[TPIN] Air and Stomach Conception

[Orion Development Corp - D. Arndt]

Also... another note:

Regarding "tension and work"...

I've never seen or heard a good trumpeter that used "little or no face 
muscles".  Sorry, but this sounds like nonsense.  It's possible that the 
instruction you're getting from your teacher is to overcompensate for a 
problem you're having, but...

The best advise I've ever heard, and the advise I would give is this: Don't 
THINK too much about whether there is tension, or even pressure, but let 
healthy practice, breathing and regimen over time condition the muscles to do 
the work.  As the muscles get conditioned, the tension will be less.  No 
different than any other activity.  

Try running a few miles without conditioning.  You'll feel plenty 
of "tension" after the first block or so - and you'll look pathetic too.  
Work up to it gradually over a period of weeks or months, and it will start 
to feel easier - and on some days it will feel like you're flying. (SOME days 
<g>).

The bottom line is that playing trumpet requires a certain amount of tension, 
i.e., the muscles have to work to hold the embouchure.  The lips require a 
certain amount of tension in order vibrate in a meaningful way (to produce a 
good sound).  You can't play without using the muscles in your face, and you 
can't play without *some* amount of tension in the lips. 

Once again, read what Claude Gordon has to say about this in his books.  I'm 
not a pure Gordonian, but a lot of his writing and teaching on the physical 
aspects of playing is just good, common sense.

- da





> > He said that I 
> > should be using little to no face muscles and my stomach should come 
> > in as I go up the register, starting to use tongue level as I 
> > approach the high C.
> >