TrumpetMaster - View Single Post - Horn positioning. Symmetrical or preferential?

rowuk · 04-13-2008, 02:10 PM

If your son is playing at an angle, there is probably NOTHING to worry about. I used to play with a VERY severe angle to the left (due to crooked teeth). I still graduated from music school with honors as a trumpet player. My Prof didn't think it was too cool, but it never slowed me down one bit. There is so much turbulence in the mouthpiece that the angle is insignificant. The only possible detriment would be the slight increase mouthpiece pressure on the one side. If the pressure is minimal anyway, there is no problem. THIS IS NOT A REASON TO CHANGE EMBOUCHURES!!!!!!!!

How does it happen? With my students (and myself) the most common cause was not having the music stand high enough. This forces the player to move the trumpet aside to see the music instead of placing the stand where we can just blow naturally.
Another possibility is a posture problem. This can come from a soft bed, chronic slouching, using a chair that is too high for a desk (or a desk that is too low, causing us to hunch over) or one of a million other things. Have your boy walk a straight line and look at his body use, if there is an unevenness. There probably isn't and adjusting the music stand could solve everything.

Symmetricality is something for cosmetic surgeons............

04-13-2008, 02:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
rowuk Moderator Fortissimo User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 4,374	Re: Horn positioning. Symmetrical or preferential? If your son is playing at an angle, there is probably NOTHING to worry about. I used to play with a VERY severe angle to the left (due to crooked teeth). I still graduated from music school with honors as a trumpet player. My Prof didn't think it was too cool, but it never slowed me down one bit. There is so much turbulence in the mouthpiece that the angle is insignificant. The only possible detriment would be the slight increase mouthpiece pressure on the one side. If the pressure is minimal anyway, there is no problem. THIS IS NOT A REASON TO CHANGE EMBOUCHURES!!!!!!!! How does it happen? With my students (and myself) the most common cause was not having the music stand high enough. This forces the player to move the trumpet aside to see the music instead of placing the stand where we can just blow naturally. Another possibility is a posture problem. This can come from a soft bed, chronic slouching, using a chair that is too high for a desk (or a desk that is too low, causing us to hunch over) or one of a million other things. Have your boy walk a straight line and look at his body use, if there is an unevenness. There probably isn't and adjusting the music stand could solve everything. Symmetricality is something for cosmetic surgeons............ __________________ Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.