November 2005
Hello Mr. Smiley,
My name is Igor Matkovic and I come from Slovenia.
After almost one year of practicing BE I decided to finally email you and ask you a couple of questions.
Since this is the first mail from me I will first tell you a little bit of my self.
I started
to play trumpet when I was 7 years old and I never stopped till now. I will be 22 in December. Actually
trumpet was the first place (priority) since then.
I was doing very good almost all the time.
I was wining all national competitions and was always treated as a special talent. All this was happening
till age of 16 or 17.
Then something started to happen to me. At that time I had a really frustrated
teacher who really did not know much about how trumpet works, so I started to experiment my self. In
a period of one year I brought my self to even more embouchure problems. At that time I was not able
to play C2 (high C) on a trumpet. I was in third year on a high school (high school in Slovenia is from
age 14-15 till 18-19) and had one year till graduation. As it was obvious to all trumpet community in
Slovenia (very small country) that I was facing problems nobody actually know how to help me. Nobody
really did not want take responsibility for my playing. My teacher at that time could not take the fact
that could not help me so he publicly said that I was taking drugs. Thanks to my parents who was very
understandable to me, this false drug thing (is now) past.
My father is also a trumpet player,
not professional, but he can play very high and he is a good teacher if he has a good student. He was
my teacher before a went to a high school. He got my playing all this lip slurs which before I was facing
problems worked very good for me. He also was listening to jazz music a lot so probably I got this from
him. At that time I started to listen to jazz music a lot and I found my self a jazz trumpet teacher.
He also had some problems with trumpet, so he understood how I feel at that time. He was not forcing
me to any special exercises, instead, he just played with me some tunes and solos. This is how he got
me out from all frustrations that I was facing this year. So after one year a got my chops working in
the way that a could play B2, but I had an endurance for 10 minutes and after that it was struggling.
I somehow graduated from classical high school and was accepted to jazz academy in Graz (Austria).
I am quite good in playing jazz so a got a lot of gigs. So for me it was OK at that time my problems
were not so obvious for other people but I was not making any progress and I was practicing 4 hours a
day.
My journey for better chops started again. But this time I was more "careful". I was trying
everything: Claude Gordon, Malte Burba, James stamp... and then I heard for Caruso system. The problem
was that there was no Caruso teacher near me so I took all my savings at that time and bought a plane
ticket for NY. I also wanted to see jazz scene there. In NY I worked with Sam Burtis and Dave Rodgers
and they are both great guys who told me a lot about Caruso. The problem was that when I came home (after
one month) there was nobody who could tell me if I am doing things right. So after 6 month of Caruso
and no progress I quit doing it.
I do not know how, but one day while searching the Internet I
came across your method. Balanced Embouchure - dynamic...and works for every trumpet player. I read
an old post where there is a big discussion about this "works for every...". I have to say that this
immediately got my attention.
I was going thru your page and I read everything. The more I read
more I got interested. At that time I was very skeptic and I immediately looked on the Internet if there
is a teacher in Europe. That is how I came to Bert Lochs. Great guy who was very helpful to me from
the first mail he send to me.
After reading the book and practicing the exercises for 3 month
I immediately knew that this is the method for me. One of most important things that book did for me
was, to got me out of that "careful" zone. Later I learned that this is called comfort zone. I started
to study NLP. I read in one post where you mention you also was studying that. Maybe you could tell
me something about that some other time.
After 6 month I drove 1100 km and went to visit Bert
in Holland. I was there for 3 hours and had a great time. He is really a nice guy. He said to me that
I was doing things correctly so I could peacefully practice further.
I am now doing RO #4 up to
C3 every day. This exercise I like the most. First time I blew C3 on this exercise it was so loud that
I almost started crying. In last month I am getting some squeaks on E3. So probably something is happening.
After one year of practicing BE I am very pleased with the progress. I can not play on new embouchure
jazz gigs but I use it on Big Band rehearsals where I play fourth trumpet.
It is not stable I
am getting occasionally hrrrrrr from my trumpet and it is hard to play piano above C2. But I pickup
my trumpet every day and can practice. Before, every time when I had a gig or a busy day a could not
play anything the next day. My lips would be swollen...
Thank you very much for taking the time
and read the story of a guy from Slovenia. I really appreciate everything you did for trumpet community
and guys like me. I can not imagine how many courage it took to bring out those first site pictures.
Thanks again,
Yours,
Igor Matkovic Slovenia
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June 2005
I am a comeback player at the whopping age of 38. I was a pretty darn good player
through high school, and had music performance scholarships in college. I changed majors in college,
but did continue in all ensembles through my undergraduate program. I was classically trained and played
almost exclusively lead and first chair for all of my years. I graduated in 1989, and essentially that
was it for my trumpet playing, sadly.
In September of this year my daughter, unbeknownst to me,
signed me up for our outstanding church orchestra. This is an outstanding full orchestra, as well as
a great horn section. I thought at the time they were all paid musicians, though I have come to find
out they are all volunteers, even though a great number or them are professional musicians, music teachers,
and play in the local Philharmonic Orchestra. I was VERY intimidated (a characteristic that one would
typically really struggle to apply to me in every other aspect of my life! HA!). So, off I went to the
races trying to catch up with the big dogs.
By December of that same year, my playing was coming
along very well, and I was sitting second chair, as well as playing solo cornet in our local brass band
(about killed my chops!). I was being asked to play WAY more than my chops could deliver, but I so appreciated
them essentially pushing me along. In typical obsessive-compulsive trumpet player fashion, I was practicing
and performing like a mad man through the Christmas season, and my lips were paying the price. At this
point, I had done enough reading (since I had a 15+ year layoff before this comeback), to select a more
methodical approach to my practicing. That was when I ordered the Balanced Embouchure. I was LOVING playing
again, and things were coming back pretty quickly. But I was being asked to play lead after Christmas,
and didn't really have the range to do it. Thank God the 1st chair trumpet encouraged me through all
this, and we began to split up charts…some second, some 1st, some lead. But in my heart I am a lead player
(though my chops presently say otherwise).
I started doing BE around Christmas, and really hit
it pretty hard right afterwards. Now, keep in mind that I'd only been playing for less than 4 months,
but I was pretty happy to have a really solid range up to D above high C. The E was kina there, but not
really useable. Realistically, I need a monster G above high C. I figured, given that I'm a comeback
player, and was working diligently at ALL aspects of playing, I would take up BE because it did not appear
that it would inhibit my playing or practice of the other aspects I'd been working on. I confess fully
that I bought BE strictly as a way to have a system that I could add to my regular weekly routines, but
one that was primarily focused on increasing my range and power in the upper register. I realize that
it can do much more than that, but that's why I got it, honestly.
Now, not that I expect this
is typical of everyone, but I got the BE and read all the materials and listened to the CD several times
to understand the concepts before I started. Then I started the exercises….of course, though….faster
than the book recommends (imagine that! HA!). On the day I began the exercises, the absolute highest
note I could play was essentially a teeny squeaky occasional F above high C. I was hoping that with BE
I might add range up the G within the year. But what happened was far from that! On the 3rd day of doing
BE, my 'playable' range suddenly jumped from essentially D right up to F…..BAM. Just like that. I don't
mean I was able to 'squeek out' an F in front of the tuner. Rather, I mean my 'playable' range jumped
right up to the F. My squeaky range within a day or two was A above high C. I was extatic! And surprised!
So were all the folks I play with in the bands and orchestra.
Summary is that after about 5 months
of working on BE, my range is increased from basically a squeaky high E, to a solid G, pretty decent
A, and beginning to creep in to the range over Double High C pretty consistently. My tone is markedly
improved, and my endurance has increased ten fold. On top of that, my 'happiness factor' has perhaps
increased more than anything because I'm beginning to play more like what I hear in my head and heart.
In addition to that, I have a fantastic, methodical approach to practice and improvement that is systematic…..and
is working for me at what I consider an astounding rate. Maybe this isn't astounding to others out there,
but I sure never figured that I'd be knocking on the door of the Double C range consistently within 9
months of a comeback after laying off for 15 years!
I don't want to discount the fact that most
of my playing is with some remarkably talented Christian bands. Perhaps it is a combination of BE and
guidance and the grace of God that my comeback is going as it is. The people in these ensembles have
encouraged me in ways that are so incredible, as well as my family has (my 15 year old daughter fells
pretty great about her old dad playing some whailing lead in front of her band buddies….and that has
brought us closer together as well). Since I have vowed to do BE 5 days a week for the next 4 solid months,
I can only waits to see what unfolds for me.
I know this was a ridiculously long note, but you
can't imagine how passionate I am about my comeback, and the assistance that the Balanced Embouchure
has provided to me in this. Thank you so much, Jeff, for this incredible tool you have developed. It
has just been remarkable.
God bless…… KellyD
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April 2005
Hi Jeff,
Don't know if you remember me or not, but I bought a copy of your
book from you about 18 months ago. I was finding playing to be rather tough & hard work at the time and
my range was a big problem.
Well, to cut a long story short, your book has been of great assistance
to me. My range, tone and confidence have all improved greatly. This was never more evident than the
Thursday immediately before Easter, when I played in the Australian National Solo Championships and,
in my first time entering, took out the Open Trumpet Championship!
I got some rather odd looks
in the warm-up room when I was playing roll-ins and double pedals. One person even asked if I was blowing
in the right end! I wonder if that particular player has reflected on his comments after the result?!
So... I just wanted to send you my thanks for an excellent book that has made a major impact on my
playing. I'm very grateful that you chose to publish your techniques rather than keeping them to yourself.
Could you please advise me of the current cost of your book and of postage to Australia? Several
of my friends who were skeptical before are now interested in purchasing it.
Many thanks,
Mark C Smith Australia
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September 2004
Jeff,
Just wanted to give you an update on my progress so far -
I've been using BE since March of this year, about 7 months now.
So far I've added 4 notes to
my upper register that I can consistantly and solidly hit whenever I want (G above high C being the top
note). I can hit higher than that, but not consistently.
I am very pleased with my progress,
considering I've been playing for 33 years and was never able to hit these notes before, let alone with
consistency.
This method definitely works and I've been advocating it with all my fellow trumpeters.
Thanks so much for your contributions!!!
Bert Scott
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August 2004
Jeff Smiley:
I have difficulty articulating my feelings of gratitude
to you for revealing the "secrets" that every trumpet player seeks. I am an old geezer who has
had lifelong fantasies of playing G above high C.
Some of my trumpet playing friends can get to
F above high C, not G, and then squeak out notes above G. The G is mystical and missing and without explanation.
I purchased a Claude Gordon method and eventually loaned it to another trumpet player to see if he
could make sense of it. So far, no luck and that was many years ago. I also made an expensive two day
visit to one of your Dallas suburb neighbors who says he knows the secret. The problem was lack of explanation.
I arrived home believing my quest would be resolved after a great many repetitions. My F got better,
but G and above was still elusive.
Maynard Ferguson was becoming prominent during my high school
years and my trumpet instructor thought Maynard would not last. His extreme range would destroy his lip
tissue. Well, Maynard has lasted longer than my instructor so it isn't the high notes that kill you.
The point of my email is to thank you for developing your explanation of how to achieve the pitches
above the staff. It has enabled me to reach the elusive G and up to double C.
While I need work
on control and refinement, The difference I've experienced is remarkable in a short period of time.
Thank you very,very much for your instructional information. I shall be happy the recommend your web
site to any trumpet player searching for the "secret". In addition, you are correct about prior experience
and age not being a barrier to adapting to your system. Good Lord willin', I'll be 73 years of age on
August 15 and playing with the Oconomowoc American Legion Band .
Thank You Very Much,
Dick
Hanson
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August 2004
Jeff,
FINALLY someone who has addressed the embouchure directly and not
skirted around the issue!!!
I have been using your book with many of my students for about a year
now (I also use it!) and I am having INCREDIBLE SUCCESS with your suggestions, thoughts, and theories
with all of my students. In the past, I would not have known how to address problems such as range and
endurance, and would have simply chalked it up to a lack of practice on the student's part. This is
only because I would not have truly known how to help some of these kids after I had exhausted my bag
of tricks. The old saying, "you need to practice more" simply was not the issue.
I was the one
who was practicing every day and playing jobs at night and I was the one with the classic endurance,
range, too much pressure, and swollen lips problems that plague all inefficient embouchure users. I
had read many a text and seen many a video on the subject and could never get a clear-cut answer to my
playing problems.
Until now!
I am even more excited for my students to see their smiling
excited faces when they pop out a high C for the first time after struggling for years with an F in the
top of the staff!!
A thousand thanks,
Jeff Lewis San Francisco Bay Area trumpeter, teacher,
and clinician
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Jan 2004
I wanted you to be the first to know, as my unofficial trumput guru, that after
nearly three years of filling in the Principal Trumpet vacancy in my orchestra (The Orchestra of Scottish
Opera), I'm pleased to say that I have been appointed to the post. It's been a long and stressful process:
first, the position had to be advertised throughout the European Union (which narrowed it down to 450
million or so!); then auditions were held, of which myself and three others were shortlisted for trial
periods of work for the orchestra; and then I was finally offered the job a couple of days ago.
However,
the point of all this is to say, with absolute certainty, that I could never have got this job without
BE. It has taken my playing to a completely different level, and given me the confidence to realize
my dreams of being a principal trumpet player. I just can't thank you enough, not only for writing the
brilliant BE method, but also for the help and encouragement you have given me since the start. I will
never be able to repay you, of course, but I do hope that you will at least be able to take some measure
of satisfaction from my success.
Andrew Lynn Orchestra of Scottish Opera Principal Trumpet
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April 2003
Hi Jeff,
After a year of your method, I have reached my primary goal of
being able to play 3-4 hour big band gigs without busting my chops. It is really a great feeling when
you are as fresh at the end of the night as in the beginning!
Svein Haheim Norway
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March 2003
Dear Jeff,
Just wanted to drop a line to say hello and let you know that
BE is working great. I'm starting to get the Roll-In more coordinated, and I'm connecting the registers
much more smoothly now. I'm also starting to gain more endurance (and confidence) with it, too. I have
increased my practice time, and I'm practicing the rolled in lip position with my other routines as well.
I'm now able to play extended scales up to a G above high C, and even an occasional Ab or A.
The best part is that I am not injuring myself to do it. There have been times in the past when I
might play some loud F's, but would be so stiff 5 minutes afterward that I couldn't play the rest of
the day, and sometimes all the next day. That is definitely NOT the case now - I've been doing the extended
scale routine every day for 2 weeks with zero stiff or sore chops. In fact, I practiced a few scales
last night before playing in church - I played up to F# above high C, and absolutely SCORCHED it, then
went and played the whole service on flugelhorn, with plenty of flexibility and a nice dark sound.
Joel Neilson USA
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March 2003
Dear Jeff,
Roll-In method working very well. Higher notes above the staff
coming through quite clear. I have hit high C a number of times - amazing! I have found the whole range
of notes from below the staff and up to be a lot clearer. I can see now that my lips were straining
before BE.
Treve Ross Australia
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January 2003
Hi Jeff,
Just wanted you to know how much I appreciate The Balanced
Embouchure method. My upper register has improved a great deal over the past several months. I play
in a community concert (and sometimes jazz) band, and practice an additional 2-3 hours a week. But my
upper register is better now than it was when I was a college music major playing and practicing 4-5
hours a day. Before "BE," I could play up to an A above the staff with relative ease. Everything above
that was inconsistent and a strain. Now, I'm having a blast playing Bb's above the staff in "In The
Mood," and can even play the run at the end of the piece that goes up to high D. Thanks so much!
Carolyn Turnbough USA
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November 2002
Dear Jeff,
The thing I learned is to just practice the BE exercises
and watch what happens. I take care of my air support and don't think about how my embouchure looks
or feels. With your exercises, my chops take on the right shape without thinking. And it gets better
every day. My endurance is growing. I have had some days in which I played Schlossberg, Bach etudes,
and jazz licks up to high E until my neighbors started to complain!
I am working on BE with
a lot of my students, and you were right: some are quicker than myself. I have a ten year old who cannot
even play Twinkle Twinkle, but does the Roll-In and has a very clear high C. Others benefit also. I
have a forty year old woman who had big trouble until BE. Now she can finally play above C2 and is getting
confident about it. I had no method to help her prior to your book.
Bert Lochs Dutch trumpet
recording artist and composer The Netherlands
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June 2002,
Dear Jeff,
I continue to make remarkable progress. I'm a totally different
player from the one I was just 3 short months ago. My sound is much more vibrant; my range is better
and much more secure; I am playing with much more of a dynamic range; my endurance is three times as
good; and for the first time in my career I have a real feeling of consistency. I'm improving for the
first time in 15 years, and my confidence is soaring.
You're so right though: it really does
all flow from lip position. To take just one example, I can now play very softly with a purity of tone
that I have never been able to achieve before. This hasn't come about from practicing softly (eg Clarke);
its happened because my lip position is changing, and my lips are now presumably sealing much better.
I've put aside all the other method books and technical material for the time being, yet my playing
is improving in those very areas that I would seem to be neglecting right now! I won't go on, but suffice
to say, your method in taking my playing to a totally different level, and I can't express my admiration
or gratitude enough.
Andrew Lynn, Assistant Principal Trumpet Orchestra of Scottish Opera
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May 2002
Jeff,
I have found that every aspect of (the BE) method is true. I cannot
believe how consistent my playing is now. There are no "bad days" any more. Also, my tone is so pure
and big and beautiful now. I had always thought that my tone was my strong point - now it is even better.
I am a high school band director and have several students switching to trumpet to improve the
bands' instrumentation. I am much more successful with helping students improve their tone and range
with this knowledge.
At this point, I don't understand why your approach is not the mainstream
approach. In my opinion, The Balanced Embouchure will have a strong impact on trumpet pedagogy.
Dave Thomas USA
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Jan 2002
Jeff,
Just to let you know. My wife ordered your book for me as an XMAS
present. So I have been working out of it for about a month at this point and I have made significant
progress. So much that the person that sits next to me in my community band asked me what I had been
doing. When I told him that I had been using your book, he asked me where he could get a copy, so I
directed him to your website. But he did not have a computer so he asked me to order the book for him.
So last week my wife ordered another copy of the book.
...I am a comeback player. In high
school I made all state in spite of my smile embouchure. At the time, the horn I played was a school
owned Mt. Vernon Bach Strad cornet. So I fell out of playing for a long time because I didn't have a
horn.
FYI - I am now starting to work on roll out #4 and roll in #2. I particularly have
found your information on how to get relaxed corners to be very helpful. Since I had about 3 weeks before
my community band started up again, I decided to completely let go of my old tight corner embouchure.
Using the techniques from your book, I was able to get a handle on the new "feel" fairly quickly. At
first I couldn't hardly play a thing this way. But in about two weeks I had very close to the same range
as before (that is, not very much) but with more endurance and with less mouthpiece pressure. I still
have to think about this to make it work correctly, but I am definitely going in the right direction.
So much so that the other day while doing my roll in exercises I found myself occasionally over shooting
and playing high C's instead of the G. This is definitely a "problem" I don't mind having to work through
at this stage. I am steadily getting more control and stability and when I am doing this correctly I
am amazed at the ease with which I can play above the staff. In fact, at this point I think that my
biggest roadblock is to change my mindset and not tense up when playing up high. It really isn't hard
if you are doing it right and being relaxed is definitely part of doing it correctly.
So thank
you for a great book. It has been by far the best book on embouchure I have, and I think I have most
of them.
Hal Engel California, USA
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Jan 2002
Dear Jeff,
You may not remember me but we spoke briefly about six months
ago when I ordered a copy of the Balanced Embouchure. Back then, you recommended that I put my Curry
3DC (deep cornet) mouthpiece aside for a while in favor of a Bach 7C until my chops got adjusted to the
closed setting and I was able to manage the pedal tones more efficiently.
That was six months
ago and my progress has been fairly remarkable given longstanding chop problems. No, I'm not crushing
double C's or ready, just yet, to give Maynard a run for his money, but my tone and endurance have improved
so much since I started the book that, at 56 years of age, I'm playing stronger and better than at any
time in my life.
What is perhaps most interesting is the realization that I can hit notes
(i.e. presently up to a high E or F) which were previously unthinkable. At some point this past summer
after working with your method (and, to a lesser degree, some material gleaned from the Superchops manual)
I realized that I could extend my range and potential. For the previous thirty years I have been "stuck"
in a musical purgatory - unable to progress because of a faulty approach and physical limitations.
After a few weeks practicing your method on the Bach 7C, I returned to my symphonic bucket; the Curry
sounded better than ever and it did not adversely affect my ability to play in the upper register. I
feel no need to downsize or use a shallow cup to facilitate the high notes. I'm playing technical passages
that were previously unthinkable and doing it with ease using the Balanced Embouchure. Your book is
truly one of the best on the market and a whole generation of trumpeters owe you a debt of gratitude
for sharing your wisdom and knowledge in the field of brass instruction.
Barry Rachin Massachusetts,
USA
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Feb 2002
Hi Jeff,
I introduced my sister (the French Horn playing brass teacher)
to your methods, and gave my 11 yr old nephew a couple of lessons on pedals and lip clamp. He just loves
the weird noises you make! Anyway, the pedals took about a week to get started, and playing with the
lip clamp took two lessons to get going. Initially, he found playing with the lip clamp hard work, but
eventually by easing up on the lip-to-lip compression the notes came out. It was a revelation for him
to play a high G, which was the absolute top of his range, with hardly any effort at all. During the
attempts, he played a D above high C loud and clear!
Michael Camilleri New Zealand
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Feb 2002
Jeff,
An amazing thing happened last night during my roll-in warmup at Big
Band and during the break. I found a setting that, when coupled with higher internal pressure produced
high F's and high G's with pretty decent volume, then up to a weaker double C, then up to a triple C
squeak. The amazing part was that the center of the lips were very relaxed, it seemed that they were
barely touching one another. Didn't take much mouthpiece pressure either - a very exciting and encouraging
experience for me - thank you for your exercises! I repeated the setting several times to retain muscle
memory for the F's and G's. It got all the trumpet players' attention, so the secret is out. I'm plugging
the concepts in your book, but I still get a lot of blank and skeptical expressions from the others.
John VonWetzel Texas, USA
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Nov 2001
Editors note: an interesting comeback profile which I hope you enjoy!
Profile
Occupation: Scientist.
Age: Oh, about 60.
Years off the horn: 42 (last paid gig was
a wedding dance, August, 1959).
How long back on the horn: Eight months.
How long using
the BE book: Four weeks.
Self analysis: Excellent tone, excellent breathing patterns. Embouchure
durability is poor. Poor fingering dexterity, poor skill in scales.
Practice time: Truly averaging
90 min a day. Weekends are best when 2-3 hours can be spread over a 12 hour period.
Most shocking
loss of skill after 42 years off the horn: Breathing.
Easiest gain of skill after 42 years off
the horn: Breathing.
Counting/understanding of music: No problem because of piano studies before
trumpet (thanks, Mom, RIP).
Commitment level: Bordering on obsession. Worrying about 2002 vacation
without access to horn!
First observations of BE (Balanced Embouchure): The best $40 I ever spent.
1. Totally impressed with value of double pedals and inherent application of increased lip mass
in roll-out leading to roll-in. Pure physics!
2. Totally impressed with lip clamp (in conjunction
with roll-out/in) and gain in total range with concomitant gain in musicality below max range. Could
squeeze out high C, now I do not know where I max out at, but certainly double G. Can play somewhat
musically above the staff to high C. This is nothing short of astounding.
D. P. Florida, USA
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