Air supply

The bulk of the musical talk
tofu
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Re: Air supply

Post by tofu »

I think the master of getting the most out of ones own total lung capacity is Carol Jantsch. I was at a recital she did some years back at NU and ended up in a seat slightly behind her off to a side and was really struck at how rapidly and completely she could fill / expel her lungs. She certainly makes the most out of the capacity she has and certainly is not a large individual. It was like watching a lesson in breathing to play the tuba. I think speed / completeness of breath is perhaps even more important than total potential capacity. She clearly had no problems in sustaining notes in a long recital or the Philadelphia Orchestra.
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imperialbari
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Re: Air supply

Post by imperialbari »

The optimal technique of the breathing process certainly is important.

Yet, there is at least one more important element: embouchure effieciency.

If one has a flexible and responsive embouchure that allows for a rich spectrum of overtones also at low dynamics, then it is possible to play long notes at a lower volume than indicated and still be sensed as being present in the overal tonal mix of the ensemble.

And then there are some elementary acoustic effects helping out.

If a given long note is the fundamental in chord of long notes played by the brass or by other menbers of a well-in-tune ensemble, then the tubist has the advantage that these chord notes will create the impression of the fundamental being played by the acoustics of the hall. That fundamental sounding in the hall will help the tubist disguising his inhalation breaks. Same effect will occur if the long note is doubled in the two octaves right above the tubist’s long note. Or by the octave and the twelfth.

Klaus
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Re: Air supply

Post by Three Valves »

tofu wrote:I think the master of getting the most out of ones own total lung capacity is Carol Jantsch. I was at a recital she did some years back at NU and ended up in a seat slightly behind her off to a side and was really struck at how rapidly and completely she could fill / expel her lungs. She certainly makes the most out of the capacity she has and certainly is not a large individual.
She looks as though she's done a few laps in the pool though, and I'm sure that helps!!

:tuba:
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