Thinking up on the cornetto: How to apply the Alexander Technique to cornetto playing by Carlos Rivero Moreno

With the rediscovery of the cornetto at the beginning of the Early Music movement in the 20th century, the first players solved the technical difficulties of this instrument in very different ways, resulting in a great diversity of techniques today. During my bachelor studies with the cornetto, I discovered and learned the Alexander Method with individual and group lessons. For this master's studies, I actively researched how to connect the Alexander principles of inhibition and direction with my cornetto playing. I did a case study with myself, exploring at the practice room to find the desired sound result by applying the Alexandrian principles. I continuously documented the process with notes after each AT and cornetto lesson, and during my daily practice, to observe how this connection affects my development as a player. A part of the research has been the understanding and description of the Alexander Method to share this knowledge with other cornetto players, as I have found that this technique is unknown among most cornetto students and teachers. Learning to play a musical instrument is never easy, but knowing a little better about how the human body works, understanding the body and mind as a unity, and learning to use it in a more efficient and coordinated way has made playing the cornetto much easier for me, obtaining full body resonance, achieving comfort while playing, expanding artistic possibilities, and preventing injuries and body pain.

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Carlos Rivero Moreno - Thinking up on the cornetto: How to apply the Alexander Technique to cornetto playing - 2025