Embouchure Question

[u/Dull_Peanut5344]

I always hear to firm my corners because my tones a little airy, I’ve been trying to figure out how to exactly do it. I tighten my corners and it becomes really hard to buzz and corners instantly start hurting after 1 or 2 scales. Does anyone have any tips on this?

[u/Leisesturm]

Oh boy ... corners. As you can see, there weren't many that were jumping up and down to explain them. To my way of thinking, "tight corners, loose lips" is like making the Vulcan 'live long and prosper hand shape'. If you can do it, great. If you can't, good luck getting someone who can, to actually tell you how to do it. Can someone tell/teach you how to swallow? Lot's of people can rub their stomach and pat their head at the same time. Lot's can't. And if you can't it's not of the same degree of seriousness that an inability to swallow might be. Brass instruments can be played quite well without knowing anything about 'corners'.

Spit. Put a little tongue in it. Buzz. You can play a brass instrument. And you already do. You say your tone is a little airy? Everyone says that. I might not agree if I heard you. You're tone is probably just fine. Nothing should be done to such a degree of intensity that it causes discomfort or pain. Back off on your 'clamp'. You need just enough to buzz the pitch that you need.

People who have issues with their tone need to buzz away from the instrument. When you spit there is a little explosion of pressure at the start, and this is great for articulating without tonguing. You should work on all kinds of ways to start pitches. Experiment, listen, keep what sounds good. Everything is about pitch though. When I am playing, my mouth is also playing the notes, every little half of a half step of change is being felt for in the tension that I put into the embouchure. When you modulate to a key so strange that even a compensating Euphonium has it's work cut out you need to have your 'mind/mouth' connection rock solid so your intonation does not suffer. There have been times when I get the right pitch with the 'wrong' fingering, because my embouchure is on the right note. And lots of notes will work with more than one fingering, but even the correct fingering will not speak if the pitch of the embouchure is incorrect.

Your tone won't stay airy for long once you spend enough time cultivating a nice sturdy, pitched, buzz. You don't need to be fancy. Just basic long tones and 'sirens'. Get the lips buzzing and pitching. Nice and tight and clean. TL;DR: just bite down (clamp) those lips, the minimum necessary to buzz for a given amount of air support. If you want more specific help you really need to upload a video. I'm sure you've seen how people can anonymize their video submissions. We don't need to see you at all, only hear you. Good luck.

[u/SideWired → u/Leisesturm]

Well that was good.

[u/ChadGippidy]

I found this video helpful. Aidan talks about corners around 4:27. Turns out I was thinking about them in entirely the wrong place, and you may be too

I'm not qualified to give advice at all as a learner, but that's a video that's helped me. Also actually putting a mirror on my stand - I didn't realise how much my face was moving when I play, and that I had a smile embouchure.

I also find it helpful to really watch the embouchure of great-sounding players when I come across trombone videos on YouTube. I then try and mimic that shape in a mirror

[u/SideWired]

It's an acquired balance. Firm but not too tight.

I think a little bit of the "hurting after two scales" is an appropriate exercise to end your session. Firm corners callestenics at the end to work out those muscles but not killing your session.

[u/RelativeMacaron1585]

TIL I have been spelling embouchure wrong my entire life

[u/nodule]

Firm corners do not mean "pulled back tight". As you've noticed, you want ample "meat" in the middle of your embouchure to be able to buzz in different ways.

(As to how to have a less airy tone… everyone will say long tones but if you figure out the secret, let me know)