Posted by JK on February 12, 2000 at 01:49:27:
In Reply to: Improving Tone posted by Matt A on February 12, 2000 at 00:01:27:
Don't know your abilities, Mp, Horn. But for just tonal development, spend about 20 min. each day in "dark practice" that is at night, lights out covered windows, total darkness, not able to see your hand in front of your face. Play long notes, scales, arpeggios, rote stuff, concentrating on what it is you want to accomplish. No visable distractions, all you will do is listen and concentrate on the sound that you want. Filling the horn will be part of the process, not loud, but filling the horn. This has helped me since my college days in the 50's.
As an aside, when Mendez busted his lip and it healed, he thought his trumpet career was over. He went back to his father's house in Mexico, his father sat him in a chair in the middle of a bedroom, black-papered all of the windows sealed the room into absolute darkness and said, "now practice."