| Ballance/Resonance
I just wanted to add a quick comment here. I think this discussion is really great. For the last two years I have studied with Jim Thompson at Eastman. For those not farmiliar with his methodolgy, he essentially discusses this subject a good bit in studio. He says that the ballence of the lip and air will create the most resonant and 'ballenced' tone. If you grip too much with the lip you will pinch of fthe sound, if you blow too much air you will blow open your apeture. A small, strong, flexible apeture combine with proper airflow makes a resonant sound.
This past year in studio class he demonstrated this concept. We had a trumpet section playing the last movment to Shost. 5. Whomever was playing first wasn't getting it, so Thompson stepped in to demonstrate. He said if you try to really play loud,and force the sound by gripping with the lips it will sound like just a loud straining trumpet. And, it was exactly that....just loud....a sound that will project like 10 feet. Then he showed us how to play the piece again ballencing the air with the lip to create a resonant sound. His sound was not nearly as 'loud' as the first time, but this time it was devestationg. The ring and the overtones were so screaming in that small room that I literally covered my ears because it hurt. He said that the second sound will cut through an orchestra, and the first will get the hand from a conductor.
Just my .02 cents about what I have been taught.
Chris |