Well said, I think... Haven't read Smiley (except for Le Carre's version), but am assuming from all the back and forth that he does not deal with brass instruments from an overall, soup-to-nuts point of view, meaning you probably cannot study Smiley exclusively and end up ready for that big audition. That said, his study might well have value for specific aspects of playing - the danger lies in relying too much on one method of teaching with the intention or hope of mastery of the entire instrument. We need to be intelligent about where we obtain our knowledge and who we, more or less, blindly follow. Personally, if I were still a student who read these things (and had no access to private lessons), I would be inclined to base my study on someone like Farkas, who provides a general, well-proven guide to the horn from beginning stages up thru advanced topics. However, if I were having problems with my high range and knew about Smiley, I might buy the book, but only as a possible guide to the specifics with which I needed specific help...where I found Smiley to be in conflict with Farkas, I would have a decison to make, and am pretty sure I would stick with the acknowledged and time-tested master. I think the key is to believe in the possibility of anything helping, but to act on that belief only while the brain is fully engaged (and if you lack the experience and maturity to do this, talk about it with someone you trust, i.e., your private instructor).
Fred From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ...snip... High C's are nice, but what about playing a seamless, gorgeous and full sounding Brahms 2? As far as the smiley thing goes, different strokes for different folks; If may work "for you", but there's a slim chance it will work "for me". All people are trying to point out is a lineage of a "correct" way to form a reliable embochure. Don't get me wrong, I've done my fair share of Claude Gordon studies, but reading something by Farkas, Rider, Gardner etc. provides far more reliable and insightful information relevant to what I want to do, and it does it "for me". _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
