8
result in even
more
tension, not less. So the first priority is to stay
relaxed.
Relaxation is both physical and mental. Even if you are nervous,
you must keep the body free of unneeded tension. And, even if you
feel emotionally relaxed, the body may still be tense. Suggestions:
•
Stretch a little before you play. Shake out your shoulders, arms,
hands, and legs. Imagine you are about to do a gymnastics
routine and you need to loosen up.
•
Practice in front of a mirror. Make it
look
easy. If it
looks
effortless, chances are that it will feel that way and will begin to
sound that way.
Being Ready to Breathe and Play
Young players:
Each time you begin to play, there must be three distinct steps:
1. Instrument up and ready (touching lips)
2. Breathe
3. Play
It is important to have the instrument in place to play (lightly
touching your lips) before you take your breath. Bring it up
two
measures
– or at least five seconds – before the first note, if
possible. Then, keep the basic position of the embouchure when
taking the breath. It is not necessary to open the mouth really wide.
In fact, opening the mouth too wide makes it awkward to get the
embouchure in position to immediately start to play.
Think of a baseball player who steps up to the plate. First, he
establishes his stance (that’s like our posture). Next, he takes
several practice swings to loosen up (that could be a couple of
deep breaths to loosen up, if we have time). As the pitcher winds up,
the batter positions the bat (instruments up to our lips). The swing
starts with a back swing, to achieve momentum (
that is our
inhalation
). Finally, the batter swings at the ball (that is our sound).
Inhale to Exhale
Once again, the batter begins the swing with a back swing (that
back swing is even more prominent in golf). In throwing, the arm
goes back before the throw. It’s exactly the same for the breath.
A good inhalation leads to a good exhalation.
