Ideas that have helped me over the years*
by Mauricio Soto, IHS 57 Featured Artist
One of the most important aspects requiring attention when playing a brass instrument is the use and control of air.
Air IN:
We must breathe consciously: bringing air in (as opposed to simply allowing air into our bodies, unconsciously). When practicing, I always try to inhale to my maximum capacity. I try to think of numbers figuratively: trying to fill 90% of my lung capacity every time is my goal. Although I use the numbers figuratively—I don’t know exactly what percentage of capacity my students or I are using—over time, this will give me a frame of reference and make me very aware of the difference between a shallow breath (let's guess 30%) and a full one (let's guess 90%).
AWARENESS is the first step. I consciously try to breathe to my maximum capacity each time (and if I don't do this consciously, the intake of air will drop to the TV).
What is TV?
Tidal volume (TV) is the amount of air you move through your lungs each time you inhale and exhale while your body is resting. Tidal volume typically measures around 400 to 500 milliliters, which is considered to be 10% capacity of an average female/male respectively. So, this is the air amount that we exchange unconsciously, while at rest. This quantity is not enough to play an instrument which is approximately 12 feet long.
I always enjoy watching horn players trying an alphorn for the first time (at workshops, festivals, etc.) because almost invariably, they will [1] put the mouthpiece in the instrument, then [2] look at the far end of the instrument, realizing how long it is,and [3] take an exaggerated breath, sometimes making comical body movements while doing so.
The point is that since our instrument is rolled up on itself (to save space, among other things), it looks much smaller than it actually is, making us believe that a little air (TV) will be enough to play it, but that is not the case.
Rule-of-thumb when breathing: all movements in your body should be caused by the incoming air displacing or moving it, not because you are intentionally engaging a set of muscles.
So, let your shoulders rise a bit if needed, let your rib cage expand in all directions ("let your chest rise up and forward, like a pigeon," as a teacher used to tell me), and let your stomach protrude, etc., as long as all movement is caused by the inhalation.
When thinking of air, first check your posture: be as tall as you can be, but make sure your shoulders are relaxed. (I recommend reading about Alexander technique; it will lead you to know your body better.)
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As always, working daily with a metronome will improve our overall sense of rhythm and train the flow of the alternation between breathing and playing. Try this simple exercise to give you a pattern. First, set your metronome to 60 bpm and imagine a bar of 4/4 time: count 1, 2, 3 (set), 4 (breathe), and 1 (play). This will train your coordination, the determination to start a particular note, and allow you to be aware of how much air you inhale on the 4th beat of the preparatory bar. Repeating the pattern allows us to better analyze the variables of the process.
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Air OUT:
For me, the most important part of playing is what happens inside the body, in terms of how much air is used, the accuracy of the compression we create within the body, and how fast we can get to that compression/air speed needed to obtain to a particular note.
When I do harmonic series exercises, I try not to regulate the air so that it lasts longer. Instead, I concentrate on using all of the air as quickly as needed in order to produce a good sound.
Leaning forward against the instrument while blowing helps to keep my throat open—as opposed to bringing the instrument up to my face (which, for me, tends to close the airway).
In general, the better you compress the air inside your body, the less movement you will need outside (on the embouchure, for example).
Air attacks (starting notes without tonguing) have helped me to get rid of unnecessary tension in my embouchure as well. These also teach us to achieve the exact air compression needed inside your body…no less, no more.
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Sometimes, simple ideas are useful: it has been helpful for me and my students over the years to start each day thinking about blowing air forward—to reinforce the idea—as if blowing a pinwheel. We are not thinking in terms of going “up” or “down” but, rather, of [1] high register = fast air forward; and [2] low register = slow air forward.
This has proven useful because the concept of change of velocity in the air while blowing favors the flow (the continuity of the moving air column), another very important concept for me. Remember to minimize the movement of the tongue as well while playing, so as not to obstruct the path of the air as it leaves your body.
Finally, the most important thing is to be efficient, that is, to obtain the best result with the least possible effort (yet we will use lots of energy, certainly).
When trying new ideas regarding technique, always remember that you are working:
- to understand the concept; and,
- to train your body to incorporate the idea into your playing and be able to repeat it on a daily basis. These are two separate and completely different things.
Be patient and understand that when we make changes in the process (for most people, anyway), the results will most likely get worse before they get better (since we are leaving behind a process to which we had become accustomed, whether it was efficient or not).
Finally, the most important concept to remember every day: the embouchure reacts to the air, not the other way around.
*These are ideas that have been useful to me and my students over the years. This is not intended to be a scientific article on horn playing technique, but I hope someone may find it useful.
