More Air.......

[weekendwarrior]

How much more air does the Chicago School require?

WW

[steve_fenick]

It isn't so much that proponents use "more" air. The idea is that wind is fuel for a great sound, so you use the amount of wind that allows you to get that great sound. Proponents of this school of thought don't focus on pushing huge amounts of air through the horn while playing. They concern themselves with getting a great concept of the way they want to sound, and focus on that ideal sound while playing.

[J.B.]

It requires exactly 14 cubic centimeters more. So use that much and you'll sound just like them.

[Derek Reaban]

There is a really great article by John Hagstrom (from the Chicago Symphony) where he provides some good comments on air support.

He says, "The biggest misconception of Chicago Symphony high brass tone production: It is that we are blowing huge quantities of air through the instrument in the way the trombones and tuba do. This is false, but it is not hard to see how this misconception starts and spreads. Everyone has been told at one time or another in their training to use more air support, which gets distilled down into 'Use more air!'

At first, our sense of what it feels like to use more air is rather crude, but our efforts in that direction pay off handsomely. Tone and consistency improve, but the improvement is the result of air being put into the position of starting the sound, with the lips and tongue being much more of a reaction to the air. Even so, the player may improperly conclude that it was the quantity of air that made the difference, when it really was the immediacy and the compression of the air that were responsible for the improvements. In fact, the trumpets and horns are blowing much harder than the trombones and tuba, but much less air quantity actually goes into the trumpet and horns, especially in the high register.

The goal of efficient high brass tone production is to have the action of the air at the beginning of the tone generation process. Combined with a strong and healthy mental image of what the player is trying to sound like, the lips and tongue will gradually begin to react in balance with the air to create the desired sound."

The entire article is found at:
John Hagstrom Article


And then read these words from another Chicago player:

In the recent article by Jay Friedman Winning trumpet audition strategies he has a very intriguing comment about air:

[Don Herman rev2]

[mattdalton]

Derek -
Those are very apt quotes from John Hagstrom and Jay Friedman, and I'm glad you posted them. The points "action of the air at the beginning of the tone generation" and "if the air starts quickly enough..." are so important.

I find that when I have problems with my attacks, the fix is usually one of getting the right (fast enough) air speed at the beginning of the note. I've seen this in students too. When I read Jay Friedman's article and saw the quote you posted plus another line reading "the large core is caused by a fast moving air stream, emanating from a good sized source at the beginning of notes," it really spoke to me as something to focus on.

The simplicity and effectiveness of song and wind is great, but this additional specific point about how to use the wind helps bring it all together.
_________________
Matt Dalton

[jfmaulding]

[weekendwarrior]

When I take a big breath before short phrases, I tend to get stacked resulting in me having more tension and having to release air after I'm done playing.

WW

[jfmaulding]