2.6 Chapter 2 Assessment

1. What is body mapping?

• A) A type of physical therapy for injured musicians
• B) Developing a conscious, accurate mental representation of your body’s structures and how they move
• C) A breathing exercise performed before playing
• D) A method for memorizing fingering charts

2. What shape does the diaphragm have when it is at rest?

• A) Flat like a pancake
• B) Cylindrical like a tube
• C) V-shaped
• D) Dome-shaped, forming the floor of the rib cage

3. Why is it incorrect to tell a student to “breathe into your belly”?

• A) Because the belly is too far from the lungs to be relevant
• B) Because it encourages students to hold their breath
• C) Because air can only fill the lungs—the belly expands due to organs being displaced as the diaphragm descends, not because air goes there
• D) Because belly breathing only works for singers, not wind players

4. Who was Arnold Jacobs, and why is he significant to brass pedagogy?

• A) Principal tubist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1944–1988) and one of the most influential brass pedagogues of the 20th century
• B) A pulmonologist who studied breathing in Olympic athletes
• C) The inventor of the modern tuba
• D) A famous jazz trumpet player known for his high-range technique

5. What is the Valsalva maneuver, and why is it a problem for wind players?

• A) A technique for increasing lung capacity; it is beneficial for all wind players
• B) Closing the throat (glottis) while trying to blow, which blocks airflow, creates tension, and causes hesitation at the start of notes
• C) A type of vibrato exercise that strengthens the diaphragm
• D) A method of circular breathing used by advanced players

6. According to Arnold Jacobs, what is the central principle of healthy brass playing?

• A) Mechanical precision—controlling every muscle consciously
• B) Playing as loudly as possible to develop strength
• C) Extensive mouthpiece buzzing before every practice session
• D) Focusing on the psychology of sound production rather than overthinking mechanics

7. What role do the intercostal muscles play in breathing?

• A) They close the throat to build air pressure
• B) They push the diaphragm upward during exhalation
• C) They are located between the ribs and allow the rib cage to expand during inhalation
• D) They control the movement of the tongue during articulation

8. When helping a student who stutters or hesitates at the start of notes, which approach is most effective?

• A) Practice breath attacks without the tongue first, then add the tongue to clean up the front of the note
• B) Have the student tongue harder and faster
• C) Tell the student to tighten their abdominal muscles before each note
• D) Skip the problematic passages and come back to them later