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LeeC
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 Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmm, Well I think there's a trade off with the sound model vs a physcal approach. You'll find a ton of players with decent tone and yet no serious range to speak of.
For me good sound is a destination. Not specifically a starting point.
I remember when after having first slightly tweeked my original embouchure in 1970-71 or so in order to blow High F's and such. Sounded really pinched in the middle register for over a year. But then everything gradually caught up and the sound stayed more consistent throughout all registers. So afterwards I had as good of sound as my peers but also a damn startling High G which they sure as heck didn't have to save their lives.
Have noticed this more recently with the other two chop settings I use in order to maintain even more extreme range (triple C's and other ridiculous stuff). These chop settings sound really crappy for a while. Maybe even a long time depending upon how extreme the embouchure change. But with persistence and practice things get better.
No one really needs to do that kind of weird stuff in order to play musically but for me it was worth it to finally tap those notes above the High G. |
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razeontherock
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| Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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Lee wrote -
"Hmmm, Well I think there's a trade off with the sound model vs a physcal approach. You'll find a ton of players with decent tone and yet no serious range to speak of."
Disagree. My only experience is with all of Bill Adam's students, 1980 - 1984, probably more than 30 players. They still all practice on "the third floor," which is a big circle. Talk about LOUD! With my range of A above high C since 7th grade I was pretty used to being in a class by myself. I got there and found EVERYBODY had at least a G above C - ALL DAY. They owned that note better than I had my F, and they sounded better on that note than I did an octave below, if you're talking legit.
My "best" teacher went well above DHC, and had a tone that I described as "having it's own jet engine propelling it." There was no other way I explain the total lack of strain combined with the "driven," Maynard-esque sound I dig. Since he didn't have to push it, where'd it come from?
But I TOTALLY agree with you, sometimes you just need to get under the hood and tweak some things. I'd hate to say that to the guy on this thread, at least w/o him putting in some time pursuing all other options. |
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LeeC
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:13 am Post subject: |
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Sounds to me like those students Raze mentioned were "cherry picked". From my experience access to high register is a batting average that may or may not develop as a result of "good" practicing techniques.
Take two good players who are motivated and work hard. One struggles above a high C for years. The other never knew all that much hardship. Which one will a college music program likely accept?
I submit that there's the tendency for college music programs to be selective. They'd prefer to showcase players who've pretty much already got it made instead of develop the strugglers. |
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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| LeeC wrote: | Loud high notes can usually be maintained by RELAXING the vibrating portion (V/P) of the chops, & blowing harder. The V/P's are the part of your lips that actually sit INSIDE the mouthpiece. But you'll probably need to balance the load by contracting your outer embouchure muscles more firmly.
Try not to close your teeth too much in the upper register either. Aim for an opening of at least 3/16ths and inch. It varies from person to person too.
I believe that everyone must close their teeth slightly in order to ascend. It's just a matter of not overdoing it. |
Okay. I can feel the truth in this when I play cold (for those who haven't heard me say this yet, I play best cold, believe it or not). Just set myself for a middle C, play a high C instead without any change, and slur up from there and increase the volume with more air. It works fairly decently and I think it would be better practice to be able to practice in this mode. However, it doesn't last long (or, rather, just raw playing of any kind and I lose the pressureless playing). I can still hit the notes, but they aren't work-outable. Thoughts?
And BTW, I'll ask LeeC this, as he sounds like he knows something about range conditioning:
"what kind of high exercises can you do to build up strength in the range I do have? [Including notes with one foot still in the "squeak" variety] IE does, say, doing high slurs do anything? High slurs to top note, tongue tongue tongue, slur down, back up, tongue tongue? I know it is a definite test of what notes you have, but does it help bolster the playing there?"
As for good sound, I've got fair control of my sound in all registers. I don't know, but it kind of came with the territory of doing everything else, it seems.
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LeeC
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| butxifxnot wrote: | | LeeC wrote: | Loud high notes can usually be maintained by RELAXING the vibrating portion (V/P) of the chops, & blowing harder. The V/P's are the part of your lips that actually sit INSIDE the mouthpiece. But you'll probably need to balance the load by contracting your outer embouchure muscles more firmly.
Try not to close your teeth too much in the upper register either. Aim for an opening of at least 3/16ths and inch. It varies from person to person too.
I believe that everyone must close their teeth slightly in order to ascend. It's just a matter of not overdoing it. |
Okay. I can feel the truth in this when I play cold (for those who haven't heard me say this yet, I play best cold, believe it or not). Just set myself for a middle C, play a high C instead without any change, and slur up from there and increase the volume with more air. It works fairly decently and I think it would be better practice to be able to practice in this mode. However, it doesn't last long (or, rather, just raw playing of any kind and I lose the pressureless playing). I can still hit the notes, but they aren't work-outable. Thoughts?
And BTW, I'll ask LeeC this, as he sounds like he knows something about range conditioning:
"what kind of high exercises can you do to build up strength in the range I do have? [Including notes with one foot still in the "squeak" variety] IE does, say, doing high slurs do anything? High slurs to top note, tongue tongue tongue, slur down, back up, tongue tongue? I know it is a definite test of what notes you have, but does it help bolster the playing there?"
As for good sound, I've got fair control of my sound in all registers. I don't know, but it kind of came with the territory of doing everything else, it seems. |
First of all your improved playing while COLD suggests to me the strong possibility of "overtraining" in the days/weeks prior. A cold chop set up is usually a non swollen setting. Swollen lips generally mean playing far past the point of physical ability. When you finally get "warmed up" and lose efficiency it means you've probably gone and overdone it for the day due to some ingrained pressure/abuse habit.
I might be wrong as it's only a guess, but am probably right. Don't feel insulted either. You're young, correct? Shoot when i was a teen all I did was overblow high notes and get the resultant swollen chop situation. Everyday 24/7...
Actually my idea of what to practice for range is surprisingly very traditional. No secret at all really. About all you need is "Clarke Technical Studies For Cornet". But then arpeggio work like in Stevens-Costello triple c Embouchure Technique is also excellent for the initial development. All really simple concepts in practice.
Don't forget to play a bunch of lead trumpet in rehearsal and ensemble too. Practice without performance is almost useless.
While we're at it, consider any kind of marching band to be just a continuation of the practice room. Most of the time these bands sound pretty bad anyway. So work on VOLUME production in your mid range up to a High C during rehearsal and performance.
Nothing like having a killer High C anytime you want to aid the development of a good lead player. You get total command of the High C and the F's & G's above almost work out on their own. Just so long as you have no embouchure limitation in set-up.
It's in the area of physical law associated with embouchure set-up that i tend to differ with most traditional thought. The problem is most teachers are clueless as to these physical basics. |
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| LeeC wrote: | | I might be wrong as it's only a guess, but am probably right. Don't feel insulted either. You're young, correct? Shoot when i was a teen all I did was overblow high notes and get the resultant swollen chop situation. Everyday 24/7...
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...if this is right, how come at the end of the day I have better endurance and range than all the others? And it seems my endurance is better than it was last year (when everyone else (and I mean everyone else) had better endurance than I.) Even tired I have the best range, and we've got some (some) decent range in the section. How do you figure this?
(and, yes, I am young.  ) | Quote: | | First of all your improved playing while COLD suggests to me the strong possibility of "overtraining" in the days/weeks prior. A cold chop set up is usually a non swollen setting. |
I never considered that it might be a bad sign that playing cold is coming easy...and "playing cold" constitutes range that surpasses all the other trumpets in the section at full playing capacity. | Quote: | | Swollen lips generally mean playing far past the point of physical ability. |
I get it. | Quote: | | When you finally get "warmed up" and lose efficiency it means you've probably gone and overdone it for the day due to some ingrained pressure/abuse habit.
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So what do you suggest? Watch myself for too much pressure while I go through the day? Try to keep it just like when I begin?
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Actually my idea of what to practice for range is surprisingly very traditional. No secret at all really. About all you need is "Clarke Technical Studies For Cornet". |
I've got the jist of that. | Quote: | | But then arpeggio work like in Stevens-Costello triple c Embouchure Technique is also excellent for the initial development. All really simple concepts in practice. |
I'm not familar with this... | Quote: |
Don't forget to play a bunch of lead trumpet in rehearsal and ensemble too. Practice without performance is almost useless.
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Got that right. | Quote: |
While we're at it, consider any kind of marching band to be just a continuation of the practice room. Most of the time these bands sound pretty bad anyway. So work on VOLUME production in your mid range up to a High C during rehearsal and performance.
Nothing like having a killer High C anytime you want to aid the development of a good lead player. You get total command of the High C and the F's & G's above almost work out on their own. Just so long as you have no embouchure limitation in set-up.
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Ah! That pressure thing again. Is that it? I have a high C and a D. Period. No question about it. I can play them tired (with nice volume as well). Is it the pressure/lip abuse issue?
Also, while you are here, can you comment on the lowering-the-top-lip exercise? (screwing the embouchure downwards to work out the top lip)
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LeeC
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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| butxifxnot wrote: | | LeeC wrote: | I might be wrong as it's only a guess, but am probably right. Don't feel insulted either. You're young, correct? Shoot when i was a teen all I did was overblow high notes and get the resultant swollen chop situation. Everyday 24/7...
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...if this is right, how come at the end of the day I have better endurance and range than all the others? And it seems my endurance is better than it was last year (when everyone else (and I mean everyone else) had better endurance than I.) Even tired I have the best range, and we've got some (some) decent range in the section. How do you figure this?
OK well i can't see the complete picture as this is only an Internet glimpse. Folks reading this could easily think i'm guessing or using witchcraft. So
(and, yes, I am young. ) | Quote: | First of all your improved playing while COLD suggests to me the strong possibility of "overtraining" in the days/weeks prior. A cold chop set up is usually a non swollen setting.
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I never considered that it might be a bad sign that playing cold is coming easy...and "playing cold" constitutes range that surpasses all the other trumpets in the section at full playing capacity. | Quote: | | Swollen lips generally mean playing far past the point of physical ability. |
I get it. | Quote: | When you finally get "warmed up" and lose efficiency it means you've probably gone and overdone it for the day due to some ingrained pressure/abuse habit.
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So what do you suggest? Watch myself for too much pressure while I go through the day? Try to keep it just like when I begin?
| Quote: |
Actually my idea of what to practice for range is surprisingly very traditional. No secret at all really. About all you need is "Clarke Technical Studies For Cornet". |
I've got the jist of that. | Quote: | | But then arpeggio work like in Stevens-Costello triple c Embouchure Technique is also excellent for the initial development. All really simple concepts in practice. |
I'm not familar with this... | Quote: |
The exercises are a lot of progressive arpeggios in the beginning. The graduate to higher and higher notes. Some perhaps ridiculously high. You could ignore much of the text as it applies only to a certain variety of protruded jaw player.
Don't forget to play a bunch of lead trumpet in rehearsal and ensemble too. Practice without performance is almost useless.
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Got that right. | Quote: |
While we're at it, consider any kind of marching band to be just a continuation of the practice room. Most of the time these bands sound pretty bad anyway. So work on VOLUME production in your mid range up to a High C during rehearsal and performance.
Nothing like having a killer High C anytime you want to aid the development of a good lead player. You get total command of the High C and the F's & G's above almost work out on their own. Just so long as you have no embouchure limitation in set-up.
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Ah! That pressure thing again. Is that it? I have a high C and a D. Period. No question about it. I can play them tired (with nice volume as well). Is it the pressure/lip abuse issue?
You sound very cerebral and that's good, but i think maybe you worry a bit much. Sounds like you're progressing just fine. A young, developing player has the tendency to go "Hot & Cold" from day to day. It's the way the mind and body work.
Also, while you are here, can you comment on the lowering-the-top-lip exercise? (screwing the embouchure downwards to work out the top lip) |
OK scratch the term "Screwing the embouchure down". That could be inferred to be some sort of twist or wind-up chop placement routine which isn't an action I prefer. Am not necessarily always against the practice, but i usually don't recommend it.
What the term "lowering-the-top-lip exercise" is about is insuring that the chops are set-up to at least allow the production of High notes. You might not need to lower your upper lip at all. Again this is a blind Internet guess.
Some players like certain Superchops devotees can have quite little upper lip flesh available and yet are still able scream to high Heaven. But they are very much in the smallest minority of trumpet players. I don't think that their set-up is likely to appeal to a very wide audience either and I've tried some REALLY whacky stuff in order to blow high ones...
Look at it this way: A piano won't sound if there is a blanket draped across the strings. Neither will an embouchure vibrate if it is similarly dampered by not having sufficient lip flesh available to be blown.
Typically trumpet players cut out at about a High D or so. A lot of very experienced players do this. You've probably seen plenty of them already. They are the general rule while High G and above players are the exception. Usually these experienced players with such limited range are unconsciously dampering their chops by not having enough lip flesh available to receive air and thus create vibration.
It's really a simple concept: The upper register of the trumpet demands both embouchure muscle contraction and yet still enough lip suppleness to maintain a tone. Those two factors seem to come into conflict at times. So to off-set these almost counter-productive physical needs one must strike a balance.
I've suggested that players who have a serious cut-off point consider pushing their upper lip a little lower over the upper teeth. Doesn't hurt to try i guarantee it. One can always go back to the regular set-up if all else fails.
Pushing the upper lip lower over the teeth wiil do 2 things:
1. Allow the vibrating flesh inside the mouthpiece to be unencumbered by the pinning effect of the upper teeth & mouthpiece rim. That's a major cause of the High C/D cut-off point. Even lack of practice in an experienced player is less of a concern. Heck back in the mid 1980's I foolishly took six months completely off the trumpet and was still able to nail a good loud High F the FIRST note of the day (Silly brag share but very true. Had a witness) after coming back...
2. It usually forces the jaw to open a tad in order to welcome the additional available upper lip flesh the room they need to respond above a High C.
With the additional lip flesh available and the slightly more open jaw it can create more power and range. Sometimes (often really) very quickly.
However i still feel that the young player with the question (butxifxnot) is probably a little too worried about his chops and everything. Since you have some of the best range & endurance in the section i'm going to give you some sage advice in a quote that a very wise trumpet professor told me years ago when i was right about your age.
"Lee, i'm not worried about your upper register at all. It's the rest of the horn that needs your attention"
(i should've charged for this as it is very profound, but will give it this time as a freebie)  |
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mcgovnor
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| Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 6:34 am Post subject: practical development |
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The development of a practical, dependable, flexible embrochure on the bflat trumpet eludes many young players, as well as many more... seasoned veterans.
The posted comments, questions and answers in the forum bearing witness, please remember..trumpet playing is not an idea.
When the baton comes down, when the cue is given, when the red light goes on our performance serves as testimony of(to) our judgement.
Almost all a player of any age needs to know in order to increase range and endurance on a fundimental level can be gleaned by reading the text included in Clarke Technical Studies and Clarke Characteristic Studies;Charles Colin Lip Flexibilities;Carlton McBeth "Maggio System for Brass"(may not be correct title)Claude Gordon Systematic Development and Walter M. Smith Lip Flexibilities.
Read the text every day, in part or all,for a few months...Apply what you read.
Then read "Song and Wind", again, may not be the correct title..but it's Arnold Jacob's book.
Listen to great playing, record yourself and listen..be willing to fall on your face, be willing to subject yourself to the truth, be willing to grow and improve every day.
Practice at least 4 hours a day..resting long and often.
Remember, your face is your face..in other words, everyone..everyone has playing shortcomings that you will deal with regardless of your overall development.
Learn them and how to work around them.
All things being equal, this is the most important lesson of all. |
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Billy B
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| Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 8:06 am Post subject: |
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| LeeC wrote: | Sounds to me like those students Raze mentioned were "cherry picked". From my experience access to high register is a batting average that may or may not develop as a result of "good" practicing techniques.
Take two good players who are motivated and work hard. One struggles above a high C for years. The other never knew all that much hardship. Which one will a college music program likely accept?
I submit that there's the tendency for college music programs to be selective. They'd prefer to showcase players who've pretty much already got it made instead of develop the strugglers. |
In the instance Raze speaks of, you are 100% wrong. I was there.
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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Well, my playing and range is getting better. In fact, I even stretched my effective range a little (ie quiet extents of range are getting less and less quiet and more usable). However, I don't know what to attribute it to. I've done two things: I've done the lowering the top lip exercise and (this is, I think, what did the most) have taken the MP pressure suggestion to heart (watched for too much pressure against the MP). ... don't know what to think (though, if I had to guess, I think it was the latter one. Lee, that was more helpful than you could know).
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LeeC
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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Butxifxnot,
Very happy to hear of your progress!
The change usually begins very subtly. You start noticing a little more volume in the register you already have a few days after trying the slight adjustment. That soon combined with more endurance in the middle/upper register. In a few weeks the new power goes up the scale making whatever notes you always struggled with before much more playable.
Dropping the upper lip lower over the upper teeth may not be a 100% cure-all in every case. But it sure helps a high percentage of players. And it costs absolutely nothing to try.
Don't think it'll give everyone a DHC as that is a trickier area. A few have gotten it from this "trick" during the past year though. Where it does help so many is making it over the High C hump. For that it's some of the best (and easiest) advice around.
The advanced trumpet players High C cut-off point is among the most discouraging of conditions a musician can deal with. It's as common as the cold too. |
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| LeeC wrote: | Butxifxnot,
Very happy to hear of your progress!
The change usually begins very subtly. You start noticing a little more volume in the register you already have a few days after trying the slight adjustment. That soon combined with more endurance in the middle/upper register. In a few weeks the new power goes up the scale making whatever notes you always struggled with before much more playable.
Dropping the upper lip lower over the upper teeth may not be a 100% cure-all in every case. But it sure helps a high percentage of players. And it costs absolutely nothing to try. |
Yes. That is my reasoning as well. So, after my warm-down, I do the exercises. I know for a fact that it works out the lips. | Quote: |
Don't think it'll give everyone a DHC as that is a trickier area. A few have gotten it from this "trick" during the past year though. Where it does help so many is making it over the High C hump. For that it's some of the best (and easiest) advice around.
The advanced trumpet players High C cut-off point is among the most discouraging of conditions a musician can deal with. It's as common as the cold too. |
Question. Right now, it seems that the playing sans a lot of pressure is the best help regarding my range (and endurance and it seems many other aspects). Again, when I first start, it is easy. But now is marching season. So you know what I do? Play loud in middle register, and that includes pressure. So toward the end, I lose the no pressure mentality and can't get it back until I haven't trumpeted for a while. Should I work on making this better pressure use a natural thing before going out and blasting? That's what I'm trying to do, but I keep reverting without even realizing it until I try to hit almost and in double range...
Also, top lip exercise:
is it safe to say that the Morrison method would be good as well? Cracking walnuts with your lips. 
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LeeC
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| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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Question. Right now, it seems that the playing sans a lot of pressure is the best help regarding my range (and endurance and it seems many other aspects). Again, when I first start, it is easy. But now is marching season. So you know what I do? Play loud in middle register, and that includes pressure. So toward the end, I lose the no pressure mentality and can't get it back until I haven't trumpeted for a while. Should I work on making this better pressure use a natural thing before going out and blasting? That's what I'm trying to do, but I keep reverting without even realizing it until I try to hit almost and in double range...
Also, top lip exercise:
is it safe to say that the Morrison method would be good as well? Cracking walnuts with your lips. [/quote]
It isn't the excessive pressure by itself that is a concern. Is more the length of time one plays with the m/piece crammed down the chops. We reach a certain threshold where the excessive pressure will be destructive to the next day's playing. That is not good.
If such practice becomes routine it reinforces a negative habit. Kinda like smoking. Some people stay in that destructive relationship with their trumpet for YEARS.
So you can effectively use a little pressure once in a while to meet some of your playing demands but don't spend a whole hour or so doing this daily. After maybe five to ten minutes of heavier than normal pressure quit the pressure for the day and just take some notes down an octave. Band directors don't care. not usually anyway.
I almost never use excessive pressure in practice. What's the point? To hit a few high notes with a little more volume on them? Would only upset the dog. I use regular practice to maintain my chops, plus sometimes a little bit of the pencil exercise . Not pressure (or walnuts either). |
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_dcstep
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:08 am Post subject: |
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| butxifxnot wrote: | | So what do you suggest? Watch myself for too much pressure while I go through the day? Try to keep it just like when I begin? |
Yes, I think this is the key for you. The fact that you start out real good cold is a sign that you're swelling your lips with pressure or something that deminishes your efficiency as you go on. You have to focus on this in practice, since it's very hard to moderate yourself in reheasal or a gig. In practice, keep the volume down and focus on precision and effortless playing. As soon as you start to faulter in the least, put the horn down for a few minutes and restart with that effortless feel.
Whisper quiet practice playing the middle-line G is one way to solidify that effortless feeling. Play the middle-line G so quiet that it almost doesn't sound. If the sound quality is a little rough, don't play louder to clean it up, but instead make small adjustments to your embouchure to try clearing it. Hold the note for up to five minutes. After just a few days at this you'll be able to clear it quickly and get it to an extremely low volume. When your at that point, add arpeggios, keeping the effortless feeling. After a few weeks, you'll be able to play up to the limit of your range with the same feeling of no effort as the with the middle-line G.
Good luck,
Dave
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trjeam
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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Again, thank you for the advices. I will probably do all that you all have suggested (work on a mostly pressureless playing and the top-lip exercise).
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:55 am Post subject: Re: re |
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| trjeam wrote: | wow so much talk about aperture and air control... i was just going to say get a mic and turn the volume up on the speaker.. that's what allot of pro's do when they get into the register....  |
That would work...if we used them and the audience enjoyed hearing nearly inaudible squeaks.
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:58 am Post subject: |
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| _dcstep wrote: | | butxifxnot wrote: | | So what do you suggest? Watch myself for too much pressure while I go through the day? Try to keep it just like when I begin? |
Yes, I think this is the key for you. The fact that you start out real good cold is a sign that you're swelling your lips with pressure or something that deminishes your efficiency as you go on. You have to focus on this in practice, since it's very hard to moderate yourself in reheasal or a gig. In practice, keep the volume down and focus on precision and effortless playing. As soon as you start to faulter in the least, put the horn down for a few minutes and restart with that effortless feel.
Whisper quiet practice playing the middle-line G is one way to solidify that effortless feeling. Play the middle-line G so quiet that it almost doesn't sound. If the sound quality is a little rough, don't play louder to clean it up, but instead make small adjustments to your embouchure to try clearing it. Hold the note for up to five minutes. After just a few days at this you'll be able to clear it quickly and get it to an extremely low volume. When your at that point, add arpeggios, keeping the effortless feeling. After a few weeks, you'll be able to play up to the limit of your range with the same feeling of no effort as the with the middle-line G.
Good luck,
Dave |
I just reread this and it seems that I've been doing something along this line already. I have a copy of the first exercise in a Clarke book (the chromatic runs), and I've been practicing the final one (C to F# in different octaves) very, very quietly, and I noticed that at yesterday's game, playing with a little less pressure came a little easier (though playing high above high Cs audibly still required pressure). Just a littel confirmation before really getting into it.
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_dcstep
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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| butxifxnot wrote: |
I just reread this and it seems that I've been doing something along this line already. I have a copy of the first exercise in a Clarke book (the chromatic runs), and I've been practicing the final one (C to F# in different octaves) very, very quietly, and I noticed that at yesterday's game, playing with a little less pressure came a little easier (though playing high above high Cs audibly still required pressure). Just a littel confirmation before really getting into it. |
Yes, you're getting part of the benefit. Focus on the middle-line G takes it a step further. You play that G even quieter and develop a feel of almost no effort whatsoever. So, start with a whisper-quiet middle-line G for serveral minutes. Then go into quiet practice remembering that the goal isn't to play quiet but to play with almost no stress. Keep the effortless feeling in all registers. As you noticed, you'll be able to call upon it in performance and reduce presure. There will always be pressure, but your goal is to minimize it.
Dave
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butxifxnot
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| _dcstep wrote: | | butxifxnot wrote: |
I just reread this and it seems that I've been doing something along this line already. I have a copy of the first exercise in a Clarke book (the chromatic runs), and I've been practicing the final one (C to F# in different octaves) very, very quietly, and I noticed that at yesterday's game, playing with a little less pressure came a little easier (though playing high above high Cs audibly still required pressure). Just a littel confirmation before really getting into it. |
Yes, you're getting part of the benefit. Focus on the middle-line G takes it a step further. You play that G even quieter and develop a feel of almost no effort whatsoever. So, start with a whisper-quiet middle-line G for serveral minutes. Then go into quiet practice remembering that the goal isn't to play quiet but to play with almost no stress. Keep the effortless feeling in all registers. As you noticed, you'll be able to call upon it in performance and reduce presure. There will always be pressure, but your goal is to minimize it.
Dave |
Is there a tradeoff? Is there a trade-off between MP pressure and the pressure between the top and bottom lip? IE to decrease MP pressure means to increase intralip pressure? It seems that way at first glance (first trials)...
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