TromboneChat

Hello all,

I am trying to maximize the resonance in my lips. By this, I mean that I am attempting to get my lip vibrations to decay into silence, so that there is no definite end to each note. I have been previously using garage band, trying to get the decay in the wave forms to last as long as possible, but that has only gotten me so far. In a perfect world, my lips would defy the laws of physics, resonating like a piano string, but that is not possible of course! Do you folks have any tips/exercises you know of to maximize my lips' resonance?

Thank you!

Don't worry about the lips so much as the air. Let the air take you to the end of each note.

Try doing crescendos and decrescendos on long held notes and lip slurs. It is really about how you are focusing your air. The lips are just along for the ride.

pp air starts crescendoing up to ff then back down.

Try sliding around your lips on your teeth, to find "sweet spots" for different points in your range.

Have a Skype lesson with Doug Elliott. 

I think the OP self-answered the question. If you want a certain effect, practice it. That's what Tubonist is doing.

However, I think I wouldn't use Garage Band to visually monitor my progress. I would record and listen back.

I think there are many books with exercises about lip response. Mostly the method is to taper to nothing/almost nothing, stop and without resetting or breathing restart the sound with no discernable bump- it just appears.

Lip resonance itself seems to be only one part of a resonance system.  You can buzz them separately, and that seems beneficial.  You can tune the mouth and other cavities separately, and that is beneficial.  You can tune the horn separately, and that is beneficial.  You can work on coordinating these parts (and if there are other parts please let me know!), and I'll bet there are surprises available doing that. 

I was kind of having the same problem. I think it might be a mouthpiece problem for me?

I was kind of having the same problem. I think it might be a mouthpiece problem for me?