The opening of the mouthpiece, which is used to introduce air into the instrument tube, must not be too large or too small.
The mouth must be placed on the middle of the mouthpiece so that the upper and lower lips are also covered.
EMBOUCHURE EXERCISE.
As with all the instruments in the cornett family, execution depends mainly on the embouchure.
In this sense we are not concerned with the shape of the mouth; but the art of making the air introduced by the performer resonate in the tube of the instrument, is what figuratively is called the embouchure.
Two musicians with the same lip conformation may have one with a good embouchure, the other less so; this difference determines the quality of the sound that each gets from the instrument.
A good embouchure is the result of a special and careful study.
For the first exercise of the serpent, the bocal is detached from the instrument, we place the mouthpiece as we have indicated, then we start the ranges by articulating the sounds (see page 4). This preliminary work, repeated a few times, gives security to the lips and sharpness to the articulation.
It is preferable that the student be familiar with the embouchure before becoming preoccupied with holding and sounding the instrument. When he arrived at this level, the bocal being replaced he chooses to hold the serpent one of the ways described, but we advise that the last we have indicated, as the most natural and most satisfying for all services; then the player will take care of fingering and sound formation.
ON FINGERING.
To take advantage of the serpent one must add to the study of the embouchure that of good fingering. We indicate one in the attached fingering chart, which is the result of the research done by the best teachers.
It is through the exercise of these two essential parts of the art to play the serpent that the pupil will manage to make rapid progress, that he will be able to acquire correctness, assurance of the notes, good tone, and finally the means of controlling the equality of the sound; as much as this instrument is susceptible to it, because it has vicious sounds that are very difficult to correct, diligent work and the intelligence of the performer are the surest means to achieve this.
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