MOUTHPIECE PRESSURE
The has been much discussion regarding mouthpiece pressure. Much of it borders on religion – or myth. Google it.
Mouthpiece pressure happens; it's normal. It increases in the upper register and with more volume. However, it should not be the prime mechanism for playing high notes. Also, a temporary or permanent "ring" on the lips is more a factor of different skin types than too much pressure (look at some close-ups of some great players).
There is an anecdote which may be apocryphal; I can't testify in court it's fact. I have heard it attributed to several big name trumpet players. It goes like this:
Student: "How much pressure do you use?"
Trumpet player: "Beginning of the concert or the end?"
I can testify to this (Tommy Johnson told me).
Student: "Mr. Johnson, How much pressure do you use?"
Tommy: "I use a LOT of pressure."
I feel most bass trombonists use too little pressure below the staff.
“I think the average player doesn’t use enough mouthpiece pressure to balance the air flow and stabilize the embouchure during loud or high register playing.” – Jay Friedman
"Have the proper pressure of the mouthpiece rim on your lips before playing." – Arnold Jacobs
A well-known trombonist (whom I would attribute if I were not paraphrasing) has theorized the reason the most frequently missed note of a phrase is the first is lack of appropriate mouthpiece pressure until after the note has been missed. I agree (though it's hard to chip a low Bb).
“Mouthpiece pressure, by itself, is not a problem. . . . I advise students not to worry about their mouthpiece pressure and just focus on developing good embouchure mechanics.” – Lucinda Lewis
Ms. Lewis, a published authority on embouchure injury and rehabilitation, has written a brief article on mouthpiece pressure for the Eastman School of Music. Her website is excellent.
John Ericson, Professor of Music at Arizona State University, writes, “I have concluded after years of teaching that good students trying to play with too little pressure is the bigger problem.”
Professor Ericson refers to a 1986 New Scientist article by Joe Barbenel, John Davies and Patrick Kenny of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, titled, "Science Proves Musical Myths Wrong," which discusses mouthpiece pressure, and perception thereof, in some depth. Among the conclusions drawn in this article were: “The professional players did not use less force than the less-expert group, and some of them used very large forces indeed. Furthermore, our experts were no better than anyone else when it came to judging accurately the force used by others, or by themselves."
Mouthpiece pressure happens; it's normal. It increases in the upper register and with more volume. However, it should not be the prime mechanism for playing high notes. Also, a temporary or permanent "ring" on the lips is more a factor of different skin types than too much pressure (look at some close-ups of some great players).
There is an anecdote which may be apocryphal; I can't testify in court it's fact. I have heard it attributed to several big name trumpet players. It goes like this:
Student: "How much pressure do you use?"
Trumpet player: "Beginning of the concert or the end?"
I can testify to this (Tommy Johnson told me).
Student: "Mr. Johnson, How much pressure do you use?"
Tommy: "I use a LOT of pressure."
I feel most bass trombonists use too little pressure below the staff.
“I think the average player doesn’t use enough mouthpiece pressure to balance the air flow and stabilize the embouchure during loud or high register playing.” – Jay Friedman
"Have the proper pressure of the mouthpiece rim on your lips before playing." – Arnold Jacobs
A well-known trombonist (whom I would attribute if I were not paraphrasing) has theorized the reason the most frequently missed note of a phrase is the first is lack of appropriate mouthpiece pressure until after the note has been missed. I agree (though it's hard to chip a low Bb).
“Mouthpiece pressure, by itself, is not a problem. . . . I advise students not to worry about their mouthpiece pressure and just focus on developing good embouchure mechanics.” – Lucinda Lewis
Ms. Lewis, a published authority on embouchure injury and rehabilitation, has written a brief article on mouthpiece pressure for the Eastman School of Music. Her website is excellent.
John Ericson, Professor of Music at Arizona State University, writes, “I have concluded after years of teaching that good students trying to play with too little pressure is the bigger problem.”
Professor Ericson refers to a 1986 New Scientist article by Joe Barbenel, John Davies and Patrick Kenny of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, titled, "Science Proves Musical Myths Wrong," which discusses mouthpiece pressure, and perception thereof, in some depth. Among the conclusions drawn in this article were: “The professional players did not use less force than the less-expert group, and some of them used very large forces indeed. Furthermore, our experts were no better than anyone else when it came to judging accurately the force used by others, or by themselves."