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Re: Air pressure

Author: Craig Matovich
Date: 2007-08-06 13:00

First, think Winnie the Pooh,... it won't leave such a bad taste for the Huff and Puff concept.

For pitch control, if you have a decent reed and oboe combination going
(and are lucky enough to play with a group that mainatins pitch well), the embouchure changes are slight. They go more with changing volume
(Mack X) than for mechanically controlling pitch anomalies such as a flat 2nd c while playing a mezzo-forte passage. Isolated notes with bad pitch need something other than embouchure to solve like a good repairman or different reed source.

Susan really clicked with the more passive embouchure concept we discussed last month and refers to the idea the primary role of the lips is to make an air seal and to dampen vibration in the reeds. Even so, the lips and oral cavity do make subtle changes while playing different ranges and volumes of tone.

Embouchure goes beyond the lips and depends on the face muscles to provide the 'frame work' over which the 'puckered' and drawn in portion of the center lips can be used in a relaxed manner.

Isolating the functions of the portions of embouchure is useful, especially to eliminate the biting problems lots of players have with their chops. Finding the right vowel shape for your oral cavity is a useful companion for this. Shape you mouth cavity for 'oh', or 'ah' and try some tones. Then shape for 'eh' and 'hee' and play the same tones. Notice the difference.

Try some low d and e notes doing the same. You may be surprized at what happens.

I really think of the oral cavity as the 3rd portion of embouchure since they all work together at all times.

I would probably add a z axis to the Mack X chart and have it show vowel changes in conjunction with the other X parameters of wind and embouchure change over dynamic contrast.

But this is getting too hard to describe...(needs a 3-d graph). But do try the vowel changes, and do try not to bite while playing. Its a crutch and gets in the way of progress on these other fundamental techniques wherein lie your best pitch control anyway.

For air pressure, think about volume of air movement more than how much pressure you are creating. If it feels like you are blowing up a small balloon, its too much pressure...

Imagine a garden hose, turn it on slightly and a little water comes out. Turn it on more and more water comes out. But the pressure of the water does not change, only the volume of flow. Pressure is more of a constant.
Its the changing volume of air that relates to dynamic change.

Post Edited (2007-08-06 13:17)

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