Reinhart Pivot System Studies

[bcschipper]

The booklet "Pivot System - A Complete Manual with Studies for Trombone" by Donald Reinhart published Presser contains Studies organized by groups (pp. 17). At first, I couldn't really make sense of the groups. Usually, I expect exercises to be organized around one goal (like studying tone, tonguing, slide movement, range, flexibility etc.) But the first five study groups do not seem to be aimed at a particular goal. However, I quickly learned to appreciate them after realizing that each group represents a nice daily routine and fit my usual warm ups nicely.

One issue I still struggle with are rests in which Reinhart explicitly asks the player not to breath. I find this very unnatural. Reinhard claims that this "develops control of the breath". My question is if I don't breath, what am I supposed to do in those rests? After the pre-rest note stopped, can I prepare already the next note after the rest or should I just freeze everything for the duration of the rest? Reinhart asks not to raise the mouthpiece pressure during the rest. But how about oral cavity, tongue position, etc.?

Another issue I am not completely sure about is the amount of pivot. When do I know that I "overpivot"? I find the pivot really helpful especially for extreme flexibility across the bottom and upper range. But what I are signs of "overpivot"?

When Reinhart's approach is discussed nowadays, mostly the embouchure types are focused on. But he himself seemed to have emphasized the pivot idea. Why else would he have given it the name "Pivot system". I understand that the pivot depends on the embouchure type. Yet, in most discussions of Reinhart nowadays, the embouchure types seem to figure more prominently than the pivot idea.

[bigbandbone]

I studied with Doc in the early 70's. Once a month for a least a year. My recollection of that period of my life is hazy (it was the 70's) but As I remember it my first lesson was 4 hours long. In those hours he did an in depth evaluation of my embouchure, teeth, mouthpiece placement, identified the type embouchure I had, established my "pivot", identified my playing problems, and established goals.
I would think it would be daunting to try to use his method without this personalized evaluation. Did he train anyone to carry on his teaching? I don't know.
But to address your question about how much pivot, I do remember the movements were very, very small.
Good luck, he did help me a lot back then.

[Wilktone]

The booklet "Pivot System - A Complete Manual with Studies for Trombone" by Donald Reinhart published Presser contains Studies organized by groups (pp. 17). At first, I couldn't really make sense of the groups. Usually, I expect exercises to be organized around one goal (like studying tone, tonguing, slide movement, range, flexibility etc.) But the first five study groups do not seem to be aimed at a particular goal.

Did you find the audio recordings yet of Reinhardt discussing these exercises?

http://www.wilktone.com/?p=5422

My question is if I don't breath, what am I supposed to do in those rests? After the pre-rest note stopped, can I prepare already the next note after the rest or should I just freeze everything for the duration of the rest? Reinhart asks not to raise the mouthpiece pressure during the rest. But how about oral cavity, tongue position, etc.?

My understanding of it is that you should freeze as much as possible and try not to change a thing. You're playing a note and when the note ends, the only thing you do is stop doing is exhaling (don't move your tongue, slide, let up on the mouthpiece pressure, change your lip formation/compression, or even close off your vocal folds to stop the blowing). In other words, the only thing that you need to do at this point for the note to sound is commence blowing again.

Another issue I am not completely sure about is the amount of pivot. When do I know that I "overpivot"? I find the pivot really helpful especially for extreme flexibility across the bottom and upper range. But what I are signs of "overpivot"?

For clarity, it is important to define what Reinhardt meant by "pivot." The short answer is that it is the mouthpiece and lips together (as a single unit) sliding along the teeth and gums while changing register. The exact direction of how this works depends on the individual's embouchure type and anatomical features. My preference is to refer to this as an "embouchure motion," rather than pivot.

Over-pivoting is fairly common, particularly in the extreme ranges. A lot of trombonists over-do the amount of this embouchure motion for the low range.

Quality and consistency of tone is a good way to check for the proper amount of embouchure motion. Intonation also provides good aural feedback here. If you're making the embouchure motion to ascend, for example, and the pitch is sharp on the higher note, then you perhaps "over-pivoted."

When Reinhart's approach is discussed nowadays, mostly the embouchure types are focused on. But he himself seemed to have emphasized the pivot idea. Why else would he have given it the name "Pivot system". I understand that the pivot depends on the embouchure type. Yet, in most discussions of Reinhart nowadays, the embouchure types seem to figure more prominently than the pivot idea.

The "pivot" (as Reinhardt defined it) is an important distinguishing feature of the embouchure types. You can't discuss embouchure types without discussing how the embouchure motion works. But the reason, I think, that Reinhardt's embouchure types get more air time (upcoming pun intended) over his teaching on breathing (see what I did there?) and tonguing is because it is a topic where few other pedagogues have even explored at all, let alone to the extent Reinhardt did.

For what it's worth, Reinhardt apparently regretted branding his approach as "Pivot System" later. The term "pivot" is usually misunderstood to mean tilting the horn around. Labeling it as a "system" also led some to believe that it was a one-size-fits-all approach, which is the exact opposite of what Reinhardt intended.

I would think it would be daunting to try to use his method without this personalized evaluation. Did he train anyone to carry on his teaching? I don't know.

Reinhardt did have workshops and taught some of his students his pedagogical approach. Doug Elliott, who is a moderator here on this forum, studied extensively with Reinhardt. Doug's approach simplifies Reinhardt's embouchure types into a context that is easier to understand and also changes some of the terms in order to avoid some of the confusion the Reinhardt regretted. He also teaches Skype lessons and would be my recommendation if you want to learn more. He lives in the Washington DC area, if you are near.

Dave

[Doug Elliott]

I became interested in the subject of embouchures when I was in high school and college, studying with John Marcellus. I was amazed at his fantastic playing, and Charlie Vernon who was also there at the time. I was studying mostly classical and did a masterclass with Jay Friedman. This was during the time that the Trombone Workshops started happening in Nashville every summer and I was going to it each year and noticing that people played differently but many of the teachers taught everyone the same way. Nobody talked about embouchure, it just "do it the way I do it." Then I came upon Reinhardt's book... I took about 100 lessons with Reinhardt over a 10-11 year period, 1974 to 1985. In the beginning I was there to solidify my own playing but spent the rest of that time learning about all the other embouchures and how to teach from his perspective.

So it's now 35 years later and I have a much better understanding of the best ways to teach and fix problems. So if you have any questions, I do Skype lessons and I also travel a lot and will do lessons and masterclasses when it fits into my schedule.

[bcschipper]

The booklet "Pivot System - A Complete Manual with Studies for Trombone" by Donald Reinhart published Presser contains Studies organized by groups (pp. 17). At first, I couldn't really make sense of the groups. Usually, I expect exercises to be organized around one goal (like studying tone, tonguing, slide movement, range, flexibility etc.) But the first five study groups do not seem to be aimed at a particular goal.

Did you find the audio recordings yet of Reinhardt discussing these exercises?

http://www.wilktone.com/?p=5422

Thank you. It will take me a while to listen to all but his instructions for the groups help a lot.

My question is if I don't breath, what am I supposed to do in those rests? After the pre-rest note stopped, can I prepare already the next note after the rest or should I just freeze everything for the duration of the rest? Reinhart asks not to raise the mouthpiece pressure during the rest. But how about oral cavity, tongue position, etc.?

My understanding of it is that you should freeze as much as possible and try not to change a thing. You're playing a note and when the note ends, the only thing you do is stop doing is exhaling (don't move your tongue, slide, let up on the mouthpiece pressure, change your lip formation/compression, or even close off your vocal folds to stop the blowing). In other words, the only thing that you need to do at this point for the note to sound is commence blowing again.

Thank you. I think you are right. The recording clarifies how he wants the rests. You should freeze like a “sphinx” he says somewhere. The problem is that it is impossible to do what he asks for. When the airflow stops, there is no air pressure against the lips, which automatically slightly changes the lip formation.

At first I thought that I should approach the rests with some “zen” - just do and think nothing for the duration of the rest. But I found that the rest is very useful to check playing sensation. It amplifies it in some sense. So I think one can use the rest wisely to check and analyze lip formation, mouthpiece pressure etc. This fits also nicely with his Sensation Theory.

Another issue I am not completely sure about is the amount of pivot. When do I know that I "overpivot"? I find the pivot really helpful especially for extreme flexibility across the bottom and upper range. But what I are signs of "overpivot"?

For clarity, it is important to define what Reinhardt meant by "pivot." The short answer is that it is the mouthpiece and lips together (as a single unit) sliding along the teeth and gums while changing register. The exact direction of how this works depends on the individual's embouchure type and anatomical features. My preference is to refer to this as an "embouchure motion," rather than pivot.

I think he actually means tilting and tipping of the instrument. In his words (p. 10) “Correct PIVOTING is only the transfer of the mouthpiece pressure by tilting and tipping the instrument up or down as the case requires.” The tilting come very natural because the amount of overbite slightly changes with the vowel used to play a note.

I believe the sliding along the teeth and gums is different but very closely related to the pivot. It is more an effect of the pivot.

For what it's worth, Reinhardt apparently regretted branding his approach as "Pivot System" later. The term "pivot" is usually misunderstood to mean tilting the horn around. Labeling it as a "system" also led some to believe that it was a one-size-fits-all approach, which is the exact opposite of what Reinhardt intended.

Interesting. Is there a reference for that?

Again, thank you very much. The recordings are really a great source.

[Doug Elliott]

Reinhardt told me that the word pivot (that he chose) is used by others in many ways that are not at all what he intended. Plus, he changed his concept a lot from what he wrote in his first book in the early 1940's.

The pivot done correct does not "transfer pressure" or anything like that. And "sliding on the teeth" is easy to misinterpret too. It's a very small but necessary, continuous adjustment through the range. There is no place where it should stop or start.

[bcschipper]

I became interested in the subject of embouchures when I was in high school and college, studying with John Marcellus. I was amazed at his fantastic playing, and Charlie Vernon who was also there at the time. I was studying mostly classical and did a masterclass with Jay Friedman. This was during the time that the Trombone Workshops started happening in Nashville every summer and I was going to it each year and noticing that people played differently but many of the teachers taught everyone the same way. Nobody talked about embouchure, it just "do it the way I do it." Then I came upon Reinhardt's book... I took about 100 lessons with Reinhardt over a 10-11 year period, 1974 to 1985. In the beginning I was there to solidify my own playing but spent the rest of that time learning about all the other embouchures and how to teach from his perspective.

So it's now 35 years later and I have a much better understanding of the best ways to teach and fix problems. So if you have any questions, I do Skype lessons and I also travel a lot and will do lessons and masterclasses when it fits into my schedule.

Thank you very much for the offer. I took Reinharts book not to fix some particular problem but just to study it. I constantly look for things that can help my playing and I believe I am still far from how I want to play. Unfortunately, I don’t like Skype lessons. It is too indirect. If at some point, you come to Northern California or I to Washington D.C., I would be happy to have lessons if you have time available. But even this is suboptimal without follow up I suppose.

[Doug Elliott]

I felt that way about Skype too, before I started doing it.

[Wilktone]

The problem is that it is impossible to do what he asks for. When the airflow stops, there is no air pressure against the lips, which automatically slightly changes the lip formation.

I wouldn't worry about that. The spirit of the exercise includes keeping the embouchure formation (mouthpiece pressure, mouth corner firmness and position, etc.) the same as when blowing. Of course the lips inside the mouthpiece change their position while they are vibrating, but you're not really trying to force your lips into staying in any one particular moment.

I think he actually means tilting and tipping of the instrument. In his words (p. 10) “Correct PIVOTING is only the transfer of the mouthpiece pressure by tilting and tipping the instrument up or down as the case requires.” The tilting come very natural because the amount of overbite slightly changes with the vowel used to play a note.

Yes, you are correct about that quote. I suspect that this is one of those areas where Reinhardt later refined his original thoughts (from the 1940s). Here is what I wrote about this for an article on the Online Trombone Journal:

The Pivot
Before discussing Reinhardt's embouchure classifications the subject of the pivot, an often misunderstood phenomenon, should be discussed. Perhaps the clearest description of how Reinhardt defined a pivot is in his own words.

"The PIVOT is controlled by pulling down or pushing up the lips on the teeth with the rim of the mouthpiece. The outer embouchure...and the mouthpiece move vertically (some with slight deviations to one side or the other) as one combined unit on the invisible vertical track of the inner embouchure ...; however, the position of the mouthpiece on the outer embouchure must not be altered in any way (Reinhardt, Encyclopedia of the Pivot System, 1973, p. 194)."

It is common for individuals who misunderstand the Pivot System to confuse this motion of the mouthpiece and lips sliding along the teeth as a single unit instead as a tilting of the horn angle. This misunderstanding may have been in a large part due to the following statement by Reinhardt in his Pivot System Manuals for Trumpet and Trombone.

"Pivoting is the transfer of what little pressure there is used in playing from one lip to another. . . The instrument is slightly tilted to get the tone at its most open point (Reinhardt, Pivot System Manual for Trombone, 1942, p. 23)."

Dave Sheetz wrote about this precise quote in his article "Gone But Still Important." In this article Sheetz addressed a discussion with Doug Elliott where Reinhardt reported his wishes that he had never published this particular statement. Reinhardt clarified in his later publication, Encyclopedia of the Pivot System.

"In the early stages of PIVOT development, some angular motion of the instrument is often prescribed, so that the performer may thoroughly familiarize himself with the proper jaw manipulation and its attendant sensations for his particular physical type. . . With consistent and correct daily study and practice, all exaggerated movements soon subside until they are negligible (Reinhardt, Encyclopedia of the Pivot System, 1973, p. 19)."

I believe the sliding along the teeth and gums is different but very closely related to the pivot. It is more an effect of the pivot.

I prefer to think of this the other way, horn angle changes are a result of the embouchure motion (sliding of the mouthpiece and lips together along the teeth and gums). Our teeth and gums aren't a flat surface and as the foundation of the mouthpiece rim slides to different places along the teeth and gums the horn angle changes to accommodate. The jaw position also comes into play here too.

Interesting. Is there a reference for that?

Tomas Everett interviewed Reinhardt for Brass World in 1974. Here is what Reinhardt said:

The term “Pivot System” came from the golf links, rather than from any of my brass inclinations. Initially, I was going to use my own name for my professional playing, teaching and writing, and use the term Pivot System on the mouthpieces and accessories for brass instruments which I had intended to manufacture. At that time all of this seemed very logical; however, I soon found that my name and the term Pivot System had become strongly entwined, at least as far as the public was concerned. In short, I went right along with the idea, not realizing how many colleges and conservatories object to the word “system.”

There are some former students of Reinhardt's who are very concerned with teaching and communicating Reinhardt's pedagogy exactly the same way they learned it from him. Perhaps because I've studied it mainly through Doug and through Reinhardt's writings and tapes I have a different opinion than the "purists."

Dave

[bcschipper]

Thank you very much for the explanations and references. I guess I need to get also Reinhart's Encyclopedia and the articles you mentioned. Thank you.

I like the distinction between inner and outer embouchure. But I would keep the name pivot for the tilting and use another name for the pulling/pushing up or down (which I think can be confused with horizontal movements). And I would cut out the original Pivot tilting from the method. It can be useful especially for flexibility and people who use too much mouthpiece pressure on one of the lip.

There are some former students of Reinhardt's who are very concerned with teaching and communicating Reinhardt's pedagogy exactly the same way they learned it from him. Perhaps because I've studied it mainly through Doug and through Reinhardt's writings and tapes I have a different opinion than the "purists."

Dave

I don't understand. Which Pivot system do the "purists" follow? We just established that there is an evolution of the Pivot system by Reinhart. As far as I understand, he wanted a more systematic and almost scientific approach to brass teaching. So take it as science: We always can dig deeper, invent new theories, and have to revise if better evidence comes along etc. Otherwise, it becomes a dogma, a quasi-religion.

If there are reforms of the Pivot system(s) after Reinhart, are they written down? This would open it for discussion and further revision.

[Doug Elliott]

Exactly. That's why I kept going to him for 10 years... I could see that there was a lot to it, and some evolution happening even during that time. And I also saw him make mistakes, and many people totally misunderstood what he was saying, partly due to their own preconceived idea of "pivot" and other things.

The "purists" only want to talk about what he either wrote or they heard from him. Which ignores his own evolution of ideas, and differing things that he may have told others, plus he specifically asked me to continue where he left off.

Eventually I intend to write about it, but that's not going to happen here.

[VJOFan]

This thread reminds me that music pedagogy is a lot more oral history than peer reviewed studies of best practices.

All teaching is very hard to "study" though. The variables caused by the human relationships involved and the strengths and weaknesses of all the individuals... background before an intervention occurs...

Very few of the educational studies I read seem to have any validity because of sample size, duration or the specificity of effect of an intervention...

The stuff here, though, is as close as possible to objective, fact based discussion... in my opinion!

[bcschipper]

Here is a video in which Alessi‘s pivot is nicely visible (time stamped at 2:24):

[Elow]

I have a book call "Focal point a centered approach to embouchure development" by Rich Willey and he uses a lot of Reinhardt's ideas and exercises and theres one i dont really understand. What is the compression studies, or the putty ball routine?

[Doug Elliott]

Compression studies (I dislike that word "compression") are intended to be played softly, some are very soft, to learn how to play high range easily instead of forcing it. It does NOT mean squeezing your lips together and forcing air through, which is how many people would interpret the word "compression."

The Putty Ball Routine is another one that's hard to describe and is usually misunderstood. One way to think of it is to say "tick" or "tut" and then use that tongue motion and the tiny amount of air - only what's stuck in the middle of your tongue between the T and the K - to play a very short and soft pitch. Use NO air or support from the lungs for this. The object is pitch accuracy and response. The exercise was doing arpeggios that way, but anything will do.

Yes, Reinhardt had some strange exercises but they all had a very specific purpose.

[PaulTdot]

If you want to get a better handle on the Reinhardt stuff, the best thing you can do is to book a lesson with Doug - you'll save yourself a lot of time and trouble.

If you feel that playing over a Skype connection isn't optimal, then just sit down and have a chat. Doug is very good at explaining the material, and will give you a much better, "up to date" understanding of the concepts (compared to the text you are using, which Reinhardt himself amended significantly later).

If Doug isn't available, then there are a few people here who are also quite knowledgeable - like Dave (Wilktone) and myself, who have done a fair bit of research on the topic. Dave hosted a couple of brass workshops on embouchure basics recently, with me and Doug as guests, and he may do it again sometime, as well. It's very interesting stuff!

As for a more modern presentation, if you give it a year or two, I may publish something, if all goes well...