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gregtrum84 · 10-19-2005, 09:12 AM

Hi Manny,

Thanks for the suggestion, having someone remind me to think of specifics instead of the big picture has already pointed my thinking in a different direction. I think the reason I have so much trouble with frustration is because these issues all seem to tie together with no clear solution. Here are some of the specific problems I've been having:

Range:
This is probably my biggest issue. I was never one of those kids who had "high chops", and playing in the upper register has always been a struggle for me. I've heard from a number of professionals that this is because I am trying to make resonance in my sound by opening up my oral cavity and this is slowing down the air and making it a struggle for me to play in the high register. I'm not very sure as to how to go about correcting this problem, as I've heard many differences in opinion on how to do this. Also, it seems that if I try to physically manipulate my tounge while I play it really stiffens things up.
I've also had people say that my chops are too tense and that the air not doing the work for me; again I have trouble moving more air just by thinking about it. If I try to blow harder I get really tense and stiffen up and it hurts to play.

Flexibility and Efficiancy:

In terms of simply getting around the horn, it has never been super easy for me...I carry a lot of tension when I play, and I'm not sure where tension in the body is supposed to be and where its bad. I do know that I play the easiest when I am the most relaxed. I've been having some success lately with approaching things with more mental work, I find if I can sing through something and then get a picture in my mind of the sound of the notes before I play, then I don't get as tense and things work better.

Sound:
I am overall happy with my sound, however I really want to put more resonance into it and I'm not sure how to do that correctly. I do a lot of listening, especially of Phil Smith, and I record myself to try and emulate his sound, and in that regard I seem to be getting closer. On days where I can hear Phil in my head when I play everything seems easy.

In other words, these problems I think stem from things a teacher can't directly see and fix: tongue position and the shape of the oral cavity. I'm not really sure how to train my body to arch the tounge in the most efficiant way...I've had some success with a more mental approach involving intense conception of the sound and singing, but maybe I've just never been taught a good way to go about fixing this physically.

I hope this helps, if you need me write more I would be happy to.

Thanks for all your help.

Best,

Greg
[/i]

10-19-2005, 09:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
gregtrum84 New Friend Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 24	Hi Manny, Thanks for the suggestion, having someone remind me to think of specifics instead of the big picture has already pointed my thinking in a different direction. I think the reason I have so much trouble with frustration is because these issues all seem to tie together with no clear solution. Here are some of the specific problems I've been having: Range: This is probably my biggest issue. I was never one of those kids who had "high chops", and playing in the upper register has always been a struggle for me. I've heard from a number of professionals that this is because I am trying to make resonance in my sound by opening up my oral cavity and this is slowing down the air and making it a struggle for me to play in the high register. I'm not very sure as to how to go about correcting this problem, as I've heard many differences in opinion on how to do this. Also, it seems that if I try to physically manipulate my tounge while I play it really stiffens things up. I've also had people say that my chops are too tense and that the air not doing the work for me; again I have trouble moving more air just by thinking about it. If I try to blow harder I get really tense and stiffen up and it hurts to play. Flexibility and Efficiancy: In terms of simply getting around the horn, it has never been super easy for me...I carry a lot of tension when I play, and I'm not sure where tension in the body is supposed to be and where its bad. I do know that I play the easiest when I am the most relaxed. I've been having some success lately with approaching things with more mental work, I find if I can sing through something and then get a picture in my mind of the sound of the notes before I play, then I don't get as tense and things work better. Sound: I am overall happy with my sound, however I really want to put more resonance into it and I'm not sure how to do that correctly. I do a lot of listening, especially of Phil Smith, and I record myself to try and emulate his sound, and in that regard I seem to be getting closer. On days where I can hear Phil in my head when I play everything seems easy. In other words, these problems I think stem from things a teacher can't directly see and fix: tongue position and the shape of the oral cavity. I'm not really sure how to train my body to arch the tounge in the most efficiant way...I've had some success with a more mental approach involving intense conception of the sound and singing, but maybe I've just never been taught a good way to go about fixing this physically. I hope this helps, if you need me write more I would be happy to. Thanks for all your help. Best, Greg [/i]