[TPIN] Loosening corners to help with fatigue

[Glenn Bengry]

Guys,
 
     Practice playing a note normally, then while sustaining the note, begin to let go with the corners.  Do this several times.  You  will likely discover that you can still sustain the note with the same good sound(better sometimes)even if you let the corners completely go and allow the cheeks to fill completely up with air.  After you get comfortable doing this in a practice session, try it out on a gig.  You will get skilled at doing this and may have times when you choose to do it even if you are not tired.  
 
     Some guys actually work some corner loosening into their permanent technique.  Especially in the low range, loosening not only saves some chop energy, it can improve the sound, and fine control of pitch and volume.
 
glenn
 
 
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at 10:31 AM, Jim & Annette Farrington wrote:> > > Does anyone have a suggestion about how to keep one's corners from > > staying so tight? I believe that tightening my corners as much as I > > do is what leads to my relatively quick fatigue. By the end of a > > two hour rehearsal or gig, and not even playing lead, I'm pretty > > beat. When I'm practicing at home, which means obviously I'm > > playing fairly constantly with just short rests between notes, > > after 30-40 minutes I'm about done. Where I feel my muscles burning > > the most is my corners, leading me to try to think of a way to > > loosen them and reduce the tension that's there. If anyone has a > > trick or image that would help, I'd be grateful.> >> > Jim> _______________________________________________> TPIN mailing list> TPIN at tpin.okcu.edu> http://tpin.okcu.edu/mailman/listinfo/tpin