jdostie

Thanks for the responses:
From what I am reading, it seems unanimous that despite what I am feeling, I am trying to "push" too hard/play too loudly.

I am thinking this is part of what I am tentatively thinking of now as
"Control Problems/Unfamiliarity with how playing X feels" whether that be a certain pitch, intervals, volume and the like.

I wonder if the comeback player is disadvantaged in certain ways because of what he assumes he should be able to do/remember, and the interesting things I am finding relatively easy, and those I am confused why are difficult.
For example (without mute) yesterday evening I kept trying to play softly, but in concentrating on the intervals, or tonguing, or whatever, I would suddenly realize that my volume had increased - not to blasting, but to my most relaxed natural volume . . . which is fairly loud/full. Somewhere between what I think of as mezzo piano and mezzo forte.
Similarly, in some of the interval slurring studies, especially with alternate fingerings I am finding it much more difficult to do 16th's and triplets, yet on the adjacent notes (to either side) it's easier.
Or, just sometimes trying to play a note especially in a large interval, I might reach too high just as easily as too low. I was reaching for high C the other day, and went a bit higher (I didn't know I could do that at this point), and yet I might as easily have a hard time reaching the high C. When this happens I have to consciously relax, and it becomes easier - almost by accident.

So, it sounds as though the silent brass is amplifying not only the sound, but my control issues.