JAZZ IS NOTHING WITHOUT RHYTHM
By Nicholas Payton
What you and many others fail to realize is that the basis of our music is a dance and rhythmic element. Why the music even developed in New Orleans, as opposed to any other place in the United States or the that was equally exposed to Classical music, is because it was the only place Black people were allowed to perform African ritual drumming.
The basis of this music widely known as Jazz is a rhythmic idea not a harmonic one.
Charlie Parker, is often analyzed from a harmonic perspective, but Bird’s deepest contributions to this music were rhythmic. The problem that comes with Europeans analyzing African or Black music is that they do so with their limited knowledge base of understanding our aesthetic. It is a colonialist mentality to think that because you don’t understand something that it is under-developed or beneath you. This is the same mentality that was used to justify why Europeans had slaves of African descent in the first place.
Here’s another thing you may not be aware of. Harmony is rhythm and rhythm is harmony.
There is harmony in the poly-rhythmic interplay of West African drumming. When you strike a drum head it is not only a beat but a note as well. I take it you haven’t read my Dissertation On Bebop and Hip-Hop, because I explain those ideas in depth there. It would behoove you to take a moment to read it.
In short, nothing is new under the sun. With each successive generation, we pass the baton to one another and learn from other’s customs. It all comes down to a circle and a line.
Has European music had an influence on Black music? Certainly, but at this point, Blacks have done the most with harmony in the 20th century. Who is more harmonically developed than John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw or Gary Thomas?
Of course, you’ll argue about some twelve-tone experiments done by some guy of whom no one wants to listen to his music besides the analytical nerdy type. It should also be known that the rhythm section is a Black American invention. World popular music would not exist had it not been for so-called Jazz.
Music is nothing without rhythm. Rhythm is the primal musical ideal.
Sound itself is harmony and the whole idea of music and dance within a social context existed in Africa first. No Africa, no music. No Africa, no developed civilization as we know it.
To be more precise, you and I are brothers. All of us are brothers and sisters under the Sun. Be not mistaken, this music you call Jazz is no “collision of cultures.”
This is a Black invention. It is our path to freedom. It is what made White people finally have to confront that we Blacks are intelligent human beings, equals, so much so that Whites try to lay claim to our creation.
We created this music despite the odds and to have White people pontificate about how this was some type of “collective meeting of minds” is bogus. This music was created at a time when we were not accepted as equals by White America. There was no meeting of any sort. We took it and the world listened.
All of the music’s greatest innovators and practitioners have been Black. People of all races can play it, but they must defer to the Black American aesthetic. It’s really sad to see that in this day and age how many White people still can’t give it up to the Negro for his creation. These are the same people who will try to tell you that racism is dead. It is not dead, it is just dressed in different clothing.
And before you say it, I am not angry or bitter. I just want to see to it that Black music gets it’s due and propers are given to its progenitors. We created it, this is ours. Let us have it.
- Nicholas Payton
Dan Jacobs: Writings
BILL CHASE: THE "SPARKPLUG" OF THE BAND
"There are things I made Woody’s Band do that I accomplished without saying a word. Just by taking one note and placing it in a certain position, maybe an infinitesimal fraction of a beat further each night, with the objective in mind that eventually it would get to the point where I thought it should be. And the guys would follow those subtle changes without even knowing that they were doing it. That's a groovy satisfaction."- Bill Chase, 1965/66
Bill was called on many times to be the sparkplug of an exhausted band.
"And there were times when I knew I'd simply have to turn on the whole band, like after an all-day bus ride when everyone was totally beat...So I would turn it on so damned hard that at the end of the night I'd be completely spent. I wouldn't have one note left. Because no matter how tired or swollen your chops might be, when a key highnote passage comes up, you pace yourself and you play it. A major part of it is mental. If you say, 'There's no way I can make it tonight,' then you will not make it. But when it has to roar and you're the lead player, you can't say that. Because you HAVE to make it!" - Bill Chase, 1965/66
ON THE MEMORY OF MAYNARD
By Paul Griffin
“We, who have pressed cold steel to our warm sensuous lips are a fraternity of the knowing. The addiction of an endorphin rush from the unique combination of physicality, and musicality is difficult to surrender. As will be the memory of Maynard.” – Paul Griffin.
PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF PLAYING TRUMPET
by Dan Jacobs
The BASIC PRINCIPLES of playing the trumpet are few and invariable – but the METHODS of teaching, learning, and applying the principles are infinite.
It boils down to this:
1. A principle tells you WHY to do or not do something. It is a basic law or rule which, when known and followed, produces predictable, reliable results.
2. A method is a technique, tactic or manner of learning HOW to do something or how to acquire proficiency in doing anything or how to apply a principle.
Principles show you WHY the methods work and why you violate the principles at your peril. For example, the laws of nature are basic principles of this universe. When you know the laws of gravity, you become aware of the consequences of violating these laws and also know why it is in your best interests to follow them. It is the same with playing the trumpet or any musical instrument.
Methods are techniques, tactics or a manner of learning HOW to apply the fundamental principles. They are designed to train you how to do something or how to acquire proficiency in doing anything through diligent practice.
There is no scarcity of trumpet methods books. They are as varied and numerous as there are individual players. But if you're experiencing trouble with your study methods or your trumpet performance, you're focusing on the wrong thing. Go back and re-focus on the basics and your troubles will vanish. Ignoring the principles and only trying one method after another, will not lead to success, it is in fact, a sure way to have more trouble.
Further, if you only work only on methods of trumpet performance, you’ll be locked into to your methods. But if you master the principles of playing the trumpet, then you are free to develop your own methods. Do it the easy way. Focus on the principles first and methods second. Most methods will work, if they align with and strengthen the principles.
When your methods align with the principles - the principles will empower your methods.
-Dan Jacobs
IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD by Roger Ingram
(NOTE: Following is an email received from Roger Ingram. It is a email answering questions from a student trumpeter who wrote to Roger for help. The information he shares with us is invaluable. See www.rogeringram.com for more info)
I know what you mean about Bobby Bryant's sound. It was very distinguishable. Although most people like to chalk these things up to chops/equipment, but as far as sound is concerned it's all in what you hear in your "head".
Everyone has a unique sound. No two people sound alike. There are as many sounds as there are personalities. This is what is so wonderful about "sound!"This is why music and art is such a great thing! It's very personable.
For example, if I were to switch to equipment totally opposite of the equipment I use now, EVENTUALLY over a period of time and adjustment, I would end up sounding almost exactly as I do now because I have a "set" idea of what the trumpet sounds like for ME that I've had in my head ever since I heard a trumpet for the first time.
That's why it's OK to use the equipment that is EASIEST for YOU to play. You're going to end up sounding the same anyway, so why kill yourself? If you want to change your sound, change your personality.
If you really want to become a better player, change your personality!
Roger Ingram
Roger © 2007 Roger Ingram
website:http://www.RogerIngram.com
Email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
Phone: 818.679.6940
ON PLAYING LEAD TRUMPET by George Graham
I see myself as a lead player that can play higher than normal. Not a high note player that can play lead. Lead players make more money. Of course range is part of the complete package. I just happen to have a bit more than most. Some of that is from learning. Some is from discovery.
In my case, Arnie and I developed a range building exercise that I continued to do for another 11 or 12 years after we went our own ways. It certainly helped a lot to be working and playing lead for the next 15 years and get that strength really set not to mention playing every imaginable style. When you come to this town with the thought of working as a freelance musician, studios and everything else, you have to be prepared.
There's very little room for mistakes, less than wonderful tone; clams or anything else that would piss off the producer or contractor or a myriad of other folk. Maybe you can see from this that yes, range has its importance but there is SO MUCH more to it than that. And then you need ice water in your veins. Other than that, there's nothing to it.
George Graham
QUOTES FROM MILES DAVIS:
"Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself"
"Without music, life would be a mistake."
"Don't fear mistakes, there are none"
"For me, music and life are all about style"
"Don't play what's there, play what's not there"
"Where words fail, music speaks"
"It's always been a gift with me, hearing music the way I do. I don't know where it comes from, it's there and I don't question it!"
"A LEGEND IS AN OLD MAN WITH A CANE KNOWN FOR WHAT HE USED TO DO. I'M STILL DOING IT" - Miles Davis
WHAT NOT TO PLAY by Dizzy Gillespie
It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play.
-Dizzy Gillespie-
(note: this is a personal email I received from Roger Ingram, phenomenal lead trumpeter player, after playing at the Maynard Ferguson Tribute Concert in St. Louis, in September 2006. Be sure to check out his website at: www.rogeringram.com)
Hey Dan, I would like to share a HUGE win I had last night. It goes with our work together of two and a half years ago.
I was asked to be one of the featured soloists at the Maynard Ferguson Memorial Concert in St Louis last night. I stood up in front of an all-star band before a sold-out crowd of Maynard / Jazz lovers at the brand new theater (beautiful hall) at the University of Missouri St Louis and played my feature of the arrangement of "Watermelon Man" (from the "Come Blow Your Horn" LP of about 1962), blew 3 chourses of jazz and ended the chart on a double D, and brought the house down!
For me, getting up in front of the band and wearing the soloist hat, becoming relaxed and nailing the musical work was a HUGE achievement. Out of the 17 featured soloists, the buzz after the show was that Eric Miyashiro, Wayne Bergeron, and myself were the hits of the 3 hour memorial. There were other great moments as well, but that one for me being a defining moment in my life for sure.
There were some things about the way the event was put together and the selections to be performed (almost nothing before 1975. No Birdland Dream Band / Roulette years material) that I thought was jive. Other than that, it was a fitting, tear jerking and wonderful way to say goodbye to one of the most amazing brass players of the 20th century.
I want to thank Dan Jacobs for all his help. When I went into the rehearsals for this event on the previous day, I knew I was going to have to confront this part of my playing (jazz) but after working with Dan, I got myself together and had a big win!!
Thought you might like to know! Now I've got the bug! Going to get some charts together and pursue the High School / College Band soloist market.
By the time I had left the stage, I DIDN'T want to leave, you dig?
Stay in touch, Roger
http://www.RogerIngram.com
Roger@RogerIngram.com
phone: 818.679.6940
PLAY IN THE MOMENT By Wallace Roney.
"When you get on that bandstand . . . you're playing in the moment. All that (prior study) preps you for that so you'll be right, (so) you can articulate what you're hearing.
If you're in the moment, while you're playing, you don't think: "Oh, here's a C7 chord," . . . you're creating your story." - Wallace Roney
MY TRUMPET EMBOUCHURE
I start with my lips open. When I start the air, I bring my lips together only as much as it takes to get a sound. I never tighten them down so as to make it difficult to force the air through. Only I can determine by feel how much that should be.
You have to find out for yourselves how that feeling has to be for you. This is NOT the only way it can be done. Just mine. - George Graham
DESCRIPTION OF BOBBY SHEW'S BREATHING METHOD By Professor John Daniel, Penn State.
Generally speaking, the system Mr. Shew showed me involved breathing for those high compression situations that come up so often with trumpet playing. In other words, this system is designed to encourage easy access to a fast air stream. I know how weird this must sound to some of you already.
As we begin the inhalation, the belly button area expands a bit (not nearly as much as singers and most brass players encourage.) This step one, is only responsible for about 5% of the air intake according to Mr. Shew.
As we continue to inhale, the chest expands dramatically. This is step two. Also during step two, the chest might rise and the belly button area returns to its original position. This step is responsible for about 75-80% of the air intake. On a side note, I reread Rafael Mendez's "A Prelude To Brass Playing" the other day and his description of the proper inhalation was very similar to Mr. Shew's up to this point.
The next step, however, is where this method is pretty unique. Step three involves raising the shoulders!!! Apparently this allows the lungs to fill up more freely if we do it in a relaxed manner.
Step four is to bring the belly button area in as if driving a "wedge" into the gut. We do this as aggressively as necessary for the phrase at hand.
Step five is to return the shoulders to a lower position.
Step six is to exhale.
That's a total of 6 steps.
It is pretty mechanical and slow at first, but after a few days of practice, the steps flow together, the whole breath can be taken in an eighth rest, and the rhythm/momentum of the whole process starts to work.
Personally, the part that has helped me the most is the added leverage my abdominal muscles have in pushing the air out when this area is not expanded as far as most people teach. Also, I used a scaled down version of this method for most of the playing I do. I know how different this must seem from how many of us were taught.
All I can say is that it has been useful to me and me students, and it pretty well describes the way Doc has always appeared to breathe. I would strongly encourage anyone interested to get in touch with Bobby Shew. My apologies to him if my description isn't exactly right, but this gives everyone the general idea.
Since many of you have asked, I don't believe anyone is truly qualified to teach Jacob's approach to breathing except Arnold Jacobs. So I won't even try to compare the two systems except to say if they both work, then at their essence there must be the same fundamental principles at work.
Remember, the primary application of Mr. Shew's system is to play high and loud. HOPE THIS HAS BEEN HELPFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John Daniel Prof of Trpt Penn State Univ.
Note: for the source writing from Bobby on this subject see: www.bobbyshew.com
Note: this is an excerpt from a great book entitled, "TRUMPET TECHNIQUE" by Frank Gabriel Campos.
EFFICIENCY: THE PRIMARY GOAL
If there is a single quality of physical skill that ranks in importance above all others, it is efficiency.
It is the very hear of high-level motor skill. Accomplished performers spend most of their practice time refining their skill in order to perform more efficiently.
To refine means to separate what is undesired from what is desired, producing a product that is pure and unadulterated.
In physical performance skill, we seek to eliminate excessive tension, for the presence of excess tension separates the amateur from the expert.
It is not an easy or quick process, but it is the only path to mastery.
By Frank Gabriel Campos, professor of trumpet at Ithaca College's Whalen Center for Music and is an active performer and clinician.
NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR BEING YOURSELF
By Dan Jacobs
1. Never apologize for being yourself. It's the only "you" there is.
2. What makes you different and interesting is that you're 'not normal'. Unpredictable = interesting. Too predictable = boring.
3. Get used to it, if you're an artist, by definition, you're not normal. “Normal” doesn't stand out in a crowd.
4. Making people "think" is forgettable. Make them feel something if you want to be remembered.
5. If you're an entertainer . . . entertain them! Give them something to talk about!
6. Perception is reality. It’s what they believe they are seeing or hearing. When everyone thinks you’re great, you are, no matter what you may think.
7. Share your love of art with them. You're doing what they wish they could.
8. Reality is dull. Imagination is exciting. Capture their attention and spark their imagination and they’ll remember you.
9. Think big! Now think BIGGER! Now put it into ACTION.
10. Be audacious, be bold, be big, and be daring. Don't go unnoticed.
11. If you believe in yourself, so will others. If you don't, neither will they.
12. Some artists have had too much to think! Don't let thinking get in the way of your art.
13. Keep thinking you're great, you're a master, and you're unique. Then, KEEP PRACTICING.
14. As an artist, you are your art and your art is you. If you love it, someone else will love it too.
15. The way you think you are is usually how people will see you. Start believing you're great and that's how they'll see you.
16. If you want to change the way you play or the way you sound, change your life. The rest will follow.
daniel w. jacobs
© 2006-2020, all rights reserved
EFFICIENCY THROUGH RESONATE INTONATION By Mark Van Cleave ©1994 MVC
The Idea of playing efficiently is one of the most sought after skills that seems to elude brass players. The whole idea of not having to work hard to produce the results you want is pervasive in every part of our society. How can I get what I want without working for it! .....or at least working as little as possible.
When it comes to playing a brass instrument, the idea of how to get the best sound per grunt ratio is very important, being able to play well without paying a high price physically.
So, back to the title: Efficiency through Resonant Intonation.
What is Resonant Intonation?Intonation is the player's ability to match the pitch of his/her instrument to the pitch of the instruments around them. Resonance refers to the acoustical phenomenon that occurs when the resonant frequency of an object or space (in this case: the volume of air inside the instrument) is stimulated.
Resonant Intonation refers to the act of playing in tune with your instruments resonant frequency.
Matching the pitch you produce with the pitch that the instrument wants to produce (because of where you have it tuned.) I like to call this the Shower Effect. The Shower Effect is what happens when you are singing in a shower stall.
You happen to find one note that really jumps out at you. When this happens you have just matched your intonation (or pitch) to the resonant frequency of the shower stall (the resonant space.)
The efficiency that I am talking about is the result of being in tune with the shower stall's resonant frequency or tuning.
At this point, you are not only producing a sound as a result of singing, but you are also deriving benefits from the shower stall's enhancement or resonance. - Mark Van Cleave
(Note: I love this interview! She states exactly how I feel about jazz in particular and music generally. The whole interview is definitely worth reading) - Dan Jacobs You can read the whole interview online at: http://www.jazzreview.com/article/review-4631.html
An excerpt from a Maria Schneider interview by John Dworkin for jazzreview.com Maria Schneider - I just can't stand when I'm listening to music and it just feels like you're just sitting in the same place. I like music that takes me on a trip. I want to grab people's attention and take them on a ride, you know? That's how I feel. Music should be like a ride, and really make it so people just completely get absorbed in that. That's what I want my pieces to be, to bring you into a little world. They either make you feel like you're flying, or make you just... Who knows what, but that they grab you. I don't want people sitting and listening to my music and saying (mock voice), "Oh, that's interesting." (laughs). That's why I get so tired of jazz that's just so complex, measured, metric and - impressive. You know? I'm not looking to impress anybody. I'm looking to move people. What I like is when people say, "Wow, I was just taken away, " or "The concert went so fast because I got so involved." Or if there's a person who's just a very intellectual person and their favorite piece ends up being the prettiest piece, or the simplest piece on the program. That's nice for me to hear because it means you're bringing people out of their heads and into their hearts. That's what it is. I want my music to bring people out of their heads and into their hearts so that the most intellectual musician sitting there is no longer analyzing what I'm doing, but I've brought them out of that kind of head space. I think that's where jazz has lost a lot of people and actually lost itself in a way. So many people think that going further and further is getting deeper into the head. It's not. That's not where this music came from. This music came from the heart. And that's not to say that music can't be complex. But when music is complex for complexity's sake, that's where it runs into problems. JazzReview - I'd agree with that. There's a lot of that going around. Though there's a few guys that I can think of in particular who are able to write relatively complex harmony, or metric things... Maria Schneider - ...and have it be something... you feel they're not doing it for that reason. JazzReview - Yeah. It's still personal. There's people around who can do that, and I hear that. Maria Schneider - But the bulk majority of what's coming out these days is not that. I think there is a trend - more and more people are realizing that maybe the next step in their music is simplicity. And that doesn't mean dumbing it down. Not at all. That's not what I'm saying at all. It's a hard thing to describe but anybody recognizes it when they hear it or see it. In art too. JazzReview - Yeah. For me it has to feel like it's personal. If it gets complex but it's still personal, which I think some of your stuff is like, then it's... Well, using words like these is kind of weird sometimes, but it's honest, personal, and real. As opposed to just trying to go through an exercise. Whether you're a musician or not, you can usually feel whether that's going on. Whether it's really a personal statement or not. Sometimes that's in the composition, sometimes it's just in the blowing. Depends on the artist.
ON PRACTICE: BY PAPPY MITCHELL
"Practice slowly and carefully, speed will come unbidden."
Booker Little Metronome magazine interview with Robert Levin in Spring 1961
“I think the emotional aspect of music is the most important.
A lot of guys, and I've been guilty of this too, put too much stress on the technical, and that's not hard to do when you've learned to play in school.
I don't hear any notes as being wrong. It's a matter of knowing how to integrate the notes and, if you must, how to resolve them.
Because if you insist that this note or that note is wrong I think you're thinking conventionally--technically, and forgetting about emotion.
You try and build your story and resolve it.”
IMPROVISING QUOTE FROM CHET By Maurizio Giammarco
"While I was always thinking about the changes I was playing, he (Chet) led me to discover that there is a higher point, where you forget all the changes and you just go from note to note, knowing exactly where you're going."
- Maurizio Giammarco, tenor sax player with Chet Baker group in the late '70's. Quote from "Deep In A Dream" by James Gavin
CLAUDE GORDON: ON PEDAL TONES
He talks about pedals in his book, "Systematic Approach to Daily Practice" starting on page 8:
When done properly they (pedal tones) will:
1. Correct your embochure, therefore, help high register.
2.Give you great command of your instrument.
3.Give you more power and fluency.
4. Aid your attack and sureness.
5. Develop better vibration.
6. Develop intervals and fluency.
7. Bigger sound in all registers.
8. Develop endurance.
MUSIC, ROUTINES, PRACTICE, IMPROVISING By Roger Ingram
(NOTE: Following is an email received from Roger Ingram, legendary lead trumpeter. It is a email answering questions from a student trumpeter who wrote to Roger for help. The information he shares with us is invaluable. See www.rogeringram.com for more info)
To answer your many questions, first of all try to remember that you are a musician. A musician who just happens to play the trumpet, yes? Music should come first.
Of course it's great to become technically proficient on the instrument, but try not to become "robot" like.
Get enough technique to be able to express the MUSIC that is inside of you.
At the end of the day, no matter what style of music you play, even if you are just playing parts in a jazz ensemble or an orchestra, the main goal should be expressing music, and communicating to the listener through your instrument. A "routine" is OK I suppose. The important thing to do though, is PRACTICE.
There is a big difference between doing a "routine" and "practicing". If you want to do a routine, don't get "hung-up" with it. It sounds to me (according to your description) that you are doing a very complete routine already. In my opinion you may want to branch out and "get your feet wet" in some other playing areas. PRACTICE.............practice means going into a practice room and working on all your weak points.
Work on the things you can't do. Work on the things you don't sound good on and perfect them. After you get those things under control, get a NEW list of things to work on until you get a handle on those things. Keep changing up the practice menu. This will make you a well rounded MUSICIAN.
Getting hung-up on a routine has a tendency to make a player "stagnent".......meaning "staying at one level, and maintaining only that one single level of limited exercises". A player becomes a professional "practicer" at that point. Do you improvise? Practicing jazz can be a great way of maintaining ones overall playing technique and improves ones musicality at the same time.
Attempting to play jazz brings into play every aspect of technique necessary to play the trumpet at a spontaneous/musical level. It sounds like you love playing the trumpet and and that you are doing very well. I'm happy you take such an interest! Just try to keep your musicality in perspective.
Roger © 2007 Roger Ingram
website:http://www.RogerIngram.com
Email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
Phone: 818.679.6940
QUOTE: CHET BAKER ABOUT WYNTON
"If I could play like Wynton (Marsalis), I wouldn't play like Wynton." - Chet Baker
OVERBLOWING – THE BIGGEST ENEMY By Roger Ingram
(NOTE: Following is an email received from Roger Ingram, legendary lead trumpeter. It is a email answering questions from a student trumpeter who wrote to Roger for help. The information he shares with us is invaluable.)
There is the old saying among trumpet players; "You can't fill-up the world!" This is of course in reference to playing outdoors. What we're really talking about here I suppose is acoustics.
Webster's New World Dictionary defines the word acoustics as 1. "qualities of a room that affect sound", 2. "science of sound".
So, I suppose what we're REALLY talking about here in regards to your query is the LACK of acoustics there-of. When I travel with various performing groups, we usually play a different venu everyday. We could literally go from a wonderful concert hall with fantastic acoustics to some type of outdoor festival the next day with either no acoustics at all, or sub-standard acoustics at best.This is all in a days work and we get used to it.
When I was a kid, I had no choice but to practice outside. I wouldn't chalk-up any benefits from having been forced to do this though. It probably was NOT good for me as I most likely got into the habit of overblowing the horn from the lack of ANY acoustics (sound bounce back) in order to "hear" myself.
OVERBLOWING the horn is one of the BIGGEST ENEMIES for a trumpet player, and alot of players do not not know this.
This is why so many players have trouble extending their register among other things. You must remember, for your entire trumpet playing career you're behind your bell. You'll never REALLY hear just how loud your projection is. Besides the fact you are always behind your bell, you must also realize that one's sound doesn't "come into it's own" until approximately 4 to 5 feet out of the bell. These combined facts have a tendency to cause the unaware player to overblow in orer to "hear" themselves.
FAITH.......an interesting word applied to trumpet playing.......it has it's place in the trumpet world though. You must just have simple faith that your sound is getting "out there" and leave it t that. That's it!
Also, try not to get "mental" so to speak about it all. Experience in the recording studio usually teaches trumpet players how well their sound gets out there. Pre-mixed playbacks don't lie. That's why most great studio trumpet players don't play overly loud in the studio. Playing "backed-off" also helps pitch, blend, quality of sound, and flexibility just to name a few good playing qualities.
Believe me, when you play at about your 70% level, the horn responds better and actually sounds "louder". This also saves your endurance and helps you perform on a more musical level. That's why so many wonderful studio trumpet players still sound loud on tape. This is commonly referred to as "printing well on tape".
My best embouchure developement came from playing soft. Soft playing builds a different set of muscles. Loud playing generally tears down muscle tissue, along with "forcing".
I'm able to consistently play at my 70% to 80% volume level only because I spend time playing everyday at my 10% to 30% volume level to restore my playing from the previous gig.
Roger © 2007 Roger Ingram
website:http://www.RogerIngram.com
Email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
Phone: 818.679.6940
HERB POMEROY: ON PEOPLE & MUSIC
"In my early professional years, I had put music on a pedestal. To me music was the most important thing. I came to realize that I was wrong - the people are the most important thing." - Herb Pomeroy
A GOOD SOUND by Robert Baca
Attaining a good sound has been the goal of brass players for generations. Although our ideas of how to produce this sound have shifted from the actual physical study of sound itself to selecting suitable equipment, most musicians would agree that when range, technique and flexibility arrive at an acceptable level, creating a good sound becomes the greatest challenge.
By studying the concept of sound quality, you can increase range technique, flexibility and overall playing ease to a more optimal level — a fact overlooked by most trumpet players. Imitating a good trumpet sound involves hearing and listening, processes best achieved when we slow down our mind and focus our attention.
Full vs. Loud
A full sound generates a strong fundamental and a full compliment of overtones. When we direct warm, moist, relaxed air through the center of the trumpet, it enables the overtones to set up properly and the sound will have the clarity that was intended in the design of the instrument. At this point distortion of tone is nonexistent. This is the difference between full and loud. How can we tell how much air to use, what direction it should go, or at what speed it should travel? These questions are resolved automatically by listening to the sound coming out of your bell. Through much listening, we will notice our sound getting closer to the instrument we wish to imitate. We constantly listen and compare. A sound can be loud, but it may not be full. Compare a $199 boom box with a $5,000 audio system. The volume level of the inexpensive set has to be turned up to nine or ten to achieve a loud sound. As the dial reaches this mark, distortion occurs. The $5,000 system creates a full sound by maintaining clarity in a room when the volume level is at 2, 3 or at its maximum.
Concentration
Producing a good sound requires much concentration. With concentration, refined by our interest in studying musical sound, our mind senses, isolates and analyzes the entire sound spectrum being heard. Eventually, through repetitious practicing and listening, the trained mind will unconsciously react by instructing the proper muscle groups to respond in forming the embouchure and air support to just the right degree, thus achieving the desired full sound. The same process exists when we learn to hit a baseball, walk or run. If we are preparing to run a marathon, most of the training is spent learning to quiet our mind to let the body function in the most efficient manner.
Dynamics
Think of dynamics not as loud or soft but as sound color, ranging from dark to bright. Imagine bright as the lead trumpet voice in the shout chorus of a big band arrangement, and dark as the second movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. The dynamic color must fit the ensemble medium. A forte in the Hummel Trumpet Concerto with piano accompaniment would be drastically different than a forte written in a Mahler symphony or the shout chorus of a big band chart. Dynamics are greatly affected by the sound color of the rest of the ensemble.
The Printed Page:
A Blueprint Music written on a printed page should act as a guide to what the music should sound like. The sound is the end result. Printed music is only an image of what the composer had in mind. Three years ago I had a house built. From the blueprint I could conceptually see the roof, room sizes, landscaping, etc., but not until the house was completed could I actually observe the beauty of the design from the blueprint. In much the same way, the audience receives the full emotion of the performance based on what they hear, not on what is on the printed page.
Playing in the Upper Register
From the first music lesson we are taught that one note on the printed page is higher or lower than another. This is simply not true. Higher notes are actually faster frequencies. On the beach when the wind blows through a crack in a rock we hear the pitch go up with the velocity of the wind. A clear sound is easily attained in all registers when the velocity of relaxed air rather than the stiffness of the embouchure creates the upper register. Most importantly, build all registers slowly and securely.
Reading, Rhythm and Accuracy
If we practice too fast our mind initially develops the bad habit of not picking out all the details, resulting in reading, rhythm and accuracy problems. Slow down when practicing and let your mind see all there is to see. Near my house in Wisconsin is the town of Cleghorn, consisting of a few buildings and a thirty-five mile per hour speed sign. Few passing through this town observe the speed limit. Those traveling fifty-five barely know they passed a town, those doing forty notice the big oak tree with the endless branches that cover the road and those driving thirty-five could catch a rare glimpse of the squirrel that inhabits the trees.
As Tim Gallawey states in his book, The Inner Game of Tennis, "...the unconscious mind hears everything, never forgets anything and is anything but stupid." Practice slowly enough with a good rhythmic sense to notice detail, but not so as to "daydream" with your concentration. Listen to mentors perform slower lyrical pieces and instantly try to imitate that which constitutes good musicianship.