Brass Clinic

i
Problem Solving for Low Brass Students
BY SKIP GRAY

T he young student learn- way to begin. If this is not prac- duction and need to be stressed
ing a low brass instru- tical, listening to recordings of often. Some young players de-
ment should be taught fine players on their instruments velop uncharacteristically small
proper playing concepts from his is a good alternative. sounds because they consistently
first day of study, but even the Once the young player' be- play too soft, neither filling the
most talented student can stray comes aware of good sound, reg- instrument with air nor the
from good habits and will need ularly encourage proper breath- room they are in with sound.
guidance. The following problems ing habits. Good playing posture, A fuzzy, unfocused sound is close-
and suggested solutions will help relaxation during inhalation and ly related to a shallow tone.
students get back on the right exhalation, and deep, full breaths When you hear this type of play-
track. are essential to good sound pro- ing, remind the student to keep
A shallow sound the throat open
is one of the most and relaxed
common prob- during both in-
lems among low halation and ex-
brass players. halation. To
These students demonstrate this
need a concept of openness, use a
good sound. Ex- breathing tube,
posing beginners which can be
to live perform- made from a
ance demonstra- piece of plastic
tions by mature, tubing or rolled-
accomplished up half sheet
players is one of paper with

CUSTOM-BUILT
INSTRUMENTS
AND MOUTHPIECES
TRUMPETS
IN Bf, C, D, Et>, EP/D, F, G,
EVF/G. 65 Models-Trumpets-
Cornels.
PICCOLO TRUMPETS
IN BP/A, C
TUNING-BELL TRUMPETS
With Detachable Bells -
Eliminates the tuning slide
improving intonation and
response. Additional bells
offer varied tone color.
MOUTHPIECES .-
STANDARD AND SIGNATURE
Precision made for Trumpet,
Cornet, French Horn, Trom-
bone, Euphonium and Tuba.
Call or write
for dealer in your area:
SCHILKE MUSIC, INC.
529 So. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, III. 60605
312-922-0736
PLEASE SEND:
O Instrument Catalog
O Mouthpiece Catalog
Name
Address _
City/State
,Zip
a diameter of about one inch and
a length of three to four inches.
Have the student put the tube
into his mouth and take several
breaths in and out. He will feel a
remarkable openness in the
throat and a cool feeling of the
air rushing in and out. Encour-
age him to duplicate this sensa-
tion on the instrument.
Another way to develop a
more focused sound is to have
the student play louder, with
control. The player will need to
use more air, which in most cases
will bring into more efficient ac-
tion the various parts of the
body required in low brass play-
ing. A hidden cause of a fuzzy
sound is sometimes found in stu-
dents who play with clenched
teeth. If this is the case, have the
student drop the bottom jaw and
form an "O" syllable at the front
of the mouth while playing. This
should spread the teeth apart
and allow a more open, relaxed
flow of air.
Unclear or imprecise articulation
is another common problem that
can often be remedied by review-
ing articulation syllables. The
most common syllables for low
brass playing are "toh" and
"doh," both with a long "O" as in
the word "open." Musicians gen-
erally use the "toh" syllable for
hard attacks and the "doh"
syllable for legato passages and
rapid articulation. I advocate the
"O" vowel for several reasons.
First, it tends to give a round
shape to the oral cavity, allowing
a greater volume of air to pass
through with little impedance.
The "O" vowel is also a relaxing
vowel for the throat muscles and
ultimately keeps muscular tension
in the throat to a minimum.
Tongue placement greatly affects
clarity in low brass articulation.
Skip Gray is Associate Professor of
Music at the University of Kentucky,
where he has been a faculty member
since 1980. He is Principal Tubist of
the Lexington (Kentucky) Philharmonic
and Secretary of Tubists Universal
Brotherhood Association. Gray holds
music degrees from Baldwin-Wallace
College and the University of Illinois.
A natural, correct result occurs
by using the "toh" and "doh" syl-
lables with the tip of the tongue
touching the middle of the pla.
teau at the front of the roof of
the mouth. The area is marked
with an "X" in the following
diagram:
Roof of mouth, upward view
Mouth, side view
Obviously, when the tongue
comes out between the teeth, an^
undesirable sound results. Re-
mind players that the tongue
moves only up and down, not
back and forth, and to keep it
down in the bottom of the
mouth, out of the way of the air
stream after initiating an attack.
Incorrect use of air and im-
proper breathing habits are often
found to be the root of brass
players' troubles. Remember that
it is the air stream that actually
produces the attack; the tongue
merely releases and shapes the
supported air stream through the
use of the "toh" and "doh"
syllables.
Poor note releases or notes cut off
with the tongue are symptoms of
articulation problems. When a
young brass student gets into this
habit, it becomes nearly impossi'
ble to play with a musical line
and fullness of sound in techni'
cally difficult passages. The cr
monly accepted way to end i. _^
is to stop the air, that is, to stop
blowing. One way to communi'
cate this concept to students is t o
ask them to put an "H" ending
on notes. The "H" ending not

only stops the air, it also adds
resonance and focus to even the
most secco of musical passages.
The air stream, and thus the
notes, should not be stopped
with the tongue.
A weak upper register is one dif-
ficulty most low brass players
want to correct. The old adage
"you need to be able to play low
in order to play high" is a valu-
able guide. Do not let young stu-
dents become involved solely
with their high range: the upper
performing register, as well as the
low register, should develop fairly
naturally as an extension of a
properly established middle
register.
A shallow tone is the mcJst ob-
vious problem in many young
low brass players' upper range;
these students simply do not use
enough breath support to sustain
a good tone. They tend to
squeak out high notes rather
than use an intense, well-
supported air stream. Successful
low register playing requires a
large yet gentle air flow, much
like a large, wide river flowing
swiftly after a spring thaw.
Achieving a good tone in the up-
per register requires a much more
intensive air flow, still based on
solid air support, much like a
narrow but powerful waterfall at
the end of a large lake.
50 THE INSTRUMENTALIST/ APRIL 1988
Another contributor to a weak
upper register is the "smile" em-
bouchure or excessive embou-
chure shift. By smiling, less lip
thickness is available for vibra-
tion and the tone itself becomes
thin. Problems with endurance
and note accuracy often result
from using the "smile" embou-
chure in the upper register. Ex-
cessive embouchure shift (the use
of a separate upper-range embou-
chure) destabilizes the facial
muscles responsible for tone pro-
duction; many times it contrib-
utes to accuracy and endurance
problems. A shift of the embou-
chure between registers makes
rapid, technical passages even
more difficult, if not impossible.
There are specific exercises to
assist advanced players who have
difficulty in the upper register.
Young players, however, should
gradually extend both their up-
per and lower ranges by practic-
ing increasingly expansive etude
and solo material, as well as by
learning and studying scales in as
many octaves as possible with
the goal of always producing a
good sound. Focusing on adjust-
ing the direction of air flow into
the mouthpiece without altering
the position of the embouchure
also helps students improve.
Generally, the lower the range,
the more upward the direction of
the air flow in the mouthpiece;
the higher the range, the more
downward the air flow in the
mouthpiece.
Passages requiring rapid articula-
tion also pose problems to young
low brass players. Though there
are several easy solutions to this
problem, the most important is
to keep the air flow steady, that
is, to "blow through the passage."
Have the player slur the particu-
lar passage, using no tongue at
all. If he gets all of the correct
valves down, he will find that all
of the notes come out quite eas-
ily. Make sure the player is not
trying to articulate the rapid
passage too heavily. Generally,
the quicker the notes, the more
the articulation "doh" should be
used. The beginning of Second
Suite in F for Military Band by
Gustav Hoist is an excellent ex-
ample of a troublesome passage
for low brass players:
(+ 8va)
y=
-?-
44-
-f- -2
-v\<*-*- M- -4
+-
Low brass soli
If players are having problems ef-
fectively executing this passage or
one similar to it, first have them
slur the passage slightly under
tempo. This will strengthen the
concept of blowing through the
notes. Then have them pro-
nounce the rhythm in tempo us-
ing the "doh" syllable:
Say: doh doh doh doh doh
Next, they should play the pas-
sage just as they did when slur-
ring it (blowing through the
notes), only this time use the
gentle "doh" syllable. The stu-
dents should now be able to
the passage successfully. Consis-
tently stress this concept of uni
terrupted air flow in scales and
all rapidly articulated musical
figures.
Excessive tension or distortion in
the face, throat, and shoulders
usually leads to the lack of full,;
relaxed inhalation and exhala-'J
tion. This tension ultimately
an adverse effect on tone qujaM ;
not to mention its aesthetic u
sightliness. Distorting the fac|
s*u*m*m*e*r also destabilizes the embouchure,
which can lead to other prob-
lems with note accuracy, weak-
MUSIC ness in extreme registers (both
low and high), and unevenness
of tone. Tension and excessive
c * a * m* p motion in the throat, neck, and
shoulders severely inhibit relaxed
PIANO CAMP inhalation and exhalation and
June 19-25 result in a less than desirable
SHOW/JAZZ CHOIR tone. It's possible to solve these
CAMP problems by having students
June 26-July 2 relax and think of playing with
JAZZ ENSEMBLE complete physical ease, without
CAMP extraneous motion.
July 10-16
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL An uncentered mouthpiece or use
CAMPS of too much upper or lower lip can
July 17-23, July 31-August 6 bring about problems with tone
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL production and register exten-
CAMPS sion. Although the structure and
July 24-30
shape of some players' teeth
Information: make playing with the mouth-
Summer Music Camps piece off center more comfort-
(specify session)
Office of Outreach, UW-Green Bay able, it's better to center it. This
2420 NIc olet Drive way the symmetrical facial mus-
Green Bay, Wl 54311-7001
cles are used efficiently,
(414)465-2356
strengthening the embouchure
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN and increasing note accuracy.
Using too much lower lip often
GREEN BAY hinders technical development,
because of the resulting lack of
ability to perform in the upper-
middle register and the imposi-
tion on note flexibility. As low
brass players mature, they gener-
ally use a greater percent of up-
per lip. Technical development
NEW! and strength in the upper register
THE INVINCIBLE often occurs; but without care,
BUNBURY: tone quality sometimes suffers. A
Tercentenary Quick March good rule of thumb, especially
by Jerome D. Cohen with younger players, is to en-
courage both a centered mouth-
Named for a pet guinea pig: piece placement and the use of
Bunbury was truly invincible. Al- half upper lip and half lower lip.
though the smallest animal in the Difficulty with slurred passages
house, he bullied everyone, in- often occurs when players try to
cluding the twelve-pound cat. play too softly or without suffi-
Commissioned for the 300th An- cient breath support. Individual
niversary celebration of Plymouth notes may drop out or wide skips
Colony, MA may not be negotiated. For this
type of problem, full inhalation
Concert Band version for sale. and exhalation is often a key fac-
Score &. pts (385750-2) $55.00 tor. Some players make slurred
Full orchestra version available passages more technically difficult
on rental from Oxford. than they are by physically jerk-
ing between pitches. If this is the
Write today for a complimentary mini- case, remind students that em-
score of band version. Write Dept. I
bouchure adjustments in slurred
passages, even the wide leaps, are
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, INC. miniscule. It's easy to demon-
too MADISON AVENIH, NEW YORK N Y 100U
strate this idea by having players
52 THE INSTRUMENTALIST / APRIL 1988
slowly buzz the passage or skip
on the mouthpiece, glissing be-
tween the notes; the embouchi-
hardly makes any noticeable
change. Gradually direct the
player to increase the speed of
buzzing through the slurred
passage until he reaches the
desired tempo. When he can
buzz the line on the mouthpiece
have him play it on his instru-
ment, reminding him to use lots
of air.
Finger-tongue coordination prob-
lems sometimes arise when
players try to take a passage
faster than they have worked on
it. Urge young players to keep
their fingers on the proper valves
at all times. This prevents lurch-
ing or groping for the correct
valve. Playing diatonic exercises
at a steady tempo with a metro-
nome also helps build finger-
tongue coordination.
Unartistic or uncontrolled vibrato
can be demonstrated by record-
ing a student's playing. Some
young students do not realize
they are playing with an undesi.
able vibrato. Besides not being
aware of his sound, a player can
produce a vibrato as a result of
nerves. If this is the case, advo-
cate using full, deep breathing
and relaxation. Of the three
types of vibrato used in wind
playing jaw, diaphragm, and
the shake jaw vibrato is usual-
ly considered the only acceptable
type on low brass instruments.
To teach jaw vibrato, use a "yaw"
syllable and have the student
perform various number of
vibrato pulses per steady beat.
Start with eighth notes, then go
on to triplets and sixteenths.
Listening to recordings or live
performances of fine players who
effectively use vibrato, then hav-
ing the student emulate those
sounds, is a good means for
young players to learn how to in-
corporate vibrato into their musi-
cal performances.
Embouchure shift and excessive
pivot are used by some players
who believe that to play success-
fully in the varous registers, they
need a separate embouchure set-
ting for each range. This shifting
often results in problems with
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note accuracy when jumping be-
tween registers, lack of fluidity,
uneasiness in playing between
registers, and an inconsistent
tone. The use of one basic em-
bouchure is important.
Cheek puffing is not only un-
sightly, but it also destabilizes the
embouchure, producing poor
note accuracy and undesirable
tone quality. A lack of tension to
the side of the lips can allow air
to escape through the corners of
the mouth. To end cheek puffing
and its subsequent problems, a
student should keep the corners
of the mouth firm.
Excessive mouthpiece pressure and
a lack of endurance are closely re-
lated. Excessive lip pressure on
the mouthpiece decreases the
flow of blood to the lips, which
in turn decreases muscle control
and causes problems with note
accuracy and tone production.
Other embouchure endurance
problems can arise from using an
inner rim that is too narrow.
While trumpet players often can
solve their endurance problems
by switching to a wider-rimmed
mouthpiece, embouchure endur-
ance difficulties on low brass in-
struments are rarely caused by a
thin-rimmed mouthpiece. Con-
sistent, sensible practice with ex-
ercises to build and strengthen
the embouchure are usually the
most successful route towards im-
proving embouchure endurance
for low brass players.
By identifying and correcting
problems through the refinement
of playing fundamentals, students
will find that musical perform-
ance becomes easier. When an
instrument develops into an ex-
tension of the player's inner ex-
pressive self, music making be-
comes truly enjoyable. This
should be a basic goal of teach-
ing, as well as a direction for our
students' many hours of practice.^
Editor's Note: To review the concepts
behind inhalation and exhalation, we
suggest reviewing the article "The
namics of Breathing with Arnold i
and David Cugell, M.D." in the I
cember 1983 issue. The article is
reprinted in the book, Arnold JacoMI
- The Legacy of a Master, prod
by The Instrumentalist Publishing