Originally Posted by Vulgano Brother  Even cheaper, and quicker (if you have a dial-up modem like me) are a couple of old VB posts, gratis.
Magic Bubbles
When we play a note, standing waves are produced in the instrument, and with a normal to lightweight instrument and a light touch, you can feel where different notes seem to resonate in the instrument -- magic bubbles of sound. The higher we go, the more of these standing waves (or magic bubbles) appear. When playing, with a bit of sensitivity and imagination, we can "feel" where these nodes/antinodes (magic bubbles) are. To go from a lower to a higher note in the harmonic series, try pushing the magic bubble down the leadpipe/bell with your air.
There is a marvelous feedback mechanism at work: the buzzing lips cause the air column to vibrate, which in turn reinforces the buzzing of the lips. This is why using terms like "lip slurs" and "lip flexibility" can mislead us into thinking that it is entirely a lip exercise, rather than an air management exercise.
RAY OF POWER
Everbody's right! The finicky thing about air is that, yeah, we must learn the mechanics but then forget about them, because under the stress of performance, as tension sets in, our bodies will lie to us, and it will feel like we're moving huge amounts of air, breathing deeply and supporting when in fact, we are not!
For this reason, I rely on some Vulgano Voodoo and the RAY OF POWER. It involves the Root Chakra, which is located directly at the base of the spine, also known as the coccyx. The chakras have their own mystic qualities, I guess. I don't know for sure, but they do seem to be located in parts of the body where bunches of nerves meet. (The Vulgano version is situated half way between the places we do our number one and number two in the restroom.)
In practice and in theory, imagine (and feel) a ray of some sort (red is the most common mystic color associated with the root chakra) shooting down into the ground while playing. For high notes, imagine (and feel) a more intense ray. If we practice this sitting in a chair, we can notice all kinds of muscles come into play, which happen to be the same muscles used to "support" the air stream. By taking attention off of the mechanics and experiencing the mysterious, magical and not yet patented RAY OF POWER we can avoid some of the tension involved in "trying hard."
Nothing mysterious and magical here really, but the RAY OF POWER does permit me to play with a relaxed but working body.
I suppose I could call this a "blast from the past."
Have fun! |