I was reminded of something I observed several decades ago, but unfortunately I forgot it until this past week.
“The more condensation you generate, the better you are playing”.
To many of you this statement makes no sense at all. To some, this statement will generate some questions and to the very few who know what I am saying, “ain’t it interesting”.
When warm air is forced through your instrument, condensation collects and the more condensation, the better you’re playing.
Warm air generates more condensation than does cool air.
Cool air generally is produced with a more restricted air flow. Place your hand in front of your mouth and blow air through your lips which are in a kiss position. Now force air through your mouth when it is in an open position as if you are saying the syllable “Ah”. Notice the difference in temperature between the two mouth positions. Cold air produces less condensation in your instrument than does warm air.
When playing a brass instrument, in order to get the most resonance in your tone, warm air is best. When you force the air through a more restricted air stream, tone quality changes to a more edgy sound and in doing so, the amount of condensation is less.
To review I will list known facts and their know results.
- Warm air produces more condensation than cool air.
- Warm air produces a darker, richer sound than cool air.
- A more open air stream produces a warmer, richer sound than does a restricted air stream.
So, if you notice more condensation build-up in your instrument, you are playing correctly.
