Reducing Pressure



             Using too much pressure is just part of a viscious circle.  Generally, we use too much pressure because other aspects of our playing are inadequate. Usually those areas are proper breath support and embouchure development. Bob Odneal once told me why we use pressure: Because it works, to a degree. He went on to explain that the lips are like a Glazed donut (ala Homer Simpson "Hmm...donuts") that is squished between two pieces of plate glass. What happens to our beloved donut? The hole in the center becomes smaller because the dough has been flattened. The donut gets flattened outward as well as the hole getting smaller. Our lips are the same way. They are flexible fleshy material being "squished" between a brass mouthpiece and your teeth (two very hard surfaces). The aperture (the hole between our lips that occurs when we blow through our embouchure) becomes smaller as more pressure is added. The problem with using this extra pressure is that it damages our lips and causes cuts, swelling, bruises, and even in some cases loose teeth! So, what is the answer you ask? We must learn to control the aperature via the muscles surrounding the lips and face rather then controlling the aperature via our biceps :)  This is done by utilizing the corners of the mouth to tighten and make the aperature smaller. I've found that "pinching" the lips together doesn't work well as the sound tends to get smaller and harder to control. The corners method allows the blood to flow through the lips by letting us use less pressure. Notice how I said "let us use less pressure". Properly using our corner muscles alone will not automatically reduce mouthpiece pressure. We must add one more ingredient: Air flow. Air flow has been argued to be the most important aspect of trumpet playing, and I would agree. If you have a mediocre/bad embouchure, but great air support, then you will be an okay player. If you have a terrific embouchure and lousy air support, you will be a lousy player. The hard part is that it is hard to have a terrific embouchure and lousy air support, the two tend to go hand in hand :)  My idea of our breath support system is that it is one in which the lungs function only to draw in as much air as possible as quickly as possible and to expel that same breath as quickly as possible. So, when I breath I allow the lower stomach to expand, then when I play, I suck it in like I'm trying to appear skinny :)  This is has some links to the Bobby Shew "wedge" breath, but without all of the extra tension. Not to say that the wedge breath doesn't work, but for general playing, it isn't neccessary (IMHO). Once these things are properly in place, we are ready to reduce the pressure. This is done just by making a conscious effort to reduce the pressure on our chops. Often times it is now realized that when playing with proper air support and aperature control we don't need all of that pressure. We only need enough to keep the air from escaping from around the mouthpiece.