Such great instruction! I saw this video a couple of years ago and simply began practicing his fully conscious wedge breathing, my playing improved by 30-40%, thank you Bobby Shew
Hey, Bobby! You probably don't remember me. I met & played with you in Las Vegas ( something like 50 years ago..is that possible? I guess so! ) Anyway, I listened to your teaching on wedge breathing & I think it helped me quite a bit! I have added trumpet to my little family of horns & I need all the help I can get. Just wanted to say thanks! your friend, John.
Bobby/Michael/Music Savvy team, the video seems to stop abruptly at 37:34? I feel I’m missing vital information from Bobby! Can you let me have the full video or fix it on RU-vid? Thanks, Peter
Great video! In that Doc Severinsen clip near the end, are the shoulders going up each time instead of releasing the wedge grip? IOW a “topping-off” breath instead of a full breath each time (steps 1-5 of the wedge)?
It’s compressed air pushed up by the diaphragm. Take a breath and lift and push. Same muscles and physical activity used to sing. Don’t complicate it, just do it 🤷♂️🤪👍🎶🕺🏴🇬🇧
So? I don’t think he’s breaking any copyright laws. Bobby explains it better than any of the numerous yoga books I’ve read since Maynard Ferguson said that was his approach.
My first virtual lesson with Bobby this past year in April changed my life plus therapeutic, spiritual, educational, inspirational and stuff...his philosophy, teaching and education skills plus his talk on the Wedge breathing speaks clearly
That was great watching that video. When I was taking lessons from Carmine Caruso I would ask him about breathing. One day he drew a picture for me and explained the the process. It was a lesson that stood with me till this day. Thank you for the detailed explanation. I know this lesson will stay with me in the same way.
Thank you for posting this! I've heard Bobby explain this a number of times. Everytime I hear him teach this I learn more and more. Bobby is such a great teacher and player. We are indebted.
This is invaluable information, and coming from a legend, don’t get hung up on little things like the diaphragm not being a muscle. It is a muscle for the record, but Everything he explains on the physics of it all is spot on.. thank you for this!!
It's refreshing to see someone see the positives from this clip rather than be hung up exclusively on details that they don't like or that Bobby got wrong - and be nasty about it. I typically delete those nasty comments so that people can judge for themselves and learn something helpful about breathing. Thank you!
It's a very touchy subject. I like the analogy by C. Gordon: - Breath like you are running with the ball as if football player or like a weightlifter position as about to lift...in both examples your chest is up and naturally taking enough air. Air is only gets to the lungs. This will generate very strong and controlled power in playing on trumpet as long as chest is up.. btw, diaphragm is involuntary muscle that can't be controlled by human. This concept helped me and many others to play easy and enjoyable. Regardless I absolutely respect Bobby...
What's touchy about it? Bobby explains it perfectly plus he can do it over and over again creating incredible compression. He never says the air can go anywhere but the lungs.
Took up playing again after 45yrs. AND I picked up a beautiful lil Yamaha YRT 4335 GSAC for $600CDN to boot Mr. Shew!! Thanks so mych much for sharing your gift with us amateurs!!🎺
I have recently picked up the trumpet again after 35 years…. I got lucky and found a Bach Strat model 1B large bore .. and I’m glad I did😃 it’s been fulfilling and satisfying
Every top pro player who experiences problems playing (after injury, killing their chops, etc...) calls Bobby for advice, to get back on track. The fact he puts his teachings online for free is just beautiful!
I truly enjoy Bobby who is truly one of the greats in music, but he is wrong when he says that the diaphragm is a membrane and NOT a muscle. It is a thin muscle and is listed as a MUSCLE in all literature about anatomy. This diaphragm muscle is what does the work of moving the lungs by compression. People can breathe (regular intake and output) on and on, all without much involvement of the other thoracic muscles like the abdominals, or various other "core" section muscles. He is right that there are both voluntary and involuntary muscle contractions and that extreme actions require extra actions by anatomy. These actions are controlled by very lower sections of our brain area, which operate to do things like keeping the heart beating, sweating, having hairs stand up on the skin, doing a "shrug" motion in the shoulders area, or taking regular breaths. and yes, the other muscles can really become involved and help when massive pressure is needed. Great insights about the "never raise shoulders" stuff. I agree that we need to follow natural motions, and simply do not ARTIFICIALLY use motions that are not needed or natural. One need not PREVENT natural adjusting motions of things like shoulders or abdominals. Your body mostly knows how to move around to accomplish needed actions.
The great Bobby Shew Played for Buddy Rich for 18 months. was fired 26 times Composed Red Snapper. Love that tune. "Where there's tremendous arrogance, you're looking at the superficial side of insecurity" --Bobby Shew
Played second chair in his big band when he came to the UK in around 1991.. It was Bobby who convinced me to stop playing trumpet. I am so grateful to Bobby as I went on to write and produce - and I got lucky! Just started playing trumpet again last year.
No. Air VELOCITY is NOT the determination of pitch played. The embouchure controls pitch. The air pressure controls dynamics. This video is a complexification of a simple concept of exhalation effort to control the air pressure.
Mr Shew, the diaphragm IS a MUSCLE, not a "membrane." It is the primary and vastly dominant breathing muscle. The intercostal (rib) muscles assist the diaphragm. Two neck muscles, the sternocleidomasoid and scalenes muscles help elevate the ribs, and thus assist the intercostals. Other muscles that contribute to breathing are the serratus anterior, pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, iliocostalis, quadratus lumborum, serratus posterior superior, serratus posterior inferior, levatores costarum, transversus thoracis, and subclavius muscles. The rectus abdomini and transverse abdominus muscles support the diaphragm, as well as provide compression and expelling force, ie, breath support. I'm a trumpet player, a competing weightlifter, have studied yoga breathing, and have extensive academic and practical knowledge of anatomy and physiology,
You may be "a trumpet player, a competing weightlifter, have studied yoga breathing, and have extensive academic and practical knowledge of anatomy and physiology," but you lack humility.
