Puffing of the cheeks

[Stefan Kac]

If you can locate a copy of "The Art of Brass Playing" by Philip Farkas, I think it would be most helpful.
I'll give my opinion (based admittedly on things that I have only recently learned), and others can correct me or disagree.

I've been told that it is physically impossible to puff one's cheeks if one is playing with a "correct" embouchure (so-called 'whistle smile'embouchure). In my case, cheek puffing was viewed by my teacher more as a symptom of an incorrect embouchure than as a cause of any other problems. The course of action that was recommended to correct the puffing was an embouchure change. If your cheeks are puffing, you are not using the muscles at the corners of your mouth, which should be doing most of the work, especially in your upper range where the only alternative is excessive pressure that can cause fatigue an injury.
I've always felt that changing your embouchure is an extreme solution. See if you can't learn to use the muscles in the corners of your mouth without changing anything else. If not, an embouchure change may be a necessity.

Just my $0.02

[Henry Gertcher]

Miah,
I find that cheeck puffing is not terribly bad. If it works for you than don't worry. I found that arppeggios work fairly well to help change this. Try two octaves or more and with as many variations as you can think up. Also, arppeggios are also a good way to practice scales. I have many people that will attest to the fact that I hate playing scales and arppeggios but that they help your playing, at least in my case. Oh, one final thought. It is very hard to fix an embouchure problem while thinking about your muscles. It is very hard to control them consciously and play at the same time. I would say keep trying to sound good and have fun.

Good luck and keep playing.

Henry

[MikeMason]

I had a lesson with a fine tubist who won 2 recent national auditions.He puffed like crazy in the low/loud register.I only wish I could puff like him............I guess its kinda like some music theory.You're not supposed to break the rules until you understand them.That's why we tell beginners not to puff.

[imperialbari]

When I was playing my 3/4 sized Buescher...

Are you slimming down, Schleppy?

3/4 sized in the text, in the visuals clinging yourself to the body of a small bore sousaphone (small wonder, that it had to have radial supports mounted):

I had to puff my cheeks....

I guess your signature song was something about how to "Puff the magic Dragon". (Or were Peter, Paul, and Mary just a Brit thing?)

...my instructor (who has his doctorat's degree)...

Of course your instructor needs a doctoral degree. In psychiatry that is. It probably was him, who told you about TubeNet being the perfect therapeutic playground for you.

No, I am not inviting Schlep to cry out on my knees. That would be a bone crushing experience for me.

Klaus

[wtuba]

This looks to me like it might be the 666th partial.

Indeed, a beastly comment, Joe!

[MaryAnn]

I puff (but not like a dragon) in the pedal range; it helps me loosen up enough to flap correctly. If you puff in the high range....I think you have a problem that you would be happier correcting in the long run. IMHO. Not everybody is Dizzy Gillespe (or whoever that tpt player is, I am definitely displaying my ignorance. I don't know who actors are either, and it doesn't seem to have ruined my life.) And when I see people achieving outstanding results with wayward technique, I always wonder what they could have done had they learned more efficient technique at the beginning; just because they do it well in a bass-ackwards way doesn't mean that they could not have done better; it just means that their talent level was so high that they could overcome what most of us cannot.

MA