8. FISH FACE! (How to Build a Stronger Embouchure)
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2021
- Video #8 of 18 in the series: Up Your Mental & Emotional Game (for Trumpet Playing)
English transcript of available on: www.AdamRapa.com
You can watch the full series there, and find lots of other goodies!
Some key take-aways from this video:
"I feel the way I interface with the horn is by observing how far away from my teeth I'm pushing the mouthpiece."
"...‘fish face’ is the action of building those muscles' ability to flex forward, which is huge, and it's what you need in order to counteract any inward pressure. ...if you're meeting it with more outward pressure than inward pressure, then it’s still a net positive."
"So, the exercise is: Blow the kiss, hold it, flex it, [sounds] and that action is just great for growing your muscles in the way that I feel is the most helpful: growing them thick, and far away from your teeth.
"This is a serious isometric exercise and really, you should probably be tired in ten seconds, fifteen seconds you should feel some serious burn."
"Get ready to push that mouthpiece away from your teeth and make it so that the passageway that the air is traveling through, that is your aperture, is a more three-dimensional - is a longer tunnel of vibrating flesh."
"‘...'fish face' is a great way to pull your sh*t together and to come back from a long time off." 
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I never thought about this. You've inspired me to get a trumpet again and get back into playing.
Great advice, you do inspire! Thank you so much.......
I've been playing the trumpet for 7 years now and I feel like I have very poor embouchure. Everyday is kind of a hit or miss for me on the trumpet and I'm not quite sure where to start for Improvement and I think this video is the key.
The “Fonz” did lip-ups against a pinball machine, those would definitely help! Lol
Thanks Adam, this seems like the missing piece in embrochure advice - really makes sense. It also makes a longer sound tunnel. Do you find yourself using less pressure as well with this strategy? And is tone improved?
👏🔝
hey adam, what's up?
i only start to feel a little burn after like a minute, is that normal?
and i've been doing the cat anderson whisper middle G with the teeth closed, for 20 min, and i think i'm starting to get stronger, could u share some thoughts on that exercise pls?
Hug!
Hey Adam, great advice here! How much do you practice this in one session? Is it possible to overdo it and what's the balance from engaging your corners to keeping the center relaxed? I find when I practice this, the center is tense as well and I'm afraid of that creeping into my playing, causing unnecessary tension.
I don't have a very good answer to your question. I'm describing a way of operating the lips. How much time spent at any given time is "too much" can't be generalized. One thing I can add is that I don't actively relax anything in the center of my embouchure (aka the aperture). But in flexing the lips FORWARD and OPEN the way I do, there's naturally going to be flesh from the lips that becomes exposed and primed for vibrating, because even while flexing the lips in their entirety, that red/pink flesh is still going to be able to vibrate. What I'm advocating is NOT - I repeat - NOT pinching your lips together. That goes directly against exposing any of that flesh and allowing it to vibrate. Pinching the lips together (as opposed to creating an open aperture) means having so much missed potential to create more sound with less air, and basically ensures you'll be working much harder than necessary. That's the best I can do in describing what I do (while omitting the obvious related technical aspects like how pseudo-whistling with the tongue is essential in making it possible to even consider playing with an "open aperture") but as for the timing of a healthy practice session... that I can't help you with. Just don't ever try forcing notes to come out. When your face is too tired to make a beautiful sound the way it usually does, take a break. Or better yet, play a few minutes of deep pedal tones to recover even faster. Happy sciencing!
@@adamrapa1 Pops' Aperture tunnel, Well explained and confirmed. Thanks.
You weren't kidding about feeling it after 10 seconds... (I'm coming back from like 20 years off!)
Not feelin' the burn but I've been learning the shakuhachi for a year. Coming back to trumpet.
Adam, is this ok to do in public? 😂
Thank you very much for this helpful video. I noticed, that the muscles on the left side of my lips are much stronger than on the right side. Maybe because of a little incorrect mouthpiece position. Do you have an idea what the best way of fixing this problem is? Kind regards from Germany
Symmetry isn't always a necessary goal with regard to the embouchure, but if you do notice a problem on one side of your face, the best medicine is paying constant attention to all the muscles of your embouchure by playing in front of a mirror. I'd recommend doing this -- 100% of the time -- for as long as it takes to develop the changes you're looking for. Minimum one month should be expected. If necessary, buy a mirror that you can put in a convenient spot where you like to play. Watching your muscles work gives you more control over how you're using them. It strengthens your awareness of what's happening, and helps you send stronger/clearer signals to them. If you're diligent with actively observing your playing in front of a mirror, you can quickly make changes/improvements to your embouchure, your posture, your breathing, etc. Just pay attention!
@@adamrapa1 Thank you so much for your answer. I will take the mirror!
It would be a great pleasure for me if you would listen to one of my compositions.
ruclips.net/video/jnjxHEg-mnc/видео.html
Really love what your doing!
I notice that the corners of your embouchure move very little; almost all the movement happens with the lips.
Dear Adam ,
Please can you make a video what you mean with „pushing the mouthpiece away from your teeth while playing „ . Do you use the same isometric shape like you depicted in this exercise here ?
Where is your educational website ?😱❤️😎😘🤗😱
I am your first student 😊😊😊⁉️
Hey! The website is under construction, and hopefully will launch later this year. (🤞🤞)
And yes, I flex my lips in the same way with the mouthpiece attached. There'll be more on that later, for sure.
@@adamrapa1
Honesty kind sir . Thanks for responding to me 😊
I am so much waiting for this !
You are my big inspiration and hope to finally master all the problems I’ve been facing for years on the trumpet .
Please finalise your course and I am the first to buy it ‼️❤️
@@adamrapa1still waiting my man ♥️☺️☺️☺️🙈🙈🙉🙉🙈
Is this exercise somehow related to the “balanced embouchure” techniques?
Sorry, no idea.
I have tried with my trombone and I am %100 sure it works as well. But I have a doubt. When doing the fish face, does your upper lip make the force downside? Because I have tried while playing the trombone and my upper lip gets tires within a few seconds.
Hey! I'd love to answer your question, but first, could you please explain what "make the force downside" means? If you meant downward, then: no, my lips engage forward and away from the center. That doesn't seem compatible with a description like "downward", or something like "downside".
@@adamrapa1 sorry, my english is work in progress because I am Spanish. Dawward Is the word. Okey then, very usefull. And I would like to ask you a last question. What do you do with your embochure as soon as you go to the upper register? Do you try to push your lips outside against your mouthpiece even more? I have tried making almost literally the fish face at the trombone and making this "opposite force" against the mouthpiece but I fell like I am missing something. Thanks for your time. I really appreciate your way of understanding the technique and music
I had this thought of making my upper lips go downward because I was thinking in focusing all my air in the centre of the mouthpiece. So I had to think about my whole embouchure pushing towards the center. But this does not fit with tour mentallity of pushing the lips straightly outside
@@pandarus97 In the upper register, my top lip continues to push forward and away from the center, while my bottom lip retracts a little to direct the airstream downward. Escribes muy bien en ingles! Mientras tanto, espero que los subtítulos ayuden con los detalles de mis descripciones.
@@pandarus97 Also, what's probably missing is the necessary air pressure which is normally produced (in part) by lip tension towards the center, and retracted towards the teeth. Without that pinching of the lips, you need another way to pressurize the air enough. Then the tongue emerges as the best choice for the job. I'm well documented on the virtues of semi-whistling every note while playing. Hope that helps!
Adam. First off thank for videos like this. I see what you are saying about pushing the lips away from the teeth, making the mouthpiece "connection" more cushioned against your teeth. This would work for me because I have thin lips & they do get beat up. Question though. You mentioned the word tunnel. Is your method similar to what Pops advocates when he talks about an aperture tunnel? Thanks for you advice & be well!!
Hey, sorry, I'm not familiar with his teaching. But it's hard to imagine there being more than one way of interpreting the words "aperture + tunnel" so we're most likely describing the same thing. Of course, that's where any implied similarities probably end. I have no idea what he advocates regarding any other technical detail related to its formation or its use.
@@adamrapa1 Hello Adam & thanks for your reply. Yeah, I'm thinking both of you are well in the same church & pew. I've been trying the fish face for an exercise, & unfurling of the lips to play such as what Lynn Nicholson teaches as well. Seems to be working for me by providing a cushion keeping my thin lips from getting beat up.