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I wish brass players didn't feel the need to use analogies to the clarinet, as though 1) no one will understand what they're talking about unless they explain it in terms of how the clarinet works, and 2) they know how a clarinet works.

I struggle with maintaining good sound through long notes, especially low. I can play to the bottom of my BBb horn’s capability, but maintaining that sound without frequent breaths is hard. My excuse is that I took a 20 year hiatus from playing, but that’s an excuse, not a good reason. I also have a tendency to mash my face into the mouthpiece.

My new mouthpiece (just arrived today!) seems to give me better control, but I had to stop playing after a minute. Yesterday I played four sets at the state volleyball tournament with the high school pep band. I split my lower lip powering through Phantom of the Opera at the request of one of the officials (we had our own cheer section), and was smashing my mouth too firmly into the mouthpiece trying to fix pitch issues that were really just a stuck third valve so my top lip is bruised and cut up from my teeth. I admit to sometimes trying to show off to try to entice a student to try playing the tuba.

Donn wrote:I wish brass players didn't feel the need to use analogies to the clarinet, as though 1) no one will understand what they're talking about unless they explain it in terms of how the clarinet works, and 2) they know how a clarinet works.

I learned how to make enough noise on a clarinet in college to play a solo for reed techniques class.

I know how it DOESN'T work.

basslizard wrote:I struggle with maintaining good sound through long notes, especially low. I can play to the bottom of my BBb horn’s capability, but maintaining that sound without frequent breaths is hard. My excuse is that I took a 20 year hiatus from playing, but that’s an excuse, not a good reason. I also have a tendency to mash my face into the mouthpiece.

My new mouthpiece (just arrived today!) seems to give me better control, but I had to stop playing after a minute. Yesterday I played four sets at the state volleyball tournament with the high school pep band. I split my lower lip powering through Phantom of the Opera at the request of one of the officials (we had our own cheer section), and was smashing my mouth too firmly into the mouthpiece trying to fix pitch issues that were really just a stuck third valve so my top lip is bruised and cut up from my teeth. I admit to sometimes trying to show off to try to entice a student to try playing the tuba.

Lizards have split tongues, so you just placed your cuts the wrong place.

And then you need a Piggy to fit your nose. If you want to play loud, get one more Pignose.

The forked tongue makes it easier to play a double-reeded instrument. Pig nose not so helpful.

Donn wrote:I wish brass players didn't feel the need to use analogies to the clarinet, as though 1) no one will understand what they're talking about unless they explain it in terms of how the clarinet works, and 2) they know how a clarinet works.

Let's make it an oboe analogy then; entirely different type of breathing and support from when I play my oboe vs playing my tuba. On the oboe, the similarity is that you have to control the stream of air, quantity of air, quality of air, but it's at a much greater pressure. It's not uncommon that I have to breathe out before taking a new breath while playing the oboe, and with the tuba, it's common that I actually run out of air from trying to put too much (quantity over quality) in order to hit the lower notes.

Bloke-piece Sellmansberger mouthpiece is amazing, but very different. My articulation between notes is easier on it, depth and tone a little harder to achieve. Fairly certain this is going to come down to breathing.

Go to the main concept being stated: forget preconceived notions: That aint a bad post!

Michael Grose posts an Arnold Jacobs quote daily on his Facebook page. Here is a recent one that agrees with the linked article posted by Bloke.

When you play a brass instrument you must think buzz, buzz, buzz, and not blow, blow, blow. In a car, the engine moves the wheels. (It's not the gasoline moving the wheels). Your buzz is like the engine of the car.
---Arnold Jacobs #jakeped

https://www.facebook.com/michael.grose. ... ation=chat" target="_blank

When asked where he got the wind to fill that big instrument, Jake responded, "I don't fill it with wind, I fill it with vibration."

He also used to say that you could breathe perfectly and still be a lousy tuba player. The breath is important because it is the fuel source for the vibration, but the concept of how you want to sound is much more important.

The author of the linked article is aware of those Jacobs quotes, and of how few of his good ideas generally originated with him.

He is also aware of the tendency of analogies (to the clarinet or otherwise) to break down if overanalyzed.

bloke wrote:~Control~ of air is one thing. It's pretty important when playing a wind instrument.
~More~ air is not (necessarily) a solution to any particular musical instrument playing problem.

It sure is!

Instrument playing problem: too little air for good sound?
Solution: More air!

"clarinets-as-percussion-instruments"...uh...I'd prefer to be around those clarinet players who make clarinets' air columns vibrate, and not attempt (as no successful clarinet players do) - in vain - to bang the reed tips against the tips of the mouthpieces (aka "squawk").

I prefer to be around clarinet players who would have a better idea how to play clarinet, than a tuba player would.

If you're looking to demonstrate a beating regime on a woodwind instrument, sax would be a better choice, as it switches to that lower in the volume range than clarinet.

But it isn't really necessary, we already know at least that much about the mechanics of this system. See for example Clarinet acoustics: an introduction. Maybe your colleagues would get more chuckles if presented with information based on acoustic research. I gather it's the South we're talking about.

So uh, Bloke... did you happen to notice you're advocating a blog post that encourages buzzing?

Somebody needs to write a method book for our instrument, in the worst way.

I keep wondering why nobody is shopping for a horn so they can be the next Chuck Daellenbach. He should write a method book and sell (many) thousands. I was more interested in being Roger Bobo once, but Chuck is right there with him. I wasn't brave enough to be Warren Deck.

If a younger person ever reads this, they ought be trying to be the next Carol Jantsch. Her name gets mentioned around here almost....................................................never.

bloke wrote:When I have time, Mr. Donn, I'll put some wet red nail polish on the tip of a clarinet mouthpiece and make a video of me playing a two-octave scale on a clarinet (yeah...I'll have to negotiate "the break", and I'd rather do it on a sax, but you say "clarinet", so...)

No reason you can't do both:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85_73iA ... e=youtu.be" target="_blank

Accomplish??

I'm just barely getting by!!

The design is mighty innovative - I read that the branch off the octave hole is based on a principle employed in digital synthesized instrument sounds and first employed in a physical instrument here. For a first generation, it seems to be good enough to find out whether there's any real need for a soprano sax you can take to the beach.

My brother ordered one - he's a woodwind specialist - but they're back ordered.

I'll update if he gets one working.

I know who could probably use one in performance effectively - have you seen Gunhild Carling play?

timothy42b wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85_73iA ... e=youtu.be

Waiting anxiously for a bass saxophone version.....

("turban, cobra, and wicker basket extra")