CadetsfanMello09 Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Hey, I just started mello last year..(2 years on mello so far..1 yr left)4 years of mb so far :P ) I marched clarinet for 2 years..then switched for the better..anyway Tone Qualtity... :P :P . The one think i can say that will most likely help (goes for all instruments idk bout flute) is to.... Open your throat when you play...Take a deep breath... You can practice this by leting all ur air out then breath in (make sure your stomach goes out, chest mvt. must be very little. )...then out blow fast warm air... (u'll get lightheaded after doing it for a while ) idk just try that every day...and it's helped me on clarinet and mellophone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TealMello08 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Buy the Kerchner M-1 Mello Mouthpiece from IYM Corp. Dark Sound, Great Tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eskimojoe Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 long tones help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TealMello08 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 also lip slurs seemed to help me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in rainbows Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Buy this book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToferVis Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 All of the off the horn tricks don't really help you improve your tone on the horn. You can sing all day, and buzz your mouthpiece all day. But if you never pick up the horn you'll find your tone is not any better, and possibly worse. I know when I tried doing mouthpiece buzzing 2/3rds of my practice time relative to actually playing my horn because of my practice/home circumstances that my tone actually got worse. Tell that to Arnold Jacobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in rainbows Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Tell that to Arnold Jacobs. How is that relevant at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Because his methods of teaching involved quite a bit of "off the horn" practicing. He developed many of the ideas behind modern brass playing, and a big part of it is based on the idea that your body produces music and your horn is an amplifier. I won't go into great detail here, but suffice it to say that if you ever got to see one of his master classes, getting off the horn is a key part of his techniques. There are videos floating around the Internet of some of them, I highly recommend checking them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Because his methods of teaching involved quite a bit of "off the horn" practicing. Well balancing on a fence might help you be a better surfer. But it's no guarantee that you can surf, if you never get in the water to surf. In my travels, I've tried off horn exercises. Sure it strengthened some things. But IMO it did some too much which adversely affected my tone. Can off horn exercises help, maybe. Are they a replacement for the real thing, NO. Although I can see where it might be preferred for something like a Tuba. Use just a 2 lbs mouthpiece, or try to keep your focus while man handling a 40 lbs horn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I'm not saying that they should be predominant in practicing or that you should be off more than you're on, but I also don't know anything about your playing or practicing, so I'm certainly not in a position to make any kind of judgment. It's not that they're a replacement, but they are very useful at developing a subconscious connection between the mind's role in producing music and the body's. I would highly recommend reading Song and Wind, the book about Jacobs by Brian Fredriksen, to anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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