Playing forward yet soft is no easy task. It takes an immense amount of imagination, but should also be quite simple. It is easiest to find a steady reflection when playing loudly; it caters toward a firm grip. The positive challenge is that acoustics will explode when we play with a steady center of the pitch. Our sound can get a lot bigger, more full, when we play efficiently in the center of the pitch. So we must experiment at a louder dynamic at first without limiting our imagination or potential to play soft.
The next step is to demand from our minds what we want to hear through our bell. Hear a soft or medium dynamic with an extremely steady pitch. It will be easier to let go of the corners, and "relax." However, we should relax our bodies, while maintaining a firm grip in the corners, send a steady flow of air, and most importantly, a strong musical message. The mind is what sends the signals. Eventually the ideas that we have in our mind will come out as reflections of the ideal. It might take several days or weeks of experimenting to get consistency, but making daily progress is the key. One step at a time.
Time to keep exploring,
Adam C White
Playing forward yet soft is no easy task. It takes an immense amount of imagination, but should also be quite simple. It is easiest to find a steady reflection when playing loudly; it caters toward a firm grip. The positive challenge is that acoustics will explode when we play with a steady center of the pitch. Our sound can get a lot bigger, more full, when we play efficiently in the center of the pitch. So we must experiment at a louder dynamic at first without limiting our imagination or potential to play soft.
The next step is to demand from our minds what we want to hear through our bell. Hear a soft or medium dynamic with an extremely steady pitch. It will be easier to let go of the corners, and "relax." However, we should relax our bodies, while maintaining a firm grip in the corners, send a steady flow of air, and most importantly, a strong musical message. The mind is what sends the signals. Eventually the ideas that we have in our mind will come out as reflections of the ideal. It might take several days or weeks of experimenting to get consistency, but making daily progress is the key. One step at a time.
Time to keep exploring,
Adam C White
