Read the video transcript
Source: YouTube automatic captions, formatted for reading. Captions may contain errors; refer to the video for precise wording, sounds and demonstrations. Dates and offers reflect the original recording.
hi now let me challenge you with a concept that once you figure it out will make playing easier and you’ll get a heck of a lot more sound with a far less amount of effort it’s called the 1% rule what is the 1% rule well I’d get you to consider that if I started talking to you like this or maybe singing a song in trumpet world we would agree that that sound is not very good and the trumpet world would say fix that sound that’s not
very good by using more air pushing harder support do more in the vocal world we can all agree that the worst thing that we would want to do when we uh want to fix the sound of the voice there is to engage more to use more air we would never ever do that with the voice with the trumpet psychology of use more air we actually make the problems worse we make playing harder work and we get a lesser result so the 1% rule is now get
your head around this and you’re going to find playing easier do less work for more sound get a greater result by doing less work it’s very counterintuitive we think that we have to work harder and harder to get a better result where an actual fact most people overexert there’s too much tension in the lips too much tension in the body doing it the hard way so what happens getting even a good sound can be very much hard work where an actual fact like with the voice
if we learn how to open up back off do less make it easier you get a better sound out of the Bell the body’s Concert Hall all this part of the body instrument system here the more relaxed open resonant that it is the more sound you get out of the Bell more harmonics beautiful Rich tone for Less work so the question you need to be asking yourself every single day is what can I do less of to get more sound we develop this by playing passively
meaning less activation in the body you scan the body you look around and go what can I let go of what can I stop activating to get more sound out of the Bell if you’d like to learn more about the 1% rule or how to play passively to get the most sound for the least work the easiest way to play all I can do I’d love to give you all the tools right now now but that is impossible what we can do is offer you a
free 7-Day full access pass to the entire winworks course so click the button below and come along try the course for 7 days it will not cost you a cent there is no obligation and we will change your playing life nothing to fear and no risk the only thing you’re in danger of is better trumpet playing I hope to welcome you real soon in the windworks trumpet Academy have a great [Music] [Applause] [Music] day
Greg Spence introduces the 1% Rule: ask whether you can get more sound while doing a little less. He compares the instinct to force a trumpet sound with the way we respond to tension in the voice.
What is the 1% Rule in WindWorks?
The rule encourages exploring a small reduction in unnecessary effort while listening for a fuller result. Greg discusses the Body’s Concert Hall and observing what can be released rather than automatically adding more force.
This recording is part of Greg Spence’s public teaching archive. References to dates, events and offers reflect the original recording.
Continue exploring
Browse all free trumpet lessons or explore the WindWorks Learning Loop.
