September, 1995 / ITG Journal 1 1995 International Trumpet Guild

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International Trumpet Guild Journal
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Toward More Efficient Performance Frank Gabriel Campos,
Clinic Editor (Sep95)
September, 1995 / ITG Journal 89 1995 International Trumpet Guild
Toward More Efficient Performance
Dancers, athletes, musicians, and others who reach
the highest levels of performance have refined their
particular skill to its essentials. While only some
individuals are born physically gifted, it is possible
for all of us to learn to perform more efficiently.
Physical efficiency is one of the most important
aspects of trumpet performance, for without it, every
other parameter, from power to finesse, may be lim-
ited or even absent. For our purposes, efficiency can
be defined as getting the most product for the least
amount of effort. This means that we must remain
as relaxed as possible when performing with the ex-
ception of those places where support is essential.
But distinguishing which tension and support is es-
sential from that which is not is a difficult task,
requiring careful experimentation and repetition.
Consistent application of the following suggestions
will allow almost anyone to find surprising improve-
ment in overall playing ability, with particular im-
provement in sound, range, and endurance.
1. Posture is critical. In fact, posture is the single-
most important factor in eliminating excess tension.
Finding the proper position can take a long time, but
your patience will be well rewarded. This position
must become automatic or it is of no use to you in
performance, as focusing on anything but the music
you are playing in the moment will usually produce
trouble. Constant vigilance during your warm-up and
practice is required since you will revert to your old
habits quickly and easily. You will correct yourself a
thousand times before you are able to assume the
new posture without thinking about it. The key is
experimentation everyone is different. Practice with
your head reaching for the ceiling and your chest out,
but avoid arching backward. When you first attempt
this, release the tension in your shoulders, neck, and
lower back, but do not lose your upright position.
After a period of time, you will begin to notice that your
sound will tell you if you are in the correct position.
The quickest way to improve your posture is to practice
it while playing soft long tones.
2. Inhalation must be relaxed. You can learn to
play without destructive tension by remaining as
relaxed as possible at the moment of inhalation. This
is particularly difficult to do under stress, such as
when fatigued, when playing in the upper register, or
when under pressure to play well. A tense or rigid
inhalation will set up a pattern of tension that is al-
most impossible to alter once you have begun to blow,
and the result is destructive to tone, endurance, and
range, among other things. As with posture, you must
practice this until it becomes automatic.
3. Inhalation must be full. Notice how easily
and without effort most of the air leaves the lungs
when you take a full breath and sigh. Now take a
partial breath and sigh in the same manner, and you
can see that in order to evacuate the same amount of
air as the full breath, you must work harder to get
the air left in the lungs. Players who take a full
breath will use less energy to expel a given quantity
of air than players who take a partial breath. To
realize the most benefit from this principle, your
inhalation must be completely relaxed.
4. Just blow. Ideas about support, compression,
and contraction of any muscle group will only keep
you from expelling the air from the lungs in the most
efficient manner. Most players are actually working
harder than necessary, particularly in the abdominal
region, as a result of early training that is incorrect.
If you focus on just blowing, the body will contract
the proper muscles - you do not have to think about
it. If, however, you have trained yourself to support
or tighten up the abdominals, a little remedial work
may help you find a new level of playing. Practice
this sequence over and over, both with and without
the trumpet. Sit or stand tall with the chest out, take
a relaxed, full breath, remain relaxed, and just blow.
Many players will find improvement in the sound
immediately, with other benefits apparent after the
sequence becomes automatic.
5. Focus on the sound. Remedial work requires
that you diagnose your problems, experiment with
possible solutions, and learn new habits through rep-
etition. It is necessary to put your attention on the
physical process at times in our practice if you are
learning a new behavior, but you must rely on the
sound itself to determine what is working and what
is not, constantly comparing it to the ideal we hold in
our minds. Keeping your mind constantly on the way
your body feels or looks is a sure road to frustration.
Since we are continually changing, we can never
completely solve performance problems forever
they must be addressed every day. But with suffi-
cient repetition, any new behavior can be learned.
Striving to play more efficiently by focusing on pos-
ture and the breath can produce significant improve-
ment in virtually anyone who is willing to be patient
and persistent.
Members interested in contributing to Clinic should write to: Frank Campos, School of Music, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850 USA.
FRANK CAMPOS, EDITOR