[Trombone-l] Leadpipes and Air Flow

[Jeff Albert]

On May 26, 2006, at 12:55 AM, TRBNTERRY wrote:

> Brass players everywhere should understand that once the air leaves  
> the
> lips, it has no further use. Its only purpose is to set up vibrations
> within the aperture formed by the lips.

It has no further use, but it is still there, and how it is allowed  
to escape the lips is still part of that system that affects how the  
lips buzz.  That's why free buzzing feels different from mouthpiece  
buzzing, which feels different from the instrument.  We use the  
mouthpiece and instrument to regulate the resistance to the air  
leaving the embouchure.  This resistance is one of the methods we use  
to control the buzz.  That is not the only purpose the instrument  
serves, but it is one of them, and the leadpipe is first in line.

>
> The horn is already full of air, caused by barometric pressure, and
> that's fully adequate to carry the vibrations. If the air could be
> channelled off in some other direction, it wouldn't make any  
> difference.

True, but it isn't carried off in some other direction, it has to  
escape the embouchure into the instrument, which means it flows  
through the leadpipe.
>

>
> The leadpipe affects only the sound waves travelling through and very
> little effect, if any, on the flow of air through the horn.

Then why does a more open leadpipe make a horn less resistant?


Jeff

>
> Regards, Mike Terry
>
> "God looks down with favor upon those who create beauty"
>
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