EMBOUCHURE
Embouchure can be an evolutionary process. When I started to play I was taught one embouchure and later, with other teachers, taught different embouchures. I was taught to use a variety of embouchure configurations with instruction to play at the tip, play off the tip, corners in, corners up, keep the position steady, be mobile, etc. Upon later revisiting some of my teachers I would find that they themselves had changed some of their ideas regarding embouchure in an effort to better their own performance capacity. These were fantastic artists, “champions” to their own following. The diversity of ideas showed that no one method was “the absolute embouchure.” Each method worked for someone.
I will again refer back to Tabuteau’s teaching and students. Tabuteau, in his instructional recording, says to avoid the “crocodile bite.” He also mentions progressively playing in on the reed for more liveliness of tone. I know, from one of his students, that he used to jab a toothpick into the lower part of the embouchure to make sure there was no puffiness. So, I take it that, to the master, biting was not a normal feature of embouchure, and that looseness, flabbiness, or puffiness - an unsupported lower half of the embouchure - was not acceptable. Among his students with whom I had contact, there were differences in embouchure. Some said to play at the tip of the reed. Some said to play in from the tip of the reed. Some made a circle around the reed. Some made a smile formation. Some used embouchure in a very flexible manner in order to change tone colors, just like the spectrum illustrated by all my own teachers.
I started questioning - Are these embouchures really different? Is one better than another? What are the similarities? What is the truth about embouchure?
Embouchure motion
There are certain concepts that are adhered to by most oboists making for a common thread through individual variations. Embouchure motion works in three directions - in and out, up and down, side to center. The idea is to use your embouchure in an effective manner to help control the various factors involved in playing the oboe. As a positive approach to embouchure, look at flexibility or mobility. Embouchure mobility helps to allow you to make adjustments without negatively affecting other facets of your performance. While students often think that rigidity gives them control, experience will prove that controlled flexibility is a far more efficient way to play.
Say no to the bite
Don’t use a closed, tight embouchure as your norm. When you shut your embouchure the reed opening gets smaller. Clearly this will inhibit the amount of air that can get through the reed. It also, because of the contact pressure, inhibits the vibration of the reed. The effect is to choke your sound. Obviously, this is not a desirable goal. Some oboists, especially less experienced ones, will bite the reed in order to help when playing on a harder, unresponsive reed, to raise the pitch, or to simply feel more in control, however, there are better options to use when dealing with those situations.
As was previously mentioned, the closing of the embouchure can have a beneficial effect in playing softly. Closing with the embouchure is reserved for that particular use, not for general technique. For normal mf playing the lips should cover the teeth without having the teeth bite into the lips.
A more open embouchure allows for more sound. The amplitude of the aperture lets more air go through the reed and promotes a bigger tone. The degree of openness will have to be measured against pitch and reed in relation to comfortable control and tonal desire. In accordance with controlling the reed aperture, it should be noted that the distance between upper and lower teeth is explored when working on dynamic range.
Up and down
The up and down motion, when used in conjunction with less and more air, controls changes of dynamics and helps keep the pitch constant. As I previously stated, to play louder - open and blow more, to play softer - close and blow less. The open and close concept is used for dynamics. It is not used for pitch adjustment. To be sure, the terms “up and down” and “open and close” refer to the distance between upper and lower teeth. Obviously, the lips need to remain sealed.
In and out
To raise the pitch of a single note, the embouchure can be brought in. The reed rides on the lip for this change. To play sharper in general, place the reed a little further in so that the contact point of the lips on the reed is more away from the tip. The converse is true. You can lower your general pitch by making the contact point nearer to the tip of the reed. To lower the pitch of a single note you can push the lips outward. Do not pull the reed out from the bottom of the reed socket to adjust for sharp pitch as this will create a space in the bore of the oboe which can negatively affect intonation and response, even if only subtly.
Side to center
Side to center motion is more usefully thought of as smile or pucker formations. These are the two basic embouchure formations. The pucker embouchure is creating a circle around the reed with the lips. Think of it as a drawstring that closes on the reed. With greater contact of lip on reed, the tone is dampened. This can be helpful in playing darker or quieter.
The smile embouchure stretches the lips horizontally in order to keep the lips from dampening or muffling the vibrations of the reed and, therefore, allows for a more resonant tone. The outward horizontal stretching of the lips is also useful as it will raise pitch and also allow for more secure response in the upper registers. This is because you are allowing the reed to vibrate more and are solidifying the lower half of the embouchure upon which the reed is resting. You may have the feeling when trying to do this that as your lips stretch horizontally, they are becoming more closed. In that case, try opening just a bit. Also, remember to keep the corners of the embouchure up, not down.
Playing on the same reed the smile allows for a more resonant tone while the pucker covers the tone. Regardless of the formation, care needs to be exercised so that the lips are not forming a mushy embouchure.
Match the reed to the embouchure
As a rule, with the pucker embouchure you will need a more freely vibrating reed as you are using the lips to help dampen the reed. With the smile you will not be dampening the reed so a reed with more controlled vibrations is appropriate. This doesn’t necessarily mean that one or the other of the embouchures produces a particular tone quality. The final product results from a balance of the embouchure and reed and is related to the tonal concept of the player. Bright, dark, resonant, dull, thick, thin, are all possible with each embouchure. If you doubt this, listen to lots of oboists and notice the embouchures as you hear the tones. The balance of vibrations in your reed will be in accordance to your embouchure.
No mush please
Lips should not create a mushy or puffy cushion for the reed. This is not to be confused with a puckering formation. A mushy, or puffy, embouchure exists when the lower lip is not supported by the teeth or drawn downward across the front of the teeth and also if the lips are pulled too far into the mouth. Loose flesh will get in the way of consistent and efficient performance. It throws intonation awry by depressing the pitch in an uneven manner making some notes flatter than others. It also can create problems such as bad intervals and bad attacks due to the uncontrollability of the flesh affecting the reed. In order to prevent a flabby embouchure the lower lip, after covering the lower teeth, can be drawn down and/or be stretched toward each side to create solidity across the front of the teeth from the lower lip to the chin.
Placement
Placement is the contact point where the lips touch the reed. The lips can be placed at various points on the reed, from the tip to the middle. I caution against getting too close to the thread as the lips have virtually no effect at that point. Remember that at each contact point you will establish a different EAR. The balancing of EAR and placement is a major step in the quest for artistic liberation. With the ability to control three items - air, aperture and placement - you can play the oboe better in tune, with a wider dynamic range, and with a tonal palette.
Low notes
Low notes often present difficulties to oboists. The low register is basically low D and below. Many times I have heard the explanation that to play low notes you must open your embouchure to help response. An oft heard problem that occurs with this action is an automatic lowering of pitch and louder dynamic. That result is not desirable. A solution that does works is to slightly press the reed against either the upper or lower lip when playing low notes. This allows the chosen lip to dampen the reed which quiets the low note and raises its’ pitch. Because the other side of the embouchure is more open, that blade of the reed vibrates more and enhances response. The technique is akin to giving with one hand while taking with the other and is very effective.
To get a feel for this, try this exercise:
Play a low C using a moderately open embouchure at a mf or f dynamic. Have the reed placed with equal distance between the top and bottom lips. While blowing - lightly press the reed into the upper lip, move it back to the middle, lightly press it into the lower lip, move it back to the middle. Experiment with how strongly to press against each lip. You will notice that in the middle position the C is flatter and louder. One, or both, of the pressed positions will be higher in pitch and more controlled sounding. Do this a few times and you will find out which is your more effective position. It doesn’t matter which lip you choose to use. They both do the same thing so pick whichever is more comfortable.
Another aid in fixing general low note flatness is to tune your reeds so that the low notes are the pitch base and they are not flat. I would caution you to not end up with very closed, constricted reeds. That will inhibit your performance. The use of an appropriately proportioned shaper is crucial. The width of the shape needs to put you in the correct pitch level - too wide is flat, too narrow can be constricting. Parallel sides help promote stability.
High notes
From high C#, above the staff, on upward is another area of potential difficulty. Two adjustments for making high notes speak are to solidify the lower lip and to bring the reed in. Both can get the note to play. I find that altering lip formation by solidifying under the reed is very effective. I don’t mean by biting. I am referring to creating the situation of less flesh under the reed. Stretch the middle or corners of the lips outward so as to smile more. Don’t let the corners go down as a frown. Keep them up. By stretching, there will be less flesh contact with the reed. This aids high note response. Bringing the reed in can be accomplished by inward motion of the lower lip. Let the reed ride with the lip. This also solidifies, as does stretching. I prefer to think of solidifying first, reserving the option of bringing the reed in for the more extreme higher notes. I have seen some oboists who couple the inward motion with a pushing forward by the lower teeth. Relaxing the air, rather than intensifying, is another aid, especially when slurring to the highest register.
Here is an exercise for exploring high note change:
Stretch the lower lip out to the sides sufficiently to play a high note, E, above the staff. With the lips in this position, gradually open the embouchure enough to let a bit of air escape, but keep the reed on the lower lip. The note will still play because it is supported by the solidity of the lower lip. Experimentation with this, in conjunction with air and placement, will make you more confident and consistent in playing high notes.
Flexible control
Keep in mind that flexibility allows control. Being able to maneuver the embouchure enables you to solve the problem. The less experienced oboist will often choose a restricting option, such as biting or pushing the reed in, thereby eliminating flexibility, negating control, and creating a false security. Work towards developing comfort with the necessary embouchure motions.
Here are a few embouchure exercises that isolate the motions involved:
1. In and out motion can be practiced by blowing on the reed alone. Starting with an outward positioning play the reed at an A or B flat and, while blowing, bring the lips inward to raise the pitch to a C. Slur A - C - A - C, etc. Do not hold the reed with your hand while doing this.
2. On the reed alone, play a C and alternately shut and open the embouchure to slur between C and C sharp.
3. With the reed on the oboe play a long tone while you open and shut the embouchure in an up and down motion by lowering and raising the lower teeth. This will create a wah-wah, sliding, or chewing gum type effect.
4. For side to center motion, start with a smile embouchure and play a long tone gradually changing to a puckered embouchure. Also, do the reverse; pucker to smile.
- Controlled flexibility allows security -
I will again refer back to Tabuteau’s teaching and students. Tabuteau, in his instructional recording, says to avoid the “crocodile bite.” He also mentions progressively playing in on the reed for more liveliness of tone. I know, from one of his students, that he used to jab a toothpick into the lower part of the embouchure to make sure there was no puffiness. So, I take it that, to the master, biting was not a normal feature of embouchure, and that looseness, flabbiness, or puffiness - an unsupported lower half of the embouchure - was not acceptable. Among his students with whom I had contact, there were differences in embouchure. Some said to play at the tip of the reed. Some said to play in from the tip of the reed. Some made a circle around the reed. Some made a smile formation. Some used embouchure in a very flexible manner in order to change tone colors, just like the spectrum illustrated by all my own teachers.
I started questioning - Are these embouchures really different? Is one better than another? What are the similarities? What is the truth about embouchure?
Embouchure motion
There are certain concepts that are adhered to by most oboists making for a common thread through individual variations. Embouchure motion works in three directions - in and out, up and down, side to center. The idea is to use your embouchure in an effective manner to help control the various factors involved in playing the oboe. As a positive approach to embouchure, look at flexibility or mobility. Embouchure mobility helps to allow you to make adjustments without negatively affecting other facets of your performance. While students often think that rigidity gives them control, experience will prove that controlled flexibility is a far more efficient way to play.
Say no to the bite
Don’t use a closed, tight embouchure as your norm. When you shut your embouchure the reed opening gets smaller. Clearly this will inhibit the amount of air that can get through the reed. It also, because of the contact pressure, inhibits the vibration of the reed. The effect is to choke your sound. Obviously, this is not a desirable goal. Some oboists, especially less experienced ones, will bite the reed in order to help when playing on a harder, unresponsive reed, to raise the pitch, or to simply feel more in control, however, there are better options to use when dealing with those situations.
As was previously mentioned, the closing of the embouchure can have a beneficial effect in playing softly. Closing with the embouchure is reserved for that particular use, not for general technique. For normal mf playing the lips should cover the teeth without having the teeth bite into the lips.
A more open embouchure allows for more sound. The amplitude of the aperture lets more air go through the reed and promotes a bigger tone. The degree of openness will have to be measured against pitch and reed in relation to comfortable control and tonal desire. In accordance with controlling the reed aperture, it should be noted that the distance between upper and lower teeth is explored when working on dynamic range.
Up and down
The up and down motion, when used in conjunction with less and more air, controls changes of dynamics and helps keep the pitch constant. As I previously stated, to play louder - open and blow more, to play softer - close and blow less. The open and close concept is used for dynamics. It is not used for pitch adjustment. To be sure, the terms “up and down” and “open and close” refer to the distance between upper and lower teeth. Obviously, the lips need to remain sealed.
In and out
To raise the pitch of a single note, the embouchure can be brought in. The reed rides on the lip for this change. To play sharper in general, place the reed a little further in so that the contact point of the lips on the reed is more away from the tip. The converse is true. You can lower your general pitch by making the contact point nearer to the tip of the reed. To lower the pitch of a single note you can push the lips outward. Do not pull the reed out from the bottom of the reed socket to adjust for sharp pitch as this will create a space in the bore of the oboe which can negatively affect intonation and response, even if only subtly.
Side to center
Side to center motion is more usefully thought of as smile or pucker formations. These are the two basic embouchure formations. The pucker embouchure is creating a circle around the reed with the lips. Think of it as a drawstring that closes on the reed. With greater contact of lip on reed, the tone is dampened. This can be helpful in playing darker or quieter.
The smile embouchure stretches the lips horizontally in order to keep the lips from dampening or muffling the vibrations of the reed and, therefore, allows for a more resonant tone. The outward horizontal stretching of the lips is also useful as it will raise pitch and also allow for more secure response in the upper registers. This is because you are allowing the reed to vibrate more and are solidifying the lower half of the embouchure upon which the reed is resting. You may have the feeling when trying to do this that as your lips stretch horizontally, they are becoming more closed. In that case, try opening just a bit. Also, remember to keep the corners of the embouchure up, not down.
Playing on the same reed the smile allows for a more resonant tone while the pucker covers the tone. Regardless of the formation, care needs to be exercised so that the lips are not forming a mushy embouchure.
Match the reed to the embouchure
As a rule, with the pucker embouchure you will need a more freely vibrating reed as you are using the lips to help dampen the reed. With the smile you will not be dampening the reed so a reed with more controlled vibrations is appropriate. This doesn’t necessarily mean that one or the other of the embouchures produces a particular tone quality. The final product results from a balance of the embouchure and reed and is related to the tonal concept of the player. Bright, dark, resonant, dull, thick, thin, are all possible with each embouchure. If you doubt this, listen to lots of oboists and notice the embouchures as you hear the tones. The balance of vibrations in your reed will be in accordance to your embouchure.
No mush please
Lips should not create a mushy or puffy cushion for the reed. This is not to be confused with a puckering formation. A mushy, or puffy, embouchure exists when the lower lip is not supported by the teeth or drawn downward across the front of the teeth and also if the lips are pulled too far into the mouth. Loose flesh will get in the way of consistent and efficient performance. It throws intonation awry by depressing the pitch in an uneven manner making some notes flatter than others. It also can create problems such as bad intervals and bad attacks due to the uncontrollability of the flesh affecting the reed. In order to prevent a flabby embouchure the lower lip, after covering the lower teeth, can be drawn down and/or be stretched toward each side to create solidity across the front of the teeth from the lower lip to the chin.
Placement
Placement is the contact point where the lips touch the reed. The lips can be placed at various points on the reed, from the tip to the middle. I caution against getting too close to the thread as the lips have virtually no effect at that point. Remember that at each contact point you will establish a different EAR. The balancing of EAR and placement is a major step in the quest for artistic liberation. With the ability to control three items - air, aperture and placement - you can play the oboe better in tune, with a wider dynamic range, and with a tonal palette.
Low notes
Low notes often present difficulties to oboists. The low register is basically low D and below. Many times I have heard the explanation that to play low notes you must open your embouchure to help response. An oft heard problem that occurs with this action is an automatic lowering of pitch and louder dynamic. That result is not desirable. A solution that does works is to slightly press the reed against either the upper or lower lip when playing low notes. This allows the chosen lip to dampen the reed which quiets the low note and raises its’ pitch. Because the other side of the embouchure is more open, that blade of the reed vibrates more and enhances response. The technique is akin to giving with one hand while taking with the other and is very effective.
To get a feel for this, try this exercise:
Play a low C using a moderately open embouchure at a mf or f dynamic. Have the reed placed with equal distance between the top and bottom lips. While blowing - lightly press the reed into the upper lip, move it back to the middle, lightly press it into the lower lip, move it back to the middle. Experiment with how strongly to press against each lip. You will notice that in the middle position the C is flatter and louder. One, or both, of the pressed positions will be higher in pitch and more controlled sounding. Do this a few times and you will find out which is your more effective position. It doesn’t matter which lip you choose to use. They both do the same thing so pick whichever is more comfortable.
Another aid in fixing general low note flatness is to tune your reeds so that the low notes are the pitch base and they are not flat. I would caution you to not end up with very closed, constricted reeds. That will inhibit your performance. The use of an appropriately proportioned shaper is crucial. The width of the shape needs to put you in the correct pitch level - too wide is flat, too narrow can be constricting. Parallel sides help promote stability.
High notes
From high C#, above the staff, on upward is another area of potential difficulty. Two adjustments for making high notes speak are to solidify the lower lip and to bring the reed in. Both can get the note to play. I find that altering lip formation by solidifying under the reed is very effective. I don’t mean by biting. I am referring to creating the situation of less flesh under the reed. Stretch the middle or corners of the lips outward so as to smile more. Don’t let the corners go down as a frown. Keep them up. By stretching, there will be less flesh contact with the reed. This aids high note response. Bringing the reed in can be accomplished by inward motion of the lower lip. Let the reed ride with the lip. This also solidifies, as does stretching. I prefer to think of solidifying first, reserving the option of bringing the reed in for the more extreme higher notes. I have seen some oboists who couple the inward motion with a pushing forward by the lower teeth. Relaxing the air, rather than intensifying, is another aid, especially when slurring to the highest register.
Here is an exercise for exploring high note change:
Stretch the lower lip out to the sides sufficiently to play a high note, E, above the staff. With the lips in this position, gradually open the embouchure enough to let a bit of air escape, but keep the reed on the lower lip. The note will still play because it is supported by the solidity of the lower lip. Experimentation with this, in conjunction with air and placement, will make you more confident and consistent in playing high notes.
Flexible control
Keep in mind that flexibility allows control. Being able to maneuver the embouchure enables you to solve the problem. The less experienced oboist will often choose a restricting option, such as biting or pushing the reed in, thereby eliminating flexibility, negating control, and creating a false security. Work towards developing comfort with the necessary embouchure motions.
Here are a few embouchure exercises that isolate the motions involved:
1. In and out motion can be practiced by blowing on the reed alone. Starting with an outward positioning play the reed at an A or B flat and, while blowing, bring the lips inward to raise the pitch to a C. Slur A - C - A - C, etc. Do not hold the reed with your hand while doing this.
2. On the reed alone, play a C and alternately shut and open the embouchure to slur between C and C sharp.
3. With the reed on the oboe play a long tone while you open and shut the embouchure in an up and down motion by lowering and raising the lower teeth. This will create a wah-wah, sliding, or chewing gum type effect.
4. For side to center motion, start with a smile embouchure and play a long tone gradually changing to a puckered embouchure. Also, do the reverse; pucker to smile.
- Controlled flexibility allows security -