I think many people struggle with trying to use more air in order to play higher.

It’s not something I recommend anyone do as, in my opinion, it’s more than likely not going to work for them and will lead them to experiencing the same frustrations as I did.

Here’s another video from Greg that touches on this topic a bit until such time that he can chime in. Agreed that it would be a good discussion.

https://youtu.be/9gqTFJ_Udyc

At the end of the day, playing very much is about balancing Air and Shape. I myself have been trying to use better Air, more Air and it has helped me improve a bit.

However, I typically start most days by taking a full breath (i.e. “Body Concert Hall”) and let the weight of that breath passively released through my lips to produce each pitch. I’m not perfect and I catch myself moving to Active air sometimes, but I try to obtain the pitch (up to High C) without activating air as I’m warming up for the day.

As I progress to playing music, which involves dynamics and different durations of notes, then I migrate towards using Active air then.

But I try to start my day by reminding myself, physically and mentally, that I don’t need Air to obtain the pitch. This helps me avoid overblowing and mixing up what I’m doing / when I’m doing it. It also helps me refine the Shape I make for each pitch, as I’m not falling back on old habits / crutches that muddies the water of what an efficient / effective Shape is for each pitch–if I’m using Passively released Air, then the Shape must be efficient.

My $.02 FWIW