Several years ago I came across a post about something called the “spit valve drill” on TubeNet (this is our tuba message board, and yes, it is as nerdy as it sounds). The post was made by Roger Lewis, a former student of M. Dee Stewart at Indiana. Lewis wrote about this exercise, which originated with Arnold Jacobs, and was passed to him by Mr. Stewart. It only recently occurred to me that this drill, which I have used on and off over the years, is the musical equivalent of a meditation. It asks the player to focus only on breath while eliminating tension from the embouchure.
(Apologies to my non-brass playing friends. This post focuses on the basic processes of brass playing. I am sure, though, that the concept could be adapted for almost any instrument or voice–perhaps this has already been done).
Years of brass playing can result in a buildup of unnecessary tension in the embouchure (the facial muscles around and in the mouthpiece). This tension can begin to affect tone quality and resonance if it is left unchecked, and especially as we use less and less air over years of playing. Roger Lewis writes that he has been using the spit valve drill to keep himself from getting lazy with his airflow. It serves as a daily reminder that although the embouchure is a necessary component of playing, the air that supports a brass sound is still more important.
The spit valve drill is done as follows:
First, place yourself in front of a mirror. If one is not available, use the camera on your phone. I know you have it with you right there on the stand! The tension in your embouchure will appear as pronounced lines that run from the side of your nose to the corners of your mouth. The goal is to eliminate those lines as much as possible by supporting the embouchure with air.
Bring the instrument to your face, open the main spit valve, and blow as though you are trying to clear water out from deep inside the instrument. Do not use any attack–simply 'ha.’ As Lewis says, “Just let it all hang out.” Your cheeks will puff, and the facial lines beside your nose will disappear. Use a large quantity of air and move it fast, as though you are playing at a fortissimo level.
(Roger adds a note, and I agree wholeheartedly, that puffing the cheeks is not detrimental to playing the tuba. While you need to maintain control of the corners of your embouchure, a larger oral cavity will actually help notes to resonate).
After blowing air through the spit valve several times, the next step is to engage your lips. Begin by letting them vibrate at whatever frequency comes naturally. Still use no articulation (breath attack). Lewis writes to “let your lips flap in the breeze.” Breathe deeply, blow in a relaxed manner, and buzz your lips. Repeat this several times, still allowing your cheeks to puff.
Finally, during one of these long buzzes, let go of the spit valve. You will still be moving a large amount of relaxed air through the instrument, and your cheeks will still be puffed out, resulting in what should be a huge sound. According to Lewis, “At this point I usually ask people if they have ever made this much noise with so little effort and I usually am told ‘never.’”
After achieving this sound, play again, still with a breath attack, and slowly bring the air level back down to roughly a mezzo piano level. Try to maintain the relaxed flow that you established with the spit valve open. As you move into playing the instrument, use short, simple exercises (long tones, scalar warmups, etc.) to adjust your embouchure with only as much tension as is minimally necessary for the notes you are playing.
As you continue practicing, you will undoubtedly experience muscular tension as you play throughout your range and move into whatever music you are practicing. I have found that the spit valve drill is helpful not only at the beginning of a session, but as a break throughout, providing a “reset button” for the air and embouchure. Like other types of meditation, it provides a point of focus separate from all the other thoughts and concerns crowding our mind during a practice session. The fact that the focus is a relaxed air flow, free from any expectation of a good sound, makes it especially healthy for brass players, who can always benefit from a reminder of how it feels to play while truly relaxed.
I know that many brass pedagogues have already developed their own version of an exercise like this. Toby Hanks described to me Chester Schmitz’s practice of taking a full, “cleansing breath” before an entrance while performing with the Boston Symphony (or anywhere else). The reality, though, is that while we might all teach it to our students, we don’t all remember to do it throughout our practice sessions. This week I’m going to remind myself with a post-it on my music stand. Just like any traditional type of meditation, a small time commitment can have a big payoff.
**Roger Lewis’s full writeup of this drill can be found here: http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16642&hilit=Spit+valve+drill