What's your favourite position?

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[@deonejohnson7351]

I sit during these and most of my practice. Rock and big band, standing for sure

[@Arypalacios.]

thanks for doing this, i have many improviments

[@jareddaum]

Today's flugelhorn set (played standing) went better than the last. But on average it is always worse than with the trumpet. The air always lasted until the end of the notes. However, with some notes the oxygen became quite scarce at the end. It was interesting to notice that whenever oxygen became scarce, my heart rate rose sharply. The body tries to compensate for the lack of oxygen. This in itself then uses more oxygen. So I occasionally took a little more time to breathe. I learned that unpleasant noises when playing (e.g. double frequencies) are not caused by the lips but by the vocal cords in the larynx. These resonate at certain frequencies without being asked. You can feel this in your vocal cords, especially with the deep sounds. You can feel it vibrating if you concentrate on it. I also tried to trigger it actively (humming along slightly) because I thought if I can trigger it, then I can learn to stop it.

[@jareddaum]

I try to play standing up as often as possible. Reasons for this: 1. In the big band you also play standing up, so you should practice that way 2. Is this better for my back. I've been sitting for a long time at work and standing is much better for the muscles than sitting. 3. Anyone who sits a lot dies sooner. You've probably already heard about it. I have to admit that unfortunately I am often lazy and then practice sitting down. Especially when I practice for a longer period of time or improvise in a relaxed manner to a few jazz standards. For me, playing while sitting is technically/physically easier. Especially when I lean forward slightly (similar to Chet). I think it has something to do with breathing. You can probably compress the air better this way. So I sometimes try to adopt a similar position for high notes in the big band. Alternatively, it also helps me to press down on my lungs from above with my chest. I'm still trying to figure out what works best, how and why. I think I'm on the trail of something that can help me play better (high notes) in certain situations.

[@DavidJones-nf2mo]

I don't think i've ever played a gig sitting, but I sit for these exercises. I do however try and sit straight and keep the horn horizontal....it also depends on where my phone is placed to receive KZbin! Last week it was on a shelf so I stood, but i dont think it made the exercises any easier 😅

[@richardcopeland]

I practice standing up. I gig standing up with the big band, but rehearsals are sitting down. For the latter, I try to ensure that my posture is good, ie sitting up with straight back, and towards the front of the chair, so that air support and air flow, is good.

[@RenaissanceEagle11]

Thank you for all of your posts! I just received notification for this as I was about to go to sleep, so I’ll check in on the long time front tomorrow. In terms of playing position, I believe my preference is primarily determined by the style of music I’m playing. For example, it’s weird to me to play N.O. Brass Band music sitting down. (I’m so used to playing that style in a functional/celebratory sense). Big Band Jazz is cool either way, but I would prefer to stand if the horns are not on a tiered riser setup. Bryan, if you’ve managed to read this far, I did have a question for you out of mere curiosity. I noticed that you are wearing an Atlanta Jazz Festival shirt. Did you perform at the AJF recently or was that shirt gifted to you? I live in Georgia and would’ve loved to have heard you in person and I’m hoping that I didn’t miss such an opportunity.

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Thanks for watching. I got the t-shirt when I performed at the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Upon careful perusal of the shirt, I see that it was the 2015 edition. Hopefully I’ll get back there sometime. A great festival, with a superior quality t-shirt!!