PeterSax-methode

16. Keep the pressure on

Don’t let your air pressure (breath support) drop between notes! Keep the pressure on, just like when talking. This way, you connect the notes together nicely, and they become a real sentence. Of course, you stop blowing when you put a comma or for breathing.

If you have to play short notes in a row, it is wiser and more relaxed if you leave the pressure on but close the airflow with your tongue. And especially, do not breathe in between all those short notes; you get tired of that. It is less tiring to play with constant breath support, and it sounds more natural.

Tip:
Try it out with a piece you can already play by heart, or else with some song that you can already play well while reading. Just compare how it sounds when you play-in-sil-la-bles (see item 06) or more portato (with constant breath support and not too strong attack).

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