Poo Attacks

[vwag]

I've seen a couple of videos where some experts share the value of practicing Poo attacks. I do practice breath attacks early in my daily practice and on Caruso method practicing, but why do they specifically call out the Poo?

Poo advice appreciated.

[john sop]

It is the specific opening of the aperture to start the note, with a somewhat percussive start to the note. Many breath attacks begin with air and then sound. The "poo" attack is about the immediacy of sound. Hardenberger explains it during his recent Monster Oil video on YouTube.

Chris Martin combines the different attacks doing some "hoo" attacks first (breath, followed by sound), then "poo" and finally "too" (with the tongue). He discussed this in his Monster Oil video.

FWIW, I find them all ("poo" mostly) extremely helpful for making a good connection between air and lips at the start of my warm-up, especially when playing sotto voce.

[vwag]

Thanks for the quick reply, those are the videos I saw. The immediacy of sounds makes sense. Do you think it's just a practice technique, or something that would be played in a performance that merited that type of entrance?

[dstdenis]

What john sop wrote, and I'll add that there are pedagogical approaches that recommend bringing your embouchure forward slightly as a regular part of your sound production mechanics. Poo attacks help foster that approach. I don't recall anyone recommending poo attacks in performance, though.
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[kehaulani]

I've found that "Poo" attacks also force me to begin with a solid foundation for the note, whereas by beginning a note with the tongue, I can if lazy, begin a tone without full support.
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[Andy Del]

You can also note that this 'poo' attack is based in linguistics, as a 'plosive'. The 'P' is based in your lips parting due to air moving them apart, like uttering 'p'.

As far as a device for performance, it's not really something to use, apart from extremely soft entries which require little to no marking of the start of the note. If one thinks of the end of La Boheme you get the idea. I have used 'poo' attacks here and in a few other very soft passages.

As a device to work on production, they are invaluable.

cheers

Andy
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[BeboppinFool]

This is a piece of cake for me.

Many of my attacks already sound like poo!


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[Trumpetingbynurture]

They're for getting rid of the poo in your sound.

The real answer is that a 'poo' attack means you are blowing air past lips that begin In a touching position.

[jicetp]

I used quite a few times the Poo attacks with smaller orchestras, for soft entrances

[dbacon]

DB

[omelet]

My personal experience is that the Poo attack is not enough to set the embouchure, and that the tongue position for efficient articulation must also be set. It is easy to lose sight of that when practicing breath attacks. These are some thoughts from my amateur attempt at improving my setup.

[MonkeRules]

Buzzing...attack...Poo(h)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uit4tKo6YRs

Sorry, I could not resist.

Seriously: I like John Daniel's way to connect poo or hoo with conventional attacks. Stay on one note, play it twice (first poo, second da/ta) with no-little space between them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyXhQPdGIzk

[dobs]

[solo soprano]

The tongue, in and by itself does not make a sound. It is rather the immediate vibration of the lip that produce the first attack, and the interruption of the wind by the tongue that causes the lip to stop for a split second and start again, that produces succeeding attacks.

Here's a Bill Knevitt exercise some may find useful.

Moisten your lips and press them together, not pinched. Take a big comfortable breath, chest up and blow using the "HEE" attack instead of "Poo.", striving to make the attack with no tongue as clear as you can. The air stream must be fast, like a bullet. Then when you add the tongue to this type blowing, you will have a clear attack that has a full sound at any dynamic level.
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[Turkle]

[trumpetdon]

Hoo and Poo releases can be important tools for many aspects of sound production. Check out John Daniels book "Special Studies for Trumpet". He has terrific text and exercises. Also look for his videos on YouTube. John is a master pedagogue.

https://youtu.be/xbRpaf6jGc0

I play every note up from G below pedal C to G above High C with Poo releases nearly every day. I also do some Hoo-Poo-Too sequences several times a week.

And indeed, these releases have performance value. Another color in the musical toolbox. As John Daniels writes, it is Ave Maria, not Tave Maria!

[silver55]

After about 30 years of playing this has been coming up in discussions quite a bit. I feel a bit "old" for much change, but I like this concept. I'm utilising it in my warm up simply to get things established from the first note. Gets air moving, and avoids un necessary extra tension in the chops.

I've also been an advocate lately of taking a big breath, (without the horn)and recognising how the body naturally releases the air. Then apply that to your playing. Too much confusion thinking about "pushing down" etc etc.

[oj]

Manu Mellaerts (like Hardenberger) studied with Thibaud in Paris.

Here is Mellaerts explaining the "Poo attack" used in Schossberg exercises that Thibaud modified:

https://www.trumpetland.com/lesson/156-schlossberg-by-thibaud-program-i-warm-up-13

Ole

[dutchtrumpet]

Here is how I incorporate them into my student's daily trumpet life.

http://www.simpletrumpet.com/trumpet-blog/its-not-a-routine-unless-it-happens-every-day

[chrispate]

I use both Hoo and Poo attacks to help solidify the coordination between air and lips. Hoo does tend to spread my lips a bit much, but helps with the air if I can get an immediate response. Adding the Poo to that helps to make sure I'm not tensing up or flexing to make the notes speak. Chris Martin's words on this in his brasschat interview are top notch.