Claude Gordon on Fingers and Breath Control

[Jeff_Purtle]

https://www.purtle.com/audio/claude-gordon-brass-camp-1992-claude-gordon-wind-control-fingers-and-how-you-practice

Also, K Tongue Modified single tonguing is briefly explained at the start.

Jeff
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Jeff Purtle
Trumpet Lessons Online since 2004, teaching since 1983
MultiTouch book on Claude Gordon
+1 864-354-3223 iPhone w/ FaceTime
Skype: jeff_purtle

[ebolton]

Thank you for this. I've listened to about half so far. Keeping it paused in a browser tab for now.

Early on, on your site somewhere, I encountered the advice about keeping the fingers off the valve buttons and pinky out of the ring. I've always naturally been a fingers-off guy, but I thought keeping the pinky out of the ring was insane. How are you supposed to know where the valves are?

But I tried it for awhile. No problems, and it did seemed to help with my speed on the third valve.

One thing I had missed was the right thumb under the leadpipe. I discovered on my own I had to do that. I have mild (for now) Dupytrens Contracture, which inhibits the flexibility of my fingers. I found having the thumb under the leadpipe helps me more easily work my fingers. I thought that was a peculiarity of mine. I'm interested to see Gordon recommended it to everybody.

One thing I do question is keeping the horn bolt-upright. It seems to me it is more ergonomic keeping the wrists straight, which tends to angle the horn a little clockwise (from the mouthpiece end). The bell ends up extending out in a straight line right between the eyes. Considering the origin of the trumpet, I also suspect that was the design intent of the modern configuration.
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-Ed

[Jeff_Purtle]

Have you seen this article on my site with photos? I tried to summarize what Claude taught with pictures and reasons why it matters.

https://www.purtle.com/jeff-correct-hand-position

The point of the right thumb is for it to be straight and horizontal with the valve straight up. Then, the fingers of your right hand should line-up to strike on the ball of the fingers. This might seem like an insignificant item but it should allow your fingers to go into a strong yet relaxed position. Tension slows things down. I like to tell my students to look at the hand position of a fast typist or pianist. You won’t see their tips tensed up or them trying to do it flat. Because it doesn’t work.

Years ago when Claude’s wife and two sons died and he got cancer he sort of retreated and didn’t teach for a couple months. A few of us begged him to start back because we knew teaching was who he was. When he started again I had gone through a spell of questioning my purpose in life and slacked off on practice. Two of my good CG friends took me to breakfast and another one lunch and told me to get my act together and practice because others could tell I sucked. Heheheh. I needed to hear that. When I got back to Claude the first thing he did was jump on my finger position and my thumb. He taped my thumb like he mentions in that lecture and then said, “keep that on and practice with it when you get home!” I had a 3 hour drive through Los Angeles traffic and then I practiced
Later that night and the habit was instantly broken. I should post some pictures of exactly what he did with the tape. It was kind of funny but I never forgot it.

Fast forward a fee more years and I was doing the chromatically in Clarke’s Setting Up Drills and I was sort of at a plateau with speed. I slowed it back down and focused on the thumb and the striking and lifting and built it back up. In a couple more weeks I broke past that speed barrier and I know it was because of a subtle change in hand position.

Finger technique wasn’t something I really cared about when I started with Claude. I was in 11 grade and obsessed with high notes. Thankfully, Clyde made me work on every aspect of playing. My fingers quickly improved and I just followed what he said and it worked.

Jeff
_________________
Jeff Purtle
Trumpet Lessons Online since 2004, teaching since 1983
MultiTouch book on Claude Gordon
+1 864-354-3223 iPhone w/ FaceTime
Skype: jeff_purtle

[ebolton]

Thanks, sir.

My position is pretty similar to the photos you have labeled as correct, including the point of contact with the fingers and buttons. The only difference is the angle.

In the picture, you can see both hands are rotated slightly at the wrist. As I hold the trumpet, both of my wrists are neutral.

It's a very slight difference, but it makes a big difference over time. Ask anybody that rides long distances on a motorcycle!

[GeorgeB]

For all the years I have played, before and after my 50 year hiatus, I have never used the pinky ring. It was how i was taught by a professional player. The only thing he didn't tell is what to do with the thumb. I always placed between the first and second valve. So resting the thumb on the first valve was new and by golly, it definitely makes it easier to strike the valves correctly.
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GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet

[kalijah]

[Jeff_Purtle]

Glad you enjoyed it. It was one thing that was never shown in Claude’s books but matters so much.

In that audio lecture on fingers and one of the intros to his earlier camps (i.e. maybe `87 or `8 Claude mentions an old pro that took lessons and said he hadn’t experienced improvement in the Clarke book and Claude’s point was the guy kept playing them the same as the previous 40 years.

The lifting high helps you emphasize a definite exaggerated movement of your fingers so when you play faster the fingers still come off the valves. It also trains things to respond without hesitation. Keeping the fingers on the finger buttons isn’t found in too many brass method books except the World’s Method and a couple other lesser known books. I believe it comes more from woodwind players, that never do that because it will knock things out of adjustment and the travel of their keys is only a couple millimeters compared to an inch on the valves instruments.

Players like Doc and Allen Vizzutti and Arturo all stress the banging the valves down. You can also see that remark in Walter Smith’s Top Tones Etudes.

Each day we have to look for things to improve and practice different to get results. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, especially with the same material we get too familiar with.

Jeff
_________________
Jeff Purtle
Trumpet Lessons Online since 2004, teaching since 1983
MultiTouch book on Claude Gordon
+1 864-354-3223 iPhone w/ FaceTime
Skype: jeff_purtle

[EBjazz]

Lifting high and striking hard is not wasted effort. It helps the tongue align with the fingers to avoid sloppiness. We can often tongue fast and finger fast but they don't always work together.
Also, a valve will go down as fast as you press it. It will only come up as fast as it can which is slower than your finger.

Eb
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Eric Bolvin
http://bolvinmusic.com/product/the-modern-jazz-trumpet-method/
www.bolvinmusic.com

[Bethmike]

[mattdalton]

Jeff,
After reading this a few days ago, I decided to look at your article on hand position. For 40+ years I have played with the thumb between the first and second valve. It's not uncommon, but certainly counter to Claude Gordon's teaching.

Lately I have been working with Greg Spence's Windworks, which has raised my awareness of involuntary muscle tension and finding ways to eliminate it, so I decided to give the Claude Gordon hand position a try. Going in I thought finger tension might be reduced, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that moving my right hand thumb has noticeably reduced other tension for me - tension both in my hand and between the shoulder and neck.

The change feels a little strange, and I've had to figure out how to not let my thumb slip around toward the front of the first valve, but it's getting easier. My finger coordination has been slightly off at times too, but there's less of that on day three than day one. It has required focus, but is not a difficult acclimation overall.

You may have seen or heard this before and not be surprised by the positive impact adjusting the thumb position, but I wanted to share my story anyway and express a big THANK YOU for posting the article with pictures!
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Matt Dalton

[Croquethed]

You have contributed greatly to mindfulness for me with this tip, Jeff. Thank you.