hubnub

Hey all.

I have a student who wants to know how to get that "air" in his sound when he playes Jazz. We were havng a listening session the other day to Terence Blanchard when he was with the Jazz Messengers. Terence was playing "Tenderly" off of the album "New York Scene".

So.... after a lengthy discussion, I've decided to post it hear for all of you to take a stab at it.

How do you get that "airy tone" in your sound?

I'm trying to get more of my students interested in TM so that is one of my reasons behind this.

Thanks in advance!

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ZeuS ZTR 1000
Monette STC-1 Prana B4 Slap, B4FL, B4LD
http://www.myspace.com/markrussojazz

rowuk

1) don't practice
2) razor blade or boxing match to introduce scar tissue
3) play with too little pressure
4) watch a video of Paris Hilton before practicing
5) overdose of Campbells Beans (doesn't add air to your sound, but does elsewhere - the audience probably won't be able to tell where it is coming from anyway!)

Seriously,
that airy, smoky sound is created by backing off as far as you can. There is something very sensual about a whisper - especially from a motivated trumpet player!

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

c.nelson

It is fasinating what a bit of white noise adds to "emotionality"

Wind...

Waves....

and of course the whisper.

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The perfect man has no self; the holy man has no merit; the sage has no fame.(Chang Tsu)

jazzmaster5500

do not push!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2
Relaxation is the key here

commakozzi

Exactly, in fact you want the least firm embouchure you can produce, but still maintain the tone. Not that this is exactly how you would do it with a horn to your face, but this might help visualize what it should feel like on the horn: smile without tightening the center of your lips and then blow air through them without buzzing. Now bring your corners down so that you have a straight line "smile" while blowing air through your lips (and still not buzzing). That feeling inside your mouth is sort of what it should feel like on the horn, but the mechanics are a little different. Basically, it's just a bad embouchure! Sounds really good to me though

Smithi20

Warning, it may sound easy to relax and back off as far as you can, but this needs serious control, and also, from my experience, a wide aperture in a medium mouthpiece....

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Ian

Eng Bessons: Proteano Bb/A and C/Bb //Warburton 3M10
Weltklang //Warburton 3FLX

Ljazztrm

Well, I can tell you how to do it on flugel. Listen to my clip at Lex Samu - Trumpet, Flugelhorn I did not have to go the Chet Baker route, thank God! Nor manipulate my embouchure, which I really don't think is a good idea if you have to make your living playing, and have to do gigs other than jazz solo stuff. All I did was put a regular washer from a hardware store into my flugel piece. The flugel piece I used on that album was a custom designed diameter (very small) with a WT underpart designed by Mark Curry. You might have to experiment with different sized washers. All I can tell you about the size that worked for me was that it was marked 280050...I think I got a little baggie of, like, 10 for $1.00. There is a cat over in Norway named Ole Antonsen (sp?) who I think is designing a trumpet piece with an airy sound....it has to do with the throat entrance to the mouthpiece...it has to be a straight fall-off with no shoulder...kind of like what the washer does to the flugel mouthpiece.

C.Nelson, please email me at ljazztrm@wt.net I want to talk about your Boosey pocket cornet. Have you checked out this site? Pocket Cornets Home

Also, about the mouthpieces again, I am now using Dr.Dave Harrison's 10.5 Wedge design...He will be coming out with a flugel model based on a Warburton FLX (super deep) cup....I think I will be able to use the washer with this piece too...I am really hoping it works out because I love that airy sound! All the best, Lex.

jonalan

Just hear the sound you want in your head. It's amazing what that brain of ours can do.

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NYTC Contest Winner (wannabe)

bigtiny

Your student needs to have that sound in his/her head at all times while practicing....and do LOTS of lip slurs and long tones for the next 20 years or so. And believe or not...I'm being serious here!

bigtiny

Adam Smith

a have a mouthpiece with a throat about the size of a pencil. I can get a really nice airy sound out of that.