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Trumpet and sax at odds?

24K views 37 replies 30 participants last post by  Quackhack 
#1 ·
I was told by a respected sax player that the saxophone and trumpet embouchure are "mutually destructive" (his precise words). I had mentioned to him that I am picking up the trumpet and his response slightly shocked me. Has anyone experienced, either themselves or from someone else, this mutual destruction?

My feeling is, especially if one plays with the Farkas embouchure, that it isn't as destructive to the sax embouchure as I have been led to believe.
 
#37 ·
I was told by a respected sax player that the saxophone and trumpet embouchure are "mutually destructive" (his precise words).

I play both saxes and bugle, and a bit of trumpet as well and, have played bugle for 56 years and sax for 40+ years. In my opinion, they are not mutually destructive. What does occasionally happen though, is that if I've had a long session practicing 21 Royal Navy bugle calls, my embouchure tires and can make my sax playing a bit flaky. However, proper sax embouchure should actually be very relaxed. With sax - 'blow like a goldfish' - 'voice don't bite' - and you'll be fine. Also, trumpet tonguing will certainly get your sax tonguing up to speed. I wouldn't try to double on both though!
 
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