Improving Tone Quality

[hardcoremello]

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 :)

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.

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/minasian/Adam1.pdf

This is the link to the Bill Adams Routine.

Thanks for the bedtime reading.

Anyway, great topic guys. Thanks

[Shadow_7]

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/minasian/Adam1.pdf

Thanks for the link. I do the opening long tones most of the time. Although not as much as I should. And I start a partial lower. But repeat it on all ascending partials until I max out my range.

I guess I've gone and done it now. Dawning fire retardant suit. Here's me (note: Euphonium player) playing an odd model Dynasty Mello (key of G) with a G&W 1.25GW149 (trumpet) and with an old style Kanstul M6 (mello) mouthpiece. I ran through all of my pieces that are in my possession at the moment, but these two seems to have the most contrast in sound. Not that you can tell after compression, normalization, and conversion to mp3. At least not on these lousy PC speakers.

Recording setup: AT4033a mic -> M-Audio Mobile Pre -> Compaq Presario laptop (WalMart Special). Recorded at 48kHz, and 16 bit with jackd and ardour2 in linux. Edited with audacity. Converted with toolame.

I might redo it someday through my DMP3 and Delta 44 which sounds soo much more transparent. As I dream of having a good ribbon mic someday. Anyway here's the link to the sample. In case you're wondering the sequence is 1.25GW149 / Kanstul M6 / GW / Kanstul / GW / Kanstul mouthpieces. Only two samples looped three times. A 1.25GW149 trumpet mouthpiece followed by a Kanstul M6 mellophone mouthpiece, times 3.

http://home.earthlink.net/~shadow_7/mello_...w149_km6_x3.mp3

I'm not sure if it qualifies as a good or bad sample. I still have a bit of air/fuzz in my tone that I haven't been able to shake yet. Of my 11 drumcorps seasons, I only played mello for one of them. And it was a short season, of only 4 months, with me on mello for about two weeks of it. Beyond that I have 9 seasons on Euphonium, and last season I played Tuba. I've been working on my trumpet chops for this season, but will likely end up on Euph again.

[CloudHype]

I'm doing a modified Curuso right now but before my ageout year I did the Adams Routine and had an Adams teacher, worked great as a routine and my chops/sound was rocking. Never was my warmup though (too freeking long). I use flow studies, lead pipe buzzing and 1 lip slur sequence and I'm ready to play.

[Scooter Pirtle]

I'm doing a modified Curuso right now but before my ageout year I did the Adams Routine and had an Adams teacher, worked great as a routine and my chops/sound was rocking. Never was my warmup though (too freeking long). I use flow studies, lead pipe buzzing and 1 lip slur sequence and I'm ready to play.

The Bill Adam routine is great and I've been using it since I "restarted" the playing after a three year hiatus during the summer. If the author of this topic has access to a trumpet, I would encourage him to devote some time to that instrument (unless he's also a horn player).

Studying with the trumpet has helped me better isolate issues that can sometimes be hidden with a mellophone because of the V-cup mouthpiece and somewhat constrained range. If you can have success developing a good tone quality on trumpet (don't forget focusing on articulation study too), it will pay huge dividends in your mellophone performance quality.

[MR2Fast2Catch]

consider the breathing gym, taught by Pat and Sam. That seems work with Phantom Regiment. That's why in my opinion they sound the best as a hornline.

[idontwan2know]

It's so much simpler than folks want to make it.

LISTEN WHEN YOU PRACTICE.

It is amazing the number of brass players who do not actively listen to their sound when practicing and instead play by feel and only stop to listen for obvious errors.

Having a solid concept of sound and really listening is most of the battle. Getting lessons with a qualified teacher who can diagnose any specific problems you have and design an effective routine for you is the rest of it.

Do long tones or don't do them based on qualified instruction from someone who has heard you play, not because some guy on a forum said so. Same goes for mouthpiece buzzing, lip slurs, etc. etc.

[ETMELLO]

I was taught to open my teeth. Yes your teeth does open to a point but make it larger. The goal is to put your pinky finger in your mouth and keep your teeth open to that diamater; about 1/2 inch diamater. (Easier said than done) I have found by practicing this and concenrating on opening my teeth when I play. I get a fuller, richer, tone quality. As stated before, listen to yourself practice and concentrate on what sound is coming out.

Sound: 1 a : the sensation perceived by the sense of hearing b : a particular auditory impression : TONE c : mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (as air) and is the objective casue of hearing

Try it and see what happens. Just remember that changing you tone quality does not happen over night. Work at it and it will happen.

Eldon, just a horn player who has alot to learn.

This has been a great topic to read and get more imformation on how to improve. Thanks

[Shadow_7]

As stated before, listen to yourself practice and concentrate on what sound is coming out.

Easier said than done.

One sensory perception overrides another. That was a common theme in the Bill Adams master class I attended way back when. Complete with practical examples. A B&W picture of a Cow that no one could identify as a cow, until told it was a cow. Asked to count the number of "of" sounds in an article. No one got the count right, as could have, would have, should have, and others make an "of" sound (depending on the regional dialect in some cases).

This is why I record myself playing. It let's me focus on what I actually did, not what I thought I was doing. It's extremely difficult to diagnose yourself in realtime. If only because one sensory perception tends to override another.

It was always interesting to watch a video of the show halfway through tour in junior corps. Oh, that's an arc, not a line. The drill always seemed to be a little more self correcting after just one viewing.

[scrappyslap]

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 :)

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.

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/minasian/Adam1.pdf

This is the link to the Bill Adams Routine.

Thanks for the bedtime reading.

Anyway, great topic guys. Thanks

I will have to go with Bill Adam and his routine. I've done it for years. The most important thing is staying relaxed using your air and listen to great players. Remember that 90% of playing is mental. The rest is air and playing every day

[CloudHype]

One thing about the Adams routine, it works even better when it is taught by an Adams teacher. Might not help the original OP (french horn player) BUT if any young trumpet players reading this, find a teacher. If that teacher pulls out a book called "The Art of Brass Playing", go find another teacher. :)