Johnelwood, thanks for your comments and suggestions. Your paragraph, particularly on maggio, explains really well what I experienced yesterday and today. I have never studied Maggio but I’ve seen the monkey image. Basically, I understood, through experimenting, I greatly underestimated the required firmness of my aperture corners. You mention a circular type of sensation as you ascend. That is what I am feeling and as a result the notes now speak. Very good news!

I experienced this before reading your post. But after reading your post I feel like I better understand the aperture corners. Ultimately Greg (a trumpet genius) is the one to thank.

I am practicing Clarke and my tonguing has greatly improved and my body is alot more relaxed due to not overblowing. I believe my “relaxness” is proportional to the firmness of my aperture corners. What I mean is, for example, when I play a middle C I simply increase my aperture corners and don’t rely on a kicking of the air. In contrast to your comments, when I remove the mp at that pitch I believe I don’t experience a buzz, only air. As a result I think this means that I remain relaxed while my corners remain firmer. I guess that this suggests that I am not pinching but yet my aperture corners are firmer?… Its confusing haha

My sound is not yet full and resonant but my body remains relaxed so I am very hopeful! I hope in the coming days my “process” turns into positive “results”.