Whisper Tones - Why Playing Soft Can Be So Beneficial

[@kevinwest3671]

Hey I just want to let you know that I’m recovering from a major slump on the horn right now and it’s been really discouraging but your videos have been helping me so much to become relaxed while playing and I just want to say thanks for what you do, it’s made a world of difference!

[@TheChopsShop]

I'm glad the videos have been useful to you. Keep moving in the right direction.

[@mustafa1name]

Thank you Dion for mapping out rarely visited regions of trombone geography - "Be not afeard; the {horn} is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not"

[@TheChopsShop]

The subtleties is what makes our voice unique.

[@eva123me]

Dion you are the Zen Master of the Trombone. I have have learn so much for your instruction. Thank you!

[@TheChopsShop]

My pleasure, I'm glad I could help.

[@RobEgertonJazzTranscriptions]

The 'Trumpet Physics' video was a revelation when I first saw it!

[@TheChopsShop]

It’s gives us brass players a much different perspective to what’s going on under the hood.

[@quentinmorales]

Amazing... Every one of my teachers had it wrong

[@TheChopsShop]

A lot of us get it wrong. It all about continuing to learn and grow.

[@jazzbonept]

Yeah Dion! Keep these coming as much as possible. They're so refreshing. Also, it would be super cool to hear you play a tune sometime to hear your new and improved sound in action!

[@TheChopsShop]

That’s definitely planned for future videos!

[@degelepassant1186]

Three thumbs up for this one !!! I always said to myself that what 's really difficult for a jetfighter pilot is to flight really slowly rather than in full throttel postcombustion mode...

[@TheChopsShop]

Great analogy!

[@jefframey9561]

Love your content!

[@TheChopsShop]

Awesome, I’m glad you find the information useful.

[@MultiCBU]

Thank you again! Great knowledge you share! The concept you introduce here is totally in sync with the consept of a previous video about ”not to buzz”. After trying this I felt easier and more relaxed to play higher notes with the concept you introduced in that other video.

[@TheChopsShop]

That’s fantastic! I’m glad that you’re connecting the dots between the different videos. It’s all connected and it’s our job to find the connection.

[@marcogonzalez596]

Dion, great videos. Thank you for sharing

[@TheChopsShop]

Marco gonzalez I’m always happy to share!

[@TheChopsShop]

Bikini, like swimming trunks? 🥴

[@juanramonbrenes6788]

Hello, I apologize for the translation error above ,,, I wanted to say what is your number and mouthpiece brand, please excuse me ....Puerto Rico

[@TheChopsShop]

Oh I see, no worries on the translation. I play a Greg Black Mouthpiece. It’s a custom piece model after a Courtois mouthpiece I had been playing on. The size is somewhere between a 6 1/2 and a 7c.

[@MooChimp]

Hi Dion - back again. I'm making really awesome progress so far and I've got to say I'm loving it. I wanted to just post a few worries and get a pros take on it. Sorry if it's a long one.. but you seem such a valuable resource and I hope you don't mind. 1 - I'm still relatively new.. but I heard - maybe from you, that when you go from low to high notes you want as little change in your actual embachure as possible.. like the least muscle movement. I noticed when practicing today, as I got further into my practice I properly felt that.. the high notes came easy and I seem to "find my embachure" and it feels perfect.. but then when I practice again the next day I don't get that same embachure again immediately. Why is that ? Is it simply practice that will help me get that embachure immediately as a pick up the horn ? 2 is kind of related.. I get worried that each time I practice I'm not putting the mouthpiece in that perfect position and I think worrying about it / moving it around wastes my time.. but again - do you think that just in time I'll just pick up the horn and it'll just feel "right" immediately - and not after 30 mins of playing? Thanks again for the awesome content 👍👍

[@MooChimp]

Highest note currently is the bflat sat right ontop of the top line. I should stop getting distracted and put more time into reading music though.. I get too sidetracked just putting on bflat major jams and jamming.. although I think that's actually helped me a lot.

[@TheChopsShop]

I'm glad to hear that you're making progress on the horn. That's always very rewarding. As far as things feeling the same everyday, well, welcome to the world of brass playing. That's basically why we warmup on a daily basis. If you were going to run a mile everyday, you would stretch everyday. Same thing with the instrument. Proper stretching of the muscles is essential to a good playing day. A way to accelerate the warmup process is to do some breathing and mental exercises before picking up the instrument. Don't worry so much about exact placement of the mouthpiece. As you warmup, it will find its natural position.

[@MooChimp]

@@TheChopsShop Thanks for that. That's actually a really brilliant way to put it. Ive only played guitar before the horn. But I've watched your 20 minute routine video, and I'll do exactly that when I'm home. I've also started buzzing on my long commutes to and from work which I think will be beneficial to me. Again, really appreciate the response. I've told myself once I reach a certain point. Going to get one of your online sessions. Thanks again 👍👍

[@thedietbender1594]

Thank you!

[@TheChopsShop]

You’re welcome, thanks for watching!

[@Jamspresto]

Thanks

[@TheChopsShop]

You’re very welcome.

[@masteranyinstrument2413]

So good! Where did you study?!

[@TheChopsShop]

Thanks for checking out the video! I had a great trombone teacher growing up in Miami Dana Teboe. I moved to NY when I was 18 and studied with people like Steve Turre, Benny Powell, Vincent Gardner and more recently I've studied with Jan Kagarice. I continue to pick up things along the way from all the master players I work with.

[@raduc3672]

Regarding the "Trumpet Physics" video (which blew me away), does the temperature of the air blown through the instrument have an effect on the efficiency of the sound being created?

[@TheChopsShop]

The “trumpet physics” video blew me away as well. In regards to your question, no the temperature of the air does not effect on the sound. There will be slight variations but it’s not something I would worry about. The movement of the air should be the focus!

[@daglowcruz1607]

very interesting!

[@TheChopsShop]

I’m glad you found it interesting. How the horn works can be fascinating!

[@levi.trumpet]

🔥🔥🔥

[@TheChopsShop]

🙏🏾

[@maxiboyman]

Hey Dion, would you recommend practicing whisper tones to help with getting rid of a double buzz?

[@TheChopsShop]

Whisper tones can help depending on how you practice them. Whisper tones sometimes turn into isometric corner exercises which is gonna exaggerate the double buzz. With whisper tones, you want to decipher how much the lips need to come together to support the airstream. If you start with them to close together, they will touch quickly and we get the double buzz. Try this exercise: Release the airstream while imaging a candle in front of your bell. Gently start to blow out the candle. Imagine the candle is moving away from the bell little by little. Release the air to the distance you think it will take to blow out the candle. Somewhere in there you should hear the tone start to speak. Observe what happened, wipe the slate clean and start again. Let your body find the whisper tone don’t create it. This should take your focus of attention away from your lips which is what causes the double buzz. Your lips vibrate sympathetically to the airstream not the other way around. I hope this helps.

[@jambajoby32]

John harbaugh is at central wa university

[@TheChopsShop]

Wow he’s still there. Well his video has been life changing!