Playing with Mouthpiece Off-Center

Toobist · Post by **Toobist** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:55 am

I hate to be the guy who asks, but... Why would your teacher tell you to ask an online forum? I don't know who your teacher is and I don't know the exact wording from him/her. It is my hope that is went something like this:

Teacher: Now that we've discussed your mouthpiece placement and decided that a change is required (or not required), feel free to post a question about it on that tuba site you frequent. At our next lesson, let's discuss what you've heard from those other players and teachers.

Student: Okay. Will do! Student exits stage left to practice and THEN logon to Tubenet.

I'm hoping it went something like that. Your teacher certainly has an idea as to how you should go about fixing the problem if indeed there is a problem. He probably just wants you to find that what he's already suggested is accurate.

To the poster: Please tell me I'm right and that at least one of us has already repeated what your instructor has already suggested.

Mojo workin' · Post by **Mojo workin'** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:46 am

Watch the video on windsongpress dot com's Arnold Jacobs Almost Live. There is a 7 1/2 minute video on The Embouchure that is quite informative about this subject.

http://www.windsongpress.com/almost%20l ... uchure.htm

Tom Waid · Post by **Tom Waid** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:45 pm

A lot of good and sometimes conflicting advice has been given. My favorite bits of advice are this:

Dean wrote:Even though I just gave advice, I want to caution you (and EVERYONE) about taking technical advice on TubeNet. Basically, I DON'T recommend it! No one here has heard you. No one here has seen you play except for one small still shot. You have no idea who any of us are.... I say get a teacher that can answer your questions in person and work you through them--IN PERSON!

And this:

Rick Denney wrote:The question is: Will such a severely off-center embouchure give you the best chance of achieving those goals in future years? Possibly. But it's more likely that playing with a more centered embouchure will get you closer to those goals.

...

All bad habits are comfortable. That's why they got to be habits. It takes specific effort to replace a bad habit with good practice, but the sooner you do it the easier it is.

...the sooner you do it the easier it is.

Since I've never heard you play I have no way of knowing if your off-center embouchure is holding you back now or will hold you back in the future. I do know with some certainty that the longer you wait the harder it will be to change. Get some lessons with a good teacher. If he tells you to change your mouthpiece placement, Do It!

WakinAZ · Post by **WakinAZ** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:27 pm

In addition to the advice offered above to adopt a more conventional placement, I will add this: It will take less time to correct this problem than you will spend explaining over the course of your tuba playing career why you play that way.

As far as a teacher who tells you to check the internet - find another.

A Conn 2 is about the same as a Helleberg 7B, so not exactly an all-around choice, but could be worse. Get a Kelly 18 and Kellyberg in colors that your sectionmates will like. Sell the 'piece that doesn't pick you to one of them.

Eric "who advises learning the rules before breaking them, unless there is a compelling reason not to" L.

pierso20 · Post by **pierso20** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:24 am

In accordance with what the mentioned point earlier....

While TubeNet is a gret resource....there are far too many opinions here for you to listen to the advice...except this...

Get to a good teacher. He/She will be able to help you with the issue.

Most players play slightly offcentered, but you are VERY offcentered and most teachers will try and help you correct that...at least a little bit.

Good luck.

sloan · Post by **sloan** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:58 am

the question boils down to:

Do you want the best sound you can produce TODAY...or next month?

Choose.

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:04 pm

"off center" is a matter of proportion. The OP shows a player with a mouthpiece placement which is actually totally UNcentered. Basic anatomy says there's no way the lips can be buzzing to their fullest capability. Any teacher that would allow that to continue needs a good talking to. UNLESS, and this is a big UNLESS, there is an anatomical issue.

DonShirer · Post by **DonShirer** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:30 pm

While in elementary school, an encounter with a local "tough guy" knocked a front tooth out of line, causing me to move my trumpet embrochure to the side. It drove my teacher crazy. When I switched to tuba, I found I could center the mouthpiece again, and a little experimentation proved to me that on the tuba at least, center was better. I'm guessing that the end of the lip cannot vibrate as well because it is not free at both sides.