I think I can relate to that a bit. I’m a trumpet player, but I experienced something similar to what I think you’re describing.

For me, I think it was more about the air–it is a very subtle thing, almost imperceptible at times, especially when playing music and trying to read music, get the fingerings, articulation, dynamics, etc. right and play with a group, etc.

The key me for maximizing the relaxation of the lips was the sensation of “leading with the air” and letting the lips respond to the air. It’s a split second thing, or has to be when playing certain music / articulations / pitches, but it’s important in ensuring that only the necessary tension is in the embouchure.

Also, thinking “Oooooh” as I’m playing, or “TeeOoooh” if articulating, even if my tongue is more arched in an “Eeee” syllable, helps me ensure I’m engaging the aperture corners and not the middle of the lips.

Another thing that helped me was someone recommended visualizing a coffee stirrer straw in their lips when playing higher notes.

You’re welcome. I was just thinking about this thread as I was playing Clarke’s Second Study–I caught myself blowing rather than releasing air. Things were not feeling well, I felt like I was inefficient and things weren’t feeling good, I was feeling tired. I realized I wasn’t releasing the air; re-focused my attention to what I was doing, and suddenly I felt like I had a second wind and wound up playing the 2nd half of the exercise, which goes up above the staff easier than the first half and felt like I could keep going. A small difference in perception and approach makes a huge difference. You may find the same happens to you. Good luck.

I have similar thoughts about tension in the lips (around the black hole / aperture corners).
1. I take a full breath and then let the ribcage do the air pressure without extra tension (air coming all the way from the “bottom” with no extra muscle tension)
2. I have the mouthpiece in the standard position with the aperture opening set for a “G” in the first staff.

1+2 = I can play a soft scale from “#F” below the first staff, all the way up to “A” and sometimes “Bb” in the second staff. Here I´m hitting the roof, when no extra tension is used.
To go further upstairs, I need to push and a give more tension from the abdominals, I also feel that the setup of the MPC change a bit, tilting a very small degree forward-down, and the bottom lip tends to go a little bit inwards ( but not under the top lip). Sometimes it feels comfortable to open the top lip in such a way that the aperture opening is the same, but a part of the under/inner side of the top lip is working/vibrating against the to the MPC hole. Ugh…. difficult to explain…
I’m on a risky track, where the facial muscles wish to “smile” a little bit, which I of course do not allow…

-Can you give some advices how to tackle this issue. The overall understanding when listening to Greg and seeing him playing is that he nearly doesn´t need any extra push or tension when climbing high up in the register. How is it possible? How can you obtain airspeed in the aperture without extra push in the high register?

Hi John
Sorry for my bad English. As you understand I meant above the staff (i.e. A and Bb just below High C). You might be right about the smiling; I have to check this deeper.
It’s good to hear that not only myself push more flesh into the MPC when going up in the register, and the lowering of the jaw might not be a totally bad thing.
You figured out that I do play chromatic ascending scales, and the initial “weight” of air might not be enough when coming up in the top register, that´s right. I will follow your advice and start from the top as a variation.
I´m still impressed that you and others can play a high “C” and eventually even higher, without any tension or extra active air from the abdominals. I surely have to stay more focused and practice-practise -practise…..
Thanks for all good explanations and advices

Hi John
Thanks’ for your valuable comments and suggestion for a better practicing.

Yes, my granddaughter keeps playing. Still it´s most fun and not to heavy practicing. After one year she still enjoys to meet with me once a week to play. (I try to encourage her on the phone to do some minutes every day in her home with her mum, but it´s not easy….).
When we meet, we start with the MPC+leadpipe a few minutes. She has a good setup and intonation. After that we make long tones on her King cornet (from 1937) and we compete with how long we can hold a “G” on one breath. She has air and good tone for about 22 seconds at the moment. After this breathtaking exercise, we make some slurs and lip drills. We are improving faster and faster drills.

Now we are almost warmed up and we start to play the register from low “C” up to “D” above in the staff. I have to stop her, as she can continue to “E” and eventually “F”. I do not want her to go up in the high register too soon as that can trigger her to use “force” or pressure.
Sometimes we have a game where we try to sound different modes. Angry, upset, scared, anxious happy etc. She like this. We also listen to long tones by Walter White and she can hear and hold the correct tone and intonation. (I´m impressed myself that she can do it).
Reading scores is difficult and I have to remind her quite often about the fingering. I have talked to professionals about this, and they suggest that we do not put to much effort on scores. The playing is the most important, and the reading will come later. One trumpet teacher I know (he´s playing trombone in our Big band) suggested that we follow the principle used by the music a school in Barcelona/Spain – St Andreu Jazz Band. Just listen and follow.

The professional Andrea Mottis grew up in this school. I have heard her live in the local jazz club when she was a young girl. She is a very good trumpeter and singer.

Anyhow, I have bought a series of easy jazz studies with play along for beginners (Mark Nightingale – Easy Jazzy ´Tudes). My 10-year granddaughter love this, so I look forward to see how she develop in the future.

I wish you a nice weekend and a Happy Easter.

That’s great, Bo. Sounds like a good approach with your Granddaughter. My daughter is 11. She could produce a sound better than I could at her age when she was 7, but decided Trumpet “isn’t her thing” but Piano is. She too struggles a bit with reading music, but I work with her a little. She doesn’t want lessons and I dont push, but she plays everyday for fun and has taught herself a lot of different melodies and many that I taught her. The joy of music ia probably the most important thing for them to learn. Happy Easter to you and yours!