Trumpet: Lip Setting

   A frequently overlooked element in stabilizing the embouchure is lip setting.  And it is an area worth exploring for those individuals experiencing chronic embouchure problems.
   The purpose of the lips is to vibrate.  And anything to impede lip vibration impedes sound.  Therefore the player should strive for security in the embouchure by paying attention to lip setting.
   The lips should be closed as though pronouncing the letter "M" before seating the mouthpiece.  And once the mouthpiece is seated, both lips should be drawn towards the mouthpiece evenly.  This creates lip pucker which supplies the cup with sufficient lip tissue and the player a sense of "gripping" the mouthpiece.
   Directing the lips towards the mouthpiece allows the player to minimize mouthpiece pressure.  And it is the reduction in mouthpiece pressure which allows the lips to vibrate freely.
   Lip setting presents problems for players who fail to keep the setting consistent.  Many times the culprit is failure to close the lips before seating the mouthpiece.  Seating a mouthpiece in this manner causes a spread between the lips which jeopardizes ease, consistency and accuracy in the upper register.  And this remains true even if tongue position is correct.
   Breathing can cause disruption in lip setting.  Especially in the upper register.  While low and mid-range playing is best served by taking a breath through both corners of the mouth, breathing in this fashion becomes a liability in the upper register.  Especially in the extreme upper register.  Therefore the player is advised to  breath through the nose when executing upper register passages.  This allows the lips to maintain a grip on the mouthpiece by not requiring their relaxation to allow air passage between them.
   Another lip setting problem I have had to correct in students is uneven tension in the lips.  Signs of playing in this fashion is presented by air escaping between the mouthpiece and the lips on one side of the mouthpiece to produce sound outside the trumpet.  In addition, playing with uneven lip tension allows air to surround notes and gives the tone an airy sound.
   The effect of teeth formation becomes more pronounced as mouthpiece pressure is increased.  Consequently "pressure" players can tend to pull the trumpet to one side (or down) as they ascend into the high register.
   Lip tension is part of lip setting.  And lip tension should not exceed what is required to produce the desired pitch.  When lip tension is excessive, notes sound tinny and weak.  And players accustomed to playing in this manner tend to blow apart the embouchure when the dynamics get strong.
   The player should keep the lips closed while striving to maintain a relaxed firmness in the embouchure.  Once this is established, the tone is open and allows the player to produce a full (fat) sound.
   Proper lip tension is best learned through scale study (including chromatic) and displaced octaves (requires the player pitch memorization and memorization of the tension to produce the pitch).