The time is still negotiable. Right now, I am suggesting an hour earlier, at 10 pm in the U.K.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20201120T220000&p1=24&p2=152&p3=136

Hope to see you there.

John, are fine with being in charge of the agenda? I am, thank you.

Moving up an hour could make the meeting more accessible for those in the U.K.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20201120T220000&p1=24&p2=152&p3=136

dkbmusic, that is great. Would you host the meeting?

From some of the comments, I would like to start at 4:00 pm, Central time, USA.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20201120T220000&p1=24&p2=152&p3=136

Would having it an hour earlier be better? I am flexible.

You can use your old embouchure set to play it.

The range will come as you find the shape to notes. Work on those aperture corners. It is important to stay patient and pay attention to the process.

I’m a comeback high school player. On playing Taps: you could play with the first valve down and not worry about the G or you could play 1 and 2 down and the highest note is an E. There are many…[Read more]

Bill, I love the video because I can relate.
You played the process A exercises, and I think you’re ready to play the results exercises keeping the same process until the results exercises are consistent.

The process exercises do not have to be perfect in tone quality but are for retraining our brain making it become the default without thinking…[Read more]

Remembercollin, that article was spot on and described precisely what I felt. https://www.dansr.com/wick/resources/embouchure-overuse-syndrome-in-brass-players#:~:text=Embouchure%20overuse%20syndrome%20is%20the,injury%20suffered%20by%20brass%20players.&text=The%20reason%20is%20that%20the,the%20embouchure%20from%20working%20normally

Thankfully, I…[Read more]

Thanks for the replies. I am healing slowly. This was not caused by too much high range playing. Remembercolin is probably correct in diagnosing it as over-use syndrome.

I had been working on my aperture corners. I went through the Andante fundamentals followed by all of the upper-register exercises from andante, adagio, and moderato stages.…[Read more]

In the Andante Fundamentals, Greg addresses not getting a sympathetic oscillation. Don’t worry about it. The takeaway is: do not pinch the middle of the lips and do not overblow. As for the lips vibrating after pulling the mouthpiece out, this may be caused by various factors. I have had this experience, and I am not sure why it is so. I…[Read more]

Download podcasts from the videos and listen to them.

Learning to recognize negative tension is the first step to eliminating it. The best way to improve your playing is to know how you want to play and what it feels like.

One
Stand or sit up straight, take a comfortable breath, and with no active engagement from the abdominal muscles, hum or…[Read more]

Why we are doing the tongue stop?

To engage and strengthen the Aperture Corners and the facial muscles
To encourage the Sympathetic Oscillation of the lip tissue
To disengage the innate desire to blow rather than RELEASE
To optimize efficiency, especially when heading into the upper register (where the trouble really begins)

Copied from:…[Read more]

Greg’s method focuses on learning the physical feeling for each note. You are learning the shape for each pitch. Like any physical skill, you must practice a note until it is a part of your muscle memory. Do not rush the process. I feel you are not ready to play E above the staff until you know the shape of every note below it. The shape…[Read more]

You are correct about Greg’s aperture corners. Small changes in the aperture corners will account for a certain range. Your tongue is another factor. As you ascend the scale, the tongue will arch slightly. The tongue will flatten as you descend. The jaw is another aspect of shape. Notes below the staff may require you to lower the jaw. These…[Read more]

If I could find my volumetric lung exerciser, I would give you a comparison of lung capacity with the chest up and chest not up. Part of this has to do with good posture. Most people tend to slouch and this is often reinforced by hutching over computers and game consoles. Lung capacity is increased by good posture. The chest up promotes…[Read more]

Hi VeeTG,

I’m not Greg. First: Do you have the concept of the tongue releasing the air? You take the backswing breath, the tongue is ready, in the position to let go of the air using “tu”.

“To RELEASE energy from the body to play a note, you simply lower the tongue from the roof of the mouth. The Aperture Corners have already set the pitch.…[Read more]