Placing the first note of a phrase can be intimidating, even frightful in some cases. We must play accurately. . .we think, “don’t chip the first note!!!” This way of thinking can get us into more trouble and make the task of playing beautifully more challenging than ever. We don’t want to stumble into the beginning of a solo, or any music, for that matter. A jewel of a first note is what we are going for. . .a clean beginning, a resonant sound and a phrase with direction.
How can we play a beautiful phrase beginning with the very first note? Preparation is the key. Prepare the mind to begin. What is my tempo? What kind of sound I am going to make? A common error is to believe that the tongue begins the note. The tongue simply defines the beginning of the note, it is the air that begins the note.
Consider the following process: breathe in time, stay relaxed and then enter the note with 95% air and 5% tongue. Air is the substance of our sound, don’t let the tongue be boss! Learn to trust the air. Next, where is the phrase going? The first note is simply the stem which leads to the gorgeous flower, it’s not the main event. Move through the first note into the following beautifully-shaped phrase. Approach the beginning of the phrase musically, rather than technically.
Air is the substance of sound. No air, no sound. Weak air, weak sound. Explosive air, explosive sound. Get the picture? 🙂 Use the tongue to define the air in motion, not as a substitute for the air. Practice the following exercise to build trust in your airstream: walk around the room with the horn in your hands, then stop and immediately play a note without tonguing it—go for a beautiful sound. Walk a few more steps, stop and play it again. This relaxed approach to starting a note will normalize note entrances. Relax, breathe and blow. Learn to trust the air and go from there! Have a nice walk!
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