Not at all. I refer to it as an up and down airstream focus but it is exactly the same thing as taught to me by my teacher who was taught the same concept in New York by his teacher, some guy named Bill Bell.
Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?
I won't "roast" Roger, but I think that slurring is even simpler than that. The bottom line is that the lips must vibrate each pitch and the vibration needs to be continuous as you shift from one pitch to the next. In order to have vibration, you must provide the embouchure with a thick, steady stream of air. This thick, steady stream of air is the Wind aspect of Arnold Jacobs philosophy, Song and Wind.
However, Arnold Jacobs taught that one should focus less on the actual physical maneuvers and much more on the sound of each note. He taught that we do not play by phrase, but that we build the phrase one note at a time. As we do this, we are singing each note in our head as we play, and simultaneously strive to imitate the singing in our head. The part of the brain that he called the computer level (some may call it the subconscious) will control the muscles of the embouchure until they create the shape necessary to vibrate the desired pitch.
This is a trial and error process and is very similar to how we learn to whistle or sing. In all three cases, we never really know what we are doing physically, but we do know very precisely whether the pitch is correct and if it matches the concept of the sound we are hearing in our heads. This concept of striving to imitate what we are singing in our heads while playing is the Song aspect of Song and Wind.
When we are first learning a new skill, there will be crudity. This is to be expected. However, as we continue to practice, the new skill is refined through the trial and error process until the errors occur less and less often. During this process, we are developing reflex responses to a stimulus. That is, the lips are learning how to vibate the pitches we hear in our heads. This continues until it becomes automatic, at which time a habit has been developed.
An excellent way to refine our playing, and develop good habits quickly, whether it is slurring or any other aspect of playing, is to play music (melodies) on the mouthpiece alone. The best way to start this is to play simple tunes that you know well, so that all you need to do is focus your attention on singing with the lips. As you become more proficient, you can start to incorporate the legato passages you are working on. If you can slur smoothly on the mouthpiece alone, it will be very easy to transfer that ability to the instrument.
Too often, as brass players, we rely on the instrument and changing the valve combination to give us the pitch. Our focus needs to be the other way around. If we put the desired pitch into the cup of the mouthpiece (i.e., if our lips buzz the right note) all we need to be concerned with is making sure the right valves are depressed so that the tube is the correct length to resonate the pitch.
This brings up onee final point about smooth slurring. If we want the pitch change to be smooth and continuous, the valve changes (where necessary) need to be very fast. We cannot be lazy with our fingers and expect to develop a smooth legato technique.
I studied trumpet with Vince Cichowicz years ago. Day one, lesson one, page one was a book called "flow studies". I encourage you to look that up. I think there is a version for tuba now. For the most part these are a selection of etudes that when you draw the slur across the entire phrase, you get a very valuable set of exercises that should be frontloaded into your daily studies.
Mastering slurring means moving the air seamlessly across the notes as others have wisely recounted. It will take time of course but it will come. For me I just had to get into the mindset of "blowing through the changes" (of the valves) and smoothing it out. Moving between the notes represents a small but noticeable break/reduction in the airflow, so you must be prepared to compensate for those changes.
With sufficient volume and "vivacity" of air movement you will find that the slurring comes very naturally.
Also, pay close attention to what Roger Lewis is saying. I am pretty sure he knows everything. Ask him about the spit valve drill which will definitely get you to the "sufficient air movement" stage you need to be in to slur well.
Lip slurring is another matter completely (slurring between notes without valve changes). You will hate the way you sound doing these at first but it is a great way to highlight your progress. I suggest you look up a book by Max Schlossberg called "Daily Drills and Technical Studies". Yes it is for trumpet but you can learn to read treble clef along the way.
Don't get discouraged! Most of us still work on this stuff often, even after decades of playing.
When your teacher says you don’t slur, I am sure he defines clearly towards you what a slur is as well as where your playing procedure deviates from being a slur. Preferably by playing a slur the right way as well as your way, so that you by ear, eye, and mind understand the right procedure as well where your own procedure fails.
imperialbari wrote:When your teacher says you don’t slur,
Klaus
I agree with the previous explanations of how to do it.
I think that when a teacher says you don't slur, most of the time he means you are bumping with air to articulate the note, often accompanied with dropping the air flow on the previous note (but not always.)
