Focused Awareness (When Things are Going Well - And Not so W

[Derek Reaban]

Many times on this list I have read about players describing practice sessions or performances where their sound production is effortless and they can focus entirely on the music without their perceived "normal" limitations. I have offered my fair share of these stories.

These posts lead to many responses on various tangents. From sound production mechanics to generation of a mental aural "picture" with clarity and intensity, from best performances to worst disasters. And the one thread that always intrigues me the most: When things are going well, you must step back and observe exactly what it is that is different from "normal". The magic key to consistent sound production is there to learn from if you can take the time to examine the situation closely without interrupting or tampering with the experience.

With all of the performances that I have had over the Holidays, I have had the very good fortune to practice this focused awareness. From a Christmas Cantata to a sermon based on the history of Carols (dozens of them), from a solo part over the orchestra on New Year's Eve, to various solos in Church during offering/communion I have been able to practice this detached awareness.

Up until very recently, I have always felt the need to "control" the notes from around the top of the staff on up. This "control" was my security blanket to assure that the notes would be right where I wanted them to be and involved a slight tightening of my chops because I was playing "higher". This "control" was also counter productive to the effortless sound production that I have experienced when playing at my highest levels (the point at which I just let go and allow the music to dictate what my body needs to do to generate the sound).

Well, I have to say, it's a VERY scary situation to be in (during rehearsal), when I intellectually know that I will sound MUCH better if I just let go, but my ego wants to control the notes in that register. When I conceived the pitch in my mind and just gave it over to my muscle memory and allowed my body to produce the sound, it was always crystal clear and without hesitation. However, if I would doubt myself, or if I didn't hear the pitch clearly, I would almost always resort to "controlling" the note, leading to a marked difference in the quality (tension), or compromising for something between control and letting go and just missing the note completely. It was a very interesting learning experience for me!

Correspondingly, I have also been in observation mode while I have been playing jobs with fine players and listening to the sound that they cultivate before they start the rehearsal or performance. They are almost always working on response and freedom of sound production in all registers at a soft dynamic level. I tended to play louder than these players while warming up, and then could feel in my chops that I would have folded during performance (if I had been playing the lead part). I'm certain this is the "spread" aperture that I have read about (I think Rich Willey wrote about this on TPIN or TH in a way that I related to and got me thinking about it for the first time). I am now much more aware of this danger zone, and I had the chance to explore this aspect of my playing through focused awareness while playing hymns and low parts in Church. I can very easily spot when I need to back off on a lower part (dynamically) and go for more resonance than volume, which allows me to maintain my set up, and not progress to the "spread" aperture that has been all too familiar in my normal playing.

This awareness has been presenting itself to me over the past year or so, and I've finally allowed myself to step back and see how it has plagued my playing for almost as long as I've been playing my instrument. Those magic times when effortless sound production were occurring allowed me to evaluate what was going right, and now I am much more capable (through this knowledge) to explore more efficient production of sound with real consistency. I’m still fighting my ego every once in a while, but this improved sound product is really what it’s all about (and much better when I’m not tinkering with the details and just allowing it to happen based on what my subconscious knows to do).


_________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

[ This Message was edited by: derek reaban on 2004-01-05 16:09 ]

[Derek Reaban]

After the post that I wrote yesterday, I began thinking about the sound that comes from a “spread” embouchure. In my case it’s a very good sound. I’m playing to the center of the instrument and I’m supplying a healthy airflow. But over the years I’ve come to realize that it’s just too much work to generate this sound and there are real limitations in range, endurance, and flexibility with this set up.

Through focused awareness over the last 3+ years, I’m starting to dial in a more efficient set up that produces improved endurance, range, and flexibility, and most important to me resonance and vibrancy. I get very upset with myself when I find myself falling back into this “spread” embouchure when playing low and loud. Rich Willey’s example (I wish I could find his specific post) was related to this, and he mentioned playing a lower part in a big band for the majority of a rehearsal and then getting handed a lead part. Unfortunately, the chops had become spread by playing low and loud, and it was very difficult to get set to play in the upper register. I think he was simply relating an experience common to many players.

Then I remembered a lesson that I had with Russ Devuyst several years ago in Montreal. He told me that he was looking to develop a smaller sound with more core as opposed to a bigger sound. At the time, that just didn’t compute for me. How could he possibly want a smaller sound when he sounded so fantastic over the top of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal? Well, I’m finally starting to get it!

While the spread embouchure can sound very good in the middle and low registers (both behind the bell and in the hall), focusing on a “smaller” sound can get the job done more efficiently. For me, this seems to fall under the category of aperture control, although “control” is not quite the right word for me. Letting the sound resonate (allowing it to happen on it’s own) is the driving concept and then understanding that “spread” is possible when playing low and loud is a danger zone that must be observed with focused awareness for me.

When I can keep this danger zone in check, my playing truly sings with an effortless freedom. When I think about all of the reading that I have done, I understand that an “epiphany” is just a manifestation of how great playing can be. As the mind is able to continually generate an aural image with clarity and intensity, it will eventually manifest itself on the instrument. By observing this danger zone, I am more able to remain “in the zone” and come close to the sounds that I know I can generate. These sounds slip easily into music and then I’m able to explore my “epiphany” experiences with greater frequency.

I found a quote on the TH that merits mentioning here. From Barrett, “Every time in college that I would have a breakthrough or an epiphany my professor would insist that I do nothing but practice for no less than 8 hours a day for the week to make that breakthrough a habit. If you are truly serious about mastering the trumpet I would suggest pulling a "Chopin" and lock yourself up with your trumpet for the rest of the week. That may sound outlandish, but what is one week of time in the greater scheme of things.”

While I don’t have the luxury of the “Chopin” approach to this situation, I do have the ability to practice focused awareness with significant self-motivation. I think that with this breakthrough in thinking for me a new habit is just around the corner!
_________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[tromba mann]

Great post!

I've noticed that because I play second in orchestra and all parts in concert band, it takes a real adjustment to play solo cornet in brass band. I used to think it was the equipment change, but your post makes me think there may be more to it. (When in doubt look in the mirror not the case, right?!)

I've been striving for a huge, warm orchestral sound on a 1 1/4 C for about 4 months or so and while I can get the sound, I lose flexibility and edurance above the staff (endurance in the staff however is actually improved - maybe its the focus on air). The real eye-opener for me was that when I went back to my 3C, I could still get 98% of that big sound but got back my upper range dexterity. I don't feel I have as much room to move around, but that may just be a "feel" thing as I get used to the 3 size again.

Derick, when you say a smaller sound, do you mean smaller as in more focused or smaller as in quieter? I would suspect that a more focused sound could carry over an ensemble with less effort than a fatter or more spread out one.

Can you wise ones out there chime in?

[Derek Reaban]

tromba mann

I’m glad you enjoyed the post. It’s one that’s been swirling around in my head for quite a while now, and I finally decided to write about it.

You wrote:
I've been striving for a huge, warm orchestral sound …


Well, it sounds like you are I are coming at things from the same angle. The “spread” embouchure with lots of air approach allowed me to experience what I thought that sound should be like from behind the bell (i.e. huge, warm, orchestral).

However, the sound that I was perceiving from the hall (as an observer), what you describe as a huge, warm orchestral sound, was far different from the sound that I was experiencing when sitting beside many fine players that are generating this sound at a distance. They just didn’t seem to be working very hard, and the carrying power of the sound seemed to be masked compared to what I was hearing from behind the bell.

With sufficient reflection, I know that I can get the job done for MUCH less effort by modeling this “smaller” sound. This is clearly the “focused” sound versus the “quieter” sound that you describe, but from behind the bell “quieter” makes sense too. I just didn’t think that this “smaller” sound would carry based on the effort required to produce it.

There is a great story from David Roth that is very appropriate to quote here (about Bill Adam).

[PC]

Great topic(s)!

Here are a few of my experiences related to spread embouchure, projection, endurance etc. in random order:

1. As the posters above, I have also always strived for a dark, huge symphonic sound. I write dark, because at the time, I thought that an orchestral sound was a tone where most of the higher harmonics were suppressed. I now think and strive for the complete opposite, a bit like described elsewhere by Pat Harbison, that is a full sound with all the harmonics present.

This approach resulted in my playing, on purpose, not to the pitch center of the instrument. Of course, all beginners unknowingly do that, but I kept avoiding the brilliance to be found at pitch center even when competent enough to be able to find it, just to darken my sound. Of course, this resulted in fighting the instrument and poor endurance. But, as Tom Turner has pointed out, this is not a handicap, at least for a while, if you play constantly and practise a lot. I could even brighten my sound at will for wedding gigs I did during my studies and last the full set, being the only brass on the very loud all electric scene!

As Derek states, a spread or open embouchure is not synonymous with poor sound quality, perhaps the contrary is true, but for me at least, it was far from efficient. Still, I was routinely called to play with all the professional orchestras, big bands and other groups in Israel, despite there being many great talents available (I got to play assistant first with the Israel Philharmonic and lead trumpet in a commercial show).

Pierre

(more below!)

[PC]

2. A few players made me start on a journey towards a more efficient setup and another sound concept:

- a trumpeter friend of mine (who went on to study at Bloomington, Indiana) had a way of always landing dead on on any note he would go for, with a sort of rich popping sound and crystal clear articulation, which I immediately desired to copy.

- while gigging with the Jerusalem symphony, I got aware of the tremendous efficiency of the principal trumpet and french horn players. As far as the trumpeter was concerned (at the time it was Ram Oren), he would sail brilliantly through Mahler 3, for example, playing 1st and doing the offstage solo, without the smallest hint of fatigue or indeed strenuous effort, carrying through brilliantly above the orchestra. I knew I was incapable of maintaining that sound intensity for such a long work without taxing my lips beyond recovery!

The french horn player made me realise that what comes out of the bell in the immediate vicinity of the player has little to do with what you hear in the back row of a large auditorium. In fact, again through the example of Mahler 3, I had the impression on stage that his sound was rough and quite bright (he was the only hornist I have met who played on a F-Bb-C horn). A trip to the last row of the auditorium made me realise how wrong my impression on stage was, as he had a wonderful, mellow and overpowering sound.

- hearing recordings of the great orchestras (CSO, Berlin, Vienna, LSO etc.) and seeing the same perform made me discover that some trumpeters were not content with obeying to the inevitable conductor's left hand and blend disappearingly into the woodwinds! I realised slowly that this type of playing was not possible with a spread embouchure and playing with no high harmonic content.

- playing with the Cambridge University Symph Orch while post-docing on the Island made me brutally feel the need for volume and sound from a principal trumpet to fight against the other brass, winds and strings. My first reaction was to push more air through the instrument, which together with an awareness of pitch center, did the trick to some extent.


Pierre

(...still more to come!)

[PC]

3. The desire for an easier exploration of the high register:

Coming from a stage where I had good technique but poor high register, to the point that one of my teachers classified me as someone who would never own more than a high C, so that I should specialise on low range work, I have constantly surprised myself by slowly gaining more room at the top without sacrificing sound and flexibility. Years later, I surprised that same teacher (and friend) by blasting him the Alpine Symphony in the face!

I cannot stress how maintaining good sound is important when expanding one's range. I have seen quite a few persons I knew gain a lot of notes upstairs but inevitably losing either their velvety sound or any stability on the instrument. I have already related the killing remarks made by Zubin Mehta while he was listening to audition candidates warming up: it was immigrants freshly arrived from Russia, still playing on their Bb's with small mouthpieces, excellent technique and range, but the Maestro nevertheless dismissed them from the outset by saying "this is the wrong sound".

Having taken to nat trumpet playing, the high register became a necessity, and therefore I had to be more efficient. As Derek has posted elsewhere, actually a relatively small volume of air has to be pushed as one ascends on the trumpet. This with the realisation that lips might vibrate more freely with less pressure led me to actively diminish the playing pressure.

Results happened almost at once: I got to play 1st part in the B minor mass on nat (with an amateur group in Cambridge), played 1st on Mahler 8th with the Cambridge Uni orch, 1st through a whole season with the Cambridge Symphonia, pulcinella with another college orchestra and many more.

I knew I did something different, not because I sounded different, but because playing became much easier. One horn player remarked that while playing Mahler 8, I did not show any sign of straining, a fellow trumpeter said that what impressed him when we played Stravinsky in 3 mvts was that I could play the p octave jump with consistency and my parents who heard Mahler 8 in the Albert hall in London told me that the sound projected perfectly all the way to them.

OK, to put things in perspective, I don't want to come through as saying I became on par with the greats of trumpet playing, as I still had and have lots of problems in my playing, like missing notes, short on technique, still weak high register and reduced endurance. But the progress comparing myself to what I was earlier on has been something constant, with a few notable jumps.


I realise how much more I have to progress to be at the level of working pros when I hear the kind of technique and range they have, enabling them to tackle any playing situation. Some players think that classical orchestral trumpeters do not have more than a few notes above high C as dubbas are not called for in symphonies. Well, playing modern repertoire can be more challenging then one would think, for example Varese comes to mind (high F# in Bb) and just the advanced control of all aspects of playing the instrument is such that these players have automatically a superb range, as a side effect almost.

Looking at pros who solo a lot, the need for solid range is even more apparent. I remember hearing Guy Touvron warming up before a quintett gig, popping beautifully centered Dubba Cs just before the concert. I played with pros in the UK, in classical settings, who owned dubba range with no effort, making that easier playing below high C.

The last jump in my development occurred here in Norway, when I went for a "close" lip setting, a la Ghitalla "m" embouchure.

More on that soon!

Pierre

[ This Message was edited by: PC on 2004-01-08 07:44 ]

[PC]

4. Going for a "buzzing embouchure"

Ever since I began doing lip buzzing and concentrating on having touching lips before playing, or more simply putting more of the lips in the mouthpiece, response and efficiency have vastly increased. Being aware of what the lips do (to a certain extent, as free buzzing is inherently different from actual playing) to produce the different pitches required, has had the effect of improving my "batting average" as someone posted elsewhere.

I am almost at a point where attacking notes cold on the nat, the Bb or the picc is completely equivalent for me. I dare even say that clams occurring in performance nowadays are entirely due to poor concentration, few practice sessions and juggling between different instruments and their completely different mouthpieces (from the new nat mouthpiece at 19mm OD with sharp shallow bowl, through my standard Bach 1.5B 22 24, picc mouthpiece to the tiny cornetto cookie cutter).

But just the fact that with ridiculously low practice time, on widely differing setups, I still sound way more accurate and resonant than before is to me a standing ovation to "the closed lip, resonating sound" school! More lip-buzz awareness translates, as many advocate rightly on this board, to less dependence on hardware. But one should still strive for that relaxed and resonant sound, which takes time to appear when first trying the touching lips setting. I think this is why many classical players shy away from this technique. I found out (as many others have already testified to) that I recovered my former sound after a while, but gaining in power and range at the same time.

I think that combining lip buzzing in small doses at no more than mf level with pppp long tones and breath attacks will guarantee you increased efficiency, resonance, accuracy and endurance.

Pierre

(still more to come...)



[ This Message was edited by: PC on 2004-01-08 08:08 ]

[PC]

5. Sound picture in my mind

Well, to balance the buzzing approach, let me tell you that without a clear musical message and a complete "picture" in your mind of what you are going to produce on stage, we are not dealing with music and one might as well plug in the synthesizers!!

Having the aural image up and going is the other half of my recipe for making progress. Only yesterday I heard a magnificent Sostakovitch 1st symphony, turning out to be a CSO performance. Taking out my rotary Bb, which is the last horn I would have considered for the job, I replayed the CSO performance in my mind and proceeded to play the 1st trp. part. Surprise surprise, it came out with such power and exactly with the resonance I went for that it hit me in the head and I remained smiling and shaking my head!! I honestly believe that having a clear idea of the sound you are going for in your head, makes the whole difference between playing the notes and telling a musical story.

At my orchestra rehearsal we started playing Raymond Overture by Amboise Thomas. I did not know the piece from before (nor would I rush to the store to get a CD of it!) and was using my rotary Bb, as I read the post about the Berliner Phil's New Year's concert where they played French music on their rotaries and wanted to emulate them, so to speak. So, I was having a great difficulty centering on the notes and making the trumpet resonate, even though technically I was duly following my technical manual for effortless resonating sound!

Playing through the piece again enabled me to create the right image in my mind prior to playing, et voilà! as if by magic everything fell in place. We then rehearsed Dvorak 8th, an old acquaintance from my days in the Young Israel Phil, so there the mental picture was already uploaded in my brain and I was having a great time, even though I would have had an even easier job had I had my C piston (but having been there and done that, I've chosen the rotary Bb challenge, probably at the expense of the poor ticket buying audience!).

OK, only one more instalment left (of course the delete key is always at one's disposal)...

Pierre.

[ This Message was edited by: PC on 2004-01-08 08:28 ]

[_Don Herman]

One comment, on semantics only...

Derek, I suggest using (more) "focused" rather than "smaller" sound. When I think this way, it helps my sound project, like I'm focusing a Maglite on the audience, if that makes sense. I think of handing my sound to the lady in the back row. (Personal bias; I never really care about the guy in the back row. Unless I need to really project, then I think of punching a hole through him into the back wall. )

FWIWFM - Don
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

[PC]

6. The Stamp approach - link between buzzing lips and relaxed resonance

Well, having been exposed to som Stamp earlier on, I have been returning to some of his concepts when lip buzzing and when playing Clarke chromatics. Concentrating on thinking down when ascending and vice versa erases any stiffness carried over from the more muscular approach to the lips one inevitably gets by free buzzing and making the lips touch prior to sound initiation on the instrument.

So the lips are trained to be dynamic and buzz as close as possible to the desired pitch when playing on the trumpet by free buzzing. This will have the benefit of always playing at resonance with the instrument. The problem arises with the fact that trying to make your lips do what they need to will interfere with them and either over estimate or under estimate the movement required, thereby taking you out of resonance.

The Stamp approach corrects for this provided the lips are trained to deliver. One then simply lays back and concentrates on lowering the right valve at the right moment and everything should fall nicely into place! This mental technique has the power to release stiffness, remove unwanted slurs from note to note and improve accuracy as well as sound clarity and beauty. This does not preclude slightly leveling the lower lip if too much of an underbite is present, especially in the stratosphere and can be combined with air power by working on the abs (restricted also for the high register, as no strain should be introduced below G on top of staff).

Pierre

(Actually one last one to come)

[PC]

7. Spread chops on low notes

The well known killer! Blasting any symphony on 2nd trp. and you wonder how the hell you will manage to play higher than tuning C ever again.

I think the solution, apart from delivering the goods with more lips in the mouthpiece and less pressure (and this can be practised) is to also concentrate on not losing muscular tone in the lips, even though the notes are easy and a lot of air is blown through the lips.

I thus try to slightly tense, or pull the lips towards center, as if playing much higher, to counter the rushing air needed for the ffff playing, at the same time backing off on the pressure of the mouthpiece to almost 0. But it is very easy to fall back into completely soft lips that spread under the air power.


Cheers,
Pierre.

[musicemt]

Thanks for all the posts, guys...you've given a poor college student much to think about. I have only two questions for you all:

1) What do you mean by a spread embouchure? Is that what others might call an "open" embouchure, with the lips spread slightly apart, requiring a lot of air?

2) Do you guys have some ideas on how to correct a spread embouchure to a more efficient embouchure? I think I've got a pretty good grasp on the mentality of it, but I'm not sure how to do the physical aspect.

Thanks for the thoughts and info!

[Derek Reaban]

Pierre,

My intent in posting these topics was to allow me to gather my thoughts around ideas that I haven’t seen discussed as often as many other items both here on TH and on the TPIN list. By doing this I find that I am better able to really get my mind around these ideas because I have to put them in writing.

I’m so pleased that you decided to add to this topic with your very detailed and informative experiences. I tend to learn best when someone is telling a story and makes me feel like I am right there with them as they are sharing their experience. I feel like I really know you after all of these great posts! And I also feel like we are VERY similar with respect to our playing.

The upcoming concert that I have with my orchestra has me playing on only two pieces (Copland – Lincoln Portrait and a piece by Ian Polster). I will be able to venture out into the hall on the dress rehearsal and scrutinize some individual player’s sounds (resonance and vibrancy) from both vantage points. Our Principal horn is marvelous and I’m looking forward to hear how her wonderful clarity on stage carries to the back of the hall. This is the first time in years that I haven’t played on every piece on a concert!

Thanks again for your great stories!
_________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Don,

I hear what you are saying. However, when I think about sound (tone), I tend to use words that describe what I hear from the hall and from sitting beside somebody. Focused is a very good term, but in this case I really think Russ had the right word for me. When he was talking about a smaller sound, it somehow clicked for me (of course years later) that I was allowing my set up to spread out requiring MUCH more effort to achieve results that were always just shy of what I was hearing from the finest players. Smaller somehow got me to consider what he had said and through focused awareness and hearing this sound in many different players since then, I’m now getting the result that I have been looking for all of these years.

Thanks,


_________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

[ This Message was edited by: Derek Reaban on 2004-01-08 10:43 ]

[Derek Reaban]

musicemt,

While I think spread and open can be synonymous, there is a definite distinction between the two for me. I read a great deal about open versus closed embouchures and then I discovered the Armando Ghitala article in the ITG journal (February 1987) which gave the best “picture” and description that I had ever seen. I made great strides in my playing after seeing those pictures.

At that point I thought that I had moved, once and for all, away from an Open embouchure with all of its limitations and frustrations. However, I would have great playing days, and average playing days. I would find that frequently while playing hymns in Church I could experience that significant “effort” creeping back into my playing. But at the same time I was playing through complete Charlier etudes (on my C) and Arban Characteristic Studies several times without trouble (previously impossible on my more open setup).

That’s when I finally discovered that even though I was more closed when everything was going very well in my playing, spread could happen and drive me back to my previous set up. This was a slightly modified version of what I was playing on before, but still much better than what I use to play on. This realization has allowed me to target that “danger zone” and know that it’s very easy for me to slip into something that is less than efficient.

While Pierre mentioned having good success with lip buzzing and Stamp (I also liked lip buzzing for over 3 years when I was making my slight modification from open to closed), I have found that the Adam approach really makes a lot of sense to me.

Please check out my post in “Brilliant, or bright sound” at http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=14549&forum=2. Along with several links to other topics that I have written that gives my best attempt at describing what I have gone through to modify my sound concept.

I hope this helps!
_________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[musicemt]

Thanks, Derek. I'll be sure to look into this approach. Do you think Caruso would be a good idea to help focus the aperture for more efficiency?

Ben

[Derek Reaban]

Ben,

I use the 6 notes from Caruso several times a day. Breath attacks and timing are certainly very important in the success that I have seen in making modifications to my sound concept. Read my posts in the above link and you will see what I like to do to get my resonant sound happening for the day.


Good luck!

_________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

[ This Message was edited by: Derek Reaban on 2004-01-08 11:17 ]

[romey1]

What sounds "big and dark" up close, doesn't necessarily sound "big and dark" at the back of the hall - IF it is even heard at all.

romey

[PC]

Hello again,

Romey - Yes, this is exactly my past experience! I remember vividly the disappointment in playing what I thought was a perfect 1st trumpet part, blowing my brains out while producing the darkest sound ever produced on trumpet, only to discover later in the recording that I could barely be heard, as a diffuse and dull faint sound, far behind everything else. When I hear recordings of my orchestra now, I seem to sound exactly as I planned for while playing (apart from the clams, bad articulations, wobbly intonation, ... but you get my drift!), and certainly manage to get heard.

I think I have finally succeeded in dealing with this issue and can at least recognise when things work and when they don't, exactly as Derek has stated above. When one achieves resonance on the instrument, the sound just jumps out of the bell with so little effort, that it is always noticeable. Spreading the chops, or playing out of "focus" will be felt like you drop 4 levels in dynamics while the effort has not changed.

Derek - Thanks for your kind words! Actually, reading your posts and seeing that we have had, it seems, remarkably similar past experiences has ecouraged me to clutter cyberspace with my ramblings. I hope it did not come across too pretentious-sounding, as I did not try to convey that I had reached top level in playing, but more that I feel I have overcome tremendous barriers by adjusting relatively little. But the understanding of the concepts and practice methods exposed by the various great teachers has been a long and difficult journey, though utterly worthwhile!

Regards,
Pierre.