Smiley's approach is built on the belief that traditional pedagogy often avoids the lips entirely, focusing instead on "perfect breath" or "less pressure". According to the official Trumpet Teacher website , BE flips this by looking directly at the mechanics of the lips, tongue, and air.
: Players like Ko de Rooij have used BE to recover from severe embouchure issues like focal dystonia . the balanced embouchure jeff smileypdf
: The book includes 17 specifically designed lip slurs, some requiring the player to "snap" the top note for better efficiency. Smiley's approach is built on the belief that
: These are the foundation of the BE system. "Rolling out" involves puckering the lips and placing the mouthpiece mostly on the top lip while rolling the bottom lip out. : The book includes 17 specifically designed lip
This 149-page self-help book is designed for all brass instruments and levels of play, claiming to help musicians achieve greater range, endurance, and tone quality through a series of dynamic range-of-motion exercises. Core Philosophy: Mechanics Over Mystery
: While optimized for trumpet, it is widely used by horn players and other brass musicians. Critical Perspective The Balanced Embouchure
The method is structured around that let the unconscious mind take over once the physical "balance" is achieved. Key Exercises and Techniques