Approach
To Use a Science-Based Approach to Decipher the Motor Control Mechanism
Have you ever wondered, "Why can professional players create such a beautiful sound?". Even if a professional player and an amateur use the same instrument, the sound is different.
- ・What is the difference between an amateur and a professional?
- ・How can we practise to make our sound better?
In order to answer these questions, we focus on how to make good use of a perfomer's body through the research of motor control for performers using a science-based approach.
Currently our focus is on brass instrument players. The results of our findings are presented at academic conferences, lectures, workshops and so on.
Current Research
Research on "Mouthpiece Force on Performer's Lips"
Brass instruments are played by pressing the mouthpiece on to your lips. Do you know the correct way to use the mouthpiece? Here are some common methods:
- ① Press hard
- ② Use as little pressure as possible
- ③ Use no pressure at all
To be honest, I have been taught in all the ways above and have found it to be very confusing. With how much force do professional players press the mouthpiece to their lips?
To answer this question, we have developed pressure measuring equipment.
Now our team is conducting experiments on professional players of trumpet, French horn and tuba.
Future Prospects
Enjoy Music with Science!
In the sports field, scientific training methodology and training equipment has been developed using the progress of sports science. Consequently, athlete performance has increased and the athletic environment has improved. Sports science provides benefits to both athletes and sports players.
I believe the methods of sports science can also be useful in the music field. In the future of the music field, scientific training methodology and the development of new tools and training equipment will be available. Therefore, I aim to use my research to answer these questions, and in doing so I hope to create a new environment where more people can enjoy music.