Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2013
22
Start each line at mm=80
Important
: The lower pitch is not to be played a half
step below the starting pitch. I have written the exercise
as a way for me to show you the rhythm. You should
start with a wide/exaggerated pitch variation/vibrato.
As the student progresses in their development, narrow
the width of the vibrato as the speed of the vibrato
increases.
Practice each line slightly faster every few days
to develop the feel for vibrato. Always focus on a
continuous, fast air stream.
When the half notes are at mm=160, move to line 2
and start at mm=80. Continue this process through the
rest of the lines.
Art iculat ion
• Lips need to be wet and touching when producing
a tone. The first sound should be the lips parting
creating a “p” sound at the front of the note.
• Alternate tongue starts with “air starts” when
practicing articulations. When air starting notes, strive
for an immediate sound similar to a tongue start. Lips
need to be soft in the center of the mouthpiece so they
will vibrate feely when the air passes between them.
Too little compression will create air before the note
begins. Too much compression will create a tight,
pinched tone and will likely have extraneous sound at
the front of the note.
• Students can pull the lips apart when breathing,
creating air in front of the note because they aren’t
touching the lips back together after the breath.
Without creating undo pressure, the mouthpiece can
help hold the lips together when breathing, making it
easier to start the note with immediate sound.
• Practice connected notes using a “tah”, “too” or
“tee” syllable. Not “tut”. When attempting to articulate
at faster tempos, some students tend to bring the
tongue back up at the end of each note, creating a
“pecky” style and notes that have no resonance or tone.
When developing a correct start, the tongue should
only be used to start the note, not end it.
Aural monitoring
Teachers must monitor the development of the
articulation by listening to the students say “tah”,
“too” or “tee”. Listen for a crisp “t” on the front of the
syllable.
Visual monitoring
It is very easy for teachers to see if the student is
tonguing too low (tonguing between the teeth), or
if the tongue is too high (on the ridges of the hard
palette).
Having students gently place their index finger
barely between the front teeth is another way to
observe what the tongue is doing. Both teacher and
student can realize if the jaw is moving and/or if the
student is tonguing between the teeth.
Incent ive Spirometer
A YouTube film has been created to show an
Incentive Spirometer in use. The demonstation
may be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_lAkuBxnoVw.
The use of an Incentive Spirometer is a wonderful
aide to visually “see” issues that arise. Students can
“see” what their tongue and air are doing. Turning the
device upside down and blowing out will move the
ball to the top of the tube.
Start with long tones on a concert F. With the dial
closed, the ball should move to the top of the tube
quickly if the air is fast enough at the front of the note.
Continue with connected half notes, then connected
quarter notes and connected eighth notes. The ball
will drop very little (approx. 1/4 inch) if performed
correctly. If the tongue comes back up at the end of
each note, the ball will drop too far. If the student
Developing Advanced Performance Techniques for Trumpet/High Brass