Today was different again and when I read this theme I felt this might help a little.
Some years ago I was advised to play the trombone to feel more clearly the vibration of the lips. Having bought an old instrument off a friend I used it for a while but then let it go when I started doing MtM. Now WindWorks has come out I have started to use it to warm up the chops in the morning and sometimes warm down at night. You really understand the CHB playing a pedal C on trombone. I then had the idea of doing WindWorks on trombone rather than just playing a few notes. This morning I worked on Largo step 4. I found a real focus for the aperture. A different instrument has a different expectation. Rather than going on to do the pitch bend warm up I transferred this feeling to the trumpet. The effect was staggering and I realised I had previously still not gained purity of process. I was then able to maintain this feeling to the F# with utmost concentration and stopping along the way whenever I was not on the target.
The bottom lip under was the prescribed method of Farcas. I can remember in my 20,s (I am 72) using a mirror to get the Farcas position. If only. Just like Bill my range was great but fairly soon there was a feeling of losing power and the doubts set in and the brain cuts out. So much of playing is about confidence. I managed when I was younger but after a 25 year break I could not get that confidence back. The more I practised the worse I felt I was playing. I now play mostly jazz rather than classical and find the fresh challenge stimulating. Through WindWorks my confidence is returning and sometimes I play things I only dreamt of years ago but consistency is not there yet. I still feel anything above the stave is an issue once I get to band but when improvising I can use the good days to advantage and the poor days to be creative. The point of difference at the top of the stave is traumatic and frustrating but having moved to another level of process this morning I feel more confident I will overcome this. Thank you Greg.
Final point for Bill. Once you find the vibration don’t be impatient. Like many others, I have had to keep going back to Largo. It pays off every time.