MichaelAlsop wrote:I'm not looking for a quick fix or lazy way out. I put in the hours of long tones, work out of upper register etude books, and sing the notes before playing them. I listen to my favorite tuba players and try to emulate their sounds.
I also work with beginners that struggle forming the correct embouchure, and can use the help of any teaching tool that I can get my hands on to make them successful as soon as possible BEFORE they develop poor habits/muscle memory.
I've not seen anything like this, so I was wondering if anyone else had. I suppose one could use a straw as Three Valves suggested, making sure that the students pinch it between their lips to avoid the "fish lip" embouchure that I commonly see. Although I should probably avoid the beer with the 6th graders.
I had the good fortune to study with Arnold Jacobs when I was in college, and based on those experiences, I firmly believe that the best tool for learning the "correct" embouchure (i.e., correct for that specific individual) is the mouthpiece itself. Have the students play simple tunes on the mouthpiece alone and focus on the product, but not on how they achieve the product, and you will observe rapid embouchure development. The key is, however, to have them focus on the music and not on what the lips are doing. And they should not, under any circumstances, focus on how it feels when they are playing.
In terms of what I was doing physically, the only thing Mr. Jacobs ever said to me about where to place the mouthpiece was that I should avoid playing too close to the bottom of the cup, except in the high register. For most playing, he wanted me to play somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the way up from the bottom (i.e., closer to the equator than the south pole). This promotes a longer embouchure, which in turn allows more lip to vibrate, creating more resonance. It also creates a larger opening, requiring more air volume and less air pressure, all of which is beneficial for the tuba.
