| Basic Embouchure Pictures | |
| These are essentially correct
embouchures. The mouthpiece is centered on the mouth with about 2/3
upper lip and 1/3 lower lip in the mouthpiece. The corners of the mouth
are firm but not pulled up into a smile.
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#1 |
#2 |
| This shows a fairly standard horn embouchure. Notice the mouthpiece is centered on the mouth (left to right) and there is about 2/3 upper lip to 1/3 lower lip in the mouthpiece. The corners of the mouth are firm, but not smiling. | In this picture you see a similar embouchure. The student has a slightly heavier face, giving the illusion that the corners on the mouth are curving down in a frown. If you look closely you will see that the mouth itself is flat. |
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| These pictures show the angle of the lead-pipe relative to the face. Number 3 shows the correct angle, number 4 is a very common error. | |
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#3 |
#4 |
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Notice the slight downward angle of the lead-pipe. |
If the lead-pipe is coming out at a 90° angle the upper lip will not be free to vibrate. This is easily solved by dropping the left hand slightly. |
| The next picture shows a slightly off center embouchure. My apologies for the strange expression, but this is not a comfortable fit for me. | |
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#5 |
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| Notice how the left side of the face is working much harder than the right side. If the mouthpiece is placed too far off center half the muscles are required to do all the work. | |
