Robin--

"It is possible (perhaps it involves shaping the mouth and throat!) to THINK mouth blown instruments pitch and timbre to shape!"

In all seriousness, I see shrill notes as pointed and brittle like snowflakes, but when I can get the picture of "raindrop" to stay in my head, the tone improves a bit. That, however, seemed altogether too hokey to articulate. It's what I do, but I can't call it "technique," and (like so many other things!) I can't consistently achieve it.

I think it was Emerson who said a "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds" but I'm beginning to suspect there are times when consistency is a hobgoblin much to be desired, regardless of cerebral mass and volume.

Chiff n Fipple didn't have much help...shrillness seems to be an occupational hazard of high notes on wind instruments, and it varies from instrument to instrument.

Back to the practice session, visualizing big, heavy, soft raindrops.

V