Make your lesson and practice time count Most students find it challenging to remember what was said in a lesson. Perhaps conveniently, they sometimes find it even more difficult to remember what they should practice prior to the next lesson. Keeping a journal will make a student’s practice time more effective. Keep a simple journal […]
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PERFORMING MUSIC – PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
It’s all in the head Having intellectual knowledge discussed here at playingbrass.com is an important start. However, head-knowledge will be useless if it can’t be applied when you are performing music. Performance situations can become very stressful unless you are confident in your abilities. When you are talking to a close friend, you’ll be unaware […]
THE TROMBONE TRIGGER MAKES IT LONGER
Single trombone trigger Some trombones have a trigger or “F” attachment. When you press the trombone trigger, it makes the instrument longer by 5 semitones (equivalent to 6th position). The instrument will produce a low F in the 1st position instead of a Bb when you press the trigger (or valve). Therefore the trigger is […]
ARTICULATION TO PRODUCE CHARACTER
Using articulation to convert notes into music Notes can be produced quite differently by using articulation. A player produces various articulations by combining the use of the tongue and the air stream in different ways. Tonguing techniques A player will use his tounge to shape each note to achieve the desired effect. An accomplished brass […]
PRACTICE PERFECTLY FOR PERFECT PLAYING
Practice Imperfectly Practicing the wrong thing will help you play wrongly more consistently. If we practice perfectly, our practice helps us to play our instrument correctly. Purpose of Practice The purpose of practice is to develop your skills and strength. Practice is needed to maintain familiarity with your instrument and will help you achieve your […]
SIGHT-READING CONFIDENTLY NEEDS PREPARATION
The Importance of Sight-Reading Well A confident sight-reading ability opens up new worlds of music for the player and allows them to easily play with others. Sight-reading, at its most elementary level, is a combination of (1) pattern recognition, and (2) concentration. Pattern recognition You can’t recognize a pattern if you haven’t seen it before. […]
PROJECTING SOUND EFFICIENTLY
Projecting sound is not the same as playing loudly. We want to project our sound as effortlessly as possible so the audience can hear the sound regardless of where they are sitting. Brass players “buzz” their lips into a small cup-shaped mouthpiece. This mouthpiece fits into the tubing of the brass instrument. The tubing of […]
BUILDING A WIDE RANGE WITH STRENGTH
Building a wide range is the result of air-control and strength Building a wide range is essential to becoming an accomplished player. When playing a brass instrument, a we play higher notes when our lips buzz faster. A faster buzz is produced when air passes through the lips faster due to more air-pressure from the […]
DEVELOP YOUR OWN SOUND AND TONE
No matter how accurately you play the notes, no one will want to listen to you for very long if you can’t produce a good tone. We want to consistently produce a sound with attractive ‘colours’. Develop your own sound to deliberately produce a pleasing colour in your tone. The trombone amplifies the buzzing sound […]
EMBOUCHURE – WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
What’s an Embouchure? An embouchure refers to the way you hold your mouth while playing – the lips in particular. A good embouchure will set you up to play with a good tone, wide range and flexibility. However, a poor embouchure will severely limit your ability to play well. A poor embouchure can severely limit your […]
CONTROLLING AIRFLOW IS CRITICAL
CONTROLLING AIRFLOW IS THE MOST CRITICAL ASPECT OF PLAYING Without controlling airflow it is impossible to play well. Brass instruments are fueled by focused air which creates the buzz. Air-flow heavily influences how high, low, loud, soft, expressively (musically) you can play, how long you can play a phrase and how the instrument will sound. […]
GOOD POSTURE ALLOWS AIR TO FLOW FREELY
The Importance of Good Posutre Playing a brass instrument well involves focus, concentration, energy and above all free airflow from your lungs to your lips. This is achieved through a good posture. Poor posture will make it difficult to do all of these things. When Sitting Sit up straight, but relaxed – don’t sit up […]
HOW TO HOLD YOUR TROMBONE
Hold your trombone like you are serious about playing Holding your instrument correctly every time you play sets you up to play at your very best. It allows good airflow, posture and placement of the instrument on the lips. And most importantly, it allows you to operate the slide freely. Learn how to hold your […]
CARE OF YOUR INSTRUMENT
Taking good care of your instrument will keep it looking like new Brass instruments will last for a lifetime if you take good care of your instrument. The biggest risk to an instrument is when it is out of its case. Instruments scratch and dent easily, so be sure not to allow them to bump […]