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I cannot count the number of times I've heard the simple adage:

To play higher, use faster air. To play lower, use more air, but slower.

And unfortunately, this statement is just as confusing to the student the 100th time they hear it as it was the first time.

So how exactly are these two statements different? If you're using a faster airstream, aren't you also using more air? Are there other factors at play (aperture size, for instance) that help clarify the distinction?

I would also be curious to hear other, more helpful ways of imparting this information to a student.

Richard
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3 Answers3

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Because the aperture (the center of the embouchure, where the air column comes through) must be larger and the vibration created "wider" for lower notes, a larger volume of air is required per duration of time a low note is sounded, compared to higher pitches.

For higher notes, because the aperture is smaller, the "same" volume of air as some other note, moves faster. ("Same" as what, I'm not specifying -- it's a felt experience rather than a metric one).

My teachers sometimes described low and high notes as being closer or farther away, respectively. "Imagine blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. For low note, the cake is close by; for high notes it's across the room."

For my part, I describe the air for all notes as being identical. What is required is to support the air enough to overcome either the openness or closed-ness of the aperture it must be moved through.

Aaron
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    I’m not a brass player but I understand the basic concept of brass instruments. This may sound silly but I have an 18 month old grandson who likes when I take a pool noodle and buzz into one end and create a didgeridoo type sound. It’s easy enough to change my embouchoure and get different pitches but because the “bore” is so large (about 1”) you can REALLY feel the difference in the amount and speed of the air flow when you go from low to high pitches. Like I said, it may sound silly but it also might be a good way of demonstrating the difference. – John Belzaguy Jan 02 '21 at 06:06
  • I'm considering posting a new question: "How in the world did it occur to @JohnBelzaguy to blow into a pool noodle?" – Aaron Jan 02 '21 at 06:09
  • Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! Gotta keep those little ones entertained! – John Belzaguy Jan 02 '21 at 06:13
  • @JohnBelzaguy I'll just leave this here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqkdw8-D0wY – Aaron Jan 02 '21 at 06:19
  • LOL, is that a liberal baby tearing up the New York Post or a conservative baby tearing up the Times? – John Belzaguy Jan 02 '21 at 06:30
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    ...seriously though, Has anyone made the analogy of water freely coming out of a hose and then partially covering the opening with your thumb so it comes out faster but with less volume? Is it the same? – John Belzaguy Jan 02 '21 at 06:32
  • @JohnBelzaguy Interesting. New to me, but apt. – Aaron Jan 02 '21 at 06:33
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Consider a garden hose with a multi-sprayer attachment, where you can rotate the sprayer to provide different out flows (eg.: mist, jet, cone, etc.).

If you use the "jet" setting, you'll get water jetting out of the hose. It's moving very fast, but (even ignoring splashes) you'll fill a bucket up faster if you use the "rinse" setting (or take the sprayer off entirely). The "jet" setting has fast water, the "rinse" setting has slow water coming out, but there's more coming out per minute.

minnmass
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faster air I have never heard! faster must concern the vibration of the lips which is built by the pressure of the air, the closing and the tension of the lips to produce higher tones.

Lower tones need more air and looser lip pressure, less tension -> slower vibration.

Albrecht Hügli
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  • No. The quote is about the air, not the double reed which the lips constitute. If it is as factually *accurate* as envisioned is a different question. But that is what it is *about*. – Chris Stratton Jan 02 '21 at 17:43