Quick Fix Friday: Play Between the Notes

Happy Friday!

This week’s quick fix will help you direct your air while creating more compelling musical interpretations.

If you’ve ever noticed that your sound is choppy or disjunct, it’s probably because you are slowing or stopping your air flow when you change notes. This is especially common if you are articulating notes, as the tongue can often interrupt the air flow if you aren’t careful.

The quick fix? Play between the notes by focusing on creating a steady air column.

Imagine this: you are riding your bike up a steep hill. You need a bit more momentum to make it to the top.

Now, translate the momentum in this mental picture to your air. Make sure you don’t stop or slow down your air as you change notes. Instead, focus on pedaling harder (if you think of the bike image) to make it up the hill to the next note.

Et voilà – if you focus on playing between the notes, you should notice better connection which leads to more flowing phrases.

Happy practicing, and I hope you have a great weekend!