Working with air
If you have followed my practice sessions, you know I generally incorporate breathing, what brass player doesn’t? It is so critical to what we do, it is also full of habits. To help me with those habits I make use of various breathing devices in a focused way as a bridge between conception and playing (read the book Song and Wind)..
I have been fortunate to work with some of the best breathers out there (most of them studying with Jacobs at some point, or one of Jacobs' students). Breathing devices can be complicated, or simple depending on how we use them. What they do allow us to do is introduce strangeness into our air, and provide a means of visual information and feedback. We can then use that information to inform our playing.
Since everyone doens’t have access to the same resources I am slowly releasing videos that deal with the use of various breathing devices that I use and have been with me for awhile.
The first two are below and more are on their way.
Happy practicing.
(My youtube channel - feel free to subscribe as I am planning some other videos on playing beyond breathing)