How to blow a Shofar

It is a religious duty to blow the shofar during the celebration of the Day of Atonement or also called the Yom Kippur and the Jewish New Year, which is commonly known as Rosh Hashanah. There are different sects that the religion of the Jewish people had. These sects use the shofar in different services, while it is consistent in the entire Judaism to have an individual blast and musical technique. You can learn to blow the shofar in no time through practicing every single day. I have knowledge on how to blow the shofar rightly, then you will be able to blow it for any celebrations and worship.

A shofar is the traditional musical instrument of Jewish people that are usually made up from the horn of a ram. Similar to the contemporary bugle, a shofar doesn’t have some pitch-altering devices, thus the pitching sound will always depend upon the blowing method of the blower. During the Biblical era, shofars are being used to symbolize the beginning of the war. And later on, the shofars are also been used during processions and has been stored in the temple of orchestra ruled by David. You may think that shofars are similar to a trumpet, but it wasn’t. it is because shofar doesn’t contain any tiny holes just like the trumpets.

If you want to learn about the right way of blowing the shofar, you are lucky that you’re now reading this page. This article will give you some tricks and tips that you can do to blow your shofar rightly and start blowing it during any Jewish High Holidays.

Look for the Shofar that Perfectly Fit to your Lips

There lots of shofars that you can purchase online. Each shofar comes up with different size and shape, thus it will be better for you if you are going to look for a shofar that will perfectly fit your lips. Find the shofar that your lips can hold comfortably because it is your only way to control its sounds and notes. I know that you will consider the shofar’s looks and design, but take note that these are not that important on looking at the right shape of a shofar that will sit comfortably in your mouth.

Tighten and Pull Back your Lips to Make a Higher Note Sound

Make this position and hold it for some minutes. You can make a higher-pitched note if you are going to hold your lips tighter. There are some Jewish High Holidays that will require you to blow the shofar with several variables of pitches, so it would be better for you if you are going to practice loosening and tightening your lips to learn these pitches.

Gently Press your Shofar into your Lips

Gently puck your lips and gently press your shofar into your lips. Carefully press it into your mouth to know that your lips still have space to create vibration while you are blowing it. Keep in mind that it is necessary for you to maintain a small space between the shofar and your mouth to seal the air from coming in. it would be better if you are going to hold the shofar with your two hands to ensure that your shofar will stay in place. According to the tradition of Judaism, shofar must be placed at the right corner of the blower, but almost all rabbis are okay with different methods.

Blow a Small Amount of Dry Air

I know that you think blowing the shofar requires lots of amount of air. But blowing shofar only needs a small amount of air to make a sound properly. Blow a little amount of air into your shofar and be careful not to overexert air inside of it. Puckering your cheeks is not required, because the dry air must come from your diaphragm.

Vibrate your Lips

Because of the vibration of your lips, you can produce a good sound of a shofar. While you are pumping a small amount of air inside your shofar, keep in mind that your breaths must be quick to create vibrations on your lips, thus giving your shofar to project and enhance its sound. Practice making some buzzy sound in your lips, feeling like you are just making some elephant sound or blowing a raspberry.

Now you have some ideas about the proper way of blowing and using the shofar, you can now be able to blow it during the ceremony of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year. It is very important for you to know the different steps and techniques in blowing the shofar. These days, there are lots of shofars that you can purchase in many leading online stores nationwide with a lower price amount.

Take note that different shofars have different sizes, shapes, and designs. These factors might vary upon the ram’s horn or its manufacturer. Beware that shofar might have an unpleasant smell, thus you are required to clean and sanitize it properly. Cleaning and sanitizing it will lessen or remove the unpleasant smell of the shofar, thus giving you the chance to make the sound of it as long as you want.

Keep in mind that, to create a perfect sound of the shofar, you must consider the first tip given to you by this article. Though its designs and looks are one of your factors on purchasing a shofar, it is always more important than these to find the shofar that will perfectly fit your lips.