[TPIN] Mendez and HIS pinky ring!

[Allegro69]

>Message: 1
>Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 10:39:15 -0800
>From: "Bob Romans" <cellblk7 at comcast.net>
>Subject: [TPIN] Mendez and HIS pinky ring!
>To: <tpin at tpin.okcu.edu>
>Message-ID: <017f01c72f66$7955bc20$6c4ab643 at lodibrass>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>I've always thought Mendez had a GREAT third finger...his solos were mostly
in sharp keys from learning his techique in Mariachi bands while growing
up...as I remember, in the movies I've >seen of his playing, his pinky is in
the hook...as for myself, I don't use it except to turn a page, mute, etc.
My 3rd finger STILL is rotten! DARN!
>Warmest regards,
>Bob Romans,
>1617 Lakeshore Drive,
>Lodi, Calif., 95242>PH 209-747-1148
>www.cellblockseven2002.net

This topic has evolved into a very interesting exchange of thoughts, without
it turning into a 'civil war'. That's why TPIN is a great forum composed of
great people. I learned a lot based on both points of view, and came to a
comfortable and basic personal conclusion that each of us are different as
to physical characteristics and must govern ourselves accordingly. Although
in general reality, there'll never be an absolute one sided conclusion or
rule of thumb (maybe better - rule of pinky finger), we are often forced to
be 'innovative' at the risk of breaking commonly accepted rules.

I'm going to really go out on a limb concerning the position of both hands
and their respective tasks. Just as most everyone uses the hook when page
turning, inserting mutes, and plunger work, I also use it, although I favor
floating my right hand. Not only does floating help my valving, because my
right hand is used in that manner, I find that it's quicker to use it for
page turning and popping in a mute (with the exception of plunger work)
rather than using my left hand. In my mind, it's more cumbersome to
reposition my left hand fingers around the valve array where I just leave it
be and let my right hand do the work. To me, the float affords me more
mobility and a quicker way to recover positioning and go on to what's next
without the worry of repositioning two hands. Be it one way or the other we
use our hands, both schools of thought are at the mercy of the arrangement
and can cause a low grade degree of panic when moving on to the next
passage. While I might be approaching this back arseward, it seems to me as
being an efficient way of doing these tasks. I often wonder why we rely on
our left hand to turn a page where we have to cross the front of the horn,
often bumping into it with the left forearm. When I visited my daughter on
Christmas, I watched her at the piano reading some new material. I noticed
that she did her page turning with her right hand rather than with her left.
She plied me with the logic that the next page is turned on the right side
of the book, therefore using less motion to reach with the right hand rather
than crossing over with the southpaw. Again, this is a personal viewpoint to
which I would enjoy reading pros and cons. That's why we're here - to learn!
BOB