Ralph R. Hall [email protected] Ralph R. Hall http://www.brasshausmusic.com
Predominantly, this posting has revealed what I've suspected since being a member of the list: the majority are looking for external influences/assistance to improve their playing, whereas my thesis has always been that the biggest influence comes from within. An analogy might be that most of today's youth get their gratification from external devices such as the TV, Nintendos, PC's, smart phones etc. Maroon them on a desert island and they couldn't hack it because they have very little of use in their heads and nor do they have the machinery of imagination to sustain them in their solitude.. The horn equivalent is the desperate search for the best instrument, the perfect mouthpiece, the definitive sound, the study that, miraculously, will improve accuracy. All these are externals that bypass what should be coming from within. I'm intrigued whenever I go to a horn festival/gathering that most of the amateurs arriving to participate have better instruments (at least younger!) than I've got and that they are the same who are earnestly trying every instrument/ mouthpiece on display looking for the Holy Grail that is unattainable without a basic ability level and the self-help, imagination and diligence to exploit it. The common thread in the sensible advice coming from certain postings is that accuracy is unachievable without maximum concentration. There are no specific etudes that will do this for you and no concentration switch that turns it on for a performance. Therefore, the only way to train yourself to concentrate when it's really necessary, is to concentrate all the time, from mouthpiece buzzing, through warm - up, practise and rehearsals. Farkas says that to achieve anything as a player you have to have spent at least a monastic 6 months dedicating yourself absolutely to the horn and its mastery. For most, it seems to be mystery not mastery. It's quite simple; it doesn't matter what you're playing and which mouthpiece or instrument you're playing on - make every note count as if your life depended on it. Eventually you will reach that euphoric state of 'relaxed concentration' that is necessary to survive the rigours, both mental and physical, that are an inevitable adjunct of playing to any sort of respectable standard. Ralph R. Hall _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
