Sound To The Front

Billy B · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:51 pm Post subject:

This

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUbA5y1hnFg
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Bill Bergren

65strad · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 7:41 pm Post subject: Re: Sound To The Front

okeyjeff · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:05 pm Post subject:

Karl Drivers. Humorful.

nvidal · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Aug 2014 Posts: 389

I have a buddy of mine who is and Adam follower and sort of has the sound to prove it.

When he demonstrated it to me, it almost sounds like there is no sound until it hits something and reflects back. It feels like a punch in the face, as soon as there is air, there is sound. The pop in attack is from such a clean beginning and ending to tone production. Really, it is like turning on a light from the bell, very clean, and the projection is really insane, outside, you can hear it travel ridiculous distances and bounce back. He blows like hell too, but that is when demonstrating a big sound outside. Quiet playing is very smooth and soft. This btw, is my account of it, not really what he said about it, but ultimately, the trumpet was historically used to signal, and hearing a clean tone travel first hand, it's really cool and slightly freaky. That's the problem with sound, the written language is a poor way to convey the sound of brass tone.

Does this make sense to any Adam students on here?

okeyjeff · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:54 pm Post subject:

Seivers...closer than Drivers, but still a little work to do.

dbacon · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 8592

veery715 · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:21 pm Post subject:

Karl Sievers has resurrected the BAch site: http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=130767&highlight=sievers
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veery715
Hear me sing!: https://youtu.be/vtJ14MV64WY
Playing trumpet - the healthy way to blow your brains out.

abontrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 May 2009 Posts: 1765

The closest corollary I could find between what I experience as "to the front" and something actually tangible was humming strongly while trying to keep the vibration of the hum located primarily in the nasal area. Don't strain the vocal chords to achieve a strong hum, just a very natural, "full-voiced" hum.

Coincidentally, after I "discovered" this technique, I cam upon this article: http://abel.hive.no/trumpet/tpin/Bill_Adam_revisited.html
The 2 most important lines (for this concept):

2. "Lean against the mouthpiece" the subtext of this is that pressure is an undeniable part of trumpet playing and that instead of pretending you don't use it....embrace it and control it. You go to the mpc rather than the mpc go to you in an uncontrolled and probably excessive manner.

!!3. Somewhere between the roof of your mouth to behind your eyes is where your sound "is" You find this spot that resonates the sound and you blow through it and it NEVER changes.

The 5 things on the list are the most important concepts for brass playing IMO (all within the context of "the" sound of course).

There are many similarities to vocal technique and trumpet playing. I think this is why people post videos of Jussi Bjorling...but many of these posts leave this "to the front" concept as something wildly intangible. To the front is VERY tangible and coupled with "the vivid imagination of the sound" will get you where you want to be. (#4 on the linked list is also a vocal technique...very useful if used correctly).

I have found great corollaries to Mr. Adam's teaching in the articles of Jay Friedman (www.jayfriedman.net). Mr. Adam's teachings were IMO nearly identical to the old chicago school of thought but Mr. Adam was able to deliver those concepts in a fashion that had incredible success.

tpter1 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1194

Billy B · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 1:07 pm Post subject:

nvidal · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Aug 2014 Posts: 389

Rod Franks, RIP, in the very intro of this masterclass, talks about front. I mean, the shape and physics of the trumpet creates wicked projection, so front is not a distance thing. Am i wrong in thinking front is more about a clean full attack (the vowel portion of whatever attack is full) fully supported by air, as Rod describes? So if you are starting the note at the top of the breath, you're pushing everything out front with the breath, no?

Link

okeyjeff · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 1:40 pm Post subject:

Rod Franks is actually talking about the front of the note or the attack. "To the front" as far as being from an Adam perspective, is a little different. More of how you imagine where the sound is located i.e. sitting right right under your eyes..this is very difficult to describe even for the most articulate teacher and the potential is rife for misunderstanding.

for me it is helpful to imagine the sound with an "ah" syllable that is sort of a hybrid between saying "ah"...like when you go to the doctor and the "short a" sound in the word ashtray.

Some people use "tu" as well which helps things go forward as well, but to me creates a little bit more covered sound...still good though

The stuff abontrumpet posted above is actually quite good.

You might pose this question to Karl Sievers on the Bach Brass site on Facebook.

He can describe this as well as anyone and a lot of well meaning folks can muck this up pretty bad, IMO.

As always though it is better to have it demonstrated as opposed to described. Or demonstrated then described and rinse and repeat.
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cheiden · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 1:53 pm Post subject:

Billy B

nvidal · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Aug 2014 Posts: 389

nvidal · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Aug 2014 Posts: 389

Billy B · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:36 pm Post subject:

The concepts of Bill Adam are very simple, so simple that in order to "get it" you must study with an Adam student who understands these concepts well enough to tailor them to your individual needs. There are some video recordings of a master class and an interview, but quite frankly I don't see how they can be of much help to anyone who hasn't already spent a great deal of time studying with a competent teacher.

Let me know your location and I'll try to find someone who can help with this.
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Bill Bergren

nvidal · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Aug 2014 Posts: 389

Jonny Boy · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:25 pm Post subject:

One thing that really helps me get my sound forward is a lot of singing during my practice. Mr Adam had me sing lots of Getchell studies before I played them. firstly to make sure I was hearing the notes correctly in my mind and also projecting my voice (like Jussi Bjorling). When anything gets out of line now I immediately go back to that. Even on gigs.
In this day and age with loud sound systems it can get pretty noisy on stage (there are 5 singers in one particular group I play with). One thing I've found is if i don't have enough trumpet in the foldback I start to pronounce the sound further back (almost to hear it in my head). It's not long before my chops start to feel terrible. I then have to really focus on pronouncing my sound way to the front and it starts to come back again. It's such a simple thing like Billy B said. You only need to hear it from someone else. I have recordings of my lessons with Mr Adam (sorry, I can't share these as they are specific to my needs) and just hearing him sing a long tone helps me tremendously!
Good luck!