Thanks Lou

This week has been a great playing week for me.

Let Go

After weeks of feeling unsure and doubting my playing, my teachers fulfilled their promises in a single lesson.

First, in my brass pedagogy class, we discussed "breathing". Now this is has always been unusual to me, since I have breathing since the day I was born.  Most brass players will get caught up in the ideas of correct breathing or textbook routines. 

"If you follow this method, you'll sound like the player who wrote it down"

Not to say that these method books are bad, just sometimes people take them to literal.. and do more damage than good.  Back to breathing, the number one routine step most of us do, is play long tones. Breathe in, play a Bb for 4 beats, slur down to an A breathe on beat 4. Repeat down chromatically.  AKA Remmington #1.  (From Emory Remmington)  The issue is an intake of 1 and blow of 7. a 1-7 ratio.  This is not how the body NATURALLY functions.  When brass players start their day this way... they spend the next 20 mins trying to get relaxed... they have induced a sense of tension.  This leads to perhaps starting the day with a 1-1 ratio. In (with a relaxed, conversational breath) for 1 beat blow a note for one beat, repeat up the scale.  Then move to a 1-2 ratio, in for 1 blow the note for 2 beats. ETCETERA until you reach a comfortable goal.  Now my friends will notice that this is much more methodical than I am used to, but it didn't hurt to try... as a matter of fact, it felt great!!! 

The next little lesson came from the notion of the actual intake of air.  Action or reaction??  Is the reaction of breathing in blowing the note? NO!! That is what everyone is taught.  Instead, the reaction of blowing out is breathing in (to survive) again, something I've been doing since day 1 of existing.  When a brass player breathes in, it is similar to sneaking up behind someone and spooking them.  The tension and quick breathe in... anxious feeling... The mind recognizes the similarities and therefore... playing is fear based.  The initial quick intake is done in fear of not having enough air... this is ass backwards... the body should be relaxed on the intake... not tense.

Again, it's like telling someone to not focus on focusing.  There isn't a correct nomenclature for this... it's just trial and error.  

Just Go With It

The biggest lesson came from helping a friend who is struggling with these concepts.  We put the metronome on a quick enough tempo (80 or so) and played one note back and forth descending chromatically.  G---G---F#---F#-----G----G----F----F--- etc... we did that for an hour.  What this does is allows the player to aurally hear and physically feel where the resonance meets the sound to create the tone.  By having a partner to do this with, and doing it at a quick tempo.... you don't have time to think... you just BLOW....

The biggest issue with most musicians is that we think too much... Over thinking and over analyzing separates the body from the mind.  (to quote Tool)

Why was this so important... because I realized that I didn't come here to become more creative or to inspire me... I'm already quite driven and you can't force creativity.  I came here to learn how to play more efficiently and play in good mental and physical health so I can continue to do this for the rest of my life.  You just have to learn to let go, because you never know who or what is going to take you left!