Claude Gordon Brass Camp 1987 - Claude Gordon on Wind Power with Range Study by Carl Leach

Transcript Summary

Overview

This 1987 Claude Gordon Brass Camp session focuses on wind power, posture, breathing, endurance, pedal tones, and range development, with demonstrations and discussion involving Carl Leach. The teaching emphasizes Claude Gordon’s core brass pedagogy: the chest stays up, the lungs are the “gas tank,” air makes the horn work, and development must happen through correct habits rather than force or gimmicks.

Key Teaching Points

• Brass players must develop like athletes because wind power is central to playing.
• The chest must stay up while breathing and playing; Gordon states that if the chest is up, the player “cannot breathe wrong.”
• The diaphragm is described as a major misnomer in brass teaching; the air goes into the lungs, not the stomach.
• The lungs are compared to bellows, and the muscles around the chest and back provide the squeezing action for air support.
• Good posture should become habitual, whether standing or sitting at the edge of the chair with the chest up.
• Students are encouraged to practice standing because sitting often causes the chest to collapse.
• Breathing exercises are treated as part of trumpet practice, just like fingers, tongue, and other physical elements.
• Endurance is built by resting about as long as one plays; practicing until exhausted tears down rather than builds.
• Students should play strong enough to get a good sound, without blasting and without holding back.
• Soft playing belongs to control and should come later; students who try to play softly too soon may stop blowing and begin pinching.
• Pedal tones must be done correctly or left alone; they are not a cure-all and should not be over-practiced.
• Correct pedal practice involves dropping the jaw as if saying “aw,” not manipulating the lips to force the notes.
• Pedal C and lower notes may be very flat at first, and students are told not to try to force them into tune.
• The lips are described as vibrating only; they should not be used to muscle pedal tones into place.
• Development takes time, and students must stay with material long enough for it to work.
• The seven elements mentioned for development are wind power, tongue, wind control, lips, facial muscles, fingers in the right hand, and the left hand.
• Correct playing should eventually become habit, not something the player has to consciously think about during performance.
• Instrument bore size is discussed as less important than the taper and vibration of the instrument.

Topics Covered

• Wind power
• Breathing exercises
• Chest-up posture
• Lungs as the air source or “gas tank”
• Bellows analogy for brass breathing
• Diaphragm misconceptions in brass teaching
• Support through chest and back muscles
• Standing practice
• Sitting posture for trumpet sections
• Resting as long as playing
• Endurance development
• Strong sound versus overblowing
• Soft playing and control
• Pedal tones
• Pedal C
• Dropping the jaw with an “aw” shape
• Leaving pedal tones flat during early development
• Range development
• High notes and the danger of too many high notes
• The center register as the main area for constant practice
• Maintenance routines for professional playing
• Pitch reference when sounding the octave before pedals
• Instrument construction
• Bore size versus taper
• Leadpipe and bell taper
• Instrument vibration
• Handmade instruments and inconsistency

People and Sources Mentioned

• Claude Gordon
• Carl Leach
• Herbert L. Clarke
• Maurice André
• Liberati
• Levy
• Bohumir Kryl
• Don Ellis
• Saint-Jacome
• Irons flexibility book
• Physical Approach book
• Elementary Brass Playing
• Systematic Approach
• International Trumpet Guild
• Benge
• Besson
• French Besson
• Meha
• Calicchio

Student Practice Applications

• Begin practice with the breathing exercises assigned in the routine, treating them as a required part of brass development.
• Practice standing whenever possible so the chest can remain up and the body can develop correct wind habits.
• When sitting in rehearsal, sit near the edge of the chair with the chest up instead of collapsing backward.
• Think of the chest and lungs as the fuel supply for the horn; do not push the stomach out or try to “use the diaphragm.”
• Keep the chest up before difficult entrances so the body is ready for high notes or exposed playing.
• Rest about as long as you play during technical and range work to build rather than tear down endurance.
• Play with a full, strong sound, but do not blast; avoid holding back so much that the air stops.
• Do not rush into soft playing by reducing the air; develop control after the basic blowing habit is secure.
• When practicing pedals, follow the instructions exactly and do only the amount assigned in the books or routine.
• For pedal tones, drop the jaw as if saying “aw” and let the result happen without forcing the lips.
• Do not worry if early pedal C and lower notes are flat or unclear; the exercise is described as a calisthenic for feel.
• Avoid making pedal tones or high notes the whole practice session; Gordon emphasizes balanced development and the center of the horn.
• Stay with assigned studies long enough for development to occur, rather than switching books after only a few days.
• Work toward habits that function naturally so performance is not interrupted by thinking about mechanics.
• When testing instruments, focus on whether the horn plays freely and vibrates rather than judging only by bore size.