Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness is a difficult topic to teach or learn, but it is crucial to a musician’s success on the horn. It is nearly impossible to change or correct an issue that one does not actively recognize. A very common problem that stems from a lack of self-awareness is the presence of excessive tension. Many people learn to play the horn by making their embouchures very tight. For a beginner it is an easy way to produce a sound. However, excessive tension does not allow one to produce a good sound. The subsequent tension that appears in the torso, neck, and arms restricts breathing and comfort (see: Alexander Technique).

Other common problems that can occur from a lack of self-awareness include incorrect rhythms, bad intonation, tonal problems, bad time, a lack of dynamic contrast, etc. A good way to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses is to utilize tools that allow you to self-evaluate yourself. Examples include tuners, recording devices, and mirrors. As you become more familiar with your tendencies you will become less reliant on tools to hear them and correct them.

It is important for teachers to utilize these tools in private lessons. The of job a teacher is not to only act as a critic, but to also teach students to think for themselves and encourage them to be self-aware. I try my best to get them to hear problems for themselves, first without tools, then with them, then without them again. When students discover issues themselves, they are much more likely to quickly resolve them.