Re: High Range for a student


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Posted by Roger Lewis on September 12, 2003 at 09:18:11:

In Reply to: High Range for a student posted by Concerned Teacher on September 09, 2003 at 22:05:08:

Okay, let's take a look at the physics. Range is a "gimmick" and very easy top learn if you evaluate the type of tissue needed for each register. The trick is not in the "air" but in the lower lip. There are 3 basic kinds of tissue on the lip: the soft inner tissue, the "transitional" tissue between the soft inner and the outer tissue, and the outer "weathered" tissue.

Comparing the inner tissue to a bass drum head, the drum stick can't bounce really fast because the head tension is too low for a fast rebound. The same is true for the lip. if you have soft tissue (upper lip) vibrating against soft tissue (lower lip) this is ideal for low range playing - because the tissue will not allow a fast vibration.

To learn how this embouchure feels, here is an exercise: focus your eyes on a point some distance away from you with your sight line parallel to the floor. Now place your hand at arms length in front of you at 6 inches below this sight line. Without moving your, head blow air at your hand. Once you get the air stream to focus at the hand, your lips a pretty well in the perfect position for the low range embouchure. Now buzz air at your hand and you will feel soft tissue against soft tissue.

For mid range playing you want to have the transitional tissue vibrating against transitional tissue. Using the above exercise now place your hand 12 inches below your sight line and again without moving your head, blow air at your hand. This sets the embouchure and air stream where they need to be for mid range playing. Buzz air at your hand and you will feel this difference from the low range air stream.

For high range, using the exercise from above again, place your hand, palm up, under your chin. Now blow air straight down without moving your head and this will set the lips in the proper position for high range playing: weathered tissue against weathered tissue, so the lips need to be curled in a bit. This is tissue that is firmer and more dense and allows the fastest vibration of the lips. Buzz air at your hand and you will feel the speed of the buzz being faster than at the other two points.

So you can go through the whole range of the "air" by moving your hand from that 6" below sight line point, in to your chin and back out (without moving your head) and this will show you the transitions that occur in playing through the range of the embouchure.

Air: use as much air in the high register as you do in the extreme low register: high volume of air at low speed in the low register and high speed of air through a smaller aperture in the high register.

The embouchure requires fuel, an energy source. You have a symbiotic relationship between the air and the lips; neither can produce the sound without the other. If the energy source is week, then the lips will not be able to respond with their best performance.



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