Technique Tip: Size of Embouchure

Play 4+. Slowly slide your tongue to the left (make sure your jaw does not move—visually confirm this in a mirror). If you hear the 1+ after sliding slightly to the right, then your embouchure size is correct (lips surrounding four holes). If you hear 2+, then your mouth is too small. The goal is to have your mouth surround four holes so that your chordal techniques (slaps, pulls, flutters, etc.) sound big, and you can easily move to an octave (where your tongue blocks the middle two holes) at any time.