After I read your article Fundamentally Speaking, I realized that I just needed a gentle nudge to get back into a daily “centering” session. What a difference this has made in my playing! I like the Thompson Buzzing Basics and after only couple of daily sessions, I found that I am able to carry that centered, resonant quality much more easily into the rest of my practice sessions. I envy the fact that you are able to space your practice over the entire day. I will have to tinker with your ideas to get the most benefit from them in a smaller window of practice time for myself. I commented on your article on both TH and TM in a topic that I called “Sharpen Your Sword!” and hopefully people have followed the link to your web site. Really great ideas in your article!

In your article “The Bell End” I certainly agree with everything that you have written. I would love for you to continue with your thought process and expand on these points:
From “The Bell End”———————————————–
Take a particular passage or phrase, and imagine the way you want it to sound. Stop for a second and really visualize it: imagine the musical shape, the tone color, the articulation. Now, with that vision firmly imprinted in your mind, play through the passage.

These skills then become habit, and habit is our greatest ally (as long as the skills that form those habits have been learned properly). It is habit that allows us the freedom to concentrate on the music rather than technique, and it is habit that allows the body the ability to control the various muscle groups on the highest level.
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In the circles that you travel in I’m guessing that hearing an ideal sound in your mind with “clarity and intensity” is almost a given. Many of the fine players that I have sat beside in lessons will listen to a “play back” of what I just played, like there is a CD player recording my sound in their mind. It seems like this is a crucial piece to your discussion. I think that the internal sound concept aspect of this topic could use a complete Article on how to put the image in place.

I’ve written about this in detail, mostly asking questions, and getting feedback from lots of different players / teachers. The first several posts in this link: http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22399 get at the heart of this issue for me. I love John Hagstrom’s comments about immersion and the comments from Byron Stripling and Dave Hickman too.

If you could devote a future article on the “how”, related to listening in a way to imprint sounds more prominently in a players mind (with clarity and intensity), I know I would love to hear your ideas. Since I received the comments from John Hagstrom I have been listening to music for as long as it takes to penetrate (sometimes up to a month for a single recording). While I’m sitting at my desk (without the CD player on), I can hear the sound of the recording in my head sometimes. I know that my internal sound signal is stronger than in the past, but it still doesn’t have nearly the clarity and intensity that I feel it should.

I’m sure other’s would benefit from a detailed “listening” article too (how should we be listening to imprint a complete picture of the sound – and make this practice habit)! I can’t be the only one that needs help in this area. No rush on this, but if you need a new topic idea, please consider this one.

Thanks very much!

Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona