Blowing

[rhodf]

I have a question regarding blowing. The term "copious amount of air" or "energized air" is used quite frequently when discussing the Adam approach to playing the trumpet. I know that "blow as hard as you can" approach creates tension and should be avoided. The breath must be free, but energized.

I find that I can produce a good sound using the air in two different ways. Both approaches use a relaxed deep inhale. The difference is in the exhale. With one approach, the air just naturally escapes through the chops with no real push behind it. The other approach thee is a feeling of continously blowing through the sound, not in a forced way, but in a relaxed continous way through the end of the phrase until the next breath. It is like the difference between a relaxed exhale and blowing out the air in a steady, but not overly forced manner. I am beginning to believe that this second approach of continous blowing is what Adam has in mind when discussing energized and/or copious amounts of air.

I would be interested in any thoughts or clarifications.

Thanks again for all of your help as well as the time and effort you put into this. I know I am a better trumpet player because of your efforts!

[razeontherock]

I'm only putting in my two cents on this one because you've been waiting over a week already. I agree with you that your second idea is better. I'd further point out that if you listen more closely to your own sound, especially the overtones, you'll hear some difference between the two approaches, which should speak with much greater validity than my opinion.

Pat might smack me down on this one, but I ALWAYS heard Adam 'disciples' talking about MORE air, which strikes me as odd. My '78 Strad, model 43 is a very bright horn, yet the first sound Mr. Adam got out of it was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard and yeah, it "spoke" with the same fluid and immediate response he always plays with. Simply amazing. It's almost as if it resonates fully before he even blows! He played very gently, and also very softly. In context, these were both things he was working on with me at the time, and his is an individualized approach. But his playing always strikes me as coming from a gentle airstream. Many players and teachers on the third floor spoke of hearing the sound with a fixed starting point, and moving in the right direction, at the right speed, which increases as you ascend. Yet there is never an end-point, and these players demonstrated an unstoppable yet very free sound. This might help you more than worrying about your air, which apparently can't be too far off?
_________________
"And this is life: that you know the Son, and the One who sent Him." The rest is just details

[PH]

Mr. Adam usually has students use a great quantity of air at first as a means for eliminating physical tensions and getting the concept of the air/energy moving through the sound. Later that changes to a degree. I remember him telling me at one point that it was time to begin backing off the compression of the air without losing the energy and flow of air thorugh the sound.

It is really about air as energy more than it is quantity, but especially at the early stages quantity of air seems to help greatly and is virtually mandatory.

[ This Message was edited by: PH on 2004-07-29 21:30 ]