About Embouchure “Shifts”
Danger Will Robinson! – Entering the Controversy Zone
Danger Will Robinson! – Entering the Controversy Zone
There are at least two basic schools of thought about embouchure shifts: shift and don’t shift. I think the truth is a little of both. There are physiological reasons for this issue. There is a pretty direct analogy to be drawn between a brass player’s lips and a singer’s vocal folds.
According to the Minoru Hirano "body-cover model" of vocal fold vibration, the vocal folds have two layers, the body and the cover [Hirano M, Morphological Structure of the Vocal Fold as a Vibrator and its Variations, Folia Phoniatr, 1974;26, 89-94]. The "body" is the vocalis muscle and the vocal ligament, which “are tightly connected . . . [and] . . . appear to move as one unit during vibration.” The "cover" is a mucous membrane "which consists of the very thin epithelial layer and the lamina propria" and vibrates differently than the body. See here and here. Also see Vocal Fold Physiology and Theory of Voice Production.
Lips consist of two layers also: the orbicularis oris muscle and the mucus membrane on the lip surface – body and cover. See here.
See here, here, and here. For comparison, vibrating lips in slow motion can be seen here.
You may be familiar with the terms “Chest Voice” and the “Head Voice” and the "passagio" between them. Voice Science today speaks to four "vocal mechanisms":
There has been discussion of an even higher "M4 – Glottal Whistle" register. Minnie Riperton and others utilized the Whistle Register(s).
Fortunately, M3 and M4 don't come into play much (if at all) for low brass – it’s generally Cat Anderson territory . . . Not a lot appears to be known about these registers (yet), but the vocal folds may not fully close. This may be similar in high pitches on brass instruments and may be why buzzing high notes is not productive. It is worth pointing out the there has been disagreement about what is going on in the Whistle Register(s).
By the way, Vocal Fry (in the right "hands") can be used musically (on the other hand). (There's an analogy to what we do here) Geoff Castellucci sounds great! Subharmonics or "undertones" are a thing. Castellucci sings an amazing "pedal" B. Wikipedia tells us vocal fry "is the lowest vocal register and is produced through a loose glottal closure that permits air to bubble through slowly with a popping or rattling sound of a very low frequency.” And New York trombonist, Sam Burtis, spoke of notes "so low they were tempos." (NOTE: It's very easy to over-blow and "burst bubbles." Nothing kills low notes like fast, pressurized, air!)
There are "breaks" when one moves from one mechanism to another and the “passaggi” are the passages, or paths, across those breaks. If lips function like vocal folds, we can expect similar breaks.
Most bass trombonists are vividly aware of at least one break point in the pedal register. It can be different for every player and can vary with mouthpiece size. The question, "to shift or not to shift," arises at break points.There is even disagreement about what constitutes a “shift.” To my mind, "shift" means to move the mouthpiece to a different position on the lips.
There are several techniques to play across break points. One involves shifting. Another is changing the angle of the horn on the face. And another is allowing the mouthpiece – and the lips – to move/slide together as a unit – over the teeth.
Another possibility for controversy (or at least, confusion) may rear it's head here. Changing the angle of the horn on the face can be termed a "pivot" – I call it that. Experiment with angle change – see what works. Most folk pivot up (look down) for low notes, but not everybody. Sometimes, side-to-side angles can change. By the way, this is not to be confused with the Reinhardt Pivot System (might load slowly), one aspect of which deals with "pulling down or pushing up the lips on the teeth with the rim of the mouthpiece" or in other words, "the mouthpiece and lips sliding along the teeth as a single unit." The International Trumpet Guild published Credit Where Credit is Due: The Life and Brass Teaching of Donald S. Reinhardt in June, 2000; it's a great read. More on Reinhardt. (This might be good time for another visit here.)
This video touches on pivot.
Esteban Batallán demonstrates many wonderful things in this video, including angle change ("pivot").
Most folks have a break point somewhere around pedal G (and below). James Markey discusses some of this here and here. This seems analogous to M0. George Roberts had a profound shift (which worked great). George playing a pedal F in slow motion can be seen here. On the other hand, Phil Teele worked very hard to eliminate his shift.
NOTE: Markey talks in terms of "aperture" – I prefer to focus on the lip tissue that is vibrating. The pulsatile airstream that creates resonance in the instrument is the result of lip tissue vibration. The aperture is just the hole the air stream ("bow") creates and moves through as it passes over the lips ("string") – different "elephants" (which Markey touches on in the second video). Use a wider, thicker, heavier, "string" for lower notes. A bigger "string" needs a bigger "bow." Also, the aperture opens and closes during vibration. The aperture is also part of the "nozzle" that changes airspeed; see Tone Production.
From pedal G or so up to somewhere above the staff seems analogous to M1. (Sometimes, the "valve" register can present a different shift. It took me a long time and modern valves to un-learn this.) Some trombonists may find another shift into M2.
Tommy Johnson, who may have had the best low chops in history, taught a low register shift to pretty much all of his tuba students. Most shifted the mouthpiece up on their face; some shifted down. He also taught overlapping the shift point as much as possible – to take the upper embouchure as low as possible and the shifted embouchure as high as possible (pitch, not movement) to avoid getting "trapped" by a lick right on your shift point. Tommy also said, "look down for low notes and up for high notes" – i.e. "pivot."
My approach is to combine techniques. Doing two techniques 50% each still adds up to 100%, but you still have 50% of each technique in reserve. Three is even better. So, I change the angle of the horn; I allow the mouthpiece – and the lips – to move freely over the teeth; and I try to minimize and smooth any shifting of the mouthpiece – over the lip surface – and to postpone it as long/low (high notes are somebody else's problem) as possible. I also try to apply/blend these techniques gradually as I descend and ascend – not abruptly at specific break points.
Similarly, Sam Burtis drew an analogy to singing, writing: "By identifying for yourself your own 'natural' registers . . . both strengthening and expanding those 'registers' into the ranges that are normally the locale of the next highest or lowest 'register', you can create 'mixed' registers that can eventually make for a relatively seamless four or five octaves of consistent sound." I love this definition of "mix": Mix isn't a separate register, or a blend of two registers, but a technique used in the middle of the voice to smooth the transition between registers by making different things sound the same.
Again, everybody – every – body – is different (upstream, downstream, etc.). One size does not fit all. Do everything that’s necessary, but as little as possible. Do less. Get more.
Negotiating break points, shifts, pivots, etc., smoothly, with facility, takes careful work.
Here are some exercises that may help:
bobs-bender-tricks-3-111222.pdf
According to the Minoru Hirano "body-cover model" of vocal fold vibration, the vocal folds have two layers, the body and the cover [Hirano M, Morphological Structure of the Vocal Fold as a Vibrator and its Variations, Folia Phoniatr, 1974;26, 89-94]. The "body" is the vocalis muscle and the vocal ligament, which “are tightly connected . . . [and] . . . appear to move as one unit during vibration.” The "cover" is a mucous membrane "which consists of the very thin epithelial layer and the lamina propria" and vibrates differently than the body. See here and here. Also see Vocal Fold Physiology and Theory of Voice Production.
Lips consist of two layers also: the orbicularis oris muscle and the mucus membrane on the lip surface – body and cover. See here.
See here, here, and here. For comparison, vibrating lips in slow motion can be seen here.
You may be familiar with the terms “Chest Voice” and the “Head Voice” and the "passagio" between them. Voice Science today speaks to four "vocal mechanisms":
- M0 – “Vocal Fry” – where the body and cover are slack and both vibrate.
- M1 – “Chest Voice” – where most of the body and cover vibrate.
- M2 – “Head Voice” – where the body no longer vibrates, just the cover.
- M3 – “Whistle Register" – where the vocal folds are thin and tight, often with incomplete fold closure.
There has been discussion of an even higher "M4 – Glottal Whistle" register. Minnie Riperton and others utilized the Whistle Register(s).
Fortunately, M3 and M4 don't come into play much (if at all) for low brass – it’s generally Cat Anderson territory . . . Not a lot appears to be known about these registers (yet), but the vocal folds may not fully close. This may be similar in high pitches on brass instruments and may be why buzzing high notes is not productive. It is worth pointing out the there has been disagreement about what is going on in the Whistle Register(s).
By the way, Vocal Fry (in the right "hands") can be used musically (on the other hand). (There's an analogy to what we do here) Geoff Castellucci sounds great! Subharmonics or "undertones" are a thing. Castellucci sings an amazing "pedal" B. Wikipedia tells us vocal fry "is the lowest vocal register and is produced through a loose glottal closure that permits air to bubble through slowly with a popping or rattling sound of a very low frequency.” And New York trombonist, Sam Burtis, spoke of notes "so low they were tempos." (NOTE: It's very easy to over-blow and "burst bubbles." Nothing kills low notes like fast, pressurized, air!)
There are "breaks" when one moves from one mechanism to another and the “passaggi” are the passages, or paths, across those breaks. If lips function like vocal folds, we can expect similar breaks.
Most bass trombonists are vividly aware of at least one break point in the pedal register. It can be different for every player and can vary with mouthpiece size. The question, "to shift or not to shift," arises at break points.There is even disagreement about what constitutes a “shift.” To my mind, "shift" means to move the mouthpiece to a different position on the lips.
There are several techniques to play across break points. One involves shifting. Another is changing the angle of the horn on the face. And another is allowing the mouthpiece – and the lips – to move/slide together as a unit – over the teeth.
Another possibility for controversy (or at least, confusion) may rear it's head here. Changing the angle of the horn on the face can be termed a "pivot" – I call it that. Experiment with angle change – see what works. Most folk pivot up (look down) for low notes, but not everybody. Sometimes, side-to-side angles can change. By the way, this is not to be confused with the Reinhardt Pivot System (might load slowly), one aspect of which deals with "pulling down or pushing up the lips on the teeth with the rim of the mouthpiece" or in other words, "the mouthpiece and lips sliding along the teeth as a single unit." The International Trumpet Guild published Credit Where Credit is Due: The Life and Brass Teaching of Donald S. Reinhardt in June, 2000; it's a great read. More on Reinhardt. (This might be good time for another visit here.)
This video touches on pivot.
Esteban Batallán demonstrates many wonderful things in this video, including angle change ("pivot").
Most folks have a break point somewhere around pedal G (and below). James Markey discusses some of this here and here. This seems analogous to M0. George Roberts had a profound shift (which worked great). George playing a pedal F in slow motion can be seen here. On the other hand, Phil Teele worked very hard to eliminate his shift.
NOTE: Markey talks in terms of "aperture" – I prefer to focus on the lip tissue that is vibrating. The pulsatile airstream that creates resonance in the instrument is the result of lip tissue vibration. The aperture is just the hole the air stream ("bow") creates and moves through as it passes over the lips ("string") – different "elephants" (which Markey touches on in the second video). Use a wider, thicker, heavier, "string" for lower notes. A bigger "string" needs a bigger "bow." Also, the aperture opens and closes during vibration. The aperture is also part of the "nozzle" that changes airspeed; see Tone Production.
From pedal G or so up to somewhere above the staff seems analogous to M1. (Sometimes, the "valve" register can present a different shift. It took me a long time and modern valves to un-learn this.) Some trombonists may find another shift into M2.
Tommy Johnson, who may have had the best low chops in history, taught a low register shift to pretty much all of his tuba students. Most shifted the mouthpiece up on their face; some shifted down. He also taught overlapping the shift point as much as possible – to take the upper embouchure as low as possible and the shifted embouchure as high as possible (pitch, not movement) to avoid getting "trapped" by a lick right on your shift point. Tommy also said, "look down for low notes and up for high notes" – i.e. "pivot."
My approach is to combine techniques. Doing two techniques 50% each still adds up to 100%, but you still have 50% of each technique in reserve. Three is even better. So, I change the angle of the horn; I allow the mouthpiece – and the lips – to move freely over the teeth; and I try to minimize and smooth any shifting of the mouthpiece – over the lip surface – and to postpone it as long/low (high notes are somebody else's problem) as possible. I also try to apply/blend these techniques gradually as I descend and ascend – not abruptly at specific break points.
Similarly, Sam Burtis drew an analogy to singing, writing: "By identifying for yourself your own 'natural' registers . . . both strengthening and expanding those 'registers' into the ranges that are normally the locale of the next highest or lowest 'register', you can create 'mixed' registers that can eventually make for a relatively seamless four or five octaves of consistent sound." I love this definition of "mix": Mix isn't a separate register, or a blend of two registers, but a technique used in the middle of the voice to smooth the transition between registers by making different things sound the same.
Again, everybody – every – body – is different (upstream, downstream, etc.). One size does not fit all. Do everything that’s necessary, but as little as possible. Do less. Get more.
Negotiating break points, shifts, pivots, etc., smoothly, with facility, takes careful work.
Here are some exercises that may help:
bobs-bender-tricks-3-111222.pdf
Brandt Attema demonstrates very well integrated registers.