Teaching Brass Instruments for the nonbrass major

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Teaching Brass Instruments
-for the non-brass major-
This session is for instrumental music
teachers/band directors who are not brass majors,
and who desire to become better equipped to teach
and train brass players more effectively and
successfully. It will include essential practical
topics, several of which are not covered in
standard lesson books.
Presenter David R. Marowitz, Toms River
Regional Schools
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Teaching Brass Instruments (for non-brass
majors) Topics in This Session

• Instrument handling
• Posture
• Breathing
• Buzzing
• Embouchure
• Mouthpiece Pressure
• Tone production
• Tone quality
• Projecting the sound
• Tonguing
• Articulation
• Range
• Endurance

• 16. Pre-Warm-UP
• 17. Warm-up-Cool Down
• Daily Embouchure Drills
• Easier way to start low brass players
• Choosing mouthpieces
• Instrument Brands
• Internet Resources
• Other resources
• Teaching tools
• Role Models
• 23. YOUR QUESTIONS

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Opening Remarks

• This session will
• benefit band directors of all grade levels
• cover important topics not addressed in lesson
  books
• simplify brass pedagogy for you
• show how to bypass unnecessary problems that
  develop due to improper playing habits by
  establishing a foundation of proper playing
  habits
• Give you info. resources to equip you to
  develop quality brass players
• answer individual questions at the end of this
  session

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First Things FirstEar (and nerve) Protection for
Teachers

• Wear earplugs designed for musicians.
• Protects you from tinnitus.
• Also takes the edge off your nerves
• Westone labs manufactures ear plugs for musicians
• www.earmold.com

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Establishing a Solid Foundation
On Which to Build
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• The Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning because the
  ground it sits on is too soft to support the
  weight of the tower.
• The tower started leaning before the third floor
  was completed in the mid- 1200's, and it has
  gotten worse and worse slowly ever since.
• Brass players need a strong foundation that will
  support advancing skill or their ongoing
  development will be limited.

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Prelude to Beginning Brass Instruments

• Solfeggio
• -for ear training
• Singing in a Chorus
• -for ear training, time keeping, functioning
  in an ensemble
• Playing the Recorder (flutophone)
• - to establish foundation in and focus on
  music fundamentals without having to deal with
  the technical difficulties of brass instruments.

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• Mechanics of Playing Brass Instruments

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Handling Instruments
(TIP use pinky ring for holding the trumpet
only-NOT when playing)
Click on graphics to be directed to photo
example on the web

• Give students photos that demonstrate proper
  handling of the instrument, posture, embouchure,
  etc. to imitate during home practice sessions.
• This promotes quick and accurate learning.

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Using a Digital Camera

• Reinforce proper posture, embouchure, etc. by
  taking a photo of students in lessons
  demonstrating proper posture, handling of
  instrument, embouchure, etc.
• They can imitate the photo of themselves at home
  thereby insuring proper habit development and
  faster at that.

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Posture

• Students should imitate posture from a photo
• during home practice sessions.

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Breath Supportbagpipes analogy
Pipes equivalent to the instrument
Bag equivalent to lungs
Left arm equivalent to diaphragm muscle
(another analogy squeeze tooth paste from bottom
of tooth paste tube)
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Breath Support (cont)

• The diaphragm, a very thin but very powerful
  muscle located directly beneath the lungs, flexes
  and relaxes, helping to cause the lungs to
  inflate and deflate.
• The expansion and contraction of a blacksmith's
  bellows perfectly demonstrates this type of
  breathing motion.
• One way to learn this technique is to lie flat on
  your back, with an object on your stomach,
  breathe and observe the object as it rises and
  falls.

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Inhaling/Exhaling

• Establishing proper breathing technique will
  prevent problems such as tightness in the neck,
  grunting in neck, and will produce a better
  quality tone, endurance, and range.
• slide your shoulder blades down toward the ground
  not inward but downward. This causes your
  shoulders to move down and back. As well, it will
  raise the sternum which opens up the chest cavity
• throat muscles relaxed and open (just like when
  you yawn)
• inhale and exhale in one continuous motion
  (forming mouth w/ how)
• visualize your lungs as balloons that are being
  filled with air.
• can breathe through nose for rapid breath when
  needed

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Breathing Exercises
sit up tall (or stand) shoulders back with your
hands behind your head (forces air to bottom of
lungs) Dont raise shoulders while
inhaling. Using a metronome

• Variation
• Inhale for 4, exhale for 4
• Inhale for 3, exhale for 4
• Inhale for 2, exhale for 4
• Inhale for 1, exhale for 4

• Inhale for 8 counts, exhale for 8 counts
• Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts
• Inhale for 2 counts, exhale for 2 counts

The above exercises teach breath control in
addition to learning how to breathe when playing
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• Tone Production

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Mouthpiece Placement

• CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
• Mouthpiece placed in the horizontal centre of the
  lips
• -Trumpet two-thirds of the mouthpiece on the
  
• lower lip and one-third on the upper lip. 
  
• French horns two-thirds on the upper lip and one
  third on the lower lip. 
•   Tuba as high on the upper lip as possible. 

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Mouthpiece Pressure

• Too Much Pressure Impairs
• flexibility endurance range.
• can restrict the blood flow to the lips and this
  could lead to some serious lip trauma
• cause a bruised or swollen upper lip.
• Symptoms of Excessive Lip Pressure Include the
  Following
• form a pressure ring that remains visible on
  the lips for more than 20 minutes after the
  student has finished playing.
• much less endurance than classmates do at
  approximately the same level of development.
• thin tone in the upper register.

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Forming the EmbouchureIntroduction

• RULE of THUMB
• Take into account that works best for one
  individual player will not always work best for
  another. Unique difference in teeth, lip shape
  and texture, the jaw, and other anatomical
  factors will affect how the brass player's
  embouchure will work at its most efficient.
  Must take into account the physical
  characteristics of the individual.

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Forming the Embouchure

• 1. Flat chin. ( tell students to think of
  pointing their chins
• toward the ground.)
• Place mouthpiece upon the lips that are moist and
  firmed keeping all of the red of the lips inside
  the cup of the mouthpiece. (think mmm).
• Firm mouth corners. Relax your jaw, face and all
  of the muscles in and around your lip area. When
  you are relaxed, begin to firm the corners of the
  mouth
• Teeth apart (about the same as the width of a
  mouthpiece shank. Inverting the mouthpiece and
  placing it between the teeth makes for a good way
  to check the distance.)
• The throat is to be open at all times.
• Bottom lip slightly curled in lips together as
  if saying the letter m. Do not to tense your
  lips and chin as you play. This will "pinch" the
  sound.
• Click below for for
• Solutions for embouchure problems
• Tips for Fixing Embouchure Problems
• Self Appraisal

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DONT PUFF CHEEKS!
GOOD
BAD
OUCH!
practice in front of a mirror to check
embouchure, posture and
prevent puffing of cheeks
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BUZZING THE LIPS

• Lips are comparable to a double reed. A good
  double reed will have a good crow which will
  produce a good sound. A vibrant buzz will produce
  a good sound.
• Buzzing practice is invaluable in the development
  of embouchure control, flexibility, and a clear
  and focused sound
• Can cause tone problems to improve
• Make a clear and focused sound when buzzing.

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Schilke Buzzing Routine

• 1. buzz lips (moisten lips first)
• 2. buzz lips into mouthpiece
• gently place mouthpiece on buzzing lips without
• interrupting the buzz at all.
• If the buzz stops in the process, stop, then
  start over.
• Use diaphragm muscle to expel air and hold out
  pitch until out of air.
• 3. Repeat 2 with mouthpiece in the instrument

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Schilke Buzzing Routine

• WILL
• cause lips to align properly to cause free
  unhindered buzzing
• cause student to find their proper mouthpiece
  placement on their lips
• produce a good sound and will prevent splitting,
  cracked tones
• PROMOTES AVOIDING COMMON EMBOUCHURE PROBLEMS SUCH
  AS
• Too much mouthpiece pressure
• Air "Choking" tendencies (closing the larynx and
  restricting air flow),
• which are
  frequently accompanied by "grunting.
• Lips not freely buzzing causing player to twist
  mouthpiece to bring lips
• 
  together
  to buzz
• Bunched chin (impossible to do when buzzing lips
  without the mouthpiece.
• Smile embouchure (stretched lips tend to produce
  a thin, hard tone,
• 
  endurance also suffers)

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Anatomy of Tone Production

• INHALE through mouth corners w/ lips just
  touching
• ATTACK (tongue)
• DURATION (open throat, breath support, steady
  tone)
• RELEASE (stop note by stopping air flow, NOT
  with tongue)

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Quality Tone Quality

• Develop a strong mental image of good tone
  quality
• (Listen to professionals)
• Open throat when playing blow air as if they
  were fogging a glass (ask student to blow warm
  air at their hand). The syllable hoe will often
  create this effect
• In the beginning when students are producing a
  tone with proper fundamentals give them long
  tones and rhythm exercises to for home practice
  to strengthen their lip and facial muscles

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Projecting The Sound

• Pick a spot on the wall across the room or a
  person in the back row at a concert, and aim
  your sound there.
• Always aim to produce the most beautiful sound
  you can.
• Learn to project the sound at all dynamic levels
• Blow through the instrument

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TONGUING

• too or toe" middle register)
• tee (upper register)
• tah or taw (lower register)
• blow past the tongue
• do not stop the note with the tongue. Stop the
  note by stopping the air.
• Click here for tonguing exercises

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ARTICULATION

• A tense tongue leads to
• late note beginnings,
• explosive note beginnings
• inhibited speed at which articulation can be
  executed.

• A relaxed tongue
• will prevent excessive jaw movement or "chewing"
  which results in a heavy, thuddy kind of note
  beginning.

• Dont attack" any notes. Think instead of
  "pronouncing" the notes by saying the word "too
  or Toe.
• Lower jaw functions in slurring precisely as it
  does in
• strict articulation. It will open or close
  depending on
• the register and the pattern of the slur
  group.

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Overtone/Harmonic Series

• lower pitches loosen center of lips
• tonguing syllable Taw
• middle range pitches
• tonguing syllable Too or toe
• higher pitches move lips to the center as if to
  pucker, lower lip in
• tonguing syllable Tee

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Warm Up/Cool Down

• WARM-UP
• To prepare lips muscles for playing and reinforce
  proper playing habits
• Warm up softly and slowly
• Include lip buzzing, long tones, lip slurs,
  tonguing, finger (slide exercises
• Pay attention to reinforcing
• proper posture, handling of instrument,
  breathing, breath support, buzzing, etc.

• COOL-DOWN
• to relax lip muscles
• Pedal tones are a great lip massage and will
  relax the muscles.
• Play long tones softly on low pitches
• Makes lip more responsive the next day

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Endurance

• Break up practice time into shorter periods,
  resting as much as you play so you do not
  do more harm than good.
• Rest as much as you play
• Endurance Exercise
• a) Play a musical selection
• stop when beginning to feel tired and
  rest.
• b) Continue to play from where you left off.
  
• c) Continue this process until selection
• completed
• d) Done daily and will enable to play for
• longer periods without stopping for
  rest.

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RANGE

• Do not erect psychological fears/blocks by
  telling students that certain notes are high
  notes.
• To expand in either direction, keep a good sound,
  a consistent sound, and move slowly,
  chromatically at first until each pitch has the
  same good quality sound. Pianos are a good
  example of consistent sound throughout all
  registers
• Gradually expand to wider intervals, arpeggios,
  then wider. When something is too difficult back
  up to what you can do, and try again.
• Must rest frequently when doing range expansion
  exercises
• Click Here for Range Exercise
• Range Development Info.

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Putting it All Together inThe Bull
Pen(pre-warm-up for brass instruments)
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• STEP ONE Stretching Exercises
• Neck rolls b. shoulder shrugs
• USING A METRONOME
• STEP TWO a) inhale (stand, with hands on back
  of
• head), fill belly
  with air in 8 counts
• b) exhale completely, buzzing the lips
  
• (repeat with 4 counts , then 2
  counts)
• STEP THREE repeat STEP TWO except buzz lips
  into the
• mouthpiece
• STEP FOUR repeat STEP TWO except buzz lips into
  
• mouthpiece which is in
  the instrument

• WHEN INHALING/EXHALING
• -no tension except in buttocks
• open throat as in a yawn
• dont raise shoulders
• when inhaling form mouth as if saying HOW

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• Mouthcorner Breathing
• STEP FIVE a) set up embouchure as if saying
  mmm
• b) breathe through mouth corners
  while
• maintaining center of upper
  lower lips touching
• c. buzz lips
• (1st time without mouthpiece, 2nd time with
  mouthpiece)
• STEP SIX repeat STEP FIVE except with the
  instrument
• 1st time produce a tone with breath
  (haa) attack
• 2nd time produce a tone with a tongue
  (toe) attack
• -----------
• NOW DO DAILY WARM-UP ROUTINE
• (including long tones, lip slurs, flexibility,
  tonguing,
• technique, according to student ability,
  then to music)
• END PRACTICE SESSION WITH A COOL DOWN

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Daily Embouchure Drills(next three slides)

• Includes
• Long Tones (for muscle building and tone
  improvement)
• Lip slurs (for flexibility and tone)
• Intervals (for ear training and flexibility)
• For Best Results
• Play slowly and rest after each line (remove mpc.
  from lips.)
• When student masters Level One, replace with
  Level Two
• for daily warm-up (etc.)
• While playing, concentrate on proper breathing,
  mouthpiece
• placement, mouth corner inhaling and attack
  as done in
• The Bull Pen. Aim for a quality tone.

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Daily Practice Routine Outline

• Stretching (head rolls, shoulder shrugs)
• Imitate photo (for posture, inst. handling, etc.)
• Pre-Warm-Up (breathing/buzzing exercises)
• Daily Warm-Up (containing long tones, lip slurs,
  tonguing, and flexibility)
• Lesson of the Week (include basic skills rhythm
  reading development, technique, time keeping
  use metronome, song/solo playing, ensemble
  music)

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• .
• Starting
• Low Brass Players

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french horn

• start french horn students on mellophone
• switch them to F Horn when they have a command of
  the fundamentals of playing and the overtone
  series music

mellophone (bell front)
mellophone
alto horn (altonium)
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Trombone

• Begin young trombone students on trombone with F
  attachment.
• This eliminates need to use 6th 7th positions

• Special Considerations for Trombone
• Slide positions and intonation
• Slide movement w/ flexible wrist
• Remington exercises custom modified or
  https//netfiles.uiuc.edu/echasano/www/warmups.pdf
  for your intermediate to advanced trombone
  student

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Tuba

• start young tuba students on baritone (bass
  clef)
• and switch to tuba when student is physically able

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EQUIPMENT
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MOUTHPIECES

• Importance of an appropriate size mouthpiece
• Get better mouthpiece before going to a better
  instrument
• When moving up to a better quality mouthpiece,
  audition several brands and sizes
• Know what kind of sound, you want to produce and
  seek the mouthpiece that will help produce that
  sound

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Anatomy of a Brass Mouthpiece

• RimWide Increases endurance.Narrow Improves
  flexibility.Round Improves comfort.Sharp
  Increases precision of attack.
• CupLarge Increases volume, control.Small
  Relieves fatigue, weakness.Deep Darkens tone,
  especially in low register. Shallow Brightens
  tone, improves response, especially in high
  register.
• ThroatLarge Increases blowing freedom, volume,
  tone sharpens high register (largest sizes also
  sharpen low register).Small Increases
  resistance, endurance, brilliance flattens high
  register.
• BackboreCombinations of size and shape make the
  tone darker or brighter, raise or lower the pitch
  in one or more registers, increase or decrease
  volume. The backbore's effects depends in part
  also on the throat and cup.

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SELECTING A BRASS MOUTHPIECE

• How to Select a Brass Mouthpiece
• by Reynold Schilke
• All About Brass Mouthpieces
• Mouthpiece Comparison Charts
• Mouthpiece Brands
• Mouthpiece Suggestions

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Use of Tone Intensifieror Heavy Top Mouthpiece

Tone Intensifiers
Heavy Top Mouthpiece

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RECOMMENDED INSTRUMENT BRANDS

• Trumpet Bach, Conn, Getzen, King, Selmer/Bundy,
  Yamaha.
• A working 3rd valve throw ring/slide is
  desirable.
• (Mouthpiece Bach 7c mouthpiece. Older students
• upgrade to a Bach 3c
  mouthpiece)
• French Horn Holton, Yamaha, Conn, Bach,
  Selmer/Bundy,
• (Mouthpiece Bach
  11)
• Trombone/ Baritone/ Euphonium Yamaha, Bach,
  Besson, Holton, King, Getzen, Edwards, Bach,
  Benge , Selmer, Conn.
• (Mouthpiece .Bach 7C, older students
  upgrade to a Bach 6 ½ AL)
• Tuba Miraphone, Meinl Weston, Yamaha , King
• (Mouthpiece Helleberg  17)

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Lubricants
Al Cass (fast), Blue Juice or Pro Oil valve
oils last longer and work better than cheaper
alternatives.
Slide-O-Mix and Trombotine are excellent
trombone slide lubricants
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ROLE MODELS
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ROLE MODELS

• If we as teachers dont point students to worthy
  role models, our first chair player will become
  the benchmark.
• Better that they look to renown pros in the field
  to emulate with regard to all aspects of
  performing.

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• Joe Alessi
• James Markey
• ROLE MODELS
• 
  Roger Bobo

Dennis Brain
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Listening/Viewing Professional Recordings

• To help develop a concept of a quality tone.
  (You can't reproduce a sound
  you haven't heard)
• Play recordings as students enter/exit their
  lesson
• 
  
• Encourage students to listen to professionals on
  recordings/view them on www.YouTube.com

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View/Listen to Professionals www.YouTube.com

• CLASSICAL
• Maurice Andre trumpet
• Dennis Brain f. horn
• Joe Alessi trombone
• Roger Bobo tuba

• JAZZ
• Arturo Sandoval trumpet
• Giovanni Hoffer horn
• Carl Fontana trombone
• Bob Stewart tuba

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Some Virtuoso Players(to listen to online)

• Trumpet Maurice Andre
• Cornet Herbert Clarke
• French horn Dennis Brain
• Trombone Christian Lindberg
• Euphonium Tyrone Breuninger
• Tuba Sam Pilafian

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TOOLS
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BERP Device (for buzzing practice)

• allows you to buzz on the mouthpiece while you
  finger the valves or move the slide. Buzz at the
  exact angle and playing position as you normally
  play.
• problems with air or embouchure become obvious.

• www.berp.com

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Embouchure Visualizers
http//home.clara.net/hylton/practice0.htm
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Aids to Developing Greater Air Capacity

• Tone, condition and strengthen all breathing
  muscles.
• Increase volume, exhale flow and exhale velocity.
  
• Enhance breathing performance with an abundant
  volume of air.
• Increase your performance and endurance.
• More air per breath.
• Better ability to support the sound and empty
  dead air.
• Better ability to inhale quickly between phrases.

BLOW UP A BALOON
Click on pics to be directed to website
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• Resources

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READING

• The Art Of--------Series
• pub. By Summy Birchard
• The Art of Trumpet Playing
• The Art of French Horn Playing
• The Art of Trombone Playing
• The Art of Tuba Playing
• -------------------------------
• Brass Instrument Methods
• Brass Player Magazine
• Brass World
• Brass World International
• Wind player Online
• Resources

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Web Resources for Beginning Players
Texas School Music Projectwww.tsmp.org

• Tips For Trumpet Playing
• Tips For Horn Playing
• Tips For Trombone Playing
• Tips For Tuba Playing 

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BRASS INSTRUMENT LINKS
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Professional Associations

• Trumpet www.trumpetguild.org
• French horn www.hornsociety.org
• Trombone http//www.iteaonline.org/
• Tuba/Euphonium www.iteaonline.org

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Miscellaneous
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Care of the Embouchure

• Hygiene Keep mouthpiece clean
• The best thing for chapped lips-wind burn-sun
  burn or lengthy outdoor exposure is Vitamin A D
  Ointment (or Vaseline)
• Use nothing on lips that contains oil of cloves
  or alum since it has a numbing effect on the lips.

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For More Advanced Brass Players

• Pencil Exercise
• Hold a pencil tightly in your mouth
  straight out (this helps to strengthen the
  aperture and control the embouchure.
• Other Off-Horn Exercises
• Trumpet Exercises
• (applicable to all brass)
• F. Horn Exercises
• Advanced Trombone Warm-Up (1)
• Advanced Trombone Warm-Up (2)

• Tuba Warm-Up
• Playing Tips
• Roy Stevens Isometric Exercises
• Caruso Exercises
• Cool Down Exercise
• Trouble Shooting

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For More Advanced Brass Players
(cont)

• NOTE BENDS
• play a middle C (on the trumpet), then the
  half-step-lower B (second valve), then back to C.
  
• now play the C, and use the lower lip muscle to
  push into the mouthpiece, which bends the C down
  to the B (without using the second valve). As you
  withdraw the lower lip, the C comes back again.
• -each week, as you feel the progress in your lip,
  you can start on a higher open note
  to improve range and tone quality.

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• THIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AGAIN
• ON MY WEBSITE

www.trschools.com/staff/m/dmarowitz (the link to
this presentation is on my homepage)