Wind Part 2
Arnold Jacobs, retired Tuba Chicago Symphony
March 28-30, 1991
- Sound/Tuning/Matching: (Ref. also Song)
- Chicago Symphony - plays as loud as the do because the acoustics at podium. Brass does not sound as loud at podium. Acoustics can effect sound, tuning and matching of sound.
- "Thick Air" and embouchure that can vary in thick or thin texture.
- Finest quality of tone in the midrange leads to better quality at loud and soft dynamics.
- Motivation of player influences sound, tuning matching most.
- Air does not become stale it becomes blocked by pressure at throat.
- Bigger people with large lung capacities can "get by" with less air, but they never live up to potential.
- Continue long tone. (Ref. also Song)
- Lip as a buzzing unit rather than a resistance unit.
- Embouchure at lips, tongue should be out of the way.
- Buzz low notes- better for feeling, buzzed high not give feeling of resistance.
- Comfortably large quantities of air. You must always have plenty of air to do what you want to do.
- Yawning is one of the best examples of a good breath. Suction, friction and resistance at lips.
- You cannot control the breath when activity is centered behind lips.
- When you play great it feels good and when you play bad it feels lousy. However you want to fix sound not feel. It is possible to play great but feel bad. (Ref. Also Song)
- Air as motion not pressure.
- Maximum resonance with minimum effort. (Ref. #89)
- Use Breath Builder to establish "weakness" not "strength". Weakness is your friend when it comes to respiration. Keep ball at top for maximum time with minimum effort.
- Exercise: Raise arms and breath in at the same time. When arms stretched to max you are full of air. Lower arms while holding in breath, then release air when arms are down.
- Learn art of respiration at home. It will be related to the music by brain and body.
- Remember what it looks like not feels like. Feeling can lie. (Ref. Also Song)
- Breath to expand not expand to breath.
- Suction.
- Exercise: Push abdomen out and in 3 times without breathing (establish range of motion), then breath in same way. Diaphragm high/low.
- Air to Spare!!!!
- Nerves can get best of us. This combined with shallow breathing can be real problem. (Ref. Also Song)
- Standing posture is best to move air. It diminishes till supine position
- Posture effect inhalation not exhalation.
- Exercise: when using breathing tools (Breath Builder or Incentive Spirometer, start with most resistance possible. Gradually lessen and keep ball suspended for longer time. Control ball this will control breath. Greatest results, least effort. Don't overdo. If you start to hyper/hypoventilate rest, then resume.
- Suction is stimuli to extend diaphragm.
- Pressure low, Flow high.
- Forcing causes loss of fundamental and exaggeration of overtones.
- Large quantity of air at low pressure.
- Connect air and embouchure (lips) as well as air and tongue.
- main blockage in brass players is tongue. Do to it's large size it reduces air flow we need to make most music.
- "Thick Air"
- Can't feel air coming thru embouchure.
- Use minimal motors. (Ref. Also Song)
