I've been giving some thought to the answers I've gotten so far. It seems to me that there are two distinct approaches:
1. Make accuracy a game so that you get to the point to where you can play something N times in a row 2. Work on your fundamentals so that your intonation, inner ear, lips can lock a note before you play it It seems to me that with method 1 (which has NEVER worked for me) would imply that along the way you figure out what you're doing wrong, practice to correct slurs, etc., then are able to reproduce the accuracy on the spot. It seems to be more of a learning by 'rote' method, which more often than not leads to unpredictable results. I'm sure it would help endurance though, but it wouldn't help boredom. With method 2, this seems to be the most efficient way to correct accuracy in the future. Theoretically if your inner ear is right, you can buzz it in tune, you can play it. Why do I say this? Because it's like trying to ride a bike in a very thin lane versus a wider one. If you can stay within that thin lane (meaning you have enough control over your bike) without a problem, then staying within a lane that is 2 feet wider would be easier. So, being able to buzz the notes and hear them, etc. seems to be the best way to get accuracy. Endurance obviously helps, but it seems like it should be the means by which we improve accuracy, and not a result of it. Endurance will obviously be a problem, but to take a parallel from running (which I've gotten into of late), if I am able to run 7 miles each day without a problem, then a quick 3 mile jog is much easier. In other words, if you over develop your muscle endurance, it will certainly help. So to improve endurance and buzzing, it boils down to the individual muscles behind the embouchure and how well we can control them, as well as how well we can control the air. Which, again, boils down to fundamentals. Steven Mead once said that brass playing is easy once we get the fundamentals right - and he may have a very good point. This is just rambling as of now, but I wonder if there have been any papers written on brass playing regarding accuracy and how to improve it, and studies on what methods work and what methods don't. Method 1 seems like a sink or swim exam, and as someone who never learned to swim that way can tell you that method may not work for everyone. -William -----Original Message----- From: Francis Pressland <[email protected]> To: The Horn List <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, Aug 24, 2011 3:53 pm Subject: Re: [Hornlist] Etudes to improve accuracy On 24 Aug 2011, at 10:57, Ralph Hall wrote: > In extreme circumstances I put my > wallet on the stand and say, "If you play this perfectly - and I mean > perfectly - you can have the complete contents of my wallet!" Wow, see > the beads of sweat! - on their brow not mine! I've never lost yet Well what a surprise Ralph, when did you ever have any money in your wallet anyway ;-) Francis _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/valkhorn%40aol.com _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
