Revisiting my tips about playing tight! ACB Mini-Lesson #64
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- Опубліковано 7 сер 2024
- Why would you want to play tight? Well, I'll show you! In this video, I re-visit some of these concepts and how to use this approach to help shrink the perceived distance between the registers of the trumpet!
I'm building on my previous mini-lesson #26: • Trent Austin Mini-Less...
1:24 When you first start playing trumpet it can take a lot of effort to change partials. This can lead to using too much motion and shifting to make the different notes come out.
3:06 Try to eliminate the "chewing gum" motion. We may not be able to eliminate all motion, but we can minimize it. I consciously use some aspects of the Reinhardt pivot concept to minimize stress on my embouchure, but moving too much is inefficient.
4:25 Instead of doing fast lip slurs, do a slow bend and wait for the next note to snap into place. Try to get that to the point of almost zero motion.
5:28 Check out one of the only books we sell at ACB for this exercise: www.austincustombrass.biz/spe... I always add a large leap at the end to remind myself that the "low range" and the "high range" aren't that far apart. Think of the amount of effort it takes to play a note at either end of the piano keyboard, it's the same.
6:24 It can actually take less effort to play high notes on trumpet than low notes. We have to focus on the smallest of motions to make it happen. Really try to shrink the motion.
7:24 Check out this example of playing Clarke 3 incorrectly and correctly. I'm thinking of a flat, linear plane, not a lot of big shifts. Of course there's movement, but keep it minimal.
8:00 Another good book to check out is "Flexus" by John McNeil and Laurie Frink. But you can also apply this concept to the exercises in the Arban's book.
It's easy to slip into inefficient habits, so it's important to get familiar with playing efficiently. I still have to check myself on this from time to time. Happy practicing!
Thanks so much for watching, please take a moment to subscribe! If you have a topic for my next mini-lesson, post an idea below!
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What would you like the next mini-lesson to focus on? Let us know in the comments!
Could you shed some light on special techniques, for example double tonguing or maybe improvisation tips? Thank you for your great videos!
How do you know when enough is enough during practice, how far to push yourself at a particular exercise at a given time? How would you explain what is the optimal 'amount' or intensity of effort?
“There is no easy, there is no hard, there is only familiar and unfamiliar “ so true with everything ! love it!
All of these concepts are exactly right in my understanding. Hopefully I start nailing them in my 40s.
-2016 American Conservatory grad
Really great stuff. Even if we “know” this, consciously focusing on it instantly helps. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the shout out Trent, be well!
Thanks for the amazing book and insights!
Reminds me of a teacher I had that was a student of Bill Adam (love him to death) and he'd always say to "there is no high and low... Play flat-out!"
Great video Trent!
What an excellent demonstration and clear reminder to us - thank you. I'm away to practise this now.
So Charlie Porter has done similar material about the shortest distance between two points is a straight line and we often over shoot which means we play less efficiently. Love this video!
I found Scott Belck's bullfight music drill on this :-) But still find that Arban interval stuff challenging.
cool lesson
Thanks for the great advice!! Could you do a video on triple tonguing? I seem to have problems moving way too much when triple tonguing.
Thanks again!
The first time you did Clarke 3 there was more movement in your eyebrows than your chops LOL.
Hahahahahahababahahahahahahahahah
Trent, awesome stuff. What audio setup did you use for this. Really clean sound for the horn and voice. Thanks man!
Just the external camera mic a Rode Rycote VideoMic Pro
sounds great, and great advice, also what trumpet are you using, I love the sound...
Thanks for your kind words... I'm using this on this video. www.austincustombrass.biz/genii-selected-adams-a1-trumpet/
It's about a year so since you posted this lesson so I'm not sure anyone will respond but here goes: Perhaps I misunderstand but if you are not making major changes in your aperture to play intervals or lip slurs, that what does let you do that? Is it change in how compressed your air is? I find that I can do lip slurs with more changes in the aperture of my lips and less change in compression or the reverse. I'm trying to figure out the ideal balance and it makes sense to me to focus more on compression than aperture because I think breath control is both less tiring and a bit more precise. Is that what you mean by playing tight? Or have I missed the point?
Thanks for the stimulating lesson.
Also would utilizing a practice mute in this also increase gains?
I discuss that too in one of my earlier mini lessons; ua-cam.com/video/oNHOT1VR_c8/v-deo.html
I don't think I would call the concept "tight" playing. I think I would call it "minimal motion". There are some schools of playing that really emphasize quite a significant amount of jaw change and pivot by register with a lot of horn angle change and for some guys, that works. However, one of the most amazing players that I have heard/seen is Allan Vizzutti and if you watch him as he plays, there is a VERY MINIMAL amount movement used by him...practically none by register. And anyone who's ever watched him do Carnival of Venus or ZigZag where he's doing crazy leaps and wide arpeggiations has seen how that minimal motion helps facilitate his crazy flexibility. So I think I would rephrase "tight" (which can have very negative connotations as it pertains to brass playing, esp. with younger players who may not exactly understand what you are trying to relay in terms of information) to "minimal motion" playing. Focus on keeping a fixed position regardless of register.