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Seymor B Fudd
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 17 Oct 2015
Posts: 1459
Location: Sweden

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 5:16 am    Post subject: Snap it! Reply with quote

BE well under way but: I have a hard time snapping notes, mostly in the high register(e.g. #slurs 11). Often I am able to slur them but that "snap" doesn´t seem to pop out. My favorite pro tells me that my face should be virtually immobile; the tongue should do it all - looking at a mirror I find my jaw moving along with the tongue so to speak + some other movements. Also seems to coincide with more pressure up high (+/- C3).
I found a youtube sequence of Hakan Hardenberger playing a complicated tune, an abundance of high and low semiquavers - while looking like Buster Keaton (of course not meaning to compare myself)

Somebody out there having any clues concerning my issues??
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Cornets:
Getzen Custom Series Schilke 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974)
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trumpetteacher1
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 11 Nov 2001
Posts: 3398
Location: Garland, Texas

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
My favorite pro tells me that my face should be virtually immobile; the tongue should do it all


Of course that is virtually opposite advice to BE. In fact, BE was written in part to combat the idea that the tongue is entirely responsible for range, In BE, the tongue is part of the equation, but the lips are more primary.

The bottom line is, the lips must move. Most players who try to play with a poker face will never get enough lip movement in the mouthpiece to facilitate proper development. Does this mean that everyone should have a lot of visible lip movement?

Not at all.

The lips may have different muscles, but we experience them as a single unit. We want to develop smaller lip movements in the mouthpiece, but it is hard to differentiate small lip movements from large ones. They all want to move together. Therefore, from the BE perspective, this "excess movement" is OK in the early stages of development. Later on, as development continues, the movements tend to economize, and overall lip movement may reduce to point where it looks you are playing with a poker face. I've watched this happen with many players.

Regarding your snap issues on higher notes, it could be many things, including simply needing more time to develop. But I doubt that it has much to do with excess lip movement. That is likely a red herring.

Jeff
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Seymor B Fudd
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 17 Oct 2015
Posts: 1459
Location: Sweden

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 7:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

trumpetteacher1 wrote:
Quote:
My favorite pro tells me that my face should be virtually immobile; the tongue should do it all


Of course that is virtually opposite advice to BE. In fact, BE was written in part to combat the idea that the tongue is entirely responsible for range, In BE, the tongue is part of the equation, but the lips are more primary.

The bottom line is, the lips must move. Most players who try to play with a poker face will never get enough lip movement in the mouthpiece to facilitate proper development. Does this mean that everyone should have a lot of visible lip movement?

Not at all.

The lips may have different muscles, but we experience them as a single unit. We want to develop smaller lip movements in the mouthpiece, but it is hard to differentiate small lip movements from large ones. They all want to move together. Therefore, from the BE perspective, this "excess movement" is OK in the early stages of development. Later on, as development continues, the movements tend to economize, and overall lip movement may reduce to point where it looks you are playing with a poker face. I've watched this happen with many players.

Regarding your snap issues on higher notes, it could be many things, including simply needing more time to develop. But I doubt that it has much to do with excess lip movement. That is likely a red herring.

Jeff


Thanks a lot for the informative input. The "stoneface" idea seemed kinda like a prison. I sure like the idea of slowly economizing lip movements, eventually becoming unconscious. As when dad taught me to ride a bike.
Concerning the snapping I believe you have a very good point writing "more time to develop".............Pinpointing my feeling it seems to happen when the new "strategy" collapses due to fatigue making me use that old pressure again. Slowly learning to recoqnize the signs. Once again I am guilty of trying to speed up the process . Lipsluring (Colin)filled my 70:ties and 80;ties and 90:ties and......so a whole lot of ingrained habits to combat I guess...
Not that easy to be young at heart and filled of zest but 73;
So many benefits already in spite of barely 4 months....Never ever felt that solidity in my chops.
So again thanks!
_________________
Cornets:
Getzen Custom Series Schilke 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974)
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trumpetteacher1
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 11 Nov 2001
Posts: 3398
Location: Garland, Texas

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The "stoneface" idea seemed kinda like a prison. I sure like the idea of slowly economizing lip movements, eventually becoming unconscious. As when dad taught me to ride a bike.


Good analogy!

Quote:
Once again I am guilty of trying to speed up the process . Lipsluring (Colin)filled my 70:ties and 80;ties and 90:ties and......so a whole lot of ingrained habits to combat I guess...
Not that easy to be young at heart and filled of zest but 73;


OK, but also be aware of the most common ingrained habit of them all - being too hard on yourself. Considering that you are in the early stages of BE (self discovery), I think that you are doing well.

Jeff
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