embouchure overuse

Rehabilitating A Severely Overused Brass Embouchure

2020: What a year.

Global pandemic.

Lock-down.

Masks.

And oh yeah, I completely trashed – and then rehabilitated – a severely overused playing embouchure. So, if you feel like things aren’t quite right – or are dealing with long-time damaged chops – this one’s for you. …

RoutineTracker: Fall 2019

Hope everyone is doing well this fall. With the changing of the seasons comes, you guessed it, BTB’s latest RoutineTracker.

Here’s what’s inside:

  • The effects of my longest break from trumpet playing in the past 16 years
  • Why I added some mouthpiece buzzing and what I’m practicing
  • The fanciest fancy-graph BTB has ever fancied to create
  • That time I thought my tooth was falling out & the mouthpiece pressure blues
  • A killer jazz improvisation practice routine

Enjoy! …

Trumpet Practice Pacing and Embouchure Fatigue

icarus

“Let me warn you, Icarus, to take the middle way, in case the moisture weighs down your wings, if you fly too low, or if you go too high, the sun scorches them. Travel between the extremes.”

Muscular Training

By viewing your practice sessions as physical conditioning you will be able to become less concerned by daily results and better understand your long-term growth.

Muscular training is a seemingly conflicting topic – particularly in relation to fatigue – and by understanding your options you may maximize your return. …