| Playing Soft
Greetings,
Posted this in TH, but would love to get feedback here as well...
So, I recently became aware of a horrible habit that had crept into my playing in recent years....a very narrow dynamic range. Playing 95% at a mf-f level, and only rarely going louder or softer. I've been forcing myself to play soft in recent days, and it REALLY seems seems to have helped with response, control, and eliminating the feeling that I'm "blowing my embouchure" out of position. And when I return to a loud passage, everything clicks more effectively.
Then I read the who's who list of people I can think of who stress soft playing whenever I read their articles or listen to firsthand accounts. Hakan Hardenberger and Herbert L. Clarke come immediately to mind....Chris Gekker and Hiro Noguchi have talked/written about this alot as well. And I'm sure the list goes on and on.
What exactly do you all think soft playing does for one's "game?" I have my own theories, but I'd love to hear you all think.
Thanks,
Greg |