SUPPORT?
Many have been taught to “support” with abdominal contraction. “From the diaphragm!” “Like yer gonna get punched!” “Breathe – Set – Blow.” “Compress that air!” I played and taught like that for a long time. I no longer do.
I have been heavily influenced by Arnold Jacobs. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to study with Mr. Jacobs, so perhaps I have this all wrong. But he is the genesis of my thinking on this – and many other topics. A Google search will reveal many resources on Arnold Jacobs (not the least of which, Wind Song Press).
As I have said elsewhere, I am not interested in provoking debate. Also, more often than not, what appear to disagreements are simply differing views of the same panorama. See Pedagogy is not Theology.
The prime driver of tone production is airflow – motion. Variation of airspeed produce variation of pitch: faster = higher; slower = lower (there are other co-factors*). This Facebook post from Luke Malewicz, while discussing a specific technique, clearly illustrates variation of airspeed. I believe "compression" is a dangerous word. To be clear, air pressure is absolutely necessary to move air. It’s just that brass playing requires so little air pressure and our body can produce so much more than needed. Moving air (see Bottles & Tone Production) is the desired result. (See Wind, not Pressure!)
Claude Gordon titled one of his books "Brass Playing Is No Harder Than Deep Breathing." Focusing on “compression” frequently yields too much muscular contraction – frequently isometric contraction – yielding no motion. Focusing on motion (of air – through the lips) utilizes just enough muscular effort – no more. Jacobs has said the average trumpet player uses from .5 to 2 pounds per square inch (psi). He also indicated that a cough can create 6-7 psi – way more than we lowly low-brass players would ever need.
One of the downsides to compression is it leads to the Valsalva Maneuver. Another thing, in my opinion, that leads to Valsalva is holding the breath between inhalation and exhalation (and vice versa). Roger Bobo has written, "Many of the breathing problems players develop come from the habit of taking a breath and holding it before we start a note. For best results both musically and biologically the air should be in motion at all times whether inhaling or exhaling."
What we do has many similarities to singing – singwise.com tell us: “The purposes of ‘supporting the voice’ are to exercise control over the amount of air being expelled from the lungs during singing tasks and to maintain a steady flow of air (and thus create a steady singing tone).”
In his excellent The Pedagogy of Arnold Jacobs, David Brubeck wrote that pressurized air can lead to delayed attacks (valsalva maneuver) and other issues; and quotes Mr. Jacobs: “Blowing breath is support, not muscle tension in the body, but movement of air. Support at the mouth, not in the stomach.” Judson Scott’s notes from a 6/28/89 masterclass quote Jacobs, “In abdominal muscles, ‘weakness is your friend.’”
My friend and colleague, Dillon MacIntyre, told me of lesson a student took with a world-famous trombonist. The student was working on Bolero, and asked the teacher if they engaged their abdominal muscles while playing the trombone – even in the high register. The student pressed their fist into the teacher's stomach while they held out a high Bb – the fist sunk right in.
Let's do an experiment: extend your arm, feel your bicep with your other hand, stay relaxed and move your arm as though curling a weightless, imaginary, dumbbell. Observe. Now actually curl a real dumbbell – 5 lb – 10 lb – 50 lb. Compare and contrast. When simply moving your arm, were you thinking “contract the bicep” – or just “move the arm”? Hell, were you even thinking? I'm willing to bet you just moved your arm without thinking about how – or how much tension was in your bicep – or what other muscles were involved. I suspect you unconsciously used just enough bicep contraction to move your arm – you didn’t go all "Mister Universe!"
Yes, obviously, the “abs” are involved in respiration – as are many muscles of the thorax (see Breath). Focus on supporting lip vibration with airflow (at/through the lips) – don't pose!
*In your copious spare time, see Tone Production and Embouchure Shifts.
I have been heavily influenced by Arnold Jacobs. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to study with Mr. Jacobs, so perhaps I have this all wrong. But he is the genesis of my thinking on this – and many other topics. A Google search will reveal many resources on Arnold Jacobs (not the least of which, Wind Song Press).
As I have said elsewhere, I am not interested in provoking debate. Also, more often than not, what appear to disagreements are simply differing views of the same panorama. See Pedagogy is not Theology.
The prime driver of tone production is airflow – motion. Variation of airspeed produce variation of pitch: faster = higher; slower = lower (there are other co-factors*). This Facebook post from Luke Malewicz, while discussing a specific technique, clearly illustrates variation of airspeed. I believe "compression" is a dangerous word. To be clear, air pressure is absolutely necessary to move air. It’s just that brass playing requires so little air pressure and our body can produce so much more than needed. Moving air (see Bottles & Tone Production) is the desired result. (See Wind, not Pressure!)
Claude Gordon titled one of his books "Brass Playing Is No Harder Than Deep Breathing." Focusing on “compression” frequently yields too much muscular contraction – frequently isometric contraction – yielding no motion. Focusing on motion (of air – through the lips) utilizes just enough muscular effort – no more. Jacobs has said the average trumpet player uses from .5 to 2 pounds per square inch (psi). He also indicated that a cough can create 6-7 psi – way more than we lowly low-brass players would ever need.
One of the downsides to compression is it leads to the Valsalva Maneuver. Another thing, in my opinion, that leads to Valsalva is holding the breath between inhalation and exhalation (and vice versa). Roger Bobo has written, "Many of the breathing problems players develop come from the habit of taking a breath and holding it before we start a note. For best results both musically and biologically the air should be in motion at all times whether inhaling or exhaling."
What we do has many similarities to singing – singwise.com tell us: “The purposes of ‘supporting the voice’ are to exercise control over the amount of air being expelled from the lungs during singing tasks and to maintain a steady flow of air (and thus create a steady singing tone).”
In his excellent The Pedagogy of Arnold Jacobs, David Brubeck wrote that pressurized air can lead to delayed attacks (valsalva maneuver) and other issues; and quotes Mr. Jacobs: “Blowing breath is support, not muscle tension in the body, but movement of air. Support at the mouth, not in the stomach.” Judson Scott’s notes from a 6/28/89 masterclass quote Jacobs, “In abdominal muscles, ‘weakness is your friend.’”
My friend and colleague, Dillon MacIntyre, told me of lesson a student took with a world-famous trombonist. The student was working on Bolero, and asked the teacher if they engaged their abdominal muscles while playing the trombone – even in the high register. The student pressed their fist into the teacher's stomach while they held out a high Bb – the fist sunk right in.
Let's do an experiment: extend your arm, feel your bicep with your other hand, stay relaxed and move your arm as though curling a weightless, imaginary, dumbbell. Observe. Now actually curl a real dumbbell – 5 lb – 10 lb – 50 lb. Compare and contrast. When simply moving your arm, were you thinking “contract the bicep” – or just “move the arm”? Hell, were you even thinking? I'm willing to bet you just moved your arm without thinking about how – or how much tension was in your bicep – or what other muscles were involved. I suspect you unconsciously used just enough bicep contraction to move your arm – you didn’t go all "Mister Universe!"
Yes, obviously, the “abs” are involved in respiration – as are many muscles of the thorax (see Breath). Focus on supporting lip vibration with airflow (at/through the lips) – don't pose!
*In your copious spare time, see Tone Production and Embouchure Shifts.