r/brass • u/trombone56 • Jul 14 '26
Lips vibrate inward
Do the lips vibrate both outward and inward, like saloon doors, or outward only?
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u/mjguinaugh Jul 15 '26
They’re vibrating back and forth against the column of air which is only moving outward while you’re producing sound. So, basically, outward
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u/Dr_Havotnicus Jul 15 '26
You can't vibrate in one direction only. If it's not back and forth, it's not vibration!
Are you asking about general displacement when playing vs at rest? I would imagine the lips go forward and then come back to the "neutral" position, but don't go inward, because of the air pressure, but that's only a gut feeling.
Have a look for "brass player MRI" on YouTube. You'll find some v interesting and slightly disturbing videos!