I have been playing since the 5th grade. Since then I have played in numerous competitions and events, and have also made state and district honor band. I am an average player, but I feel like I have potential. I just entered college a few years ago and played for a community college with no music major. I am transferring this fall to a university, and am in the process of practicing a solo for my audition to get into their pep and concert bands. I have had this problem since my junior year, where I apply too much pressure from my mouthpiece. I really need to know how to fix this. I feel like this is the only thing that is stopping me from really getting better. Because after 5-10 minutes I get a red ring, and I know it's from too much pressure. I read if you just buzz into the mouth piece without the horn it will fix it. I need help please!

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard or read somewhere that actually, a red ring means blood is circulating. A white ring, however, means the blood is NOT circulating, which indicates you put too much pressure.

Either way, after 5-10 minutes it begins to hurt when I play.

I think the best thing to do is to ask your teacher to help you with your problem.

Playing with the mouthpiece alone is not going to help (IMO). To play with less pressure you need to practice with less pressure. When you are doing your long tone exercises intentionally pull the trombone away from your lips very slowly. When you start feeling and hearing the tone fall away or lose the pitch don't pull any further and try to keep playing the note. If you do this everyday you will get better at playing with less pressure. It will take a little time.

Be sure to use your tuner you don't want play with less pressure and lose your pitch.

It might not hurt to buzz without the mouthpiece while your doing chores or just nothing around the house. Get your lip use to buzzing without pressure.

Buzzing without mouthpiece is something I used to do - and my band teachers actually told us to do it - but last year I found this video of Arnold Jacobs while looking for Joe Alessi videos on youtube (luckily for me the person who posted it completely mistitled the video, or else I would never have found it).

It basically says no brass player should ever buzz without a mouthpiece, which surprised me since I was always told it was a good thing, but seems logical after he explained it.

It might be a good idea to look it up.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nqTUwX0OVpM

I will try those suggestions. Like I have said, I have played for a long time and have had many problems concerning my embouchure.

I have been to a number of events and have heard a number of talented players. I just want to know some of their secrets. I just went to one of the Drum Corps International shows and am still amazed on how good some of those players are. I just don't understand how their lips can withstand the amount of playing that they do. I know practice has to do with it, but is it something more? It just baffles me that a 14 year old can master his instrument and person of my age can't.

one consept that has helped me with that problem is just simply relaxing. almost all of your problems go away once you trick yourself into thinking that it's the most easy thing to do in the world. "nice and easy dose it" is something that jeanne little(trombone prof. at LSU) told me. watch a profecinal trombone player and watch his aproche to the horn.

1. I'm not sure this is what you are doing, since I can't see you and listen to you doing it, but here is an idea, something I have learned watching and teaching my students. A lot of times they are not using enough air, thusly adding pressure or overworking the lip muscles to make up for it. Work on long tones, slowly not only taking away mouthpiece pressure, but also adding air.

2. DCI kids can play like that because the staffs they have run very specific and loooooong warm ups that beat into them the concepts of CORRECTLY DOING long tones, lip slurs and pedals. 3 things. Not much more. But for hours and hours a day. Then there's also the whole 8-plus-hours-a-day-with-the-horn-on-the-mouth thing. One thing to think about with those kids though... They play their warm ups and their show music INCREDIBLY well because they constantly rehearse it, and have for 6+ months, and that's all they really play..... Food for thought...

Man, DCI is so cool!

I agree with erik. Until I started using correct air flow, I over compensated by using more pressure. it wasn't until my first year in college that I really got the air thing. The red ring will be there, even with minimal pressure. You need enough pressure to create an airtight seal in order for the air to circulate and "spin" in the mouthpiece, but JUST enough pressure. As long as it is not painful (on your face and teeth), then you are on the right track. good luck.

That sounds about right. It seems like when I play anything ranging from a middle B and beyond that, I tend to add more pressure. I guess I didn't focus enough on the basics of air support when I was younger, or I wouldn't be having this problem. My old teacher had always told me that my embouchure had been right, but I tended to sometimes "blast" when I play. He also said what you said, just put more air through the horn as you play. I was wondering, how did you fix your problem? What kind of exercises are there?

I just wanted to say thanks for everyone replying to my post!

I just began to concentrate on embouchure strength, buzz with lips alone, then on the mouthpiece...BUT NOT FOR TOO LONG, just a few minutes at a time. Concentrate on making the air start the buzz.

BLOW FAST AIR PAST YOUR LIPS (in an embouchure formation) AND GENTLE CLOSE THE APERTURE UNTIL A BUZZ BEGINS.

THEN BLOW FAST AIR PAST THE LIPS AND SLOWLY BRING THE MOUTHPIECE TO YOUR FACE AND ONLY APPLY JUST ENOUGH PRESSURE FOR A BUZ TO BEGIN. YOU WILL FIND THAT IT DOESN'T TSKE MUCH TO CREATE THAT AIR TIGHT SEAL AND GET THE AIR SPINNING.

The buzz occurs from two points of resistance when on the mouthpiece:

1: air blowing past the lips...FIRM FOCUSED CORNERS, SQUISHY CENTER. avoid the extremes: pouty, puckering lips...your not kissing someone, and smiling or stretching the lips.


2: the air ricocheting back to your lips from the cup as it "spins"

I started thinking sbout the muscles around my mouth as cushions to gently place the mouthpiece on.

Try getting a hold of the Charles Colin Lip Flexibilities Book (written for trumpet, available in Treble and Bass Clefs). And read everything he says. I get alot of what I teach and how I approach the instrument (the mouthpiece IS the instrument) from those readings. "Vital Body Resistance," embochure formation and control.

Good Luck!!!

Buy. borrow, or steal (not recommended ;] ) the Arbans trombone book.

Practice the 'Studies for the slur' section, specifically exercises 16-23 and take note that the instructions say 'should be played in the indicated tempo with scarcely any pressure, allowing the lips to change the note' [instead of the pressure you use] Challenge yourself to see how little pressure you can do the whole thing with. It's rather fun :]

Also you might try the Intervals studies with the same technique as described above. Yes, I know, it doesn't specifically say to use scarcely any pressure but it can't hurt. You can still slur it all. You could even get away with only looking at exercise 1 on this although 2 might be better for you if you find you are using more pressure when going higher.