Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljazztrm  How are you with the pencil exercise? Can you hold a full length pencil out for 4 minutes as Pops suggests? If so, it's time to switch to a trumpet mouthpiece. Yes, that's right. Take the shank end of the mouthpiece and use it like the pencil. I highly recommend only doing this exercise ONCE a week for one time only (do it once, but for as long as you can...I'm close to a minute now). I do it on Mondays, as it's my lightest playing day usually. If you do this very strenous exercise more than once a week, your chops will probably 'crash and burn'...assuming you do a lot of playing everyday. Good luck man! All the best, Lex. |
On the pencil exercise - and I have read some that support it and some say no - but anyway to the exercise itself, when I do this, my lower jaw comes forward. This is not to get my teeth under the pencil, but a consequence of the compression of the muscles/trying to lift the pencil to a full horizontal (I am not supporting the pencil with my teeth) and trying to keep my jaw open. It puts my lower front teeth in front of my upper teeth. If I clamp my jaw closed, then I can do then compress my lips together to lift the pencil . . .
Edit
Just viewed this video:
YouTube - The Pencil Exercise for trumpet players it would appear that Eric Bolvin's jaw comes forward some too - so that might be normal. Or not, but it's certainly not the position of the jaw when playing.