What I've Learned about playing from this Forum

[VJOFan]

In no particular order, a summary of the concepts and methods that have proven most useful to me that have been presented in the threads of Teaching and Learning This place is gold when we aren't debating the usefulness of buzzing.... even if those are some of the most fun threads.

• Nothing moves except the things that must move

• Nothing is tight except the things that must be tight

• Learning to (not) move and to (not) be tight correctly is okay. Things don't fall apart by thinking about them

• (Very recently) The air starts the sound by essentially blowing the tongue out of the way (I would vote the "mental block" thread to be pinned

• Practice to play with the instrument- find the way to blow and set up that lets the instrument sound its best

• Teaching by analogy and metaphor seems like a great idea and is very common, but leads to debate and confusion. The more direct and clear teaching language is, the better

Any great insights you've had that I missed on my list?

[flyingcow]

Well, via this forum, I wound up in a couple lessons with Doug last year. So I guess I learned that I have A LOT to learn. I need to call him again soon.

[timothy42b]

Don't forget the Four Rules of Anything.
(dates from the old trombone-l days. Ask Grandpa what a listserv was.)

1. Relax
2. Pay attention
3. Accept what has gone before.
4. Do what must be done.

[JeffBone44]

• Nothing moves except the things that must move

• Nothing is tight except the things that must be tight

• Learning to (not) move and to (not) be tight correctly is okay. Things don't fall apart by thinking about them

• (Very recently) The air starts the sound by essentially blowing the tongue out of the way (I would vote the "mental block" thread to be pinned

Yes! This is my battle. Doug showed me that I have the potential to play my best when I move as little as possible. I claim the least amount of notes when I keep everything as stable as possible, and by keeping my oral cavity in a more closed position, even in the low register. The key is doing this without getting too tight. Sometimes I will hit the notes that I want, but the sound will be closed off. The key is finding the right balance, mouthpiece placement and mouthpiece pressure. When I do everything right it sounds great in all registers.

In your last bulletpoint, I have found out recently that this is what works best for the high range. When I start the note with more emphasis on the air rather than relying on the tongue, the articulations are much cleaner and accurate. The tongue still needs to be there in order to ensure clarity and definition to the front of the note. I am more successful at doing this in slow tempos, which is why when I try playing faster up there it is still messy and inaccurate.