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Originally Posted by pops I see both sides of this and you both have good points.
Embouchure is sometimes VERY important but that importance drops to Zero as soon as you get the problem corrected.
Tone, musicianship... is ALWAYS VERY important. That never changes. . .
. . . They don't all make the transition using that approach. They never did all make it. Plus you said the magic words YOU already had tone and musicianship. You only needed tweaking. . .
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Hi Pops,
Great comments!
I agree, once your embouchere "problems" are solved the embouchere is the least of one's worries!
Tone and musicianship are a MUST as a fine player. This comes with hard practice, discipline, developing a set of "ears" to know what sounds "right" by listening to others and by developing the proper traits into one's own sound and style. Obviously, competent instruction and coaching is a must!
Yes, my transition went really fast. I did just need "tweaking." I already had lots of experience on the horn, already had a good sound, already had strong chops and already played with very little arm pressure on the chops.
Lee said it was quicker than any other person he'd helped. He added that I was already doing MOST of the right things, at least partially, already. Still, I had to endure the sacrifice of unlearning some hindering habits and for a few days hardly a sound would come out. Most people choose to "cut their losses" and abandon the commitment during that dark hour but I refused to give in to myself. The sacrifice was worth it!!!
Back on the "old" Trumpet Herald I would post each week for a couple of months or so about my practice . . . and I was climbing a note chromatically about each day. WHAT AN EXCITING TIME!!!ll
Still . . . I really feel for people who write me PMs and send me e-mails for advice on making their own breakthrough. I'm not there to see what they might be doing wrong . . . if I could even help them then. Some of 'em are doing soooo many other things wrong and everything HAS to be working right to play one's best!
ON A SIDE NOTE . . .
Today I was watching a DVD of a live performance I was involved in during a week-long international worship conference a year or so ago. I was mailed a twenty-five minute excerpt from a FIVE HOUR LONG session one evening backing an artist from New York. This excerpt is actually about half-way through the evening and it called for chops of steel and lots of Phil Driscoll-like range, bravura, flexibility and power. Lots of Dubba Bs and Dubba Ds on that 25-minute non-stop stretch!
I'd already played morning, afternoon and evening sessions all week too! This was the Friday night session and I felt I could play on and on forever. I never stopped playing that entire five hours . . . and never felt winded. Man, what a feeling it now is to be able to do this!!!
IF . . .
If playing trumpet was easy there would be no reward in the satisfaction one gets when everything finally clicks. However . . . I'm convinced that many folks give up who could have been great players if someone could have found a way to help 'em "connect the dots" in the right way.
Pops, that's where you teachers come in . . . and I admire the efforts of the teachers. It's so hard sometimes to use the English language in a way that can help the student understand what you are trying to get them to do.
Talking, listening and reading are EASY . . . but UNDERSTANDING is HARD!
Warmest regards,
Tom