The late, not-so-great ...

[barryj1]

Before switching over to the BE, my jazz improvisation was rather derivative. I frequently transcribed solos of favorite trumpeters (i.e. Miles, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, etc.) and worked out various chordal motifs but never really came into my own as a jazz stylist. Once during an evening cruise of Boston Harbor, the bandleader introduced me, tongue in cheek, as the ‘late great Lee Morgan’. The tacit implication was that I played well enough but still had a long way to go developing a personal style.

Within the last few months, I’ve noticed a subtle shift in my jazz soloing which has
become considerably freer, more spontaneous and innovative. Since none of the other musical variables have changed - I have been blowing the same horn and mouthpiece for years - the only reasonable explanation for this breakthrough is that the BE has freed my creative juices to pursue a more distinctive and unique conceptual voice. In short, I don’t sound like a poor imitation of a 60’s, Bluenote bebopper anymore.

Whether you play jazz or classical, I would be curious to know if anyone else out there
has had a similar experience.

[HJ]

Barry,

I don't think your experience has much to do with BE, or at least not the musical part (playing freer and more innovative). I think it gave you the technical skills to play what's in your head.

I am also a jazz soloist and until I discovered BE I had to depend on my musical abilities only. My trumpet skills were apart from having fast fingers and reading, not above mediocre. I am happy to say that I am a pretty musical guy, so musicians and audience all liked what I did. I got some nice reviews, played with some great musicians and toured all over Europe (I am from Holland). But, I was not always that happy with what came out of the horn. In my head I had very different things. Higher, faster, longer lines. Now that my chops have improved a lot thanks to BE I can finally play what's in my head. I am almost at a point where I can play more than what's in my head, which is a problem I never had before. I had a great experience two weeks ago: I had a gig with a bigband and I had this short free solo. I felt strong (after a two hour rehearsal and one set of bigband music!!!) and fired away at a high D. That was easy, I just proceeded and found a high F on my way up and could end the line from high G and a nice line down to low C. The people where cheering, and my solo hadn't even started really. That was the first time that this happened to me. The audience always liked what I did, but now it seemed as if they where overwhelmed. My tone soared out of the bell and even the rest of the trumpet section looked up what was happening.
So, what BE gives you is the ability to play whatever you want to play. It gives you the technique to play this. It is like you want to play a three octave scale on a two octave piano. BE gives you the third octave. It is possible that what happened to you is caused by BE: it gave you more confidence and opened up a kind of valve that makes you express your own ideas more. That is great!!

One other thing that might have happened is that you kept heating up the corn kernels of improvisation ( e.g. scales, arpeggio's, transcribing, licks, listening etc) long enough and some big ones popped, just like this happens if you do BE and stick to it. It happened to me after three years of hard work on all aspects of improvisation. Suddenly it just came together and never left me again. One day ago I was the Dutch Freddy Hubbard, Clifford, Miles or whatever, the next day I was the Dutch Bert Lochs, yes!!!

Nice post,

Bert

[barryj1]

Bert,

I may sound like a bit of a fanatic but since switching over to the Balanced Embouchure, things just keep getting better and better. My range has gone through the roof but its really the dense tone coupled with a greater physical control of the instrument that gives me the confidence to play things that were previously beyond my musical reach.

Now, I have the luxury to play a solo exclusively in the low register and with a minium of technical embellishment and it still sounds better than anything I might have played in the past because the tone is so much richer, lyrical, centered, etc. Each note can stand on its own merits. I've heard other musicians (not necesarily trumpeters play this way but never understood it until now).

Again great post. It sounds like you have become a monster player!

barry