Mastering good breath control is essential if one wishes to improve on one’s instrument --- for, most aspects of playing rest heavily on good breath support. Sound, style, range, endurance, lip flexibility and even musicianship cannot reach a high level of performance without it. 

Sound and Style

When one watches an athlete hit a home run, punt a “beauty”, serve an “ace” or drive the ball “a mile”, one is impressed with the follow-through motions in each activity. So too, after the commencement of a note, we must follow through with our air. Failing to do so makes a phrase sound disjointed and choppy. It also makes it difficult to develop a warm sound because the sound seems to stop at the bell and doesn’t project throughout the room we are playing in.

When we play we should think of making a clothesline with our sound which is only interrupted by our tongue as we articulate --- much like clothes-pegs would divide the line. The sound should be straight unless you are specifically asked to do otherwise, or you choose to shape the note out of choice and not out of habit.

One problem resulting from poor air control is the “TWA TWA” effect… that is, the note balloons so that the loudest and most resonant part of the note is in the middle of its duration. Unless a special effect is called for, a note’s volume and resonance should be consistent throughout. If one were to stress any part of the note, it should be the beginning of the note and not somewhere after the attack.

Assuming that one’s embouchure is reasonably developed, supporting a note with your breath will make the tone full and rich. You will be amazed at how just thinking of air control and support can improve the way you sound.

Range

In addition to influencing the sound and style, breath support will also aid range. Blowing really fast through the instrument isn’t a magic formula for playing high if your embouchure isn’t sufficiently developed. However, with a strong embouchure, a good air flow can make playing in the high register more precise, taking away the strained pinched sound, and adding notes to your range. To translate air support to range one must think horizontally instead of vertically. For instance, if you are playing a lower note, think of blowing out a candle one inch away. While blowing a high note, think of blowing out a candle twenty feet away. Try it first using your hand. Breathe slowly into your hand while holding it one inch from your mouth, feeling the warmth of your breath as you do so. Now hold your hand further away and blow into it. Notice how the air is now cooler. Translation: Low note = warm air; High note = cool air.

Dynamics

A good dynamic range is essential to good brass playing and it relies heavily on breath support and control.

I find it very frustrating to listen to a good musician play everything at mezzo forte or even quieter. It doesn’t matter how fast or high he goes: His playing will lack the excitement and intensity that happens when quieter notes are contrasted with forte or fortissimo. Conversely, a player who just blasts all the time is very tiring to listen to, and it is a waste of energy. Playing loud constantly loses its effect in the same way that screaming at children continuously loses its desired response after a period of time.

Usually a good oil painting will contain many contrasts, especially in colour. The painter has any number of colours available to him and how he uses them is up to him. Imagine how an autumn scene would look if he had only grey and black to work with, or how an evening winter scene would look if he only used orange and red. Like the painter we need to develop sound colours. If we can only play mezzo piano or mezzo forte we will be handicapped as we try to “paint a picture” with our instruments.

It takes a lot of energy to play loudly, and it’s something that needs to be practiced. Muscles have to develop to push the air out fast for loud playing, while air control and lip sensitivity must be developed to play softly. When you practice, try to push the limits of the dynamic spectrum by practicing some exercises both as loudly and as softly as possible.

One word of caution: The tone should be consistent throughout your dynamic range. When we are listening to a stereo and want the volume to get louder, we turn the volume knob to obtain a louder, but not different, sound. The violins on your CD don’t start digging into their instruments as the volume increases. So too, we should not start sounding harsh and brittle as we get louder, or pinched and strained as we get softer.

Lip Slurring and Intervals

How one applies breath control to lip slurs can make the difference between succeeding or failing in this area. The important thing is to change the emphasis from the higher note you are slurring to, to the lower note you are slurring from. In other words, you must pressure the lower note with your air and use it as a springboard to get the higher note. The lower note must also be sustained to the last possible second, eliminating the error time between slurs or intervals. 

Example One:

Velocity

It is a common fault in many players, that their fast passages lack the intensity and sound that is evident in the slower passages. What one must remember is that a faster passage requires much more air if it is to sound as clear as a slower passage. 

Example Two:

Every note in the fast section must be thought of as a solo. If one were to record a sixteenth note run and isolate just one note of that run, that note should be of the same quality as a quarter note in a devotional solo. This cannot be achieved without air support.

Experiment on technical passages by pausing at random and listening to see whether the sound of the note you have stopped on is acceptable in tone and quality.

Taking a good breath and supporting your playing with a controlled air stream will not only make things easier for you technically, but will also give you better endurance.

God bless you as you strive to develop your skills as a “King’s Minstrel”, a privilege and honour shared by Salvation Army musicians found in the Lord’s service.