I’m a trumpeter but I also started playing a Saxophone I think it’s helpful doing it in a less effective way like you said, doing it in a sax emboucher set up way
Hi Bryan: Great videos! I studied with Roy Stevens from 1972 through 1975. Roy was a warm caring man and a great teacher. I would be able to sit in with anyone else’s lesson. (Top players in the world) I miss him. I am retired from music do to health matters but love to watch videos like yours. Roy did not use a pencil but he found that using 2 wooden coffee stirrers forming a letter “T” would allow more air to be displaced as you blew air faster and resisting the air column. Always remember to keep your jaw out just a hair more so the bottom teeth were out more than the top teeth. When I finally got his method I was climbing up to a Eb over triple C. Not that I would be play up there but they came out clear and strong. Let me know it you have any questions. Thanks for all your help John
Hi John. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. It’s always so cool to discuss the teaching of the masters with people who studied directly with them. I’ve been fortunate to learn a lot about Carmine Caruso from friends and colleagues who took with him. Up to this point, the majority of what I’ve learned about Roy Stevens is from his books and the handful of movie clips that exist. In discussion, after posting this video, it occurred to me that some kind of flatter object might be more suitable than a pencil, simply because the gap between my teeth when I play is smaller than the diameter of a pencil. His use of 2 stirrers in a T cross-section is fascinating - that hadn’t occurred to me. Thank you for the insight - I’ll be sure to try it!
Hi Bryan: Great videos! I studied with Roy Stevens from 1972 through 1975. Roy was a warm caring man and a great teacher. I miss him. I am retired from my music do to health matters but love to watch videos like yours. Roy did not use a pencil but he found that using 2 wooden coffee stirrers forming a letter “T” would allow more air to be displaced as you blew air faster and resisting the air column. Always remember to keep your jaw out just a hair more so the bottom teeth were out more than the top teeth. When I finally got his method I was climbing up to a Eb over triple C. Not that I would be play up there but they came out clear and strong. Let me know it you have any questions. Thanks for all your help. John
Thanks for the video! Great explanation, and demonstration. When I try the pressurized pencil exercise, I feel pressure and tension in my neck and throat. This seems to be an ever present problem for me, anyway. Is there a way to avoid and overcome that?
Hi Bryan, Great videos, I'm a brass teacher and trumpeter myself and I usually find that pencils can be too wide for a trumpet embouchure and suit trombonists better. I prefer using a 3/16" Allen key, or similar sized rod. Especially when targeting piccolo trumpet embouchure. Any thoughts on that? What would you recommend?
A regular, old-fashioned wooden pencil like I’m using is a good size, in my opinion. The width of the aperture can be as wide as the inner diameter of the mouthpiece, which is certainly greater than that of a pencil. Its also generally a pretty good size of gap between the teeth, for most people. There’s no particular difference in a “piccolo trumpet embouchure” to one used for any other type of trumpet. The aperture is formed by the airstream, which is whatever size it needs to be for the note and volume being played. Piccolo doesn’t make it easier to play higher, it just makes it easier to be facile up there.
My problem is my front teeth are uneven so I can locate the pencil in various places and can’t be sure what accurately reflects my normal embouchure. Any suggestions?
Why not play a few notes first and get the feel for your position? You can do that either by feeling it out with your tongue, or maintain the same jaw position after you remove the mouthpiece from your lips, and carefully feed the pointed end of the pencil in between your teeth, to feel it out that way.
I've been doing the pencil exercise with just the lips for a long while now with marginal results. I just tried the method where you hold the pencil between your teeth and blow. I can feel the right muscles being exercised! Especially the corners of the mouth. Thanks for that.
That’s an interesting question. If you feel, despite playing and practicing regularly, that your corners could be stronger then give it a try. That would usually manifest in a lack of endurance because your corners don’t continue to support all the way to the end of a rehearsal or gig, or in an initial lack of corner support because they’re not engaging properly. In those instances, amongst others, then see if it helps you. If you choose to try it out, just be mindful of overdoing it. “Chop strength” is not the be all and end all of successful playing. Thanks for watching, and best of luck. Let me know how it goes if you choose to give it a go.
Hi Bryan. I was ten years without playing the trumpet and I want to make my embouchure stronger . I ve been doing the last two months both exercises but I have the feeling that when I try to reach the upper register my lips block the air. It s like the strentgh of the chops doesnt let the air comes through the lips. Are these exercises necessary ? I did them in the way you recomend , only a minute or so with intervals of 5 seconds. What do you think is the cause of this problem. Thanks in advance for your help ,by the way the videos are great and very useful.
Thanks for watching. There are a couple of important things here. First, I explained both versions of the pencil exercise to demonstrate the common misconceptions we have about this exercise. I strongly recommend doing the 2nd version only. It is much more effective, and much closer to how your muscles react while playing. Secondly, as I stated in the video, embouchure isometrics are no substitute for actually playing your instrument. Although they may work the same muscles, in a similar way, the embouchure is not fully formed unless air is flowing between the lips and forming the aperture. You need to condition your lips to respond to the airflow, and coordinate the various physical mechanisms that go into playing to do it successfully. You do that by practicing. If you are practicing regularly then isometric exercises may not be necessary at all. If you are engaging your embouchure corners, and receiving good support from them as you play, then the pencil exercise is not necessary. I can’t say whether that’s the case for you without seeing you play. I hope this is helpful.
@@AirflowMusicNYC Thanks for the advice. Why do you think is the cause for the lips not vibrate in the upper register sometimes not so hight notes, even G just above de pentagram? Too much tension I guess... Even without seeing me playing , can you give some advice? Some kind of exercise or whatever in order to get the correct tension...Thanks for all Bryan and excuse my english Im from Spain.
Of course, as does any wind instrument. However, it’s particularly useful for brass because of the direction it points the muscles in, and the specific muscles activated around where the aperture would form. Considering that the saxophone mouthpiece is placed between the lips and teeth rather than against them, it may misdirect the musculature, much as doing the less effective version of the pencil exercise detailed in the video does for brass players.
Hi Bryan, You really have a handle on trumpet playing I wish you could’ve been my teacher, as I still struggle with range, accuracy, endurance even after playing for 50 years already! Pretty sure my main issue is with airflow and support somehow. I play my flugelhorn exclusively these days, realizing I can play it much more accurately and even higher than any trumpet I pick up. More of a jazz guy than classical, I’ve been drafted into doing some teaching lately and find my actual trumpet playing to be really terrible compared to my flugel which i’m at least able to play through a lot of Bach stuff and play a good strong D without warming up. Tried playing a trumpet lead pipe long tone exercise the other day and could barely maintain G above the staff for a few seconds, I have young students doing better than that! Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Ron. Thanks for watching. First up, it’s never too late. Come take a lesson, sometime - I’ll be more than happy to take a look and help you figure out how to play easier, in the best way for you. It’s hard to know for sure, without seeing and hearing you play, but my guess is that your instinct about lacking breath support is probably right. I only say that since that’s the case for most people who complain of the same symptoms. If a leadpipe buzz on the G at the top of the staff is a struggle, here are a couple of things I’d like you to try and see how long you can sustain. 1. Leadpipe buzzing on the low fundamental, round about E or F at the bottom of the treble staff. How long can you sustain that? 2. Mouthpiece buzzing a 2nd line G. How long can you sustain AND how steady is the pitch? Please try them, both at a comfortable medium-soft dynamic, and report back.
@@AirflowMusicNYC Thanks Bryan! So puzzling to me is why my Kanstul 1525 with a 5 Kanstul mp is actually easier to get around and higher than any trumpet/mp combo I've tried? Wonder what's different "airflow"-wise? Can't play trumpets at all anymore, so frustrating! (where are you located btw?)
Flügelhorns are conical rather than straight bore instruments and tend to have very short leadpipes. If you’ve really dialed yourself in for that setup, I can see how it might be a much different feel to go back to the trumpet. I can’t really suggest anything more specific without seeing or hearing you play. I’m located in NYC, but do a good amount of my teaching on Skype, with students both around the country and the world!
@@AirflowMusicNYC Agreed, I think getting "stuck" on my flugel-feel is an issue, especially this particular model. Actually I'd be content just improving my accuracy and range on this instrument rather than trumpet as I don't relate to the brassy trumpet tone so much any more! Way over here in SoCal but would love to do the Skype thing as finances allow sometime soon. Rates sir?
I'm thinking can this exercise be done using a pen barrel with an end grommet,,,the grommet for muscle pressure,,the pen barrel for air control,,just thinking out the box,,, chears Brian.
I guess you could, but we don’t need to be blowing that hard, and the goal is to prevent air actually moving by closing the lips tightly around the pencil.
Questions and other feedback are always welcome. Let's hear what's on your mind!
Thanks 🙏
I’m a trumpeter but I also started playing a Saxophone I think it’s helpful doing it in a less effective way like you said, doing it in a sax emboucher set up way
I've been playing trumpet since the mid 1970's and this really does work.
Hi Bryan: Great videos! I studied with Roy Stevens from 1972 through 1975. Roy was a warm caring man and a great teacher. I would be able to sit in with anyone else’s lesson. (Top players in the world) I miss him. I am retired from music do to health matters but love to watch videos like yours.
Roy did not use a pencil but he found that using 2 wooden coffee stirrers forming a letter “T” would allow more air to be displaced as you blew air faster and resisting the air column.
Always remember to keep your jaw out just a hair more so the bottom teeth were out more than the top teeth. When I finally got his method I was climbing up to a Eb over triple C. Not that I would be play up there but they came out clear and strong. Let me know it you have any questions. Thanks for all your help
John
Hi John. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. It’s always so cool to discuss the teaching of the masters with people who studied directly with them. I’ve been fortunate to learn a lot about Carmine Caruso from friends and colleagues who took with him. Up to this point, the majority of what I’ve learned about Roy Stevens is from his books and the handful of movie clips that exist.
In discussion, after posting this video, it occurred to me that some kind of flatter object might be more suitable than a pencil, simply because the gap between my teeth when I play is smaller than the diameter of a pencil. His use of 2 stirrers in a T cross-section is fascinating - that hadn’t occurred to me. Thank you for the insight - I’ll be sure to try it!
Hi Bryan: Great videos! I studied with Roy Stevens from 1972 through 1975. Roy was a warm caring man and a great teacher. I miss him. I am retired from my music do to health matters but love to watch videos like yours.
Roy did not use a pencil but he found that using 2 wooden coffee stirrers forming a letter “T” would allow more air to be displaced as you blew air faster and resisting the air column.
Always remember to keep your jaw out just a hair more so the bottom teeth were out more than the top teeth. When I finally got his method I was climbing up to a Eb over triple C. Not that I would be play up there but they came out clear and strong. Let me know it you have any questions. Thanks for all your help.
John
Soooo beneficial
Thanks sir for this video
Good exercise teacher of mine told me a while back to this but never explained it the way you did.Thanks for this Bryan much appreciated Anthony.😐
My pleasure, as always. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the video! Great explanation, and demonstration. When I try the pressurized pencil exercise, I feel pressure and tension in my neck and throat. This seems to be an ever present problem for me, anyway. Is there a way to avoid and overcome that?
Hi Bryan,
Great videos, I'm a brass teacher and trumpeter myself and I usually find that pencils can be too wide for a trumpet embouchure and suit trombonists better.
I prefer using a 3/16" Allen key, or similar sized rod. Especially when targeting piccolo trumpet embouchure. Any thoughts on that? What would you recommend?
A regular, old-fashioned wooden pencil like I’m using is a good size, in my opinion. The width of the aperture can be as wide as the inner diameter of the mouthpiece, which is certainly greater than that of a pencil. Its also generally a pretty good size of gap between the teeth, for most people.
There’s no particular difference in a “piccolo trumpet embouchure” to one used for any other type of trumpet. The aperture is formed by the airstream, which is whatever size it needs to be for the note and volume being played. Piccolo doesn’t make it easier to play higher, it just makes it easier to be facile up there.
Thanks
thx so much for this one!
My problem is my front teeth are uneven so I can locate the pencil in various places and can’t be sure what accurately reflects my normal embouchure. Any suggestions?
Why not play a few notes first and get the feel for your position? You can do that either by feeling it out with your tongue, or maintain the same jaw position after you remove the mouthpiece from your lips, and carefully feed the pointed end of the pencil in between your teeth, to feel it out that way.
Hi Brian - do you recommend the PETE as well?
The PETE is fine. I’ve used it at times. I feel like I can get a more useful workout in with the pencil, though.
They work on the same principal. $50 for the PETE or 50c for a pencil. I’ll take the pencil thanks.
It's another great demonstration Bryan, good job!
Thanks Jan! Glad you're still enjoying the videos!
Thanks byran
Thanks Bryan, this video was and is a tremendous help. You have helped a lot, thanks again for your help
uh hu
Hi Brian, thanks, this "P" one is fun and relaxing. Bettina
I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Bettina.
I've been doing the pencil exercise with just the lips for a long while now with marginal results. I just tried the method where you hold the pencil between your teeth and blow. I can feel the right muscles being exercised! Especially the corners of the mouth. Thanks for that.
You’re very welcome. Glad it was helpful.
Every time I see this in my rec vids I crack up. It takes some stress away from practice worries. Thanks.
Pulling faces on thumbnails is arguably my greatest contribution!
Would you recommend the pencil exercise to someone that is currently getting in plenty of practice already?
That’s an interesting question. If you feel, despite playing and practicing regularly, that your corners could be stronger then give it a try. That would usually manifest in a lack of endurance because your corners don’t continue to support all the way to the end of a rehearsal or gig, or in an initial lack of corner support because they’re not engaging properly. In those instances, amongst others, then see if it helps you. If you choose to try it out, just be mindful of overdoing it. “Chop strength” is not the be all and end all of successful playing.
Thanks for watching, and best of luck. Let me know how it goes if you choose to give it a go.
Hi Bryan. I was ten years without playing the trumpet and I want to make my embouchure stronger . I ve been doing the last two months both exercises but I have the feeling that when I try to reach the upper register my lips block the air. It s like the strentgh of the chops doesnt let the air comes through the lips. Are these exercises necessary ? I did them in the way you recomend , only a minute or so with intervals of 5 seconds. What do you think is the cause of this problem. Thanks in advance for your help ,by the way the videos are great and very useful.
Thanks for watching.
There are a couple of important things here. First, I explained both versions of the pencil exercise to demonstrate the common misconceptions we have about this exercise. I strongly recommend doing the 2nd version only. It is much more effective, and much closer to how your muscles react while playing.
Secondly, as I stated in the video, embouchure isometrics are no substitute for actually playing your instrument. Although they may work the same muscles, in a similar way, the embouchure is not fully formed unless air is flowing between the lips and forming the aperture. You need to condition your lips to respond to the airflow, and coordinate the various physical mechanisms that go into playing to do it successfully. You do that by practicing.
If you are practicing regularly then isometric exercises may not be necessary at all. If you are engaging your embouchure corners, and receiving good support from them as you play, then the pencil exercise is not necessary. I can’t say whether that’s the case for you without seeing you play.
I hope this is helpful.
@@AirflowMusicNYC Thanks for the advice. Why do you think is the cause for the lips not vibrate in the upper register sometimes not so hight notes, even G just above de pentagram? Too much tension I guess... Even without seeing me playing , can you give some advice? Some kind of exercise or whatever in order to get the correct tension...Thanks for all Bryan and excuse my english Im from Spain.
I know Im kinda late but are their any suggestions for begginers for trumpet players
What would you like to know? I’m preparing to get back to regular video production.
Can this exercise help in saxophone playing ?
It’s possible, but you would need to ask a saxophonist.
@@AirflowMusicNYC thanks, I asked because it also requires strengthening corners of the mouth and facial muscles to produce a good tone
Of course, as does any wind instrument. However, it’s particularly useful for brass because of the direction it points the muscles in, and the specific muscles activated around where the aperture would form. Considering that the saxophone mouthpiece is placed between the lips and teeth rather than against them, it may misdirect the musculature, much as doing the less effective version of the pencil exercise detailed in the video does for brass players.
Honestly, who disliked this video? How could this have been unhelpful or distasteful in any way??
i know right?!?!?!??!????!?!?!?!?!?
I think people, probably kids go around clicking dislike on everything because it's fun trolling or something.. lol.
would you recommend the pencil excercise to a pro trumpet player?
Sometimes. If approached in the way I described, and used sensibly and sparingly, it certainly shouldn’t do any harm.
Wow!!!!
Thanks for looking in, Dan.
Hi Bryan, You really have a handle on trumpet playing I wish you could’ve been my teacher, as I still struggle with range, accuracy, endurance even after playing for 50 years already! Pretty sure my main issue is with airflow and support somehow. I play my flugelhorn exclusively these days, realizing I can play it much more accurately and even higher than any trumpet I pick up. More of a jazz guy than classical, I’ve been drafted into doing some teaching lately and find my actual trumpet playing to be really terrible compared to my flugel which i’m at least able to play through a lot of Bach stuff and play a good strong D without warming up. Tried playing a trumpet lead pipe long tone exercise the other day and could barely maintain G above the staff for a few seconds, I have young students doing better than that! Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Ron. Thanks for watching. First up, it’s never too late. Come take a lesson, sometime - I’ll be more than happy to take a look and help you figure out how to play easier, in the best way for you.
It’s hard to know for sure, without seeing and hearing you play, but my guess is that your instinct about lacking breath support is probably right. I only say that since that’s the case for most people who complain of the same symptoms. If a leadpipe buzz on the G at the top of the staff is a struggle, here are a couple of things I’d like you to try and see how long you can sustain.
1. Leadpipe buzzing on the low fundamental, round about E or F at the bottom of the treble staff. How long can you sustain that?
2. Mouthpiece buzzing a 2nd line G. How long can you sustain AND how steady is the pitch?
Please try them, both at a comfortable medium-soft dynamic, and report back.
@@AirflowMusicNYC Thanks Bryan! So puzzling to me is why my Kanstul 1525 with a 5 Kanstul mp is actually easier to get around and higher than any trumpet/mp combo I've tried? Wonder what's different "airflow"-wise? Can't play trumpets at all anymore, so frustrating! (where are you located btw?)
Flügelhorns are conical rather than straight bore instruments and tend to have very short leadpipes. If you’ve really dialed yourself in for that setup, I can see how it might be a much different feel to go back to the trumpet. I can’t really suggest anything more specific without seeing or hearing you play. I’m located in NYC, but do a good amount of my teaching on Skype, with students both around the country and the world!
@@AirflowMusicNYC Agreed, I think getting "stuck" on my flugel-feel is an issue, especially this particular model. Actually I'd be content just improving my accuracy and range on this instrument rather than trumpet as I don't relate to the brassy trumpet tone so much any more! Way over here in SoCal but would love to do the Skype thing as finances allow sometime soon. Rates sir?
Hi Brian!
So we need to retain the air is that correct! Or do we have to blow around de pencil ✏️?
Blow along the pencil but don’t let the air escape.
Hey... what about if my lips stop buzzing for couple seconds and i have to move the hoorn away and put it back to my mouth ?
Sorry, I’m confused. You aren’t buzzing your lips while doing the pencil exercise.
L for lips, M for mouthpiece, S for studies (also studies for play higher :D) or for sound.
All good suggestions! Thanks for watching, and taking time to comment!
I'm thinking can this exercise be done using a pen barrel with an end grommet,,,the grommet for muscle pressure,,the pen barrel for air control,,just thinking out the box,,, chears Brian.
I guess you could, but we don’t need to be blowing that hard, and the goal is to prevent air actually moving by closing the lips tightly around the pencil.
@@AirflowMusicNYC
Thanks Brian,,yes finding the exercise 👍🎶
i do that to!!!!!!
how long (minutes)?
Start out doing 5 secs on, 5 secs off for a minute. Then gradually build up, as that feels easier over time. Longer intervals and longer overall.