coltsBCBritt Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 As was mentioned before--ankle weights...I recommend them to build your strength. Even 2.5 lbs makes a difference. I think you can get them at anything like a Wal-Mart. They make the horn seem light when you take them off! The baritone line used them for Colts this past summer, and they made a HUGE difference. Holding your horn up is a mental game--don't forget that. It sucks at first, but with practice it gets easier!!! Musically, you can take advice from the above. You might also like to check out a book--"Melodius Etudes for Trombone" by Rochut. Originally for singers, this book has really helped me as a musician and low brass player to be expressive. Think of performing from the first note you play. You can make a mistake, but your recovery is key. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwmnyrds Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 Hey, I'm auditioning for the first time too. I know how you feel. I'm a euphonium major. When it comes to the "euphonium" sound listen to not just guys like Steven Mead, but male baritone or baritone-basso vocalist. The euphonium is a bass french horn in many ways. The lyricalness of the horn is like a lower male voice. They'll give you a better understanding of the horn in you have those sounds in your ear. That's what the pros do. The horn is like a vocal amp. Can you sing and play at the time? I can and it helped...I didn't think it would. Also, learn to make the best of your voice. I have to take vocal lessons as well as my instrumental lessons becasue of the way the horn works. It wouldn't hurt but if you don't work it...it wouldn't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart1283 Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 From a Crown member: First of all, it's great that you are learning another instrument. Make sure when you audition, the staff knows that you haven't been playing long. It's very possible for you to make it. There was a flute player that played mellophone last year, just as an example. Definitely work a lot with breathing exercises and your basic buzz on the mouthpiece. Then do some basic slurs like Bb-F-Bb, Bb(high) F Bb(low) F Bb(high) D Bb(high). Those some examples slurs used in Crown, but, really most slurs found in Arbans or other method books will do great. Second, I'd work some on articulation since its somewhat different than sax. Work on accents, staccato, legato, and combinations of all three. For Range: as i'm sure you've heard, long tones work great. It will build range and endurance. I can tell you all this, but if you can get a brass teacher to work with you, you will be even better. Go in with a "kick butt" attitude. Outwork everyone there and show the staff you are serious about wanting to do this. Go to all the camps, it shows you are committed. React positively to criticism. Be open to change. Don't worry so much about the technique and posture; it will be taught to you. You will have a blast. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me or ask me here. About a month ago, I started learning a brass instrument. My main instrument is sax, and I've never played a brass instrument. I've been working like crazy, practicing for at least an hour each day. Generally, I've been doing longtones, lip slurs, tonguing exercises, sight reading, chromatics, and range exercises. I've just been wondering, does anybody have any tips for me? Descriptions of your favortie exercises(especially range exercises) would be great. Also, I've noticed that when Crown members stand at attention, their toes are parted. Do they stay parted when they mark time, or do they bring their toes together? Any help will be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperleadlove Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 There was a flute player that played mellophone last year, just as an example. There was also a flute player in the contra line in 04. Not to mention the sax major and the clarinet major that were in the trumpet section.... or the other sax major that was in the mello line.... or the bassoonist in the mello line. Just sayin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorisTS Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 (edited) For whatever it's worth, when people say "inhale to release" they generally don't mean "suck air like a Hoover." *That* would probably cause some odd sounds and bad releases. It's much gentler, not much more than what Jayzer describes as stopping blowing. The reason other people freak out over that is they associate "stopping" with closing off the throat or mouth, producing that ugly, choking, biting off of the sound (which seems to be most popular with contra players, for some reason). I don't think that's what Jayzer meant. If you inhale slightly at the end, you can't do a hard glottal stop or close your jaw and it also serves as a timing device ("Inhale slightly on beat 1"). If Jayzer's instructors preferred to not inhale slightly at the release, I'm sure they also mentioned to not close off anything in the mouth. (He can correct me if I'm completely confused here :) ). Go with whatever your instructors say, and definitely don't close your mouth on the release. EDITED for clarity. Edited November 5, 2005 by BorisTS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancerlady Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 From a Crown member: First of all, it's great that you are learning another instrument. Make sure when you audition, the staff knows that you haven't been playing long. It's very possible for you to make it. There was a flute player that played mellophone last year, just as an example.Definitely work a lot with breathing exercises and your basic buzz on the mouthpiece. Then do some basic slurs like Bb-F-Bb, Bb(high) F Bb(low) F Bb(high) D Bb(high). Those some examples slurs used in Crown, but, really most slurs found in Arbans or other method books will do great. Second, I'd work some on articulation since its somewhat different than sax. Work on accents, staccato, legato, and combinations of all three. For Range: as i'm sure you've heard, long tones work great. It will build range and endurance. I can tell you all this, but if you can get a brass teacher to work with you, you will be even better. Go in with a "kick butt" attitude. Outwork everyone there and show the staff you are serious about wanting to do this. Go to all the camps, it shows you are committed. React positively to criticism. Be open to change. Don't worry so much about the technique and posture; it will be taught to you. You will have a blast. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me or ask me here. This is excellent advice as well as everything I've read here. I'm impressed with the positive things coming out here and the encouragement I'm reading for this new young brass player. I would just add, make sure you work on your posture, that helps with your breathing technique. Also, learn to do breathing exercises first by inhaling and exhaling 8 counts while marking time, this really helps with breathing techniques. Also when you do this breath controlled from your stomach. Hope that helps some. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 just wanted to add my thanks to all the responses here. I'm a sax player going out for Crossmen on Bari this year (been playing for a year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melloageout07 Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 along with what everyone is saying about the breath release, make sure that you are playing all the way to the release. This is also a big thing among players early on in the drum corps season. Make sure that you do not decrescendo (unless the music says of course), especially with warm up notes. Hold all the way to the release with a good full sound. This should help. And when it comes to putting weights on the horn to help holding it up, I suggest you get ahold of a crown member to find where a lot of the weight rests (bell heavy or more towards the valve cluster/hands) and then place the weight in that area. It will be much more effective than just attaching weights to your horn, so that when you do work on building endurance you are building it in the correct muscle group and with the most realistic way of the way the horn will sit and the way the weight will rest on your hands/wrists/fore arms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownSopranoIII Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 when i was in highschool, i would try to make the best of marching band by starpping 2 ankle weights ((10 lbs)) to my horn durring practice as to get ready for the upcoming drum corps season ^0^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingots Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) I'm in a similar situation. I'm a runner, so I have the lungs for tuba but not the body to handle a contra. Already tried that, Crown '04... now I'm learning baritone too. For me, the hardest thing is to get more tone than tounge in the low range and not crack in the high range. No matter how much my arms shake, it feels better than the contra's crush. What bothers me is my left hand...There's like no room to grab the horn, and the weight squeezes my hand no matter how I hold it. I'd "tough it out", but I don't want to hurt my left hand because I play bass guitar. Edited November 14, 2005 by ingots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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