Embouchure and Posture (Part 2)
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 by Billy Roberts | French horn
Have you ever picked up your horn and started playing but found that your mid-register notes were stuffier than usual? That happened to me yesterday. At first I thought maybe the horn wasn’t in tune with itself. After adjusting some slides, the sound was freer, but the tuning was worse off. Clearly, that was not the right solution. I took a break, put some oil through the valves, picked up the horn and tried again. Everything worked fine. However, it was not because I had cleared excessive sludge from the rotors. That wasn’t the problem, although I did enjoy faster valve action.
In my rush to make the most of the twenty minutes or so I had with the horn, I did not pay attention to my posture as I sat down to play. My lower jaw tends to be set back because of the way I developed during adolescence. When I’m singing or playing the horn, I have to be conscious of letting it relax enough to come forward slightly. This is not a universal problem, but I’m sure most other players have their own unique thing to be aware of when setting their embouchure. I remember that when I first discovered this about myself, I thought I would benefit by using my neck and facial muscles to bring the jaw slightly forward. However, that approach proved detrimental to playing. I eventually discovered the neck and shoulder posture that worked for me to allow the jaw to naturally sit where it needs to be in order to form an efficient embouchure.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that the warmup period for me is not so much about preparing my lips as it is making sure my head, neck and shoulders are aligned to foster efficient playing. To be sure, I still want to make sure my lips are loose before spending extensive time in the upper register, but I feel like it’s ok to go through all registers of the horn while warming up so long as the high notes are approached correctly. As I pondered that opening question, I noticed that the low register did not have the volume I was used to and my upper register had a thinner tone than usual. However, since the mid-register was the area most affected with stuffiness and intonation difficulties, that is where I chose to explore a bit to find out what was going on.
I pulled out my Warburton buzzard, which I’ve written about in a previous blog, buzzed a few notes in the mid-register, and had the problem sorted out in just a few seconds. That is a great benefit of working embouchure without the weight of the horn. When I picked up my horn, I made sure to use the same jaw setup, and that is where I figured out that my whole upper body posture was a little off. Last month, I wrote about the REMplenish bottle and how it has helped with my posture for singing. I’ve picked up many other tips over the past few years, but this proves that posture is still something that I need to think about first, no matter how rushed I am when sitting down to play.
One other thing worth mentioning as I close this blog is that horn playing works by putting a small stream of air through a small opening. The use of air is emphasized so much by brass teachers that some students may inadvertently open their mouths too wide, try to blow as much air through as possible, and then wonder why the horn does not respond to it. It is the quality of air that matters, not the quantity. Certainly you need good support, but that is to ensure that there is plenty of air behind the air that is actually going through your horn. It is possible to overblow a horn, just as you can overblow the voice when singing. However, as you play with a lip posture that allows you to keep a small aperture where the lips are neither bunched too tightly nor spread too thin, the danger of using too much air becomes unlikely simply because an efficient embouchure only responds well to the optimal flow of air.
REMplenish and Singing
Friday, March 29, 2024 by Billy Roberts | Singing
Within the past year I have found several ways to keep my throat in better shape so that the upper register comes more naturally without more exercise than should be necessary. Over the years, I have found that daily use of the Lütgen high voice exercises is the best way to keep my upper range in shape, but these past few months especially I’ve seen the benefits of freeing up tension at the root of the tongue. Letting go of that tension allows me to lighten my voice and have a fuller range of dynamics for high G and A-flat, notes that have occasionally felt forced or difficult to reach.
I received a new tool several weeks ago that promotes good breathing, posture, and tongue placement, and using it is as simple as taking a drink of water. The tool that I am referring to is a REMplenish bottle. For years I have dealt with excess tension at the root of the tongue. In the past, this has at times caused my external throat muscles to be unnecessarily engaged and has even caused neck and shoulder issues. In working through these issues, I have developed better posture for piano, horn, and voice.
The REMplenish bottle is a 32 ounce water bottle with their patented Myo-Nozzle system, which incorporates a myofunctional therapy device into the straw. The high quality bottle is easy to use but requires pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth in order to take a sip. It is recommended to drink one to two full bottles daily to gain the most benefit. Even if you seem to gain no benefit from it, this is still a well-built water bottle that is dishwasher safe. A special brush is included for handwashing the straw.
I have noticed dramatic improvement in my own singing over the past few weeks as I’ve used this bottle, namely that I need less time to warm up. I’m also experiencing better sleep because I fall asleep more easily and wake up less often during the night. Over the past few weeks, as I’ve used the REMplenish bottle, I have gradually felt less stress throughout the day. Taking a drink from the bottle is in itself very relaxing if I am conscious of letting go of any tension at the root of the tongue or in the neck and shoulders as I drink from this bottle.
Although I was a bit skeptical at first, mainly due to a lack of reviews from anywhere other than the REMplenish website, I am very glad that I decided to go ahead and order this bottle. Since using it, I have had better breathing through the nose. It has helped me to be more aware of good head, neck and spine alignment. I have also been amazed at how well it has helped my tongue to work correctly. By getting the tongue out of the way so that I can sing without engaging the muscles in my neck, this bottle has helped me take one step further into freeing up my voice.
Why We Practice
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 by Billy Roberts | Piano
Daily practice requires motivation.When I talk about daily practice, I am simply referring to a routine that we do four to five days per week. Most students benefit from a couple of days to simply take care of whatever else is going on in their lives. Still, three questions must be considered, even if not spoken: What is our motivation for a daily routine? How much should we practice? Why do we practice to begin with?
I believe that the best motivator is a sense of confidence that one is making progress and doing something worthwhile. Method books provide a steady pace at which beginners and intermediate students can see their progress over time. Interspersing a few challenging repertoire pieces along the way can help them gain a sense of competence. Competence fuels confidence, which fuels motivation. Candy and sticker sheets also help, especially with younger children. Advanced students can sense progress by recognizing that gaps in their technique continue to be filled. Students at all levels know they are progressing as they continue to amass a variety of pieces that they can play for family and friends.
The next question is how much practice time is enough. I recommend 20-25 minute sessions as a minimum daily routine, and this is often enough for beginning and intermediate students. There are two reasons that this works well. First of all, four to five sessions per week is sufficient to develop good habits and technique, but by not pushing for long sessions this helps develop a routine that students can stick with. Secondly, twenty minutes is long enough to strengthen the right muscles if done consistently, but it is a short enough period of time to not promote injury.
I personally love it when I have an hour and a half to two hours to practice in one block, but I’m not constantly playing that whole time. Taking plenty of rests when I sense that any muscles are being overworked, alternating hands during difficult passagework, mentally practicing by occasionally just reading the score without playing, and occasionally getting up for a good stretch are all ways that I get the most from a longer session. For a short session, typically 20 to 25 minutes, a student should spend the first 5 to 10 minutes with scales, Fingerpower, Dozen a Day, or similar exercises. This still allows 15 minutes to focus on the music during the remaining time.
With short sessions being the norm, many busy students wonder when they should do theory. Teachers who give prizes for the number of minutes practiced typically count theory homework as practice time. I feel like if you only have 20 minutes at the piano, then theory is something to be done another time. But, it needs to be done. If you really don’t have any other time, it’s worth taking time away from your fingers one day per week in order to get it done. Thus, there is a balance, and theory assignments should be kept to a manageable length. Most students need some theory taught to them during lesson time. It is not sufficient to simply send the book home and ask them to learn it on their own.
In summary, a balance of method book pieces and challenging repertoire keeps students motivated along with a daily routine that builds confidence. Students should be encouraged to keep up this routine four to five days per week, and a little candy after a good lesson doesn’t hurt. This will lead to steady progress over the long term. In the end, progressing steadily but surely will lead to confident performances. Both the end results and the journey itself should each be a part of why we practice.
