“More Air” is a commonly held phrase that private instructors and band directors use…almost too often. After finding myself on the receiving side of this comment for the millionth time, I decided to embark on a quest to understand the science of playing. I am always open to discussion about contradicting methods, however these concepts work for the majority of students for the majority of the time.
I believe there are two aspects of the air that control our playing; the speed of the air column moving forward, and the width of that air column. The speed of the air moving across the lips is what creates pitch. The width of the air column is what dictates the volume that we are playing. I would encourage you to watch a brief video for an example of this concept.
Teaching Concepts to Ponder
During the beginning lessons at Wright State, I introduce students to these concepts in a very logical and simple way. Some teacher turn their nose up at the actual technical side of teaching. I have found that by teaching these concepts, students can trouble-shoot their own problems and have a priority list when they enter a practice room.
After we establish a “fast, directional, low-pitched breath” we begin to talk about the lips. At the end of the breath, I ask my students to inwardly say “up” or “hup”. This idea will close the lips so that air cannot escape. Once we achieve this concept successfully a number of times, we move on to the actually blowing air.
Without the mouthpiece, I have my students find the correct air for a middle register note, typically C in the staff. I have an electric piano, set to a church organ patch, for a pitch reference. We listen for extra friction in the air and make sure that the air column is moving direction out the middle of the mouth and moving parallel to the floor (or a direction that mimics their leadpipe angle). I tell them that the air column in the oral cavity should match the size of the aperture where the air is escaping. This concept will prevent the student from opening up too much, dropping the jaw, and then creating a diffuse sound. Remember that the bottom lips move with the jaw, so by dropping the jaw, you are actually moving the lips further away from each other. To create a pitch, the lips then need to stretch together. I believe that relaxed lips, not tense/stretched lips create a better sound.
The next step is to have them blow out while blowing out a “poo” articulation. This motion gives the idea that the lips are being blown apart by the air, and the air is constantly moving forward to keep them open. Again, we use a pitch reference to ensure correct speed and pitch, with any extra turbulence or friction in the air. The final step is to combine the “P” from the breathing “up” and the blowing “poo”. By turning this into one motion, we can ensure a full complete breath, and a clear beginning to the note. Please note that I am not advocating “poo” as a legitimate articulation during performance, but rather just as a teaching tool to convey a specific set of ideas.
Click below for a video explanation for the “up and poo” concepts.