dbacon

Aperture Control.
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One mental image I use with some success is that of the oboe and basson reed. The shape of the aperture is about that of the reed, and thinking of the basson reed size and shape for the low register with the oboe reed size for the high register helps the one embouchure approach work. As you play higher imagine the size of the aperture becoming smaller, but not changing shape. As you play lower, just the opposite. It will not change shape, just size.

Dave Bacon
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Another important mental concept is to think of the aperture as the center of a wheel, the hub, with all the spokes pointing towards the center.
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EmbEnh
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Yeh good one...there's a good pic / diagram of this in the JOHN RIDGEON book PHYSIOLOGY OF BRASS PLAYING 1986 latest edition.

Saty well DB!
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Roddy o-iii<O

RoddyTpt@aol.com

http://www.R-o-d-d-y-T-r-u-m-p-e-t.cC



Nonsense Eliminator
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Or else you could not imagine your aperture at all and imagine the sound you want instead!
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I hear you, NE. Sometimes it helps me to notice the hub with all the spokes pointing in.

Back to the sound....

TangneyK

Bobby Shew talks about the "spool of thread" when playing lead.

Basically, imagine a spool of thread in your mouth, and you pulling the thread through your aperture. Not pinched, but small...

Now that I've probably screwed up some beginner with this explaination, can someone take over? Please?

--Kevin

dbacon

There's a second part to that "spool of thread" analogy.

Thread the needle!

Spool of thread with constantly moving and energized air flow, threading the needle through the aperture and through the throat right on out the bell and out past the audience!

The aperture can work if it has the energy moving through it.

Can't tune the carburator without fuel running through it!!

dbacon

Apertures fall in 3 types= Flat causing a thin shrill sound. Oval causing the full sound we all seek. And Round causing a dull too dark sound. Aperture is controlled by the mouth corners. If they pull out from normal then it is flat. If they stay put or come in slightly it is oval. And if they draw in to make a fish face it is round. When you draw the corners to make a more rounded or oval aperture then you must use a little more vertical lip compression or the lips separate.
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These aperture shapes as well as the size are completely controlled by the muscles forming the embouchure and are independent of tongue level. There is a study involving a floroscope machine done in the 60's that was published in the Instrumentalist. The arch of the tongue (tongue level ) can affect the direction of the airstream and certainally the airspeed but not the shape or size of the lip aperture.
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Finally aperture size can be affected in two directions height and length. It is the ability to control the length that most people ignore. There are some remarkable results to be found here by those willing to work on this. Jake said it very simply "think of making a fist with your mouth". It draws in from all sides.

From Pops books!