This is part #2 from the advice given in the duet collection Celebrated Practice Duets by Arthur Amsden.
Don’t
fail to pour water through your cornet before beginning the day’s work; never mind WHY, just DO IT and note the benefit of this simple advice.
allow yourself to acquire a tremolo in your tone; nothing can be more objectionable than a cheap, shivery, trembling tone “a goat-stop” tone is a performers worst asset.
hold your instrument too high or too low, and by all means don’t hold it sideways, that’s an unmistakable sign that you’re a novice.
beat time with your feet, though the practice is often a help to beginners; if you have acquired the habit, try to discontinue it; it is entirely unprofessional.
forget, all Rules in music have their exceptions. Moral- learn the rules, and the exceptions will take care of themselves.
A FEW RULES; (having exceptions)
The higher you play the louder you play.
The faster you play the more staccato you should play.
Breath after long notes, tied notes, dotted notes and at the end of phrases.
Breath often- make sure of always having a “reserve supply” of wind.
When practicing for “accuracy”, apply the same method you would in approaching a wild beast that was crouched and ready to spring upon you- steady, careful and ACCURATE- you simply must “get him”.
For “speed,” you are simply “shooting at a flock of blackbirds”- it is of little importance how many or how few you “bag”, you are training your eye to “look ahead”.
Master a system of COUNTING TIME; use any means to this end; beat time with the foot, if you MUST, then tie them down after, so they won’t move; “left foot on first beat, right foot on second beat.” Hay foot, straw-foot,” the “down beat,” the “up beat” the “and beat,” etc. A good conductor will give an account for ALL OF THEM, and you “can’t lose him” if you have the same system mastered, and unless you have it mastered you are sure not to occupy his “first chair” very long.
“disfigure yourself for life” by forming an embouchure on the side of your mouth.
take too much stock in “lip ointments” and “get-lip-quick” formulas; nothing in all the world will make an embouchure but perseverance. Treat your lip muscles pretty much the same as a good jockey treats his horse-observe the he “warms him up” gradually before expecting the best that’s in him.
blame the instrument if it “sounds out of tune sometimes and at times appears to be all right;” YOU are at fault.
And one last bit of instruction which is without doubt the most important-
“Don’t fail to learn a trade in addition to your music; you can drop it at will should you find yourself adapted to make music your entire profession, while you will find it difficult to learn a trade after you are well past the amateur age”.
Silly