SOME ONE HELP MY LOW BRASS OUT!!!!

[DCguy2002]

HI

I am the section leader of a very inexperienced low brass section in my band. AND i my self am just have just switched to low brass also so I dont know much my self. SO can anyone tell me someways to get a nice warm and full sound out of my section. ANY INFO would be greatly appreciated. Also we have major intonation problems too so any info on that could help too..

CAn anyone help me out??

[Dave]

Well...

The basic embouchere is something that will affect all aspects of your playing: tone quality, intonation, projection, all that good stuff. Keep your jaw open as though you're singing an "Oh" sound and use lots of air. I would recommend finding a copy of Arnold Jacobs' "Song and Wind" book; he was pretty much the man when it comes to the use of air in brass playing, and should be read by anyone who plays a wind instrument, sings, breathes on a regular basis...

If you aren't marching a corps in this next year, I would at least try to get to a camp so you can learn firsthand the brass playing techniques taught there. I know that the only other place I really learned this stuff was in my lessons in high school and college, as band directors never seemed to talk a whole lot about proper brass playing technique, especially in marching band.

[DCguy2002]

Well i was gona try out for the KAVALIERs this year..... but wasnt sure if i could make it since although I am very deticated i still am not very good yet and dont even know some of the basics stuff. but anyway are there any excersise i could use to increase the tone Quality and POwer (Sorry cant think of a better word) for my tuba section THey all can play well enough just very timid.

[Low Pro BD]

The best thing I can add is listen to as many (professional) low brass players and ensembles as you can. I remember I had been playing trombone in high school for two years before my director let me borrow a Christian Lindberg (sp?) CD to listen to.

Needless to say, it blew my mind! My practicing turned from merely going over music and "brass drills" mindlessly to actually trying to get the most out of everything I played, and trying to imitate the feeling of what I had heard.

It's hard to teach kids, especially those new to an instrument, what you mean by "a warm and full sound", and harder still for them to achieve it, without them ever having heard one. But if you can clue them in to what awesome potential a low brass section can achieve, it may stimulate them towards improving and being motivated about rehearsal.

[DCguy2002]

well i know what u mean by listing to good music and trying to achive the level of sound of a realy expereinced and good Player. I use references like that a lot of times. i dont think i will have a problem showing what a good brass section sounds like, Cus recently we got a nice Stand still performance By TARPON SPRING HIGH schools marching band . AND any one out there who knows who they are will tell u they are very good. THANKS for the info on how to teach a brass section what they need to be striving for them selfs . I plan to use that

I DO have a question to all the BARITONE players though. OK i have 2 different mouth pieces i can use A BACh 12c and a KING 6 1/2 AL-s Are these good? and which one is best. AND if there crap what kind should i move to to gain better tone Quality and a better sound for my Other BARRIES as well. :) umm any other low brass info would also be very appreciated......

Oh yea also what are some good ways to practice DOUBLE TOUNGING. B)

[brassguymike]

Unfortunately there is no magic cure. I am currently having much of the same trouble with my tuba students at the high school I just started teaching. It's tough to just say "try to achieve the level of sound of a really good experienced player." There needs to be a set example of a good sound in front of them. Modeling is an excellent method of teaching. While you're working on basic tone production, concentrate on the basics like long-tones. Don't dive into your show music and then harp on tone production. That's too much to worry about. Stick with the basics. The show music will be better in the long run. As far as "tone quality and power," work on simply playing together and sounding the same. Same tone quality, color, articulation, style, etc...

One of the best things you can do is practice on just the mouthpiece. The horn is a crutch. Too often we just stick the mouthpiece in the horn and blow and hope what we want comes out of the bell. Think of the horn as a big megaphone. The horn amplifies and adds color to what you buzz on the mouthpiece. Work on getting a good full tone on the mouthpiece alone. Buzz whatever you want. I always tell my students that I don't care if you buzz Bach or if you buzz Britney Spears, just concentrate on producing a good sound.

As far as mouthpiece selection... I would go for the 6 1/2 AL over the 12C, but still neither are a very good baritone mpc because they both are pretty small. For an inexperienced player, they might be able to excel on the 6 1/2 AL. But for a decent high school baritone player, I think they would do fine on a larger Schilke 51D or Bach 5G.

I wouldn't worry about double tonguing until you're starting to get the sound you want. Once that is there, then you can work on that. One of the best ways I know to teach it is to simply practice saying "du-gu-du-gu-du-gu-du-gu-du." Just saying it over and over again (slow at first and gradually speeding it up) will coordinate the needed muscles in your tongue. Once you're able to say it pretty well at several different tempos, then try it on the horn.

Another good thing to do is to follow the advice given earlier and read the book "Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind." I've said it before on here and I'll say it again. Every wind player should read this book again and again. I'm currently reading it for probably the 10th time. Every time I read I gain a little bit more knowledge of what Mr. Jacobs was reallly talking about. Check it out at www.windsongpress.com

Good luck and let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.

[DCguy2002]

Much thanks to u all :)

[kalijah]

Keep your jaw open as though you're singing an "Oh" sound and use lots of air.

Don't fall for this advice, for if done to extremes will do more harm than good. You should encourage only a "relaxed" jaw and throat. Not one that is forced open and held by tension. Also lack of air is not usually the problem, lack of tone quality has to do with the ability (or lack thereof) of the emouchure to vibrate and produce a tone. Not a shortage of air. What you should strive for is tonal efficiency, that is more sound for a given amount of air or perhaps less air.

The problem with overly dropping the jaw is that the embouchure spreads and the apeture opens. This alows air to pass thru that does not contribute to the sound power. This gives a real airy and fuzzy sound that is a lso very inefficient.

Have your players play LOTS of very low, very soft tones and exercises while keeping the throat/jaw/embouchure relaxed and natural and the airflow minimal and relaxed. Do this for hours individually at home. Listen for the sound and efficiency to grow as you keep the effort minimal and everything relaxed and in control. Always listen for clean attacks but let them develop too.

Slowly extend to higher notes and greater volumes with only the slightest increase in effort.

If you practice this way and develop efficiency and quality of sound, when you do begin to use more air it will be when walls are shaking.