Improving Tone Quality

[kaplac]

Just wondering,

How would you define "good tone" anyways.

What characteristics do you give to a sound that has good tone?

(videos or sound clips would be nice)

I just recently started baritone, and I can never find any players playing a baritone. It's always a concert euphonium, which by design has a different sound. So I'm rather confused as to what sort of sound I should aim for, since you can't have a good tone if you don't know what you want to sound like.

[Shadow_7]

How would you define "good tone" anyways.

What characteristics do you give to a sound that has good tone?

Good tone would be a tone that's free of artifacts. Minimal if any sound of air flowing, and no fuzz/fizz in the sound, or throat sounds. It doesn't sound forced and is obtained with minimal physical effort.

As far as good sound, which may differ from tone. It has a strong fundamental and is as rich in upper overtones as one can obtain.

Sound clips might not be as revealing as one would think. The equipment used to capture it might not be all that great. And the ability of your sound equipment to reproduce the sound could further color/degrade the source.

[G-horns]

Alright, so with drum corps auditions coming up REALLY soon, any tips would be appreciated. I play the mellophone, and I'm pretty good at it I'd say, but I know my tone needs improving. It isn't horrible, but it could definitely be better.

Do any of you brass players know any good tips for helping to improve tone quality?

Thanks in advance :)

-Ashlee

For me, the key to solid tone quality is very simple...breathe. And I don't mean just alot of air. The airway cannot be constricted. Say the word "Ahhhhh" and note what all the muscles in your throat and face are doing. Transfer that open throat to your playing, work on long low tones at first. Focus on the fullness of sound. Then you can build range but always focus on the basics. Don't get trapped into playing higher by sacrificing fullness of sound.

Having a true mellophone mouthpiece will help if you are using a trumpet piece. But remember - mellophones as a rule are beasts that are not easily tamed. Careful attention to the basics of brass technique is most important.

[dr atomic]

So the guy in the quote I got, Wayne Dillon, you think he's any good? :P

Wayne's a great guy, I'm glad I was able to work under him this past year. How did you get this opportunity?

All of the off the horn tricks don't really help you improve your tone on the horn. You can sing all day, and buzz your mouthpiece all day. But if you never pick up the horn you'll find your tone is not any better, and possibly worse. I know when I tried doing mouthpiece buzzing 2/3rds of my practice time relative to actually playing my horn because of my practice/home circumstances that my tone actually got worse.

Mouthpiece buzzing isn't a "trick", it's an integral part of daily practice and routine. Now of course, doing ONLY buzzing for two-thirds of your practice on a daily basis is obviously not healthy, of course doing anything in excess everyday without sensitivity to balance of your fundamental routine is bound mess you up at some point. The key to having a good tone is making sure all your slots on the horn are centered, and what else is centering a pitch but being able to HEAR what you're playing and being able to buzz through the core of that note.

As fas as tone, you've got to do those boring long tones. With plenty of breaks. Anything more than that and your focus goes away from tone and towards something else. And by all means play on equipment that matches your concept of sound. If you're thinking you want a dark sound, then don't play on a jet tone mouthpiece, or even a trumpet mouthpiece on a mellophone. If you want to sound like "X", then at least give the equipment that "X" is using a try. Just my opinion.

Uh oh, here we go with the 2 biggest fallacies of drum corps when it comes to approach to the fundamentals.

1) "Dark sound" - The mellophone is a strange instrument, I'm a trumpet player so I can't speak on super in depth specifics of the characteristic mellophone sound. However, I do know that as I've been a brass player for so long now, and done a couple years of drum corps (nowhere near a lot, but it's enough), it's safe for me to say that I think people need to stop saying "sound dark" and just say "sound good". Simplistic in a sense, I know, but the idea of saying, "Trumpets need sound like a tuba, horns need sound like a trumbone, flutes need to sound like a euphonium" is just beyond ridiculous.

2) Long tones - I did long tones when I was in high school and thought they were the bees knees, then I got to college. I haven't done a single long tone since I've been here and the mere physical aspect of my playing has improved ten-fold. I know people have different opinions to approaching a brass instrument, but I think when it comes to trumpet/mello (which is essentially in the trumpet/flugelhorn family) long tones are a no no. They are detrimental to your sound and approach, especially for the young player. Herbert Clarke talked about flow studies (RUN, don't walk, to your nearest music store and get a Clarke Technical Studies book immediately!!). As you'll read in the book's introduction, the book talks about the "Moving Long Tone", which introduces the idea of flexibility and the long tone into one cohesive idea. Doing long tones over the summer made me sound like crap, nor did they warm me up.

Long tones don't warm you up, don't do them!!

With that said, get lessons with a trumpet player with some semblance of experience playing, and good luck on your journey towards achieving a good sound.

[rai-mello]

Wayne's a great guy, I'm glad I was able to work under him this past year. How did you get this opportunity?

Well he's my director in high school.....

Mouthpiece buzzing isn't a "trick", it's an integral part of daily practice and routine. Now of course, doing ONLY buzzing for two-thirds of your practice on a daily basis is obviously not healthy, of course doing anything in excess everyday without sensitivity to balance of your fundamental routine is bound mess you up at some point. The key to having a good tone is making sure all your slots on the horn are centered, and what else is centering a pitch but being able to HEAR what you're playing and being able to buzz through the core of that note.

Uh oh, here we go with the 2 biggest fallacies of drum corps when it comes to approach to the fundamentals.

1) "Dark sound" - The mellophone is a strange instrument, I'm a trumpet player so I can't speak on super in depth specifics of the characteristic mellophone sound. However, I do know that as I've been a brass player for so long now, and done a couple years of drum corps (nowhere near a lot, but it's enough), it's safe for me to say that I think people need to stop saying "sound dark" and just say "sound good". Simplistic in a sense, I know, but the idea of saying, "Trumpets need sound like a tuba, horns need sound like a trumbone, flutes need to sound like a euphonium" is just beyond ridiculous.

2) Long tones - I did long tones when I was in high school and thought they were the bees knees, then I got to college. I haven't done a single long tone since I've been here and the mere physical aspect of my playing has improved ten-fold. I know people have different opinions to approaching a brass instrument, but I think when it comes to trumpet/mello (which is essentially in the trumpet/flugelhorn family) long tones are a no no. They are detrimental to your sound and approach, especially for the young player. Herbert Clarke talked about flow studies (RUN, don't walk, to your nearest music store and get a Clarke Technical Studies book immediately!!). As you'll read in the book's introduction, the book talks about the "Moving Long Tone", which introduces the idea of flexibility and the long tone into one cohesive idea. Doing long tones over the summer made me sound like crap, nor did they warm me up.

Long tones don't warm you up, don't do them!!

With that said, get lessons with a trumpet player with some semblance of experience playing, and good luck on your journey towards achieving a good sound.

So I'm just guessing that you recommend Clarke studies?

I don't see how long tones can be detrimental. I may be a "young player" but I do know many accomplished players and I know good tone when I hear it. I can't, however, recreate it in my mind to recreate it on the horn.

[CloudHype]

Wayne's a great guy, I'm glad I was able to work under him this past year. How did you get this opportunity?

Mouthpiece buzzing isn't a "trick", it's an integral part of daily practice and routine. Now of course, doing ONLY buzzing for two-thirds of your practice on a daily basis is obviously not healthy, of course doing anything in excess everyday without sensitivity to balance of your fundamental routine is bound mess you up at some point. The key to having a good tone is making sure all your slots on the horn are centered, and what else is centering a pitch but being able to HEAR what you're playing and being able to buzz through the core of that note.

Uh oh, here we go with the 2 biggest fallacies of drum corps when it comes to approach to the fundamentals.

1) "Dark sound" - The mellophone is a strange instrument, I'm a trumpet player so I can't speak on super in depth specifics of the characteristic mellophone sound. However, I do know that as I've been a brass player for so long now, and done a couple years of drum corps (nowhere near a lot, but it's enough), it's safe for me to say that I think people need to stop saying "sound dark" and just say "sound good". Simplistic in a sense, I know, but the idea of saying, "Trumpets need sound like a tuba, horns need sound like a trumbone, flutes need to sound like a euphonium" is just beyond ridiculous.

2) Long tones - I did long tones when I was in high school and thought they were the bees knees, then I got to college. I haven't done a single long tone since I've been here and the mere physical aspect of my playing has improved ten-fold. I know people have different opinions to approaching a brass instrument, but I think when it comes to trumpet/mello (which is essentially in the trumpet/flugelhorn family) long tones are a no no. They are detrimental to your sound and approach, especially for the young player. Herbert Clarke talked about flow studies (RUN, don't walk, to your nearest music store and get a Clarke Technical Studies book immediately!!). As you'll read in the book's introduction, the book talks about the "Moving Long Tone", which introduces the idea of flexibility and the long tone into one cohesive idea. Doing long tones over the summer made me sound like crap, nor did they warm me up.

Long tones don't warm you up, don't do them!!

With that said, get lessons with a trumpet player with some semblance of experience playing, and good luck on your journey towards achieving a good sound.

Wow, someone that thinks like me. Amen on #1, it is a trumpet... NOT a cornet and NOT a flugelhorn. Brilliant sound is the characteristic of the instrument. You want a mellow fat and mellow sound, make you kids use cornets.

Now to the OP. :)

The only "long tone/buzzing" I do is lead pipe buzzing and that is more of getting brain, mind, lungs to work together.

Moving long tones... Like these... umm... just google "bill adams routine" and you will find it. When doing these remember "least amount of tension, least amount of muscle". Clarke studies #1 is of importance, play them slowly :)

AND

Check out some of the melocast/ articles on the http://www.middlehornleader.com/ for mello specific question. You might find something useful on that site.

[Shadow_7]

Just because your opinion differs from mine, doesn't make mine a fallacy. And BTW the original post was about a Mellophone, not a Trumpet. The mellophone doesn't really have a standard sound concept, not that any horns do. Some think it should sound like a trumpet, others like a french horn. You can make it sound "like" a trumpet, cornet, flugal, or french horn. Choosing one over the other doesn't make the others a fallacy. And your choice is likely to change depending on what music is being played.

Are there other aproaches, sure. Some of which require you to play 6+ hours per day. At which point it's not a concious effort for a good tone, but a consequence of the weaker muscles no longer being able affect the sound. If you only practice one hour or less per day, you'll probably never experience this aproach. At which point long tones are one of the more effective aproaches. Should it be the only thing you work on, no. Is it an efficient use of time, no. But if you're working towards a specific goal, you need something that focuses on that goal, without a lot of distractions.

[Michelle]

2) Long tones - I did long tones when I was in high school and thought they were the bees knees, then I got to college. I haven't done a single long tone since I've been here and the mere physical aspect of my playing has improved ten-fold. I know people have different opinions to approaching a brass instrument, but I think when it comes to trumpet/mello (which is essentially in the trumpet/flugelhorn family) long tones are a no no. They are detrimental to your sound and approach, especially for the young player. Herbert Clarke talked about flow studies (RUN, don't walk, to your nearest music store and get a Clarke Technical Studies book immediately!!). As you'll read in the book's introduction, the book talks about the "Moving Long Tone", which introduces the idea of flexibility and the long tone into one cohesive idea. Doing long tones over the summer made me sound like crap, nor did they warm me up.

Long tones don't warm you up, don't do them!!

That's weird because I don't feel warmed up without doing them, especially if I don't do them in the low range of my horn. We have daily morning fundamentals/warm ups at my school for the horn studio (bright and early at 7 am :) ), and I don't go on the days when the Prof. that doesn't do long tones is leading them (we have two Prof.'s this year). Otherwise, I think free buzzing is a good medium for focusing air and maintaining a firm apiture. I know that I've developed a bad habit of not having a firm upper lip in my apiture, so my air wasn't focused and was making "wah's" when I was slurring. Free buzzing and long tones helped to clear that up. I'm happy that I've finally been able to reteach myself how to articulate. My apiture position played a big effect in how I was not utilizing my full potential as a horn player.

[Big Will]

This is a pretty interesting parallel to this argument, just in regards to stretching for football.

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0852.htm

I guess it just depends on feel and habit.

[Shadow_7]

This is a pretty interesting parallel to this argument, just in regards to stretching for football.

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0852.htm

I guess it just depends on feel and habit.

I've heard of dancers running without stretching and then stretching after the run in order to get better flexibility. For me, I need to stretch when it's cold out. But I'm not a very flexible guy these days. Not that I've ever been all the flexible.

As far as playing, if I don't start off slow with a couple long tones, I never settle in on a mouthpiece placement, and end up fishing for that magic mouthpiece placement all day. By easing into the playing day, things just click a lot better and a lot sooner. But that's just me.