Posted by Jay Bertolet on July 25, 2001 at 09:23:03:
In Reply to: prokofiev posted by need help! on July 24, 2001 at 22:48:22:
Without hearing you play, it is going to be difficult to determine exactly what you may or may not be having a problem with. My first instinct, based on what you wrote, would be to tell you to practice the excerpt softly at first. In my experience, students don't have problems articulating a single note unless they are having problems with all tonguing. If you're having a problem tonguing a single pitch (in this case, a low range note) and not others, I would look at your whole setup and see what you're doing differently for this note that you're not doing for others. Perhaps you are doing something with your embouchure for that low F that is interferring with your tonguing process? I would look very carefully at what you're doing to get the note loud. If you're moving things around, for either the range or the volume, that could be the problem. Practice softly and see if it still sounds bad. If so, then you may be shifting to get the low F. If not, maybe you're doing something with your embouchure to get the volume. If you work on getting solid, centered notes at the softer dynamic, you have a good chance of being able to transfer that technique to the louder playing. Remember that only good solid, centered sounds will project to the back corner of the hall. An overblown sound isn't going to project well and may not be the most pleasant thing to listen to either. As long as your sound is in tune and characteristic, it will project. After that, you work on expanding the upper end of that limit.
Of course, this is all said without my hearing a note from you. If you're ever in South Florida give me a call. I can help much more in a private lesson setting when you have the horn in your hands and I can actually hear the product. Good luck!
My opinion for what it's worth...