Lip balm experiment

[Wilktone]

Has anyone else tried this with good results…or bad? I think Doug Elliott told me, when I asked if anyone had done this seriously, that Reinhardt may have tried it or advocated it.

I was recently listening to some digitized tapes of Donald Reinhardt talking about his teaching here:

https://www.boptism.com/product-categor ... ning-zone/

If you go to 3. “Dr. Donald S. “Doc” Reinhardt – So You Think You Have Problems – Part 1” by Dr. Donald S. “Doc” Reinhardt. and start at about 11:27 he discusses a student that he worked with using A&D Ointment and saliva to help him find a new mouthpiece placement after an injury.

[goodguy]

I tried using lip balm before practicing, hoping it would reduce friction and improve my embouchure. Like you, I found it to be a total failure playing was nearly impossible with the extra slickness. I recently bought a new lip balm from https://www.dealsandstealstoday.com/ but it hasn’t helped with my playing. Doug Elliott might have more insights, but it seems like focusing on technique and natural conditioning might be a better approach.

[VJOFan]

I don’t quite understand the experiment that is the basis of the thread. Any lip balm I’ve used crates more of a gooey gluey effect rather than slipperiness. The OPer should retry the experiment using vegetable oil. That would truly create a slippery surface with greatly reduced friction.

And just sayin’ no matter how it starts after the buzzing starts every embouchure gets pretty wet.

[tbdana]

I just use a gold plated mouthpiece, which gives me just the amount of slipperiness that I like.