Posted by Joe Sellmansberger on April 10, 1999 at 16:22:02:
In Reply to: dynamics posted by Bryan Powell on April 10, 1999 at 00:28:53:
Max knows what he is talking about.
To address the "louds" part of your question more, this is what I did about 25 years ago when I realized that I was not capable of producing a very loud, controlled, and pleasing sound: I simply PLAYED LOUD a lot. (Sorry if this advice sounds dumb.) As I would do it, I would try different things to gain more resonance and more control while I was doing it, such as embouchure, mouth interior shape, throat opening (mine, not mouthpiece's!), air, mouthpiece (please don't become a mouthpiece collector). I would work on separated notes and then try to connect notes (much harder). This stuff is not taught. Rather, it is discovered and developed (sorry).
If you like relatively flat-rimmed and thin-rimmed mouthpieces(?), I stumbled across the Marcinkowitz (Joe, please forgive me for misspelling your name so badly!) H series mouthpieces several years ago (1= deepest through 4 = medium deep). When I play very loud on those mouthpieces, I don't get that nasty crcrcrcrrccrcrc whisper in the sound that I get on many other mouthpieces. These are his "Helleburg" style mouthpieces. (This I offer AFTER suggesting that you avoid a mouthpiece collection.)
Here is one other idea: Listen to a recording of a really great player playing loud with your headphones or speakers "cranked", and then play what you just heard and try to exactly imitate the sound. You might find yourself automatically doing all of the right things.
Remember to keep all of the parts of your body that are not involved in producing sounds relaxed.