Slow going but seems like I might be making progress. I feel my aperture corners getting tired when doing articulated scales.

I think I realized one thing I had forgotten to focus on which got me to where I was–playing softly, which helps me relax more and focus on steady air /support and changing shape by using the aperture corners. I think I might have been overblowing and have gotten stiff lips or something combined with the break.

Still don’t feel confident I’m back on track completely but I had faith before and focused on the principles and they got me to playing up to the F in Ckarke 5. Today I got the E but felt like I was pushing air to get it so I stopped. The Eb was pretty solid though and I did squeak out a high F playing a chord progression, so I guess I’m getting back to where I was, but I didn’t do very well in the Caruso seconds. My sound and resonance improved back towards what it was a week ago as well.

I played around with different mouthpieces and started to switch to a 3C but realized it was probably foolish to switch in the midst of everything, so I went back the the 5C.

Tried the 3E but that seems ridiculously shallow and I had trouble playing with it–I felt my lips touch the inside of the cup. I started out on a 7C when first coming back but the 5C sounded and felt much better. The 3C sounded better in some ways but just feels big and like I’m working a bit harder.