Band Teaching Tips 3 - Shaping the Air by John Skelton

Along with a deep breath, using your air properly means knowing how to 'shape' it. If you think that sounds a little off the wall, consider that you do this all of the time when you speak. Vowels are simply a way of shaping air inside your mouth (as opposed to consonants which involve the tongue and/or lips).

The key to a good sound is to make it 'round'. Air travels much more efficiently this way, allowing more of it to reach the reed or mouthpiece. Your embouchure will affect it from that point forward and there are plenty of articles on that subject since embouchures vary from instrument to instrument.

It's not about how much air you use, it's about how well you use it. To get the most out of your air, think of the vowel sounds "oh" and "oo". Both have the round shape that you need; the first puts the sound in the back of your mouth, the second puts it towards the front. The general rule to follow is to think "oh" for lower notes and "oo" for higher notes.

To feel how the sound changes from the lower range to the upper range, practice sliding an "oh" sound up into the "oo" sound. (It should be somewhat reminiscent of a wolf howl.) Try going the other way as well.

How this applies to an instrument differs depending upon your instrument because of embouchure. Reed players (oboists, clarinetists, saxophonists, and bassoonists) have an object around which their mouth forms. Flautists and brass players must create a much smaller opening within their lips with nothing inside the mouth of a foreign nature.

It has been my experience that reed players have an easier time applying this concept because the embouchure is less involved in the process of making sound (which is to say that it's really just there to hold the mouthpiece and/or reed). However, I've heard many brass players say that a common mistake among beginners is to put too much thought into the embouchure; that air is still the key.

So, if you're looking for a way to use that air more efficiently, especially between low and high registers, consider what kinds of changes you can make to the way you're shaping it. Think "oh" for lower notes and "oo" for upper notes and, with a good, deep breath (as previously described), you'll be on your way to a warm, rich, and well-supported tone.