Posted by Chuck(G) on January 27, 2003 at 17:25:20:
In Reply to: Re: High Range: Drawing lips toward teeth? posted by Mary Ann on January 27, 2003 at 15:25:16:
In some respects, wind instrument teaching is the poor cousin to string and keyboard pedagogy. If you're holding the bow wrong or your hands wrong, it's out in front of you and visible and easily correctable. But the quality and amount of sensation about what's going on from the lips to the lungs is at worst misleading and at best, ineadquate. Figuring out EXACTLY where your tongue is, for example, is nearly impossible--we're just not built that way. So visualization and other indirect means have to be used. Similarly, thinking about playing as singing is certainly valuable for many people.
I don't think those "keep working at it until you find what works" posters were flip or show a lack of training. They're just reflecting the reality of the situation.