HOW IMPORTANT IS THE GRIP?

      Many books have been written on "How to Play a Brass Instrument".  From text to written exercises, there are embouchure suggestions, breathing instructions, psychological approaches; books on range, technique, flexibility, tonguing, pedal notes, and literature on just about any phase of brass playing one would want to know about.  Wading through all of this, one would be hard pressed to find anything much on "How to Hold the Instrument".  What follows is not really information on how one should  hold the instrument, but how one MIGHT hold it.  Depending on the player's hand size, playing specialty (high note specialist, lead player, jazz player, symphonic player, etc.) jaw position (receded, parallel or protruded while playing), and many other factors (injury, arthritis, or deformity), left hand positions offer many possibilities for success.  There are many grips, but ONLY ONE FOR YOU.  Just as in sports, such as baseball, tennis or golf, the grip is the very first thing learned ...

The Grip and the Embouchure

       Just about every beginner's book, including the famous "Arban's Method", simply shows a picture of someone holding the instrument and maybe one or two sentences like "the entire weight of the instrument should be with the left hand" and "use no tension in the right hand".  Assuming that the performer is right-handed, of the hundreds and hundreds of performer researched very few matched the traditional left-hand grip depicted in any beginner's manual.  In attempting to categorize the left-hand grip in today's playing field, it would be, surprisingly, most like to fit under the category of EMBOUCHURE.  Along with the left hand discussion, the right hand, the arms and fingers must be included.  The importance of the grip in reference to the embouchure is an almost neglected subject.  Only two (2) sources were found on the subject of grip.  One concerned a specific grip needed for high note playing ¹, and the other a general description of its importance.²

Why is the Grip Important from an Embouchure Standpoint?

       And what is there to discover about the left-hand grip that has made it such an illusive topic in most method books?  To answer these questions, we must discover the purpose of the grip beyond the obvious: to simply hold the instrument.

     Once again, assuming the player is right-handed, the left hand grip not only stabilizes the mouthpiece contact upon the lips, it plays the role in the player's ability to maneuver the instrument to create the most open tone on any given pitch, whether it be the low register, middle register, or any intervallic skips necessary.  This maneuver, whether it be called a pivot or an angular motion of the instrument, is controlled exclusively by the left hand.

       Have you ever noticed a great performer lowering the instrument's bell to play in the low register and then returning to the middle or going up into the high register and returning the instrument to parallel -- while some performers will do the opposite, i.e., raise the instrument bell above parallel to descend the instrument and then lower the bell to parallel or even past parallel to ascend?  This maneuver is a left-hand-directed maneuver.  Although raising or lowering the head will presume the same result, this mannerism opens and closes the throat and is NOT to be desired.  Closing the throat by lowering the head cuts off the flow of air to the vibrating lips, and everyone knows that air must pass through the compressed lips to produce the sound of the brass instrument.  The left-hand manipulation is much more effective and correct.

      THE KEY FACTORS

       From the dictionary, "guardian" is defined as "protector, defender."  As a verb, it is "to keep in check, to supply with proper control -- to secure."  It is, in effect, a Sentinel.  There is no intention in this discussion of the left-hand grip that recommends any particular grip, that one is better than the other, or that any grip is "bad".  Two rules are required, however.  (1) The performer should use a firm left hand (2) that the grip is consistent.  Too many performers use multiple grips; one for high notes, one for soft playing, one for loud playing, one for fast playing, jazz, etc. and all during the same mouthpiece placement !!  The result:  multiple embouchures.
         So, let's sum up this discussion with the following emphasis that a performer must keep in mind throughout his or her playing career:  The grip consistency and duplication combined with essential firmness are the guardians of the embouchure formation. This may be the difference that will make the difference between success or failure in all advanced forms of playing.  Consider it well!  More links to the right or click "next" below...