crowmadic

I know Arban's provides a section on Phrasing which includes the commas to show where to breath, but away from Arban's i'm having trouble knowing where, when, or how big to breath when I play a rapid long passage without half or whole notes; that is without changing what's written on the page. If you TM'ers can share some wisdom about this I'll have plenty of breathing technique to work on to last me a while............thanks, tom

rowuk

This question is tougher to answer than how to play double c day after tomorrow in concert.
The beginning of phrasing should be simple tunes that you can also sing. Concone Vocalises or your local hymnbook are good places to start. Try and find the logical melody lines, if you have access to a choir director, they can often get you started. Once you start to think melodic lines, it gets easier. More complex things are like many facets of the trumpet - best accomplished together with a teacher.

Manny Laureano

It's not about how much breath you have, it's about making musical sentences. Use your ears and let them tell you what feels like the right place to stop for a breath just as you would be able to judge if you were writing a poem. It's no different.

ML

_TrumpeT_

I asked this question before and now I'm slowly beginning to realise what needs to be done when palying such pieces. I think it was Arnold Jacobs who said he had to breathe frequently but people didn't notice - I'm assuming because it was he had phrasing in mind.

Liad Bar-EL

crowmadic

Once again, I thank you all. I'm printing out your advice, and will begin working toward better breathing habits.

BFlinch83

Think about the technique of covering the breath. Phil Smith talks about this I think. Use the reverb of the space you're performing in to cover up the breath.

Jacobs talked about taking breaths very often, but remember he's a tubist. They need to "tank-up" every bar or every other at least.

trpt2345

A gem, Manny. Exactly what my teacher would have said. Guys, listen up, this is the real deal.

Michael McLaughlin

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.
Groucho Marx

Manny Laureano

Thank you, Michael. Thanks for getting it.

ML

trumpetmike

When you speak, you use the sentence structure - which you understand because you have been speaking for some time and you are accustomed to using the structure to make sense. When you are playing a piece of music you need to apply similar rules, you need to make musical sense.

It is certainly one of the hardest parts of performing music, but in the same way that most people eventually learn how to make coherent sense when talking, it is possible for most people to make sense when performing music. It just takes time and eperience.

If you are finding this aspect of playing a piece more difficult than, for example, getting the notes correct may I suggest the following exercise.
Play the piece multiple times and breathe in various places - plan your breathing beforehand. Work out which of these breathing points make sense and use them in future sessions. Those that work are often not as easy to spot as those that don't, so you can reverse the process and simply eliminate all the options that scream out "don't breathe here" to you.

I totally agree with Rowuk's suggestion of singing - especially if you are working on more lyrical passages, being able to sing the phrase often provides an insight into what naturally works (many of my students find that this is easier if they put words to the music). I wish everyone would sing more, it really can make life a LOT easier.