B15M,
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ok so lets say that the pitch doesn't match, how do you make it the same?
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After you pop the mouthpiece and find the pitch where the horn wants to play, really think about that pitch. Pop the mouthpiece again with your ear to the bell. Memorize THAT pitch.
Now take a full, relaxed breath, release the air and play a 3rd space C. Are you close to the pitch in your head? Does it sound better on the horn?
The more that you do this, and find where the horn wants to play, the better the sound will be on everything that you play.
The problem is, when something really technically challenging comes across your stand, or the range demands are excessive, or you practice after you are tired then tension starts to creep into the act of sound production (in the breathing mechanism or in the chops). This is when the pitch center begins to rise and alignment with the horn gets thrown out of whack. Unfortunately, this introduction of tension occurs so frequently that it becomes the accepted “norm”, and then the baseline is established with some level of consistent, harmful tension.
Practice fundamentals regularly (daily) to cultivate a sound that is vibrant and free from tension. Then your pitch center will align with the horn!
John P,
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Playing low on the pitch tends to have a darker sound too, doesn't it?
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Playing square in the resonant center of the sound (in tune with where the horn wants to play for a given tuning slide position), leads to the maximum number of overtones ringing in the sound (both number and intensity of individual overtones). This is a colorful, vibrant sound that carries.
Playing low on the pitch tends to dampen some of the overtones. This dampening of the higher overtones will cause the sound to be duller. This could be perceived as “dark” to the players' ears, but will simply be a sound that doesn’t carry to the listener in the hall.