The "Embouchure" (ahm´-boo-shur), from the French word emboucher, meaning "to put into the mouth," refers in music to the proper way of using one's mouth, throat, and breath to produce correct sounds on a musical instrument.

The following information comes to you from the Embou-sure© book which is used by the American Band College.

Please select your instrument:

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TRUMPET

from an article by Larry Hudson

The first thing a trumpet player needs to do, before he or she even touches lips to mouthpiece, is to make sure to have enough breath to make a proper trumpet tone. You must sit tall in your chair, with your feet flat on the floor. To make sure you get enough breath, imagine that there is a piece of paper on a wall in front of your face, and that you must be able to blow enough air through your lips fast enough to make the paper stick to the wall!! Try it!! It really works to learn how much "fast air" you really need!

SIT TALL
FULL BREATH
FAST AIR


Now you're ready to start to make a great trumpet tone!


1. THE "SIGH"

Take a deep breath, form the throat as if you were saying "Ho," and as you breathe out, the throat should feel cold from the "fast air."

2. "BANANA"

When you feel the fast air with an open throat, you're ready for the secret word: BANANA! Say the word "banana" four or five times. Feel how the letter "BUH" sound starts the word.

3. JUST THE "B"

Now, just form the lips into the "B" that starts the "BUH." If you do it correctly, the lips will come together in just the right way for the trumpet...not pinched, and not tight....but JUST RIGHT!! Now you know how to form the correct trumpet EMBOUCHURE!!

4. THE FIRST TONE

The next step is to couple the lip formation (the embouchure) with the instrument. Look at the pictures above to see how the mouthpiece fits comfortably on your lips. Start with "first space F", breathe the "fast air" through the "BUH", making sure that the lips remain in the "B" position (lick your lips and the mouthpiece first). Chances are, if you follow all the above instructions, you will be off on the right foot, and ready to make a GOOD TRUMPET TONE!

If you think that you don't sound like a trumpet should, or like your teacher says you should, check the following chart and try the suggested solutions. Always remember: If it doesn't sound right on the first try, stop and re-form the "B" lip formation before trying again. This will help eliminate the possibility of a "spread aperture" (lips not together), or of too much "pucker" (too much "oo" shape in the lips).

Remember, if it doesn't sound right the first time:

STOP
RE-FORM THE "B" EMBOUCHURE
TRY AGAIN!!!

Trumpet Tone Production Problems/Remedies

SOUND
EXAMPLE

SOUND
PRODUCED

CAUSES OF
PROBLEM

REMEDIES

1

NO TONE,
RUSHING AIR

Lips not together
(spread aperture)

Re-form and maintain "B"
position with lips

Too much pucker in lips
("oo" shape)

Re-form and maintain "B"

Dry lips, dry mouthpiece

Lick lips & mouthpiece

Insufficient air to make
lips vibrate

Review breathing/
use faster air

2

"AIRY TONE"

Lips not together
(spread aperture)

Re-form and maintain "B"
position with lips

Too much pucker in lips
("oo" shape)

Re-form and maintain "B"

3

TIGHT, THIN
PINCHED TONE

Tense, excessively pursed
lip formation (biting)

Relax; re-form "B" but de-emphasize lip pursing

Too much pucker in lips
(hard "oo")

Re-form "B" but emphasize no
more pucker (more M)

Tight, closed throat

Review open throated breathing;
suggest yawn with head up

4

STOPPED (RESTRICTED THROAT OR BUZZ)

Tense, excessively pursed lip
formation (biting)

Relax; re-form "B" but de-emphasize lip pursing

Too much mouthpiece
pressure on lips

Relax left hand grip; no
right hand little finger hook

Tight, closed throat

Review open throated breathing;
suggest yawn with head up

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TUBA

from an article by Stuart Turner

PREPARATION The two most basic concepts which must be understood by all tuba players are BREATHING and TONGUE PLACEMENT.

BREATHING

The tuba player needs to put large quantities of air through the horn, because of the size of the instrument. Keep your stomach and diaphragm muscles relaxed and flexible in order to move large amounts of air quickly and fluidly. Hold your hand in front of your face, and then take a deep breath and tighten your stomach muscles. Try to blow lots of air on your hand! Remember what that felt like, then try the experiment again, but this time, keep your stomach muscles nice and relaxed. The easiest way is to use little or no "diaphragm support." Avoid tension in the area of breathing, for, as Arnold Jacobs said, "For tuba players, strength is our weakness!

TONGUE PLACEMENT

Remember: the large quantity of air produced by proper breathing will do you no good until it passes through the lips to make them vibrate. If the air is stopped or partially blocked in the process of blowing (often by the position of the tongue), the result will be one that is totally unsatisfactory.

Say the vowel "O" and feel the position of your tongue. The "O" sound causes the tongue to lie down flat in the bottom of the mouth, thereby allowing a free, unobstructed flow of the air stream. The "AH" sound can also put the tongue on the bottom of the the mouth, but, if overdone, can cause constriction in the rear of the throat, once again closing off the free flow of the breath. For this reason, the "O" sound is preferred.

If you say the syllable "TEE," feel how your tongue is arched up in the back. It will almost touch the top of your mouth in the back. If you play this way, the airflow is blocked, and you won't have a good tuba sound.

For the correct tongue placement for the beginning of a note, the player simply uses the syllable "TOH." Never allow the tongue to go between the teeth as it always causes a sloppy, thick attack. When it comes to correct tuba tonguing, JUST SAY "TOH!"

FORMING THE EMBOUCHURE

Place the mouthpiece ring (embouchure visualizer) on your lips (as in photo above), say "OH" and gradually change to an "OO" sound. Now your lips are in the correct position.
Using your lips, grasp a small tube (i.e. a small pen, straw, coffee stir stick, etc.). This will cause your lips to tighten towards the center, and will set the corners of your mouth in the correct position.
Think "OO," "OH," SQUEEZE THE TUBE (WITH THE LIPS.)

THE FIRST TONE

Take a deep breath, completely filling your lungs with air. You should open your throat wide, as if you are starting to yawn. If you hear a hissing sound while inhaling, it means that your tongue is arched too high towards the roof of your mouth, and will probably stay there (and choke off the air) when you start to play.

Place the mouthpiece on your lips; 2/3 upper lip & 1/3 lower lip (see picture above).
Take a deep breath.
Form your embouchure: THINK "OO," "OH," SQUEEZE THE TUBE (WITH THE LIPS.)
Put it all together, and BLOW! If you do everything right, you're ready to make a GOOD TUBA SOUND.

Tuba Tone Production Problems/Remedies

SOUND
EXAMPLE

SOUND
PRODUCED

CAUSES OF
PROBLEM

REMEDIES

1

NO TONE,
RUSHING AIR

Embouchure not formed tightly
enough, lips spread

Re-form embouchure, "OH-OO-
SQUEEZE," grip tube more firmly

Air stream restricted, closed
throat, high tongue

Emphasize "OH" to open throat,
keep tongue down

2

THIN, PINCHED
TONE

Embouchure formed too tightly,
lips pinched

Loosen "grip" on the "tube"

Not enough air
passing through the lips

Review deep breathing,
and push the breath out quickly

3

GARGLED
TONE

Embouchure not formed
tightly enough

Grip the "tube" more firmly

Lips folding over teeth

Re-form embouchure, check with ring, think "OO-OH-SQUEEZE THE TUBE

4

STOPPED OR
INTENSE AIR

Lips pinched completely together

Don't "grip the tube" so much, re-form "OH-OO"

Not enough air
passing through the lips

Review your tongue position,
and think "fast air"

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FLUTE