing, concentrate on my aperture corners, and stop playing beyond my MTM mastery level range. Mostly, I come back stronger. A few months later, I start again. If…[Read more]

I meant to reply earlier, but I could not verify if my thought were legit. I was thinking about people usually being right-handed or left. I am pretty sure we have a dominant chewing side to our mouths. My idea concerns working some facial muscles more than others in chewing activities or clinching. Some people sometimes hold objects on one…[Read more]

Opps… I did not answer the main question. Do not oil the spring on top of the piston.

I found a good valve oil demo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac-S-uSoNHw

Hi Antti
When oiling valves, unscrew the top and pull the valve halfway to two-thirds out of the casing. Next, put two to three oil drops on the top of the valve’s piston. Place 2 or 3 drops on the valve’s other side Push the valve back in its casing. Do not twist the valve while pulling it out or pushing it back in. The valve should not have…[Read more]

Annti, congratulations on your purchase. I remember your earlier posts about getting a horn. I hate sticky, sluggish valves. Those cheaper beginner horns seem to have inconsistent valve action. It seems you got a good deal with your Yamaha trumpet. Hopefully, it was cleaned. If I remember correctly, it is used. Buy a snake brush and a…[Read more]

Take it slow and easy. Do not rush to play a lot of different notes.

Rewatch the “Leadpipe to Trumpet Transition” video.

It is not surprising that your notes are not spot-on at first. You played the leadpipe with a wide aperture that was probably more suited to the trumpet’s pedal tones.

You can noodle around on the horn for fun, seeing what…[Read more]

The last link under the Largo Fundamentals is The Premium Level. Click on Premium Level and scroll down In bluish letters you find this note:

Free trial users can use their CC (Coupon Code Number) and get the Premium Level 50% OFF for the first month. That’s only $20 for a whole month PLUS you get MTM eBook 1 (PRINTABLE) and lifetime access t…

[Read more]

https://zoom.us/j/6619120554
Password is 3100

Thank you for all you do. Be safe and best wishes for your family, especially for your mother.

The opening may be wider vertically and not horizontally wider. What do you do when you play a soft c below the stave (staff)? The air is coming out through a smaller aperture on the pp C, and then you crescendo by allowing more air to naturally make the aperture open up. If our lips are like vocal cords or guitar strings (I feel lips on a…[Read more]

I am going to suggest that you have a wider aperture than Greg’s. Passive reduction does not mean the air leaving your body can not be controlled. I believe loudness has little to do with how much air is in the lungs, but how much air used to vibrate your lips. If we had a contest to see how long we could play without taking a breath at the…[Read more]

Thank you, John. Greg said he wanted to be on the sidelines and jump in when he thinks it is necessary.

I am going to take your agenda and change the topics into questions. This will get others to share their triumphs and struggles in each of these areas and keep it a discussion.

Thank you for doing the hard work by building the structure.…[Read more]

I need to proofread.

John, are you fine with putting together an agenda and posting it here in the forum? Others may have suggestions after seeing it.

Correct me if I am wrong, would this be the zoom link?

https://zoom.us/j/6619120554