In our previous post we directed our attention to the chromatic warm-up and this post explains the benefit of lip slurs to improve flexibility as well as improving your tone.
The more strength you developed in your embouchure, the more lip slurs will be needed to keep your flexibility in line with your increased strength. In order to accomplish this, time must be spent doing lip slurs. The amount of slurs you do will depend on the amount of time you are spending strengthening your embouchure. A very good way to evaluating your flexibility needs is to answer this question Do your lips feel good? In most cases when your lips feel alive and fresh, you are getting enough flexibility exercises. On the other hand, if your lips feel stiff, inflexible and generally tired, then you are in need of some good lip flexibility time.
Every day I try to get in my complete one hour of practice as we have talked about in these posts. But, if I only have a few minutes to play my horn, I usually do some lip exercises. Even when I’m shopping, a few minutes buzz my lips will help loosen them. I also have in each of our cars a mouthpiece just in case I need to buzz and I’m stuck in Branson traffic.
There are many books on the subject of lip slurs and they all will work. My favorite two books are the Earl Irons, 27 Groups of Exercises and Advanced Lip Flexibilities by Charles Colin. The reason I use these two collections is the fact that after a couple months of playing either one, I get bored and eventually change back to the other. Both are excellent collections of lip exercises.
As with our first post on practicing, you will fine below a downloadable collection of exercises to improve your lip condition as well as a recording of all the material. Download the PDF file, print it and play the recording from this site and start becoming the player you have always wanted to be.
Slurring exercises here- Lip Flexibility Exercises
Recording-
Thank you so much. I had lessons as a child, but was not able to keep up playing . now the kids are grown up I have started again and it is like a different world. The whole language seems different and I often feel rather stupid.
I have learnt more in half an hour on your site than practicing some of the books I have bought.
Mona
You are way too kind, but thanks for your comments anyway.
The world has been blessed with “start again” trumpet players and this movement is growing every day.
Trust me, “few things has changed” since your first experience with the horn.
High “C” is still high “C” and we have not yet learned to play without mistakes.
The only thing that has changes is the price of the equipment.
If you have any questions as you progress, please let us know for we are always looking for new topics to cover.
Stay well, live long and remember for comeback players “don’t try to come back in one day”.
As older and wiser individuals we have many advantages over the younger trumpet players-
1. We are under no pressure, other than our own.
2. We have more time to improve our playing.
3. We are not faced with ego issues.
4. We are doing it because we choose to do it rather than being forced into it.
5. We are much smarter than we were the first time.
Thank you Mona for visiting with us today and please stay in touch and if you have any questions, feel free to ask for many of our readers are in the same point in their return to the wonderful and fulfilling world of music.
Not to be rude, because I appreciated the article and am enjoying your blog, but the recording you posted is pretty out of time with the metronome.
sorry.
Thanks – I have saved your site. What I need for practice and knowledge. I never had lessons and was looking up what “lip flexibilities” even meant (along with almost all the other terms). I am retired and wanted to learn how to play at least one song.