talcito

Is a bad day a day your chops do not feel good or is it a day that you are just not "sounding" good.

I find that with professional players the quality of their playing will usually be consistant no matter how they "feel".

I think Armando Ghittala once said "Do not worry about how you feel, worry about how you sound".

Personally, I tend to have more problems with the "feel" part of the "bad day" problem.

My teacher, Mitch Jellen, always recommends to start the day playing at a comfortable volume, mainly with flow studies, using a cup mute.

By using a cup mute it will give you a chance to get you chops going without worrying about the sound. When we start warming up without the mute we start trying to manipulate the sound with our chops and before you know it ---A real "bad Day" begins.

Try using a cup mute at the start of your practise session and you will have alot more good days!

Good Luck,

Oscar Onoz