Steve,

I get it. You have had some success, but you came here because you knew you were not getting the results you wanted. Consistency, endurance is what you want along with the ability to play all over the horn’s register. This is the right place to be.

I am just playing for fun and the proving to myself I can learn to play better than my…[Read more]

Hi Steve,

I with Jonelwood, you are probably overdoing it. I get tired after an hour of continuous playing with no breaks, but I don’t have a burning sensation. I have a good, tingly sensation.

I am just a hobby player, no reason to play except for fun, so I am not an authority. I do have some thoughts on your practice and embouchure.

I am…[Read more]

I think you are not really using “the non-clamp style embouchure” as described in WindWorks. I suggest you do the Largo stage practice until you have the mmm-aah-ooo down and can play singing C Largo exercises using mah-ooo. You are rushing the process trying to play G above top line F. You have not progressed that far. That comes at the end…[Read more]

Oops. While I was working on my second post, Greg chimed in.

I also meant to say: “…or you can vibrate the lips at that frequency by buzzing and play the horn.” I think the former is better that is let the horn do it thing.

Just to clarify a couple of things:

WindWorks does work on the principle of each note has a particular shape. My understanding, so far is that shape has to do with:
1. aperture corners
2. jaw position
3. tongue position

So while I was writing this, I remembered Greg demos peeling off in Allegro Range Development video. When he peels off, he is…[Read more]

DAYS 1,2 and 3 $100 WindWorks Giveaway LAST CHANCE

I hope the link above link works. Scroll down and watch the Diamond A Exercises and watch it.

I am not ready for that yet, but it lets you know that playing high notes passively us possible. I am still working in Allegro level C# singing C Exercises and D Exercises.

I’m…[Read more]

I did not really address overblowing. Overblowing is muscling the air out of your body. Later in the course, you will learn about active breath, how to support for loud playing.

You will learn to play softly in the upper register with passive air. Your body naturally acts like a balloon. You may think of the passive breath as sighing. Try…[Read more]

You made my head swell with pride. Don’t worry though, I practice my horn today and come back down to earth. 🙂

The first exercises in Largo phase are crucial to repeat over and over daily. The new sensations and new ways of playing need to become your habit. You want these habits to translate into your normal way of playing. Even as you…[Read more]

I am not sure that buzzing is really bad.

How do you evaluate your own playing?

How do you sound?

What is your range like?

Do you feel like your choking as you play higher?

Do your lips hurt after playing?

Do the aah-ooh. You have corner tension and there should be space between your upper teen and lower.
Do like Greg and release the air…[Read more]

I would think that the pdf will NOT download the files as far as I know pdf is a way of sending text and image files not video or audio files.

You will have to open them by using the book online. When I click on the link in the website, the link takes me to an ebook. The ebook contains all the links to files, whereas, I figure the pdf does…[Read more]

The audio and videos are located on the right side of the screen, but the navigation bar has to be opened. The gray sidebar has triangles close to the top and bottom. Click the gray sidebar to open the navigation menu.

I do not think these files will download with the PDF. You will have to go online to access them.

I have a bad habit of wanting to help, but I have little experience and knowledge.

Do you think you are trying to engage the intercostal muscles by tightening the neck?

I am a retired science teacher, so I try experimenting. You can do some this analysis without using the horn and just breathing out through the mah-ooh embouchure.

The…[Read more]

I know you are looking for Greg’s response. After reading your initial post, I thought BE to be something to look into. I am still turning my head for “get a great range quick” schemes. BEWARE of get rich quick schemes 🙂

It seems from what I read that it is a lip rolling-in technique as you ascend. Is this correct? That seems to be the…[Read more]

This is not much different than your introduction in the Largo harmonic slurs. I have a suggestion. The online practice charts go up to 132. After watching the video above, I went back and watched the Largo and saw, what I think, are good instructions.

When I first did this slurs, I stopped at 132 thinking I was done. The instructions said:…[Read more]

The short answer is most people are not going to have the same range in the beginning because you are learning a new way of playing. I know you are waiting on Greg’s reply, but here is my experience.

Just like you, I changed my approach to playing. One of the things I would do to play higher was to pinch the lips, constrict my throat, engage…[Read more]

Here is a link to a video that shows several students playing a high C. Each student is playing on a setup that is right for them. These start at about 16:10.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I know I am not alone with the 3E. I agree that it is easy to bottom out. I have thought about getting a 3D as well.

Like you, I prefer the darker, full tone. There are times, musically, where a brighter tone is warranted. I also agree with you concerning the players. I am not overly impressed with…[Read more]

I think I have the answer.

My aperture needs to be smaller on the shallower mouthpiece and tongue arch does not need to be deployed as soon. I taught science before retiring, I think I was not getting a laminar flow. Non-laminar flow is characterized by turbulence instead of a smooth flow where all the fluid is moving all in the same…[Read more]