Several years have passed since I was debilitated and could no longer play. Working my way back provided inspiration to do all the things "right". Along that line I never was an improviser. It was a foreign language. Brings me to last night at the local Coffee house where I played solo ballads for a few hours with the assistance of the Abersold back up rhythm section.
The process of changing my sound has been thrilling. As a former lead player I discovered a very old New York Back 10.5 cw that feels to me like a modern 3C. I sat and played softly for hours learning the melodies to things like Autumn Leaves, Tenderly, Septembro, Bye Bye Blackbird, Laura, etc.
It was not until I began haveing an unconscious awareness of the melody, that I was able to go to a zone where all I did was to let the changes enter my mind without all the clutter of technique, fear, melody etc.
I let the unconscious mind direct my fingers and all I did was "sing and scat" hiding within the presence of the chords and tonality.
For the first time I realized I was improvising and the only way for me to give it a "grade" was to record it.
I honestly was not much aware of what I was playing - it just happened.
Listening back I was astonished. It was not "me" playing but some jazz dude. My former left over vibrato from Salvation Army days was gone and the tone "resembled" Chet Baker.
I thought this might inspire some of you old guys to take the time to do what you've never done. In my case the audience loved it, my grandson and my children were there and they all said Dad - "where did you learn to do THAT"
This awareness of what I've heard players refer to as "the zone" is becoming a new friend. One I've seen from a distance all my life, but always wrote it off as something "you have to be born to do"
Keep on keeping on...
May 1,2009
What do they mean by a small aperture?
Most people think of it as a tiny section of vibrating surface, producing the brighter, edgier, higher sounds.
In reality it is the opposite.
When you roll your lips in a little you have allowed the outer shiny surface to vibrate. That alone will not play well. When you roll your lips in they should gently touch: 1. the outer shiny red, 2. the area that is the dividing line, 3. and also a bit of the inner moist section.
This creates a deeper tunnel (front to back) to vibrate, and it is possible to use less horizontal lip area because of the depth of the tunnel producing a complete set of overtones. This tunnel creates only the sensation of a "smaller" aperture.
The very soft practice including whistle like sounds employs this favorable aperture. When you play medium or louder the lips naturally want to "chase the air" into the mouthpiece - thus losing the favorable vibration of the shiny outer red in favor of the moist inner red. This can lead to a blasting quality to your tone.
What the "small aperture" does is allow the chops to vibrate more efficiently throughout the tunnel and not spread out and poouch out into the cup.
If you practice a very shallow mouthpiece you will know you are using the tunnel if you can play soft controlled sounds and tones; especially in the middle range. Middle G is a good place to live in these moments.
When you listen to Clifford Brown practicing you hear great facility and sound produced on a very small mouthpiece. Click Here To Listen
gR February 12
I spoke with a fine young
trumpeter last night about developing range beyond F. He plays a Bach
37 that we have stripped down and suped up. He is now playing a Rick
Baptist with a Warburton 5 BB. His playing is very fluid and his sound
very nice.
His problem is that his mind is set on "working" for
the higher notes. He asked me if it took more air to play high? My
response may have surprised him "no - it takes less."
I showed him the basics of a small
aperture. The key of which is not letting the air "blow up" in your
mouth. Keeping the aperture touching in the center and adding energized
air from a basic wedge. I played his horn up to a few double Cs and
then some climbs to f,g,a,Bb. Demonstrating how it is a product of
balance, focus, and economy and not brute force.
He then played
a scale from C to C. and blew the walls down as he went up. then when
he got to the E above C it was just not speaking. The approach I took
was to have him start with a full Forte on middle G and ascend up
getting softer as he went.
In the next day or two I will post
some Mp3's of these type exercises for you. These are not statics or
climbs or soft muscle developers. They are actual performance sound
exercises.
You know I have emphasized the concept of separating
practice from performance, but I want you to know that you must always
practice the performance perhaps as much as 2/3rds of the practice
period. The difference is that you take sections of the performance and
use them as practice routines. Building the blocks and then gradually
assembling the whole. gR
February 3.2009
What do these have in common?
Roy Stevens #2 Jet tone Studio B (original) Bach New York 10 1/2 cw Bach 10 3/4 cw Bach 11 3/4 ew Purviance 1 Purviance 2 Monette B6l Reeves Purviance 8B Bach 7w
They
blow very much alike - very similar depth, sound, and back pressure.
The rims are wide and cushy. The biggest sound is the Bach 11 3/4ew.
The most mainline sound is a toss up between the Bach 10 3/4cw and the
Bach 7w.The Bach New York 10 1/2 cw presents a sound in the same color
as the Bach 3 - similar to Chris Botti.
How do you imitate the Botti sound simply? Use a Bach 2 cornet mouthpiece with an adapter to trumpet.
What is the most flexible and clear of this type mouthpiece? The bach 11EW cornet with adapter to trumpet.
How do you make a Bach 11ew sound like a 1 1/2 c on steroids? Use a warburton #5 backbore with it.
Why is the 11ew such a big sound? It uses a 117 BB if you want to reproduce the 117 in a Warburton use a 10*B
What is the most common cup diameter across the wide range of players? The Bach 2. What is the most common cup depth across the wide range of players? The Bach D
January 13, 2009
95% of playing is
between your ears. A proper mental picture of what is going on when you
play is a key to consistent performance. When you are having one of
those "great" days. Stop and take mental pictures of what is going on.
file them away for those times you are struggling. It will bring back
the confidence when you are in the middle of a job and things go south.
Take
a deep breath and go back in your mind to the scene you've saved when
it was happening for you. Playing is more black and white than you may
realize, and a strong mental image seals in those black and whites.
Work Smarter not harder. Practice when you practice - play when you play. Never mix the two. gR ............................................................ January 1,2009
How do you know if your resistance is "just right?"
and
see the air filling up his body as he goes higher. No doubt it's his
air doing the work. Now look in a mirror and play from low C to middle
C as an octave slur. Focus on moving the air through the same size
aperture, and if your set is right the act of blow will pop the note up
the octave.
From this point you can train yourself to picture the tones as moving on the air alone. You never want the chops ( the entire cor of your body included) resisting isometrically - it must be resisting the air alone.
The
Al Vizutti Book Two is a fine practice for letting this intervals come
naturally and not from tension or force generated in the lips, face or
tongue.
Truth: Most of us fool ourselves into thinking we are using our air, when we are really using force and pinch.....
gR
December 24
Merry Christmas - the Air-Play DVDs are now only $39.00!!!
The only way to progress is to affirm your foundation, plan your practice, practice your plan! Whatever you want to accomplish - you can!
November 27
Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks!
As you progress in your systematic application of the Air-Play DVD, there are a few pitfalls you want to avoid: 1.
Playing louder and louder - now that it is so much easier to play you
will be tempted to push the envelope. This is dangerous if it begins to
consume more than 10-15% of your practice. Remember the foundation
needs to established every day by soft sounds "dripping " off your lips. 2. Letting your tongue open your lips on strong attacks. 3. Avoiding interval practice 4. Not allowing each day to bring it's own due warm-up. Do not fall into a same thing always routine. 5. Not going back to pencil, and walking exercise regularly
What brought you to the dance is what you need to stay with all the home.
gR
November 19 Use your tonguing to build endurance and improve your large interval slurring.
If: You have a relaxed & controlled flow of air. A moderately developed embouchure A clear and centered tone in the staff. Can hold a mp tone for at least 30 seconds. Can easily single tongue at a rate of 16th notes at 110 BPM Can play a sustained tone from pp to ff and back without the tone changing dramatically.
OK... if you've got these under your belt then this type of exercise is much less likely to cause harm.
Still willing to do it?
Alright here we go.
no warm up - just play a middle G - HALF NOTE SFZp (bell tone) Do it again and make sure your stomach is moving towards your spine and the release is by gently stopping the air. Now do 8 of these without taking a new breath between - stay relaxed
Now the same on low C Now 8 quarter notes on F Now 8 eighth notes on E Now 16 sixteenth notes on D rest Play Arban #11 with strong bell shaped tones in cut time - flow the air. rest Now Arban #47 each note separated but not cut off with the tongue. rest Now play low C to middle C as half notes with the bell tone tongue then immediately slur the same while mentally tonguing them. then move through as many octave jumps as is within your range.
This routine should take 5 to 10 minutes with adequate rest between units.
Later
in the day - after at least two hours play the first section of
Characteristic # 1 using the same tonguing where tonguing is indicated.
Continue this routine evry other day for a week Have fun and see what happens to your playing. gR
Nov 17:
I have been talking about the "wedge"
of air technique. This is a simple demo: Hold the heels of your hands
together at the bottom. One hand at a 90 degree angle to the floor the
other at a 45 degree. Now close your hands together by only moving the
45 degree hand. This represents the spine at 90 degrees and the
diaphragmatic muscles contracting in and up creating the wedge of air.
The higher the note the higher the wedge. Another way to do it is to
play a low c and hold your hand over your navel allowing the air to
come up from there. Then a middle G and move your hand an inch or two
higher feeling the air come up from there and so on up. Here is a nice comment from one of our web site members:
-------------------------------------------------- Comment: I
never really got the wedge breathing thing, whether reading it from
Bobby Shew, you or others. That is until last night when I was reading
you web site and did the exhale with fingers on the belly button
repeated 2 inches higher and so on. It hit me like a ton of bricks! So
that's what it feels like. Now I just need to master it and let it
become second nature. I've already started doing breathing exercises
using the technique. Thanks!
Oct 28:
Foot Tapping: Yes I tap my feet!. Left right left right. Why? because using a L,R, tap keeps me balanced, and in the tempo. No I don't stomp, and the guy next to me doesn't complain - Sometimes it's just my toes tapping.
If
you walk down the street it is pretty noticeable when you change speed.
It is a conscious thing, or it is a feel thing if you listen to music
while you walk.
If you tap your foot L,L,L,L or R,R,R,R, you are very liable to drift in and out of time. We are hetero-lateral beings. We swing back and forth when we walk. Just like a metronome.
So yes I tap meet FEET!
Tuning Issues Where
and what do you tune to? A lot of fine players tune to A. I always tune
to A because I prefer to play or blow down on the pitch than up. The
reason being if I am open with my jaw the pitch naturally goes down. If
you told me all of your notes above the staff were rising on the pitch
I would blame your teeth and jaw for closing.
The other nice
thing about tuning to A is that it brings 2nd valve into pitch and it
is always easier to use a little 1st or 3rd trigger to compensate than
to try and lip up the 2nd valve.
Remember to try your best to
keep your mouth cavity the same size in all ranges. Not a OO or a Who
But a heh – where the air is moving right down the tongue. You can
thing of the word BAD – B for lips gentle touching, a for air (as
pronounced in bad) and d for a softer tongue.
part 2 Tuning: Pitch
problems that develop on notes above the staff are usually repaired via
either the throat measurement or the back bore.The rule is that if you
are flatter in that range your back bore and or throat is too small,
and if sharp then either one or both is too big.
When I hear
that the open valved notes only, up there are sharp, I can suggest a
couple simple fixes that sometimes correct the problem.
These sound silly but often work to correct the open horn pitch problems:
place
the butt end of your mouthpiece over the finger hook on the leadpipe
and very gently lift up – this relieves stress at a critical point in
the leadpipe and relaxes the blow on open notes above the staff. Just a
tiny amount is necessary. The horn will feel more open on the open
valve notes and much easier to focus pitch.
2. Swap your first
and second valve caps – this will either move the blow further down the
leadpipe or bring it closer to your chops – you need it to be further
away to help your tuning problem.
3. If your throat is a
standard 27 you can, or you can have it opened, to a 25. It takes two
sizes to fix the pitch. But I always suggest going one at a time, so
open to a 26 first and try it for a few days. I have a set of drills
from 19 through 28 and a handheld t-bar that locks them to let me open
my throats. Bach’s almost always play better with a 25 throat.
4.
You have a #7 Warburton backbore – get a # 8*B it will feel very much
like the 7 but bring the pitch down up high. If it were me I would get
the #8*B first before changing the throat – mouthpieces are more
expensive than backbores.
Oct. 20 It is a very real fact of life that some gigs just aren't "fair". Never-the-less it is not survival you strive for, but overcoming the obstacle of endurance. Point 1. Playing RBBB for 23 years taught me to understand that when my sound was clear, focused, and economic - it carried well, but I was never over-blowing. Most endurance troubles begin with over-blowing. The viscous cycle is then set up with moderate swelling followed by added pressure...
Tonight I played lead all the way through a concert. If you were sitting in the section you would have sworn I was playing much lighter than the section - but in reality my sound was relaxed, focused, and sang out to the back row with little effort. If I had given in to the massive volume around me, I would be forced to over- blow, causing chops and sound to spread, swell and hurt.
So many guys fail to produce a pure unhindered tone. One that "drips" off the lips. I can honestly say that by developing a free vibration you can overcome any endurance obstacle.
I learned from Bill Pruyn - a superior technician and veteran of the old days of the RBBB band - when between the three shows a day they played band concerts outside the tent to draw a crowd. I've played with Bill and heard him double tongue around double D. and then produce a "Harry James" sweetness on a ballad. The sound was never a blast - always a controlled free vibration - a pure - silky - glassy - sound that reached that farthest points of the tent without a mike.
This is what - IMHO - makes Rick Baptist a great lead player - his sound is pure and sings without force.
It's not how hard you blow - it's how clear your sound is. The edge on the sound does not come from over blowing - it should come from the natural sound of your core balance and the instrument.
my 4.5 cents worth gRawlin.com Oct. 13 A Valuable Hidden Truth
You
can set your core balance for any range, mode of resonance, or note, by
using your body to shorten or lengthen the length of the internal core.
Place
your hand over your navel and breathe in - do you sense the air filling
that area? Now exhale with your hand in the same place - do you sense
the air column moving up and out from there?
Now move your hand up 1 or 2 inches and repeat.
Now 1 or 2 more inches up and repeat.
This simple exhalation with focus shows you what the mind can control with simple visualization.
Now
play a low C while sensing the air column moving from the navel. Now a
middle C sensing the air moving from a spot 2 inches above the navel.
now a g above the staff and sense the air column coming a few inches
higher.
The exhalation must always be the result of a deep
relaxed breath, followed by an inward and upward compression from the
selected area.
This can feel like a wedge anchored at the spine being pulsed back and upwards at each spot in a relaxed powerful compression.
The
beauty is that the sound will be even in all registers, the tones will
be secure and the tongue will fade into oblivion as you learn to float
the tone on this flexible column of core air.
If you are coming
in softly on an A above the staff, you will have no fear of clamming
when you have developed this sense of core balance placement.
To
hit a E above high C will not be a guessing game, with arching,
squeezing, and pinching - it will float out on the proper core length
of air.
Some players have developed the backwards arch to ascend
- this is not necessary if you learn to breathe properly and allow the
Air to Play:)
This concept of rolling the air from bottom to top is an over- simplification of what Maynard used.
It is helpful to use a plosive attack and maintain a non vibrato tone as you learn this technique.
May3,2009
