Reply To: Beginning Band Baritones

[nafmeadmin]

Are they flat across every note? I’ve had that issue before with mainly the lowest notes (low B-flat or lower), but not across the board.

Have you had them play with a clear mouthpiece to see what things look like on the inside of the rim? Sometimes I’ve found that to be helpful. If corners are the issue, then I have students blow through a straw (or a coffee stirrer) to feel what it is like to hold their corners firm. Some students don’t seem to understand how to control the muscles until they do something else like the straw. After that, I tell them to blow into the mouthpiece just as if it was the straw. Usually they’ll produce a decent buzz or tone at that point.