Chamber Music Corner—Hans Huber’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 136
by Layne Anspach
Hello musicians!
This month, we will look at Hans Huber’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 136. Hans Huber (1852-1921) was a Swiss composer and pianist. He studied at the Leipzig Conservatory before returning to Switzerland. Huber was a church organist, choir director, and teacher, in addition to composing and performing as a pianist. Unlike many of his Swiss contemporaries, he did not restrict himself to the genres for which he wrote but composed in a variety of styles: staged works, masses, symphonies, concerti, and chamber music.
Like the quintets introduced in the previous few months, Huber’s work is scored for piano, flute, clarinet, horn, and bassoon. The quintet was written near the end of his life in the mid- to late-1910s. The sonata-form first movement, Adagio con intimo sentimento, begins with clarinet before passing thematic material to other winds with piano accompaniment. After the A theme is exchanged, the section transitions with winds alone into L’istesso tempo, ma molto leggiero, the B theme. Less somber than the A theme, B is light and jaunty, shifting to 12|8 from the original 4|4. The development is drawn out, alternating fragments of the A and B themes before finally settling into the recap, and the movement comes to a peaceful conclusion.
The second movement, Scherzo. Allegrissimo, follows a typical ABA form. Full of vigor, the A section theme passes quickly between winds and keeps the pianist quite busy as well. The B section starts calmly but builds with energy and chaos before returning to the A section to conclude. In movement III, Intermezzo. Allegro con fuoco, the clarinet is heard intermittently alone throughout. The movement moves from calm and delightful to agitated and intense, concluding with an energetic presto.
Finale. Allegro moderato starts with horn and piano. After the clarinet states the melody, the texture opens up to include all voices. The movement is full of ebb-and-flow as Huber passes the primary theme between instruments, experiments with textures, and shifts keys. The movement consistently returns from energetic passages to the theme in a solo voice, often the clarinet. Huber revisits themes from previous movements as well. I recommend listening to the ten-minute movement in its entirety to hear the way Huber moves between all the different ideas.
The reference recording is from the album Hans Huber: Quintett und Sextett für Bläser und Klavier (Musiques Suisses). The hornist on the album is Olivier Darbellay.
Student Column—Building Endurance
by Inman Hebert
For horn students, by mid-semester, playing obligations can seem never-ending. Between ensemble concerts, solo work, and chamber music (let alone any gigs, extracurricular playing, or marching band), rehearsals and performances can become an endless cycle of preparation and fatigue. Somehow, through this constant stream of playing, we are expected to have the endurance to practice in addition to the numerous other hours of face-time. Due to the taxing physical demands of horn playing, which often become more exacting as students enter performance-based careers, developing and maintaining proper endurance habits is crucial to positive perseverance.
A major endurance-related misconception contends that as students play more, their endurance will naturally develop alongside greater demands. The claim, however, oversimplifies the numerous factors which determine a student’s physical endurance. If we see endurance development as simply pushing ourselves for more time every day, then we risk developing poor habits that, in fact, hurt endurance-related pursuits later. Understanding the causes of poor endurance while practicing proper playing habits is critical to a more intelligent approach to endurance development.
Without a well-developed breathing technique, the ability to play a long time without rest will remain elusive. In connecting breath support to endurance, we must return to the fundamentals. Is our breathing shallow? Are facial muscles or shoulders tense on inhalation? Are the arms collapsed against the rib cage (which limits capacity and support)? Is the release of airflow steady? Relaxing keeps the airways open and allows for deeper breathing. Tension in all the wrong places inhibits the development of endurance.
Fortunately, doing exercises, both airflow-related and physical, can help our breathing technique and improve stamina. Breathing exercises often involve practicing inhaling and exhaling at various speeds to help us produce a steady stream of air. Standing close to the wall, is the airflow consistent so that a piece of paper remains in position until the exhalation stops? These practices teach us to take in as much air in one second as in four or to control the expiration rate. Air pressure management can help the hornist learn how to harness a small amount of fast-moving air for the high range and a more significant amount of slower-moving air for the low range. As an added benefit, these exercises alleviate stress and reduce tension. In recognizing the importance of airflow in endurance, students can work with mentors and review the abundance of resources to improve their breath support.
Additionally, cardiovascular exercise aids breathing and, in turn, improves stamina. Aerobic workouts attune us to our breathing muscles and train us to take quicker, more efficient breaths. In addition, physical activity such as running or biking also lowers our resting heart rate over time, which can help us calm ourselves more quickly before a performance and reduce the tension that affects our breathing. Incorporating anaerobic training, such as strengthening our core muscles, supports good posture, and this opens up breathing technique and helps prevent fatigue.
As tension inhibits effective breath support and, subsequently, endurance, excessive mouthpiece pressure restricts blood flow to the lips and contributes to limited endurance. A periodic reexamination of the embouchure warrants attention. Is the mouthpiece pressure distributed appropriately between the upper and lower lips? Is the mouthpiece being pushed in some inhibiting direction? In identifying solutions, students should revisit fundamental aspects of horn playing to help identify the reasons behind the pressure and work on eliminating them. We should strive for as relaxed an embouchure as possible, one that leaves only a slight mark on the lips.
While excessive mouthpiece pressure hinders circulation, proper warmups facilitate blood flow to the facial muscles. Horn players' warmups vary widely in length and composition, but instead of heading straight for the high notes, a student should focus on a productive warmup that activates all aspects of playing and helps prevent injury. Moreover, after practice, a warm-down prevents stiffness in the lips and preserves the embouchure for the next day.
After achieving proper breath support and appropriate mouthpiece pressure, the idea that endurance comes with consistent, focused practice becomes true. Three hours of daily practice spread out over a day becomes the standard of effort. However, in embracing the three-hour standard, how do students create a balance that does not overwork facial muscles in their busy playing schedules of rehearsals and concerts in addition to individual practice? One practical approach counts a lesson, rehearsal, or concert as one of those three sessions, while ensuring that the other sessions of the day are separated by a significant time margin to allow the facial muscles time for recovery. While time invested matters, improvement comes from using a methodical approach and not overworking yourself. Thoughtful practice is the key to improved stamina.
Building endurance evades simple answers but, rather, creates an interconnected web; however, if we set aside pride, assess fundamentals, and seek to understand the different components of stamina, we can work, with discipline and intelligence, to yield better results. Progress may be gradual and, at first, resemble a roller coaster rather than a straight ascent, but the satisfaction will be worthwhile when walking onto the stage confident in our endurance.
Hornscapes CD (Part 2)
em portuguêsby Ricardo Matosinhos
Wow, September flew by! I want to thank everyone who contributed to my crowdfunding campaign which far exceeded its initial goal.
I was born in Portugal, and my musical activities are divided between teaching, performing, and composing. The so-called "triangle of musical wholeness," as described by Douglas Hill, is also enriched by research. As a result, many of my compositions are inspired by pedagogical concepts. I am also the author of several articles and books, including a children's book that I adapted as a musical. Creativity is always present, and ultimately, my work is supported by a multifaceted approach.
This CD includes six pieces which I composed. Performing my own music is always special. As a student, I began composing as soon as I started playing the horn, but only for other instruments (and mainly the piano). It took me ten years to have the courage to compose a piece specifically for the horn (my 12 jazzy etudes), and since then, it has been a fantastic journey. There are three solo pieces (Pastoral, Mirage, and Improviso), which are consecutive opus numbers but which exhibit different characters, as they were written for different players. Then, there are two works for Wagner tuba and piano: Siegfried and Fafnir, heroic in nature; and finally, Song Without Words presents this instrument of the gods of Valhalla with a jazz vibe. This last piece was premiered by Robert Palmer at IHS 51 in Ghent, and those who attended IHS 54 might remember hearing me perform it on a horn. Additionally, there is a piece for horn and piano, Song for Emma, written for Australian horn player and composer Emma Gregan, as a token of appreciation for her acceptance to write the piece Rose-Colored Glasses.
To celebrate the release of this CD for horn (including Wagner tuba) and piano, I have decided to organize a small online contest for subscribers of Horn and More, the newsletter of the International Horn Society. I already gave away two CDs for the September edition to Veronika Redfern and Wendy Anne Bartel. If you missed it, don’t worry! I will offer two more CDs to the first two people who correctly answer the questions in the October and November editions. If you were one of the September winners, you can participate again, but if you place in the top two, the CD will go to the next person on the list.
Sri Lankan Papara Music—Part 1
by Vidhurinda Samaraweera
Origins
What is “Papara?” This article explores a genre of music native to Sri Lanka widely known as either “Papare” or “Papara” (not to be confused with dunking bread popular in Greece and Turkey). The origins of the name Papara can be traced back to the late 1950s. A song named “Dingiri Dingale Meenakshi” (டிங்கிரி டிங்காலே மீனாட்சி) from the Tamil film titled “Anbu Engey” (அன்பு எங்கே, translated, “Where is Love?”), released in 1958, increased in popularity in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was called back then). Later, this song was adapted in Sinhalese by two local artists, namely Maurice Dahanayake and R. Subasinghe. The tune of this song is still popular, and it instantly reminds us of Papara music. This is owing to the cleverly devised onomatopoeia in the song imitating the playing of a trumpet which goes, “Papara Papà Pàpa Pàpa.”
Instruments Used
A Papara band has two sections: rhythm and melody. The rhythm section consists of percussion instruments specially made for Papara including snare drum, bass drum, and hand cymbals. Numbers vary from occasion to occasion; it could be as low as 1 player per instrument to an army of percussionists. Their role is to maintain tempo or shift it. Often, a Papara piece starts steadily and gradually picks up speed, accelerating into hyper tempos allowing the people gathered to dance with great energy. The melody instruments normally are brass instruments. Trumpets and trombones play an integral role in carrying the tune, but on occasion a euphonium and/or a saxophone may be seen.
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| Sri Lankan Papara Band (1) | Sri Lankan Papara Band (2) |
Check out Papara from a sport spectator’s point of view.
Influences
In one of my previous articles, I delved deep into the influences of horn playing in Sri Lanka. There is evidence to show that Sri Lankan Papara has also been influenced by other cultures. In the article titled, “A Study on the Decline of the West Indian Influence on Sinhalese Music,” the author finds similarities in Sri Lankan Papara and the South Indian traditions of Melam and Kavadi (Wickramarachchi, 2006). Melam is a small group of percussionists and kombu horns found in Southern parts of India which can still be seen at Hindu Temples, and Kavadi is a form of devotional dance performed for a Hindu deity named Skanda Kumar. According to the article, The Rhythm Structure of Melam, a similar tradition is found in Kerala, in India called Chenda Melam, which is an ensemble consisting of instruments including kombu, cymbals, and other Indian percussion instruments (Vishnu Achutha Menon & Boobalakrishnan N., 2020). Hundreds of players may play this music together non-stop for hours with great discipline.
South Indian Melam
Apart from the Indians, the Portuguese who invaded the coastal areas of Sri Lanka in the 16th century also influenced local music. The Portuguese introduced instruments including the ukulele and guitar, and styles such as ballads to the locals. Baila was a style the Portuguese merchants and Kaffir slaves enjoyed. It is underpinned by 6/8 rhythmic patterns ideal for energetic dancing. Baila is heard in all corners of Sri Lanka at weddings, parties, and moments of celebration. Instruments like trumpet and saxophone became increasingly popular among the locals with the formation of the Police Band in 1873 under the British rule (Harish Sagar K., et al, 2021). Since then, with the advent of marching bands and funeral bands, and the influx of foreigners who imparted knowledge to the locals, the social fabric in Sri Lanka changed, and cross-cultural musical ensembles were established. Papara is only one such result combining Western instruments and derivatives of South Indian instruments, making it a uniquely Lankan affair.
Why no horns?
French horns are never seen in these ensembles for several reasons. One is that horns are expensive instruments not readily available for purchase on the island. (More about this can be read in my previous article, Horn Playing in Sri Lanka.) Secondly, players do not invest time or effort into learning, relegating the horn to a more difficult level. The harmonic series of F, as opposed to B-flat, and the mouthpiece being quite small makes it even more difficult for the players. Neither are hand-horn techniques unique to horn known to many locals. Finally, Papara bands are required to play very loud, mostly over the noise of a large group of people in a vast, open space. It is fair to say the horn would not be as loud as the other brass instruments in the band. Moreover, to play for hours on end, as long as 8–10 hours a day, would be quite taxing. Papara bands that play at cricket games, especially test matches, play close to 8 hours, and some religious parades held in the southern part of the island last for days. The risk of injuries to lips and arms and/or legs are imminent the entire time. Wounded players could be indisposed for days which would threaten their main source of income. Most Papara players engage in odd jobs during performances since income from playing Papara is largely insufficient to sustain a living.
Watch for Part 2 of this presentation in the next edition of the Horn and More.
Building an Embouchure
A different approach to building an embouchure: mapping out the way your lips are spread out from the point where the vibration starts outwards.
by Denys Derome
I have been teaching horn at McGill University for close to 25 years. Like many of you, when I started playing the horn, my first teacher was rather vague in terms of step-by-step indications. My main instructions were to put the horn mouthpiece on my lips, avoid puffing my cheeks, focus on firmly tensing up my chin and the muscles at the corners of my lips, and build more power in my corner lip muscles through consistent horn practice. As the years have passed and I have spent time observing my own playing and working with students, I have come to realize that we often tense up certain facial muscles too much and end up preventing other muscles from doing their work more efficiently. Small changes to how you use the embouchure muscles can lead to greater results in tone quality, stamina, efficiency, and frankly, much more enjoyment. Obviously, not everyone reading this will want to urgently make changes to the way they produce sounds on the horn. If what you are doing is working for you, please, forget this presentation and let me salute your joy for playing the horn and wish you continued success. On the other hand, if you are curious to see how building an embouchure could be done a bit differently, if you have a problem with students sometimes rolling in their bottom lips in the high register, or if you sometimes wonder if a student might be better served with by a mouthpiece with a wider diameter, this presentation is for you.
When discussing how to create an embouchure with students, I break down my explanations into five steps. Here is a synopsis of each of those steps:
1- Bring awareness to the line of contact between your lower and upper lip when your mouth is at rest. Give attention to the points (line) of contact between your lips when your mouth is closed. Map out mentally (visualize, memorize) the sensation of where on the lower lip the top lip is touching and where on the top lip the lower lip is touching. You always want to go back to this position the instant your lips stop vibrating. This means no rolling in of the bottom lip or any other position than where your lips meet each other when your mouth is closed and the muscles are relaxed. Look in the mirror to have a visual memory as well.
2- Bring awareness to the orbicularis oris muscle. While you are looking in the mirror, observe the position of the corners of your mouth at rest. There is one multilayered muscle that surrounds your lips. This muscle is called the orbicularis oris. Literally translated from the Latin “circular mouth muscle.” There are many facial muscles involved in building an embouchure, but for the purpose of this presentation, I would like to bring your attention to this specific muscle:
- With your mouth closed and relaxed while still feeling that line of contact between top and bottom lip, observe the corners of your lips. You can even gently put a finger right next to the corner of your mouth beyond the lip corner and feel a connection to the orbicularis oris.
- Now, while looking in the mirror and with your mouth still closed, muscles at rest, keep touching the corners of your mouth and move the facial muscles as if you were going to say “EEEE.” Keep your mouth closed as you are doing this. Notice how the orbicularis oris is pulled away from the relaxed position.
- Now, still with your mouth closed, move the facial muscles as if you were getting ready to say “OUUU” and feel how the orbicularis oris is now being engaged and moving inwards towards the center of the lips. The orbicularis oris is now slightly closer to the center of your lips than when your lips are at rest and your mouth closed.
The most efficient way to create your embouchure is to keep the orbicularis oris engaged in a slight “OUUU” setting. An “EEEE” setting will require more tension than necessary and is more likely to let slip in the bad habit of rolling your lips in and out and never establishing a constant line of contact between your lips. The gentle “OUUU” setting will allow you to maintain the same line of contact between the lips. This setting will allow more blood flow and less tension.
The closer to the mouthpiece the orbicularis oris is set, the less force will be required to generate the appropriate tension for your vibrating lips inside the mouthpiece. If you do not develop awareness of the gentle involvement of the orbicularis oris, you risk working against this muscle by constantly trying to lock it forcefully into a position away from the mouthpiece. At that point, your muscles are fighting against each other. Ultimately, the gentle “OUUU” setting means a richer tone, more stamina, easier recuperation after loud playing, and less swelling after very sustained loud playing. (For the more advanced player, the big difference here is that the closer to the mouthpiece you bring to orbicularis oris muscle, the more relaxed your lip behind the mouthpiece has to be. If you are used to playing on an “EEEE” setting, it will take a bit of time to get used to relaxing the lip and realize just how much less effort is needed and how much fuller the sound becomes on the “OUUU” setting.)
3- Free Buzz. After taking time to observe how the orbicularis oris works, go back to feeling the line of contact between your lips when your mouth is closed and your muscles are at rest. Now, we want to find out how to get a vibration in our lips from our neutral lip position. Create a buzz, no matter what pitch—preferably middle to low register, but we will take whatever you can create. Whether your lips are at rest or vibrating, your mind stays on feeling the line of contact between the lips. I only use free buzzing to help map out the spread of the lips. In my teaching, I use free buzzing very sparingly
4- Introduce the mouthpiece to your vibrating lips with your new lip spread. While you are buzzing, place the entire thickness of the lower rim of the mouthpiece on the skin part immediately below the red part of your lower lip. Stop buzzing but do not move any of your lip spread while you now gently cover your lips with the rest of the mouthpiece. This is the moment where you take a look at the diameter of your mouthpiece. Does the mouthpiece rest on the skin parts of your top and bottom lip? If you fall short and the upper part of the mouthpiece ends up resting on the red part of your lips, your mouthpiece diameter is too small for your lips. You should look for a greater diameter. Too many students try to squeeze their lips into a mouthpiece with a diameter too small for their lips. When you place the mouthpiece on the lips, imagine that there is a tiny drop of glue on the top part of the rim and a tiny drop of glue on the bottom part of the rim. You will now imagine that the top and bottom parts of the rim will be glued to your skin whenever the mouthpiece is on your lips. The top part is “glued” to the skin right above the red part of your top lip. The bottom part of the rim is “glued” to the skin as it touches the skin right below the red part of your lower lip.
5- Put it all together. With the mouthpiece “glued” to your lips, relax the musculature and stay glued with closed lips. Take a big breath through the nose and now buzz through the mouthpiece. Your musculature will now be interacting with the mouthpiece. The spread inside your mouthpiece remains the same but the orbicularis oris is now ready to engage and move ever closer to the center of your lips than when you were free buzzing. Repeat this a few times and finally add the horn to your mouthpiece and you are all set!
Thank you for reading. I wish you happy experimentation with these ideas.
Denys Derome
McGill Schulich School of Music, Horn Instructor
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Associate Principal Horn
The Ambitious Amateur
by Marty Schlenker
Dear Fellow Amateurs,
Several columns ago, I mentioned that John Ericson’s writing on horn embouchure had improved my understanding of the utility of keeping the corners of one’s lips tight, so that the correct balance could be achieved between “pucker” and “smile.” I renewed my focus on where I was setting my corners, generally narrowing them.
Then, I saw this mind-bending short video of Marc Papeghin playing his horn transcription of the finale of Sibelius’ fabulous Violin Concerto, posted to the “Horn People” Facebook group on August 30. As if the virtuosity wasn't enough, his entire face barely seems to move. His corners don’t show signs of deliberate positioning—they barely seem to be working at all. How I would love to know what’s going on inside the mouthpiece to enable the rest of Marc to appear so relaxed!
Question answered…? Matthew Haislip posted a short but fascinating video to the “Horn People” Facebook group on September 12 showing an embouchure view from inside the mouthpiece. In an earlier column, I stated a hunch that I needed to make my aperture smaller so that air would pass through it faster and I would gain range, flexibility, resonance, etc. This video appears to reinforce that idea, as the player’s aperture appears quite narrow, but Dr. Haislip’s comments about how to achieve this seem counterintuitive to me. To work excessively to manipulate the lip surface inside the mouthpiece, he says, is to fight the horn’s general tendencies.
If I had more practice time, maybe I’d have a more settled perspective. Please contact me with your thoughts on and experiences with this at marty.schlenker@cavaliers.org.
Your servant and kindred spirit,
Marty Schlenker, Amateur Hornist
Horn on Record
by Ian Zook
Volume 18 — Edmond Leloir
As readers of this column may agree, there are many joys in listening to and researching recordings of the past. It is that much more rewarding when there are unexpected surprises, such as we get to share together this month! I had sourced an album of Belgian hornist Edmond Leloir performing Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70, certainly one of our most celebrated standards of the repertoire. What I didn’t realize until I read the reverse album jacket and listened to the record, is that the famed conductor Ernest Ansermet orchestrated Schumann’s piece, and Edmond Leloir serves as soloist. Released in 1958 on London Records, this recording features L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Ansermet.
Briefly, Edmond Leloir (1912-2003) was born in Brussels, Belgium and made his performance career in Switzerland. He performed in Bern, Winterthur, and Zürich, before attaining the position of solo horn of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR). He retired from the orchestra in 1977, having invested 31 years leading the horn section. Additionally, Leloir was very well known as an editor and publisher of a vast catalog of music, rediscovering numerous out-of-print or otherwise forgotten works. He was recognized as an Honorary Member of the IHS in 1983. For a much more detailed account of his life and contributions, I recommed reading his listing on the IHS website along with Jeroen Billiet’s fascinating dissertation Brave Belgians of the Belle Époque: a study in the late-romantic Ghent horn playing tradition.
To understand why Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro would be orchestrated, it’s valuable to learn about the interests and influence of Ernest Ansermet. A math professor early in his career, he transitioned into conducting, cutting his teeth with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. He founded the OSR in 1918 and then focused the orchestra on interpretations of the difficult contemporary music of that era—works by Stravinsky, Dutilleux, Honegger, Prokofiev, and Britten, among others. Anserment did have a penchant for composition, and also arranged Debussy’s piano duo Six épigraphes antiques. It is likely that Anserment arranged Schumann’s work as a gift to Leloir, as their relationship was rooted in mutual musical respect and admiration.
Schumann’s use of contrast in Adagio and Allegro is evident. He drew inspiration from the fictitious characters Eusabius and Florestan, paeans of the Romantic ideal in both his compositions and in his writing as editor of the New Periodical for Music (Neue Zeitschrift für Musik). Writer Marie C. Miller addresses this topic: “Eusabius was the lyrical, the quiet introspective. Florestan was the more flamboyant, impetuous personality. Florestan, the truer Romantic of the pair, often displayed a mercurial state of mind and quickly changing personality.”
The piece opens with a tender, melancholy horn melody supported in this context by a mixture of arco and pizzicato strings with the oboe answering in dialogue:
As the Adagio section ends, Leloir effectively blends his very broad tone into the cello section countermelody. His launch into the Allegro is vigourous and full-throated, leading to a cadential apex in the strings that is much more reminiscent of Strauss in orchestration:
The transitional section, perhaps another pleading moment from Eusabius, really leans forward in tempo. The string section provides a churning sustain of sound as a noticeable sonic departure from the usual left-hand offbeats in the piano accompaniment:
Known for it’s endurance demands related to phrase length and range, Adagio and Allegro orchestrated as a concert piece is nearly of concerto-like dimensions. Leloir’s playing overall is quite heroic to match. He siezes upon this sonic challenge and truly rides above the weight of the orchestra throughout, even turning it up a notch through the ending:
In summary, it is interesting to listen to this reconception of a treasured staple in our repertoire. A true piece of chamber music, Adagio and Allegro rewards the duo who can malleably merge tones, phrasing, and tempi to give a voice to something unique. Perhaps something is lost in the horn’s necessary projection here with orchestra, or for the need for all involved to follow the interpretation of a conductor rather than listening and responding to one another. In either case, it provides ample room for discussion. Thanks for reading Horn on Record!
Step One-Two-Three
by Fokke van Heel
During my career as a player and teacher, I have increasingly come to realize how important and essential it is to involve my entire body in my technique. Among other things, I have benefitted greatly from Alexander Technique lessons to gain this awareness. Our instrument needs a balance between strength and flexibility, and in order to continue to develop myself, it was, and continues to be, necessary to try to explore that balance. Moreover, it makes practicing extra interesting and fun.
Below is a simple basic exercise that can be the start of new discoveries every day. Enjoy!
‘Step One-Two-Three’ – an exercise for all
In your practice room, you may want to add the following exercise, applicable to all levels of playing:
Step 1. Play a long tone, preferably a mezzo-forte note in the middle range.
Step 2. Ask yourself during this tone: “Can I relax anything in my body?”
The shoulders may be the easiest body part to begin with:
Your shoulders relax…great!
But…your intonation drops and your tone gets softer…not so great.
Step 3. Restore Intonation and Dynamic
Restore the intonation by lowering your soft palate a bit using the vowel E.
Restore the dynamic by intensifying the airstream.
Result: same good tone as in step 1, same pitch, same dynamic, but more relaxed shoulders and embouchure.
Simply said, you changed the energy in your playing: same quantity of energy, different quality. This is not the energy from the squeezing in your lips and the tension in your shoulders (step 1), but energy from more effort in your diaphragm and from singing in the back of your oral cavity.
What happened?
Obviously releasing the tension in your shoulders (or, in this exercise, any other part of your body) was helpful in step 1 to obtain a controlled and stable tone. But in step 2, we learn that these ‘helpful’ shoulders also cause tension in your lips and in your diaphragm, otherwise the pitch and dynamic would not have dropped.
Now both diaphragm and lips are more relaxed, but also less powerful.
To regain the steady tone you had in step 1, you need the new activity in step 3:
- In the embouchure: muscles towards and in your cheeks will be activated by saying the E-vowel in the soft palate. Challenged by the faster airstream, they take over the work of your central lip muscles.
- In the diaphragm: new, subtly different muscles will be activated to create a faster, less forced airstream.
Both new activities take a while to become strong and energetic enough, but when this has become your normal way of playing then this is your new step 1 and you can start over again…a never ending voyage of discovery!
A couple of tips:
- In a way, step 1 is the most important. Play your note like you always do, almost without thinking.
- Do not already compensate in step 2, let it happen and listen.
- If you find it hard to relax specific muscles (e.g. your buttocks or in your pelvis area), then first give those muscles even more tension, then relax, and now you feel where to relax even a bit further.
- Since, in step 3, you are using more of the vowel E, your sound may initially get too bright and lose a bit of warmth. After a while (day/days), you will regain the balance in your embouchure (between central and decentralized), and your sound will be back, with more overtones as a result of the relaxation.
- Direct the faster airstream to your soft palate rather than to your lips.
- At first, this exercise needs one long tone, but it can also be done in approx. 4 seconds.
- Once happy with step 3 (same pitch, same dynamic), try to stay in that position and challenge the new muscles. Make sure to take many pauses!
- Preferably, do not do this exercise before a performance but rather at the end of the day. Give your developing muscles time to recover overnight.
If you do not like to reflect on your playing through this exercise, I completely understand; it comes with temporary instability and your embouchure will change.
However, with curiosity you will discover and improve endlessly!
Fokke van Heel has served as principal horn in the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra since 1998. He was professor at the Artez Conservatory in Zwolle and is currently teaching at the Sweelinck Academy of the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He has been a member of the faculty of the Prisma Festival in British Columbia, Canada, since 2015.
