Pressure - WindWorks Trumpet Academy by Mystery to Mastery | WindWorks Trumpet Academy by Mystery to Mastery

This topic has 7 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 4 months ago by johnelwood.

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- 15 April 2020 at 7:44 am #48152
  
  bo.lundquist
  Participant
  
  I watched a very good concert on YouTube last weekend. Chris Botti at the Java jazz festival. Now is the time to hide for the Corona, and spend time watching concerts at home and do some practicing of the MtM method.
  Chris Botti is a favorite and I love his tone, feeling and timing. What surprise me is his posture when playing and also his pressure (?) from the mouthpiece to his lip. He has a rather high setting, but that is very personal of course. Chris plays during a one hour set in different jazz pieces and place the high G above the staff several times and also in the very last tune. For me as an amateur it’s impressing. However, what can we say about his pressure mark on the lip. What technique do we think he is using? See picture clip at 20.40 — when he plays the nice tune called Emmanuel.
  Comments on that?
- 15 April 2020 at 7:55 am #48154
  
  bo.lundquist
  Participant
  
  Here is the link to the Youtube concert.
- 15 April 2020 at 11:58 pm #48205
  
  johnelwood
  Participant
  
  Wow, yes–that’s quite a mark! I’ve seen temporary impressions on players after they played in the extreme upper register but that mark seemed to hang around and is red. Greg or someone else might be able to identify what’s going on there.
  
  I like his playing too, thanks for sharing. Here’s a couple I’ve run across that I enjoyed, more on the other side of the spectrum but a good example of what appears to be relatively effortless playing by Caleb Hudson (Canadian Brass) and Chris Coletti & The Canadian Brass:
- 16 April 2020 at 2:47 am #48209
  
  johnelwood
  Participant
  
  BTW–never noticed before, but looks to me like Botti might be an upstream player; his head seems tilted forward and bell up and looks like his bottom lip may be jutted out beyond his top a bit.
  
  That could be why there’s such a mark on his top lip like that, it could be that he’s putting the pressure up there rather than under his bottom lip like downstream players do. Could be that the tissue is a bit thicker / denser under out bottom lip than above our top lip. Just a theory.
- 16 April 2020 at 4:35 am #48215
  
  bo.lundquist
  Participant
  
  Hi. Thanks for the two nice videos. To different styles, but both played with elegance. The tone of the Albinoni piccola is perfect. I struggle with my own piccola and there is no success…. I jump between B-trumpet, Flugelhorn and Cornet with no big problems, but the piccola is different. Probably I’m one of the “pressure” guys, and that’s the problem – too much air and pressure.
- 16 April 2020 at 12:20 pm #48251
  
  johnelwood
  Participant
  
  I never used too much MP pressure. I just clamped my lips and over blew to the point the sound would cut off.
  
  I’ve been having some success lately paying close attention to the natural pressure that pushes back as we release air and staying relaxed with the only tension in the corners.
  
  I can get up pretty high with minimal pressure. Still working on control, consistency but feel like I’m making progress and finding my way.
  
  Planning on doing some more WindWorks course to develop things further.
- 17 April 2020 at 7:24 am #48310
  
  bo.lundquist
  Participant
  
  I try to minimize my MP pressure according to MtM guidelines. However, after one year with the new technique, I have lowered my highest range, from F above the staff down to a D above the staff. My high Bb is a piece of cake when using minimal pressure and as much tension I can produce from the corners. I struggle to not let my lower lip go under the top lip. I have noticed that I can climb more easily if I let the top lip just go out ( as the Muuu) to a position when the very tip of the upper lip goes out and up, and I feel the airstream in the area of the lip that is more under and back from the tip. Difficult to explain in words…. (think “inside” of the lip..). The problem with this technique is that the lower lip tends to slip under the top, which I try to avoid.
  Every day is a challenge.
- 17 April 2020 at 11:39 am #48332
  
  johnelwood
  Participant
  
  I think my bottom lip slips under my top a bit as well. Not sure it causes a problem but I do try to keep things centered and forward and feeling natural and try to let the sound (resonance) and ease/efficiency be a guide.
  
  Thanks for sharing your experiences, it may help me or others figure things out.
  
  Best,
  
  John
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