In a field which has been served by many superb works over the years, this book arises from the conviction that a distinct need exists for an approach to modern trumpet-playing that carefully articulates what the true virtuosos of brass instruments have all known but cannot carefully interpret: the art of brass-playing and how to take the mystery out of successful brass study.
Claude Gordon's Brass Playing Is No Harder Than Deep Breathing explains his approach to brass technique, with particular attention to trumpet playing. This is a teaching text about how playing works, rather than a collection of recital pieces. Gordon discusses breathing and wind control alongside tongue position, lip vibration, and the coordination involved in using the instrument.
The book's value lies in bringing those subjects into a connected approach to study. Its explanatory format offers a way to consider technique beyond the immediate task of learning a passage. Players exploring his methods can use the text alongside their regular exercises, while teachers can draw on it for discussion of how technique is explained to students. Although trumpet playing is its central reference point, the Carl Fischer edition is intended for players of brass instruments more broadly, including horn, trombone, and tuba.
In a field which has been served by many superb works over the years, this book arises from the conviction that a distinct need exists for an approach to modern trumpet-playing that carefully articulates what the true virtuosos of brass instruments have all known but cannot carefully interpret: the art of brass-playing and how to take the mystery out of successful brass study.
Claude Gordon's Brass Playing Is No Harder Than Deep Breathing explains his approach to brass technique, with particular attention to trumpet playing. This is a teaching text about how playing works, rather than a collection of recital pieces. Gordon discusses breathing and wind control alongside tongue position, lip vibration, and the coordination involved in using the instrument.
The book's value lies in bringing those subjects into a connected approach to study. Its explanatory format offers a way to consider technique beyond the immediate task of learning a passage. Players exploring his methods can use the text alongside their regular exercises, while teachers can draw on it for discussion of how technique is explained to students. Although trumpet playing is its central reference point, the Carl Fischer edition is intended for players of brass instruments more broadly, including horn, trombone, and tuba.