Hey there Hugh, thanks for your really important question.

I am going to be totally honest with you, I cannot stand the psychology of “roll” in or out. That is not to say that the embouchure muscles surrounding the aperture do not engage or that the aperture size does not change. I must also add that if the idea works for someone, then they should totally embrace it; clearly it is not working for you.

I fear that the psychology of the “roll in” can create an incredible clamping down of the oscillator and encourage WAY too much activation of the musculature in the face and throughout the body. Now I am sure that not is the intended result of those that talk about rolling in, but I have seen time and time and time again the issues that this causes.

Consider that playing a wind instrument is the oscillation of an air column in the horn/body system and the lips responds to that system. If the oscillation goes from sympathetic to “synthetic” i.e. manipulated and artificial, this creates all kinds of inefficiencies.

I guess you could call the “aaaaahooooh” a roll out – similar to saying mmmmmmooooooo (like a cow)?!?!? maybe, depending on ones definition or idea behind it, but the whole idea of talking about aperture corners and the inward/horizontal sensation is to eliminate the clamping as you ascend. The concept of Roll In, in my mind, encourages clamping.