☯️📯 Ep. 21 - The Brass Mechanics Nobody Taught You | Jeff Purtle on Range, Air & Tongue Level

This episode is sponsored by ‪ @HighRangeMagic  a comprehensive & innovative online program for horn players. Find out more at https://www.highrangemagic.com/🎺 What actually makes brass playing feel easy, reliable, and coordinated?In 2016, I emailed trumpet teacher Jeff Purtle because I was struggling.From the outside, my horn career looked successful. I had toured with San Francisco Symphony and played principal horn on Mahler 5.Internally, playing felt physically uncomfortable, unreliable, and confusing.I was spending a huge amount of attention on my embouchure and lips, trying to figure out what was going wrong.Jeff became one of the pivotal teachers who helped me rethink how brass playing works.In this episode, we explore the principles Jeff learned through the Claude Gordon tradition, including tongue level, wind power, flexibility, range development, coordination, resting, and building fundamentals patiently over time.Jeff also walks me through a simple experiment you can try on your own instrument to begin noticing what your tongue is doing as you change pitch.We talk about embouchure, mouthpiece buzzing, over-analysis, endurance, high notes, practice structure, and how confidence can grow when the physical mechanisms of playing become more dependable.If your instrument sometimes feels mysterious, inconsistent, or harder than it should, this conversation gives you a lot to experiment with.TOPICSWhy tongue level was revolutionary for JeffThe physical components Jeff believes need to coordinate in brass playingA simple experiment for developing awareness of tongue positionTongue level and pitch changesHigh notes, wind power, and airWhy over-analyzing the embouchure can interfere with natural coordinationFlexibility exercises and same-fingering studiesBuilding range graduallyThe importance of scales, articulation, finger control, and neglected keysWhy Jeff does not consider mouthpiece buzzing a fundamentalResting during practiceClaude Gordon’s approach to fundamentalsWhy players often switch methods before fully experiencing onePracticing beyond the demands of the repertoireHow reliable mechanics can support confidence under pressureThe martial arts lesson Jeff uses to explain patience and strong foundations🌐 LinksHigh Range Magic for French Hornists: https://highrangemagic.comJeff Purtle: https://purtle.comJeff’s book, Hit It Hard and Wish It Well: https://hitithardandwishitwell.com☯️📯 Holistic Horn Podcast Ep. 21 | Why Brass Playing Feels So Hard with Jeff Purtle