| dear JT,
I'm going to "reprint" an answer that I gave someone who wrote in with a similar question. Good luck,
ML
Special Contributor
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 199
Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 10:12 am** *Post subject:
In my experience I have never heard of embouchure placement as a "cure" for articulation concerns.
Here are my 2 cents:
Articulation is part of the human condition. That is, we don't do anything different when we articulate than when we speak. Therefore, assuming you have normal, standard speech patterns, you can articulate as well as anyone.
Say the folllowing:
"Time to talk turkey to turtles in tan tutus".
Easy, right? That's because it's just speaking which you do hundreds of times a day. The good news is that tonguing , as applied to brass playing, comes from the same motions. Where the tongue strikes for talking is precisely the same place as when you speak. The difference is that you're exhaling with more energy and a sense of wind than when you just speak. Same process, different application.
Try this, now:
Pretend you're blowing out a match that's only about a foot in front of your face in a nice, relaxed way, not a hurricane force wind. After you've done that, say the WORD tutu (as above) as you blow out the match. It should sound almost like a whisper because you shouldn't activate the vocal cords. DO NOT FORM A TRUMPET EMBOUCHURE WHEN YOU DO THIS. IT'S NOT ABOUT TRUMPET PLAYING FOR RIGHT NOW.
Next step: say "tutututututututu..." as you blow out the match. You should have accomplished a relaxed, consistent articulation.
Bottom line: inconsistent articulation comes from an inconsistent approach. Using speech as your guide, articulate in a consistent manner and you'll be as clear as anyone else.
Good luck,
ML
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