breathing

[anadmai]

I've noticed in concert band music, the bass parts are just way too low. In brass band music, the Eb Bass part is normal and not trying to impress anyone with how low they can play. I like that Eb Bass can get up there above the Treble Clef staff. Funny watching people with the 20 feet tall Basses trying to see if they can hit the brown note.

This is why I play in 3 Brass Bands and zero Wind/Concert Bands. LOL.

[1 Ton Tommy]

I've been doing Yoga again after years of slacking off and it is helping my breath control for both tuba and trumpet. I have big lungs, in my younger days nearly 7 liters as measured by my kenesiology grad-student housemate. So filling a horn hasn't been a problem even into my seventies but breath control is an issue. Increasingly so. Walking hills keeps the capacity up but the leg lifts and other core exercises really do help the breath control.

But there are limits. A few years ago we played Night on Bald Mountain. In rehearsal to keep the violins happy the conductor took it at half tempo. I had to take a breath in the middle of whole notes at that tempo so my tendency was to play it at a tempo for which I had enough breath anyway. I didn't realize I was doing it until the conductor prevailed on the trombone player to emphasize his tempo so I wouldn't rush the beat. Those famous opening measures take a LOT of air. (he said, commenting on the obvious.)