rowuk

Even if you do not use Monette equipment, this is an EXCELLENT treatise on "body use"! Read through each of the points.
David G. Monette Corporation

ecarroll

Hi Matt,

Try arching your foot severely while playing -- you will hear added tension in your sound in spite of the remoteness to your respiration. We are playing with our entire body, not just the obvious.

We listen to our music intently with our "inner ear", a heightened level of aural consciousness, examining instantly different stimuli such as resonance, balance, intonation, rhythm, etc. I believe that we can "listen" to our body in the same fashion, detecting tension and blocks as we also generate air velocity and energy (air as wind, not as air pressure, as Arnold Jacobs used to famously say).

This is a huge and vital topic, needless to say. Sorry that I don't have time to add more this morning.

Best,
EC

mcstock

Thanks for the replies. I was able to spend a week studying the Alexander Technique with John Henes this summer. The closest certified teacher is in DFW, so I'm only able to get a lesson about once a month. I'm convinced the answers to several areas I've been struggling with lie in what I'm doing with my body more than how I play the horn.

Best,
Matt