Such a thing as corners being too firm?

[PosauneCat]

Hey all,

I continue my quest to regain my chops after not playing for about 541 million years...yes, it was during the Paleozoic period. Question: can the corners of your mouth be too firm? When I really firm them up they are rock solid, but the other day I was wondering if perhaps I'm firming them up too much. Opinions?

Thanks,
Mike

[hyperbolica]

It might feel like that now, but after a while when it becomes second nature, you won't notice the effort as much. They shouldn't be a distraction from everything else, but you need to be a little uncomfortable to develop the muscles. Eventually they will be strong enough to do what they need to do on their own, but it might hurt a little getting there.

[Burgerbob]

Remember, having "firm corners" is a step towards the goal- to sound good and have an easy time of it. Having firm corners is not THE goal.

[harrisonreed]

On days when I feel I am really playing well, my corners are not firm or tight.

[baileyman]

Absolutely can be too tight. Only need to be tight enough, and I'm not convinced that's very.

I once constructed a manometer to find out what was going on with the pressure in my mouth. Measured out to 1-2 psi. That's hardly anything. If that's all it takes to make the flesh vibrate, it cannot take much effort to hold it in position.

[Doubler]

Sure, you can firm the corners of your mouth like a rock, but all that's necessary is enough to provide the necessary stability. Anything more is excessive, counterproductive, and fatiguing.

[Kdanielsen]

How firm?

Just enough.

[Doug Elliott]

Yes, corners can be too tight. They can also be too loose. Sometimes you need to exaggerate one way or the other to find the correct balance.

There's also the question of where that firmness should be vs. where it actually is. Some areas need to be firm and other areas need to be loose. It can take a while to really understand that.

Firmness serves several purposes:. To balance lip control to get a clean and efficient buzz, to cushion the mouthpiece pressure against the teeth, to get a good seal against the air pressure especially in attacks and articulation, to minimize excess and unnecessary motion. Basically it helps everything.

[PosauneCat]

Hey Doug,

The firmness that I’m feeling now is mainly right where you pointed out it should be to keep my bottom lip pulled back (not severely, but enough to allow the upper lip to be appropriately dominant). I do notice that it changes according to playing circumstance and register, so I think it’s ok.

I can easily say that trying to get my chops back is the f***ing hardest thing I’ve ever done. Yet, I’m still enjoying it and will keep going until either I can play again or my lips just fall off.

Thanks,
Mike

Yes, corners can be too tight. They can also be too loose. Sometimes you need to exaggerate one way or the other to find the correct balance.

There's also the question of where that firmness should be vs. where it actually is. Some areas need to be firm and other areas need to be loose. It can take a while to really understand that.

Firmness serves several purposes:. To balance lip control to get a clean and efficient buzz, to cushion the mouthpiece pressure against the teeth, to get a good seal against the air pressure especially in attacks and articulation, to minimize excess and unnecessary motion. Basically it helps everything.

[PosauneCat]

Thanks to all of you for your replies!