Corners

Goldenchops55 · Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2002 12:03 pm Post subject:

Hey guys,
I havn't been able to post for a while, and you all know why. Anyway, this issure has probably been adressed many times in the past, but I just need to ask. A kid at another school in my town also does Caruso. He said taht I should keep my corners tight during the exercises, but I am not sure about that. MCFB says to concentrate only on tapping the foot, and don't worry about what is going on around the mouth. To me, tightning the corners during an exercise would be like concentrating on what the lips are doing? What should I do? Tighten them or not? I always do the Calisthenics with them loose.

bulos · Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2002 1:14 pm Post subject:

My experience has been that just by concentrating on the timing,keeping the set,and not moving anything the corners will firm as they need to....no conscious thought is necessary.
_________________
Marquis de Sade: "In art, one has to kill one's father."

PH · Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2002 2:48 pm Post subject:

Follow the Four Rules just like it says.

If you do that you don't think about anything but timing while you play (although on the periphery of my thinking I do sometimes need to remind myself to keep the blow steady as the exercises get tougher). That's it!

Put the mouthpiece on your face and just play. Thinking about your embouchure or "trying" to do anything with your chops actually works counter to the calisthenics and can retard your progress or even cause you to have negative results.

CRJAZZMAN · Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2002 1:14 am Post subject:

I think your friend may be over doing the idea of holding your set during the 4 counts rest. Hold the set but don't let it turn in to isometrics. Your first reaction is correct. Play, don't think.

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SC gave me a double C!
Matt Canfield

[ This Message was edited by: CRJAZZMAN on 2002-11-04 04:14 ]

Liad Bar-EL · Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2002 2:20 am Post subject:

Matt Canfield: "I think your friend may be over doing the idea of holding your set during the 4 counts rest. Hold the set but don't let it turn in to isometrics. Your first reaction is correct. Play, don't think."
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It seems to me that just by not taking the horn from your mouth and breathing through your nose has some degree of isometrics involved, IMO, and it is this very thing which has strengthen my chops in such a short amount of time.

Does Carmine say something about isometrics in his MCFB book?

Looking for clarification,

_bugleboy · Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2002 5:14 am Post subject:

To my knowledge, Carmine never endorsed any form of isometrics away from the horn, as in the pencil exercise, for example.

He used to say that if you wanted to learn to play the trumpet, then you had to practice the trumpet.

He never mentioned corners, or the need to keep them firm. If you are intentionally, consciously, willfully trying to maintain a specific type of muscular flex in the corners then you will be defeating yourself and the purpose of the calisthenics. The calisthenics are designed to let the body find its own, natural way to play without the brain meddling in and trying to decide what is the right way to do it.

Let the muscles decide what is right for themselves. Let them develop the way THEY choose to develop and not the way your mind says they should choose.

Remember, nature commanded is nature obeyed. You have chosen to put the horn on your lips and blow the air and tap your foot. Sorry, but that's all the choices you are allowed.

From this point on you must let nature take over and decide what is in the best interests of the muscles involved.

If you believe, however, that the trumpet is somehow played other than with the muscles of the face and respiratory system; then disregard this post.

_________________
Charles Raymond

[ This Message was edited by: bugleboy on 2002-11-04 08:52 ]

[ This Message was edited by: bugleboy on 2002-11-04 08:54 ]