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Continuing our look at mouthpiece pressure, as time passes we can see authors react to the approaches of part I.
Lips are tough
Farquharson Cousins expresses a quite different approach to pressure in On Playing the Horn. Mouthpiece pressure is part of what creates the “Embouchure-Seal” or the “temporary welding” of the mouthpiece to the lips. Continuing this thought,
Lips are tough, and with training can support almost effortlessly whatever pressures are consistent with their development. There must be no confusion about this. Imagine a wheelbarrow being edged by a mini-car, then the mini-car by a lorry, and the lorry by a locomotive. In each case pressures are brought to bear without much effort on the part of the stronger party. A mouthpiece made of metal could crush any human tissue if allowed to do so, but if the player develops the muscles in his lips, reasonable pressure can not only be harmless but can improve the efficiency of the ‘Embouchure-Seal’, the only condition being, as already emphasized, that pressure is relative to muscle support. The stronger the lip muscles, the greater the pressure that can be exerted, and the firmer the contact between mouthpiece and lip.
Basically his teaching is that if the muscles are strong you can counter whatever mouthpiece pressure is needed and get the best result.
A certain amount of pressure is necessary
Frøydis Ree Wekre throws more light on the mouthpiece pressure topic in Thoughts on Playing the Horn Well, with extended comments. This whole section of this publication is well worth a read, but for our purposes a few highlights must suffice. To begin,
Some pressure is necessary; that is to say, there needs to be some contact between the mouthpiece and the lips while playing. There are currently many different ideas and theories concerning pressure. In my opinion, the main question is how much or how little pressure is necessary in the various musical contexts.
The expression “non-press embouchure” has been used earlier in this century, especially in the United States, but also in Scandinavia….
However, it is more or less accepted today that a certain amount of pressure is necessary to produce not only the notes, but a good sound as well. The following questions remain:
• How much or how little pressure is really necessary?
• How should this pressure be distributed between the lips?
• Should the pressure be constant, or can it be varied according to the register and what dynamic one is playing?
• Can the speed of the air influence the amount of pressure necessary?
A look at the very low pressure approach
Wekre continues to tell about the type of low pressure practice advocated by the great German hornist Peter Damm. Key to this practice is a “non-pressure device” (more on this in a moment) that he used daily “and with which he can actually play quite well.”
The device is placed between the mouthpiece and the horn and is set in motion by means of a spring as soon as excess pressure is applied. The air then leaks out the side of the device instead of going through the horn. As a result of working with this device, the lips’ delicate center muscles (that part inside the mouthpiece ring) are forced to become better developed. The theory is that the stronger these muscles in the middle of the vibrating center become, the less mouthpiece pressure is needed. The pressure can be “saved” for the highest notes in the extreme high register. In this way endurance is increased.
Wekre does not come down firmly for this theory but she does note that pressure must be varied, because “when it is applied to the same place over a long period of time” circulation will be impaired, the muscles overloaded, and there is a danger of permanent paralysis! Yikes! She continues,
I occasionally use and recommend a fairly solid pressure on the lower lip, but at the same time, in my experience, the upper lip should be as free as possible. It should be free to adjust the size and shape of the aperture, which is the opening in the center of the lips through which air is directed. The pressure on the lower lip varies according to the desired register, sound, articulation, and dynamic.
This is quite a different approach than that presented by Cousins.
Mouthpiece angle, and pressure differences between the lips
Another important topic for Wekre is that of the angle of the mouthpiece to the face. Looking at the big picture,
Some ‘anchor’ the mouthpiece on the upper lip. The leadpipe is almost horizontal, and the mouthpiece is at a ninety degree angle to the lips.
Others ‘anchor’ the mouthpiece onto the lower lip; the angle is smaller, and the horn is held nearer to the upper body.
A third variant bases the angle on the pivot system. In the low register the pressure is concentrated on the upper lip (the horn is raised with the arms); while in the high range, the pressure is concentrated on the lower lip (the horn is then held nearer to the body).
“I personally recommend the second alternative described here” Wekre notes, “as long as there is no serious dental problem.” She feels that individual physiologies will be the ultimate deciding factor toward finding a personal leadpipe angle but that “The pressure on the lower lip can be quite solid, for example for pianissimo, staccato, and precise attacks, and especially from the middle register on down.”
A bit more on that spring loaded pressure training device
She also notes that if you practice with the spring-loaded pressure device already mentioned to adjust the tuning of your instrument to compensate and that
This is an invaluable tool for research and building muscles. It is recommended and used by Peter Damm, among others. It is, however, IMPORTANT to be aware that this way of playing, as with buzzing and playing on the mouthpiece, is NOT identical to normal horn playing, and anything can be overdone…
A lot of food for thought is found in the above quotes, as clearly there are some divergent opinions out there. Worth noting now, mention was made twice above to a spring loaded accessory device that you can use to learn to play with less pressure. I am not a fan of this device, I think it trains you, honestly, to use artificially light pressure and can lead to playing problems rather than fixing them. But if you want to know a bit more about the device, read this article.
We will conclude this look at mouthpiece pressure with even more quotations on the topic.
Continue in Hornmasters Series
