Quirks of the Types 

Of the several definitions of the word "quirk", for this present article I will concentrate on this one...(according to the new college edition of The American Heritage dictionary)...

Everyone of us has our little quirks -- those unconscious acts that someone points out to us what we do just automatically.  think about your daily activities and I am sure that with a little effort and awareness you can come up with a few.  when I watch the many pro golfers putt or drive the ball, each one has a little mannerism or "quirk" that sets them apart from another golfer, be it a ritual or routine, or just a "twitch" or two, but consistent every time.

Or a boxer who looks for his opponent to , say, lower a shoulder after a punch, enabling the opponent to follow up and score as a result.  another great example is while playing poker...someone may "give away" his hand by an almost imperceptible action that tells you whether he is bluffing or not.

In Reinhardt jargon, "every type has its quirk".  For the majority of players, I will only be discussing the III Jelly Roll, the IIIA, the IIIB, and the IV and IVA types.  Many times knowing the "quirks" of your particular type will ward off any unwanted frustrations and will avoid many pitfalls that these quirks may produce. 

Type III -- the Jelly Roll

As you may already know, Doc himself was this type.  This type is most common with trombone players.  Of a "quirky" nature, they tend to "play into the floor" and when told to "hold the horn up", they put their head too far back and just can't seem to assume the "two-head" position as described in the Encyclopedia...i.e. head slightly backward, head slightly downward...putting a tremendous strain on the back of the neck and restricting the throat.  the remedy...work on protruding the jaw more.  the III Jelly Roll is the receding jaw type... a good buzzer (without the mouthpiece or instrument)...and needs to exaggerate the letter "M" enunciation while ascending while minimizing upper lip pressure.  Both pivots (1 and2) work, so test this carefully.

 The IIIA

This is the highest placement of all on the top lip.  The jaw is much more protruded than the Jelly Roll III...with a much higher instrument angle, practically horizontal or more.  This is the perfect type for "walking into" the buzz (mouthpiece and horn).

For some of the larger mouthpiece users (trombone and baritone), the upper rim of the mouthpiece may be stymied by the nose itself, thereby not permitting any more "pushing up" and stopping the pivot for the extreme high register.  The solution..."The Increasing the Lip Pucker routine", a previous article here on the web site, by utilizing the jaw protrusion in combination with the lower lip lift to compensate for the "blocked" pivot action.  Always use Pivot Classification 1 (If using pivot Classification 2, you are a IIIB). Being conscious of the "tit" of the upper lip moving down to ascend, even while pushing "up", will prevent over pivoting.

[At this point I would like to insert a very important point.  Whether a "quirk" or not, the subject of "practice vs. resting" must be addressed]. 

The rule of Doc's is to rest as long as you play.  For example, 5 minutes with the horn on the chops require 5 minutes with the horn OFF the chops.  This is, of course, for practice periods only, not for performances.  Performances require musical rests and PACING, and rest times (horn off chops) will be dictated by the demands of the performance.  During practice periods, the player is in complete control of his "rest periods".  This being clarified, as a pretty steadfast rule, Downstream types (III's, IIIA's, IIIB's) require LONG rest periods, whereas Upstream players require many SHORT rests.

Let me clarify the above "rest" rule.  When a Downstream performer has completed a tough practice session or a grueling gig, he/she needs to have a long rest before the next playing chore, be it practicing or performing.  The upstream performer needs to "take the horn off the chops" more often during playing chores, practicing or performing, and then can therefore "get stronger as the night goes on".  Both Downstream and Upstream performers can have the desired endurance if he/she utilizes these principles.  most performers go "asleep at the wheel" and as doc has said, PRACTICE WITHOUT CONCENTRATION IS JUST A LITTLE BETTER THAN NO PRACTICE AT ALL.  Concentrating on those "rest periods" for your particular type may spell the difference between success and failure as far as chop development is concerned.