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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: Mouthpiece buzzing tone quality?
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on: Today at 06:24 AM
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The concept of not doing something because you might not do it right is hard for me to swallow.
Maybe I misinterpreted Doug's post, and I should have quoted it with my first post, but the sentence is what it meant to me. I also do not buzz on the mouthpiece and I don't recommend it in my teaching.
90% of the time, when I see someone mouthpiece buzzing, they're not doing it the same way they SHOULD be playing. A large part of playing mechanics involves the simple fact that you are holding the horn in your hands and learning the various manipulations of the way you hold it to play. Holding the mouthpiece is completely foreign to that process and often promotes incorrect form. Forcing a buzz on low notes that don't resonate on a mouthpiece also makes you contort your embouchure in ways that are ciompletely counterproductive to proper playing form.
I'm not saying it's impossible to buzz productively; I'm simply saying that I think mouthpiece buzzing is completely unnecessary. There are better ways to accomplish whatever benefits you think you get from it.
As I just posted in another topic, if you're having a problem with something (buzzing below 4th line F), just DON'T DO IT. It's only messing you up.
I'm glad to hear that Christian Linberg feels the same way. I'm well aware that I am in the minority on that opinion.
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: Mouthpiece buzzing tone quality?
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on: Yesterday at 06:55 PM
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The concept of not doing something because you might not do it right is hard for me to swallow.
Anyone who has experienced the "before and after" of playing a passage on the mouthpiece will know what the benefits of mouthpiece practice can be. I know of no quicker way of getting things more focused and centered, with a more resonant sound, than playing it on the mouthpiece.
I don't always need to do it but if things are a bit out of sync, mouthpiece practice always gives me a better result.
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: CIRCULAR BREATHING!
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on: Yesterday at 06:24 AM
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The best plan for practicing CB I've seen comes from the flute player Robert Dick.
1. step - practice holding a note while letting your check muscles puff out and back again. Don't let the pitch or tone change (too much)
2. step - when the cheeks are puffed, try to blow the tone with just the air in you mouth by bringing in your cheeks.
3. step - while doing step 2, try and take a breath through you nose at the same time.
It's like learning to do a head stand in yoga, practice each step well before moving on and success will be much faster than by doing it all at once.
Robert Dick has many other great ideas in his book "Tone Development through Extended Techniques", many of which can be applied to trombone and brass instruments. I especially like his concept of tuning the throat to the played pitch by singing in unison or octaves.
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Horns, Gear, and Equipment / Instruments / Re: How old were you and what horn you used at your last marching?
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on: May 23, 2013, 07:57AM
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Here, in Southern German villages Community Bands march in church processions e.g. at Corpus Christi.
So, at close to 50 I am marching again. That was the price (one of some) for pickuing up the horn again a couple of years ago in the community band.
I swore an oath never to put a lyra on my good horns. So I digged out the old Bundy, my beginner horn, and I use that for the occasional marching event. Praise to that Bundy: In one procession I dropped my outer slide on the macadam. Put it back on and it was just fine. I will not dig into the sound of the Bundy. That is another topic.
I also do the Corpus Christi thing every year, because it pays really well. I wouldn't consider it marching, though. You just have to walk, not even in step, so it's pretty easy to avoid things and there isn't too much jolt to the embouchure. I've used my professional horns before but now I use my JP 321. |
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Horns, Gear, and Equipment / Accessories / Re: Slide-O-Mix thinning out
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on: May 15, 2013, 06:17PM
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I'm still curious as to why it separates. I live in Germany, and I've had it happen to Rapid Comfort as well as the big bottles of the 2 part mixture. So, I don't think it is only a question of hot weather. I've been able to bring some back and am wondering if my theory is really true or not.
I have a lot of old bottles lying around, maybe I'll have to open some and see if there really is thick stuff lying on the bottom or not. If yes, it means it needs much more shaking, regularly, than one thinks.
I agree that the Yamaha is good but I personally still like the feel of SOM when it is the right consistency.
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Horns, Gear, and Equipment / Accessories / Slide-O-Mix thinning out
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on: May 15, 2013, 10:57AM
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Many people have expressed problems with SOM thinning out. My theory has been that it doesn't actually get thinner, it separates when sitting around, leaving the heavier, thicker staff at the bottom. Normal shaking doesn't do much because the heavier stuff just clings to the bottom.
I've taken a couple of bottles where what comes out is pretty much the consistency of water and shaken them for minutes, especially at the ends. With each one I've gotten some really thick stuff to finally come out. The problem is, I'd been using the watery part and now there was not enough of the thin stuff to mix with the thick.
This does seem to be a big problem with SOM, which I think is otherwise an excellent product.
If you have bottles like this, try shaking them, circling the mixture at the ends, whatever, for about 3-5 minutes. You may be able to get the original consistency back.
I'd like to hear other people's experience with this.
Bruce
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Horns, Gear, and Equipment / Instruments / Re: What Do Your Section Mates Have?
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on: May 06, 2013, 04:27PM
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OK, I'll respond to this because my section is kind of strange for US standards, but fairly normal in Germany, at least in the first section.
Me (Principal) - Rath R4F in various configurations, Lätsch alto model Kuhn
2nd, Associate Principal - Lätzsch weite III and sometimes weite II when he plays 1st, Lätzsch alto model Kuhn
2nd/3rd - Lätzsch weite III tenor and Lätzsch weite V bass trombone model Cieslik
Bass Trombone - Lätzsch weite V bass trombone model Cieslik
As you can see, I'm the odd one out.
In my other section;
Me - Rath R4F and Rath R4F double valve tenor convertible to a double bell, single F valve trombone.
Colleague 1, Besson Eb tuba, double bell Meinl Weston Euphonium
Colleague 2, various trumpets, mostly from Hub van Laar, including a double bell trumpet with quarter tone valve
Colleague 3, Otto french horns, one with quarter tone valve, Alexander double bell horn
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Creation and Performance / Music, Concerts and Recordings / Re: Favorite recording of the Hindemith sonata
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on: May 04, 2013, 01:33PM
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For a weird version.... listen to the one with Glenn Gould playing the piano on the disc of all the Hindemith wind sonatas. Henry Charles Smith played the trombone part I believe. It is fun.
I had regular contact with H.C. Smith at the time he made this recording. (We were good friends through family and church, where he lead the choir) Anyways, as I recall, he wasn't really playing very regularly at that time but he had to do the recording because CBS wanted the original Philly Brass. He rehearsed with Glenn over the telephone and went to Toronto and recorded at 2 am, the preferred time for Gould. I also remember him telling me that Gould didn't warm up, he would just soak his hands in warm water before playing. It's quite an amazing recording I feel, because Gould totally ignored the tempo indications from Hindemith and took everything MUCH slower, with remarkable musical results. I have tremendous respect for Hap (as he is called by friends) because he got back in shape and played beautifully at a tempo that is not easy for the trombonist. At that time months would go by where he wouldn't touch his horn. His main job was Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra. Bruce |
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: Favorite Etude Books
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on: Apr 30, 2013, 05:25PM
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At the moment,
André Lafosse - Méthode complète de trombone à coulisse (especially the daily excercises, etudes and orchestra excerpt etudes)
and
Aharoni - New Method for Bass Trombone (also great for tenor with F)
I spent a lot of time with Top Tones, Bitsch and Boutry when I studied with John Swallow and they are still favorites.
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Horns, Gear, and Equipment / Accessories / Re: Mute stand recommendation?
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on: Apr 23, 2013, 11:13AM
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In the ensemble I play in, we have padded wooden boxes for mute transport. If need fast mute changes I simply turn one of these boxes over and put profiled foam rubber on it. I lay the mutes on their sides, in a row, pointing towards me, the box is on my LEFT side. The mutes are about as high as my chair. If I have a lot of mutes, I use two boxes. I just shove them in or out of the bell with about the least distance possible.
You save a lot of time if you don't have to turn the mutes around. That's why I don't like mute stands. I always have the mutes in the same order so I can grab them blindly if I'm counting complex stuff and have to watch the conductor.
Bruce
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Horns, Gear, and Equipment / Repairs, Modifications and Maintenance / Re: Bach 42 Hagmann valve scratchy, Slide crooked?
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on: Apr 13, 2013, 07:22AM
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As far as the crooked slide goes. Trombones are not always put together with the utmost in care, especially a company like Bach. I have a Bach 42T that is much worse than yours and I also have a Shires Tru-Bore that is at least as crooked as yours, if not more. To be fair the Thayer conversion was done by a tech, not Bach.
I hate it when I get a trombone that is crooked like that, it should be one thing to check before you buy. It shouldn't make a difference to the way it plays, though.
The valve cap should come off with a little twisting and pulling.
Rath has a "how to" video on how to clean a Hagmann. If you're not experienced with that sort of thing, take it to a good tech.
Bruce
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Horns, Gear, and Equipment / Accessories / Re: what is this wrench for?
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on: Apr 10, 2013, 11:34AM
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I'm happy to see the wrench has materialized because I mentioned the idea to Mick once. My original idea was, to have a bottle opener on it, also.  I feel that the screws need a little more tightness than normal fingers can do and I don't really like the idea of using a metal wrench which could scratch the lacquer. So it looks like my idea is finally becoming reality. Bruce |
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Creation and Performance / Performance / Re: Quick Mute Changes in Candide Suite
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on: Apr 03, 2013, 03:02PM
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If it's really quick I may hold it in my left hand and rest the bell on the heel of my left palm. That way I'm all ready to shove the mute in in that breath mark.
This is the way to do it. I actually hold the bell with my little finger. I can get a mute in or out in 1 beat. If you look at my profile pic, you can see that I have pretty much solved the fast mute change problem |
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: LIP TRILLS!!!
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on: Feb 18, 2013, 09:13AM
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I think of it as a tongue trill because your tongue does most of the moving, NOT your lips.
Ever heard of tu-ee-u-ee?
It's kind of like whistling.
Like I said, once you start concentrating more on (the back of) your tongue instead of your lips, it will be much easier to lip trill.
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: LIP TRILLS!!!
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on: Feb 17, 2013, 04:39PM
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There is a lot of good advice here.
What hasn't been mentioned, though (unless I missed it glancing quickly over everything) is;
it's not really a LIP trill, it's a TONGUE trill. Once you get the hang of that it's not really that difficult.
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: Opinions on the Berio, circular breath or no?
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on: Feb 04, 2013, 01:33AM
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Whether the Berio is a good piece or not is not the subject of this thread. I'm preparing for a recording, on which I have to put down the Berio Sequenza V. It's a great piece as you all know but not to be taken lightly.
No matter how many people tell me they are good, I just do not like them. The Berio is the same way to me.
When put up against the Elgar cello concerto, Tchaikovsky violin concerto or a Rachmaninoff piano concerto our best literature is minor league music.
OK, maybe it is the subject, but comparing the Berio to the Elgar Cello Concerto etc. seems pretty silly. Why don't you compare it to the other Berio Seguenze or other works of the same genre or period? Do you like them and, if not, does that make them less great? I think not. If you compared the David Concertino to the Elgar, I could see your point. But this is well known and fairly redundant. So, what's the point? Now, let's get back to trying to help our OP. I'm not even sure the pitch is really all that important in the ingressive singing. Maybe I'm wrong, but what you don't want is a nicely sung tone, that's for sure. I guess I am wrong about this because the tones do go into each other. I gave a lesson this morning to a trombonist who is (also?) preparing the Berio for the Lucerne audition tape and he was having problems with the ingressive singing, too. This whole section with the inhaling singing is marked mainly 1 to 2, meaning ppp - pp or pp - p depending on your dynamic scaling. The tendency is to sing way too loudly which really is hard to do. Try it very softly and see if that helps, it helped him. Bruce |
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: Opinions on the Berio, circular breath or no?
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on: Feb 03, 2013, 05:22PM
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the pacing of the piece is based off of the length of breath of the player. so in my opinion circular breathing should be out of the question. Also, at least to my ear, there is a huge difference in sound between a normally sung pitch and an ingressively sung pitch. IMO the Lindberg recordings are good performances but are not the best documents of the piece. I would more highly recommend the recordings by Mike Svoboda, Benny Sluchin, Ewe Dierksen or Vinko Globokar (who was the trombonist who actually sorted it all out with Berio) over the Linderg.
Especially if this recording is for Lucerne. Benny is doubtful to be a fan of replacing the ingressive singing.
I agree with this totally. I'm not even sure the pitch is really all that important in the ingressive singing. Maybe I'm wrong, but what you don't want is a nicely sung tone, that's for sure. It's a theater piece, make it yours. I even think Swallow changes some of the pitches at the end of page one on his live recording and the audience explodes with laughter. I asked Benny about exchanging the split tones in Keren for voice multiphonics for someone who was working with me for the Munich competition a few years ago. All he said was, "hey, it's split tones". So, I can imagine his feelings on this. |
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Teaching & Learning / Practice Room / Re: Alto trombone high register
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on: Feb 03, 2013, 05:00PM
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A much better mouthpiece for the alto than a 6 1/2AL is a 6 1/2AM.
Mick Mulcahy told me to get this mouthpiece when I bought my Glassl years ago. I've been playing it ever since and haven't found anything I like better, even on other altos like Conn and Lätzsch.
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Teaching & Learning / Pedagogy / Re: KTM - tongue
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on: Jan 11, 2013, 04:03PM
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Leif,
as timothy42b says, the tip of the tongue is anchored to the bottom teeth and you tongue with the middle/front of your tongue against the upper teeth, roof of mouth or where ever.
It does have its advantages because it keeps the tongue fairly low and out of the way but, like I said, it doesn't give me enough variety of articulation that I need, or want.
A small story that I think could be relevant, I recently played with a timpanist who I really though was good. I've noticed that some timpanists hit the timpani with a fairly aggressive stroke and some seem to "pull" the sound out without being aggressive or hurting my ears. I asked him if there was a special technique to do this. He said that the trick is to have the mallet leave the timpani head as quickly as possible because the mallet dampens the sound.
I got to thinking, isn't this similar to our tongue? The quicker it gets out of the way the more sound we get without being aggressive. Food for thought.
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