Steve,

Great idea about putting all of Greg’s pointers on a print out on your stand. I’ve been thinking of doing that and did something similar prior to my finding WindWorks and it seemed to help. I think it would be a big help.

I’m not sure I understand your concern regarding support being at the aperture corners rather than the middle of your lips. my understanding is that the top middle of our lips is what primarily oscillates, so I don’t think having that be the main pressure point would be a good thing; it seems that would likely cut off the vibration.

I have to admit that I’ve done the Stamp exercises for years and have the Stamp book but only just bought it and haven’t read it yet… I know the warm ups, but I used to tdo them with my old roll the bottom lip under / tilt the head back technique which limited me to G above the staff as my highest comfortable note.

BUt I think I understand, now, what Stamp meant by there is no up or down on the trumpet, only forward–when we engage the aperture corners, it pushes the lips forward towards the mouthpiece forward. Not a pucker, per se, but forward.

I’ve been struggling lately, kind of lost the familiar feeling I had developed–an ease of playing. I still understand what I’m supposed to be doing but find I have to focus on it and it’s not as familiar feeling as it was. Not sure why, I’ve been busy at work and perhaps playing less, etc.

This morning, doing harmonic slurs (C on the staff to E on the staff) repeatedly to feel the engagement of the aperture corners then ascending up as high as I could go helped me start to recoup what sensations I had lost.

Harmonic slurs, when done right, are the key to unraveling the mystery. When done wrong, they just reinforce bad form / habits.

I plan on doing another lap through WindWorks to solidify things.