A List of Daily Practice Considerations Questionnaire for the Brass Player:

[These calisthenics are definitely for the practice room and not for the "gig"!]

The First 3 questions before each practice round:

Question #1.  Am I clear as to what I want to accomplish today? Set the goal (s) for the day and write it (them) down. When one wants to make a "to do" list to start the average day (call so-and-so...; write a letter to (?) ... get (buy) some (?)...etc.), things  tend to get accomplished when written down and checked off.  Why not do the same for your practice session?  How many of us pick up the horn and simply "blow" with nothing in mind except to say we put in the time?  A favorite expression of Doc's was "Practice without concentration is just a little bit better than no practice at all!"  Start concentrating right off the bat.

For those that are not goal orientated, make a check-off  list , like weight lifters do, of all categories. For example: Warm up; Pivot Stabilizer; Track Work; Range; Flexibility; Tonguing (Sub-list: Staccato work; Legato work; rapid single, double and triple; etc.)  Sound; Finger (Slide) Dexterity; Dynamics (full spectrum).  This pretty much reflects my own daily coverage.  Some are  "touch-upon" material, while others  cover "in depth" routines. Scattered among the list (mentally) I check on my grip, posture, my breathing apparatus, mouthpiece pressure, tongue placement, and whatever I need to correct. (More on this with Questions to follow). Where's the music?  Just about any of the categories are approached in a musical fashion via material applied, such as Charlie, Arbans, Brandt and Concone.

Question #2.  Am I always conscious of the "feel factor" before any blowing commences?  When approaching any warm up material, each day will have a different "feel".  Another way to state the question is "Do I strive to use the correct warm up material for how I feel at the time?"   We are so-called "dynamic" creatures, in constant flux.  Each day brings a new challenge and while executing the next question, be in touch with HOW IT WILL FEEL BEFORE ANY NOTE IS PLAYED!

Question #3.   Are my teeth & gums - my mouth corners - and my outer chops lubricated as they must be?  The order of lubrication is of extreme importance!  If one plays with any variation of lubrication (dry top - dry bottom - dry top and bottom lip) at the very least THE TEETH AND GUMS - THE MOUTH CORNERS - AND THE VIBRATING AREAS MUST BE WET!

Questions to BEGIN each practice round:

Question #4. Are my lips "formed" before mouthpiece placement?"   All embouchure types, upstream and downstream, will find that forming the lips, with the lower lip slightly in and over the lower teeth and the upper lip reaching down with the letter "M" to make contact with this "slightly" rolled in lower lip is the prescribed pre-mouthpiece placing  formation in Airstream Dynamics ^tm.  This is actually a very relaxed, but firm way of setting up the lips to receive the mouthpiece on the lips.  Not setting for any particular register i.e. tight for the upper register and loose for the lower register, the performer will find that during the actual "blow" the lips will adjust for the register entrance called for from this very relaxed but firm setting.  "Relax does not mean collapse!" Remember this expression, not only for lip preparation and mouthpiece setting, but for ALL mechanics.

Question #5. (note capitalization) IS MY PLACEMENT PROCEDURE COMPLETED BEFORE THE INHALATION? It is important to go to the Master Class Page and read (re-read?) the order of importance: " Always PLACE, INHALE, BLOW, never INHALE, PLACE AND BLOW.

Question #6.  Regardless of where you place - high on the upper lip, low on the upper lip, more to the right of center, or more the the left of center - Do I contact my upper and lower teeth simultaneously during placement? Another way of putting this question is : Am I approaching the lips with the horn in it's exact playing angle?  Many performers approach the lips with the horn angle entirely too low and "snap" it to a higher angle when the playing commences.  This would indicate making lower lip contact only and bringing the upper lip into play during blowing.  This occurs in some players even during inter-phrase inhalations!

    Some performers will come into the embouchure formation with the angle of the instrument too high, indicating that the weight is on the upper lip, thereby crashing into the lower lip (jaw) by drastically dropping the horn while making the first attack.  This may necessitate, in this type of mannerism, a bringing forward of the lower jaw to meet the lower rim of the mouthpiece.

  In either of the above cases, making upper and lower teeth contact ( i.e. feeling the teeth behind  BOTH lips)  will eliminate any unnecessary movement or crashing in and causing havoc with a placement that should have been stable at the first contact.

Question #7.  During my inhalations (both the initial inhalation and the inter-phrase inhalations), is the position of my head and the angle of the instrument UN-altered from the exact  head and horn angle position set at my placement procedure? Once again, as in question #6 above, mouthpiece placement and horn angle, along with the proper head position, accomplishes one of the most important points of good brass playing - namely, elimination of unnecessary movement. Everyone knows that it is more difficult to hit a moving target than a fixed one.  Dr. Reinhardt has stated that "Excessive movement is more detrimental to range and endurance than excessive mouthpiece pressure."   Not to condone excessive mouthpiece pressure, please realize that any so-called floating embouchure can be the result of arm, head and instrument movement while one is attempting to play the "non-pressure" system. This is perhaps why a lead trumpet player or a high note specialist will experience less embouchure difficulty than the average middle and low register player.  These type of players rely on the firmness of not only the left hand grip but the actual weight of the mouthpiece on the lips and the stronger "doughnut" produced by the increased pucker in the upper register.  This  #7 is an important question for the all-around brass player who must play in ALL registers.  So, no excuse is warranted for middle and low register laxity, and that means in the left hand grip, horn angle and mouthpiece pressure. Still, keep mouthpiece pressure to a minimum at all times, and as the mouthpiece pressure increases while ascending, the lip pucker increases at the same time.

At this point, I would like to state that ALL questions are derived from 3 documents of Dr. Reinhardt. #1. "My Daily Practice Questionnaire" #2. DAILY PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS , and #3.  *My Personal Inventory* dated 1947-48 from the New York City Studio (1947) and Philadelphia (1948).  So please know that Airstream Dynamics is giving "Credit where credit is due".

Question #8.  Do I allow myself to abuse the privilege of mirror observation to the extent of finding difficulty in placing the mouthpiece without the aid of a mirror? Granted, mirror observation is necessary during the Pivot Stabilizer Routine.  It must be stated that in no way should we use the mirror to "find our placement".  After all, do we know what to look for?  That is what an instructor in the Pivot System is for.  In addition, personal mirror observation only shows us IN REVERSE!  If we were to see ourselves via a video ( as offered in Airstream Dynamic's Video Lesson), we would be quite taken aback by how different we look as others see us.   When we go on a gig, do we have a mirror on the stand?  I worked with many a "Zen-type" teacher's students  in New York in the 60's and believe it or not, they DID have a mirror on the stand.  How preposterous (as Doc would say).

Question #9.  Do I approach my embouchure from the "TOP DOWN" - NEVER "BOTTOM UP"? "All performers should be conscious of placing their mouthpiece from the top of  the  playing  groove [ i.e. the North Side]  on the outer embouchure in a downward direction - NEVER UPWARD.   If you place your mouthpiece from the 'bottom up' (so to speak) and the outer embouchure is a trifle too dry, you will pull the upper lip in particular upward and cause unwanted embouchure distortion." The quote is from Doc's A CHECK ON MECHANICS  Sheet.

Question #10.  Am I developing or have I currently 1. a puff under the lower lip or 2. a "bunching up" of the muscles under my lower lip?  For #1, any air bubbles or puffing under the lower lip destroys all brilliance in the sound. A trumpet will sound like a cornet, a cornet will sound like a flugelhorn, a trombone will sound like a baritone horn.  Correct this as soon as possible by adapting lip buzzing to your daily routine (the 1st two from the Buzzing page of The Encyclopedia of The Pivot System) and by practicing softly in the low and middle registers (Concone studies) . Consciously, do not  permit any air to get under that lower lip!  For #2. A Bunching Up of the muscles under the lower lip ( Doc called this the "Popeye Chin"), especially when going up into the upper register, only results in "strong arming" and loss of control when articulating or needing any flexibility...much like a "muscle-bound" weight lifter.  Correct this by always maintaining a "firm, flat chin area", and think of the lower lip as "hugging the lower teeth" .  Another way to put it is: think of the lower lip (chin area) and jaw AS ONE UNIT!