> > I have encountered the same issue. I find myself blowing with all my > might to be heard and find that my sound still seems unsupported. I do > not often listen to recordings of my own playing, but a few recordings of > my solos with a mezzo forte band behind them I am unhappy with. I'd like > to be heard over a true decent, full ensemble forte at least; I also > would like to keep a dark tone color and not get too brassy (bright would > probably be a better word), spead and unfocused. How do you accomplish > this? Please tell me if you do any exercises that help your sound, or if > it's simply your sitting or horn position. >
Hmmm. I think you are probably asking for more than the instrument is capable of delivering. An unbrassy solo sound over the band at playing at forte? Just isn't going to happen. If you have a solo line over the full band playing at forte, one of three things is going to have to happen. - Your sound is brassy to get the necessary volume - Your solo doesn't come through - The conductor tells the rest of the band to play quieter There really isn't a fourth alternative. For when the band is not so loud, and you have a solo which can be reasonably heard, aim for the following. - Support the air column from as low down as possible. Don't tense your chest. Use your diaphragm muscles to provide the support. - Don't clench or tense your throat. - Use more air and less pressure. Relax the lips as far as possible (maintaining enough tension for the correct note to sound) and allow the lips to open a bit more for the air to pass through. - If it is a long passage, decide where you are going to breathe. Mark the breaths into the part. Accept that you need to breathe more in a solo passage than in a tutti passage and arrange the breath marks accordingly - Play two degrees louder than the dynamic marking indicates i.e. if the solo is marked p, you play a good solid mf (This is a general rule, and you may need to adapt it depending on the circumstances. Some composers make more effort than others at giving different parts different dynamics, so that the solo line can be brought out.) As for exercises to help achieve this, it might sound boring, but long notes are what you need to practice. Long notes with a long crescendo to the middle of the note and a diminuendo to the end. Try to achieve the crescendo by increasing support and airflow rather than increasing pressure. Take the crescendo only to the point just before the tone starts to get brassy - aim for an even tone throughout the crescendo. Gradually try to increase the level at which you hit that just-before-brassy tone. Regards Jonathan West _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
