| Hand position
OK, for me the hand positon has been surprisingly important.
For the first few years of my professionbal carrer, including my road time with Maynard, I held the left hand with thumb in the 1st valve saddle and my fingers split around the third slide - two above and two below - with my middle (the bird) finger in the third slide ring. My motiviation was to be able to handily control the tuning slides on squirrelly notes.
My right hand had the pink firmly embbedded in the finger hook on the lead pipe.
Problem: I was able to press the mouthpiece REALLY hard into my chops this way.
Now, I stive for as relaxed of a hand grip as I can muster - all as a means to minimize pressure.
I hold the horn with my left hand on the finger tips - no split fingers. I do most of the tujing with the first valve saddle. If I'm doing a lot of low playing with 123's I ocassionally go back to the split finger grip, but rarely. I keep my left hand and forearm as loose as possible.
My right hand still has the pinky finger in the ring, but I keep it very relaxed - channeling all force into puching the valves down - striving NOT to pull the horn with the pinky finger. Sometimes I take the pinky finger out, just to keep things loose.
My $.02 worth!
Nick |