Tone is the most important aspect of playing any instrument, and making tone a priority is essential to longevity as a brass player. During practice sessions, devote fifteen minutes each day to tone development. Here are three areas to cover daily.

Mouthpiece practice
James Stamp can be credited for popularizing mouthpiece practice. I have found that students with tone problems improve vastly with a few weeks of mouthpiece playing for five to ten minutes a day.

A brass instrument is an amplifier: when the lip vibrates into the mouthpiece, the instrument amplifies the sound. Some players have a technique producing a sound that may be acceptable on the instrument but horrid on the mouthpiece alone. If you make sure the lips start together and then gradually work the lower lip into the mouthpiece, the tone improves dramatically on the mouthpiece alone. When you place the mouthpiece back on your instrument, you will sound like a different player. Practicing on the mouthpiece immediately after your warm-up will focus your ear on tone.

The embouchure we should strive for can be characterized as having the lower lip pouting inside the mouthpiece, which creates the beautiful, rich sounds we hear from great brass artists. Maynard Ferguson tells students that he plays high notes by gripping the mouthpiece. He is essentially talking about gripping the inside of the mouthpiece with his lower lip.

To develop your tone, try practicing any arpeggio exercise or passage (but avoid the high register). First play the passage on your instrument. Now create the clearest tone possible on the mouthpiece alone by working your lower lip into the mouthpiece. Once this mouthpiece tone has been improved, play it again on your instrument – and be prepared to hear a noticeable difference.

Lip bends
Practicing lip bends is actually a continuation of the concept learned from mouthpiece practice. It is an isometric exercise to develop the lower lip so it can grip the mouthpiece. Isometrics have been known for years as a solid means of building muscle. Yoga exercises, for example, are based on isometrics, toning and firming muscles through daily repetition. Similarly, for the brass player, lip bends isolate and strengthen the lower lip muscles.

Lip bends are actually note-bending exercises. Practice by playing 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. Avoid kissing the mouthpiece with both lips.

Practice the lower lip roll first by pouting in a mirror. Once you have isolated the lower lip muscle, apply the technique to your instrument. Go down by half steps, recreating the half-step lower notes with your lower lip. The notes that are lowered without the new fingerings should sound almost as good as the \”real\” notes. After going through all seven positions, return to C and lip down two half steps.

After the muscles begin to develop and you start feeling some control in the lower lip (usually in one to two weeks), you can start on second line G (for trumpet) and bend the notes down by half steps through the seven positions. Each week, as you feel the progress in your lip, you can start on a higher open note.

Notes produced by bending will not be used during gigs. But the excitement you will feel when playing a high C – with the lower lip gripping the mouthpiece so firmly that you know the high C won\’t crack – will have you going back to practice lip bends for years to come.

Warm-down
One of the most critical practices to follow before putting the instrument away is the warm-down. Few of us are able to play for an extended period, put the instrument away, and encounter no problems the next time the horn comes out of the case. Brass players have consistency problems mainly because they bypass the warm-down. Lip muscles get tight after extended play and need to relax before stopping.

It takes only three to five minutes to relax the lips. Pedal tones are a great lip massage and will relax the muscles. Try playing a middle C, then drop the air speed and pull the mouthpiece off the lip slightly. The note should fall off to approximately an octave below, and the entire lip in the mouthpiece will pulsate. Continue through the seven positions, dropping an octave.

Next, try soft chromatics. Starting on middle C, go down through all seven positions and back up as softly as you can. If notes cut out, your lip is not relaxed enough and the lips are separating. Go back and do more pedal tones. Once you are able to play the lowest seven notes on your instrument softly without response problems, your lips are relaxed enough to put the instrument away.

If you are preparing for a special performance, warm down ten minutes the night before, with soft, low playing. The next day, your lips will be highly responsive.

So rethink your practice. Adding new concepts to your daily routine can improve your performance immensely.

Remember, it is not the time on the instrument that counts, but what and how you practice. Practice more efficiently, and you will not only notice improvements in your playing, but you will also find more time for that elusive balanced life.

Dr. Philip T. Cansler has taught in the performing and fine arts department at the University of Portland for 25 years and has published several books and numerous articles on the trumpet and brass playing. He can be reached at cansler@up.edu. ]]> http://library.marchingband.web.id/2010/02/09/brass-basics/feed/ 0 http://library.marchingband.web.id/2010/01/12/understanding-of-general-effect/ http://library.marchingband.web.id/2010/01/12/understanding-of-general-effect/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:13:54 +0000 admin http://library.marchingband.web.id/?p=137 Ditulis Oleh: Wil Bijl After GPMB 2009 a discussion has been held between instructors of some corps and judges about the scores for General Effect.
Without mentioning the names of the units and/or the judges I have the feeling that many people in Indonesia do not really understand the common rules for the judging system.
During the discussion a statement has been made that some corps have high scores for technical captions and hence they should have received high scores for General Effect also, this is proof of a wrong conception.The technical captions Music Analyses Hornline and Percussion, Display and Showmanship and Colour Guard do not have any relationship with General Effect.
It is quite possible that a corps scores high in the technical captions but low in General Effect because the technical captions do not relate to the performance as a whole.

General Effect is about the complete concept of the show, have everything related!
As an example: in Indonesia many corps have problems to do “transitions”. A transition is a moment between two songs, or a moment to chance equipment for the colour guard.
It is many times seen that a song stops with a climax, everything stops and everyone is asking themselves: “What happens?”

When you visit a good musical and there was a nice climax the show goes on with something that attracts the attention of the audience. In corps this can be done by a single colour guard dancing or a special intro from the pit or something else but DON’T STOP after a climax! You will loose the attention of the audience and judges and it will take quite some while to attract this attention again!

Same goes for equipment changes for the guard, many times this happens when the corps does not move, The guard is running to the side to pick up new equipment so everybody is looking to that running guard, does not make any sense because the guard is only running! You should have another focus point in the show so people don’t see that the guard is picking up new flags because they’re looking to something else! Imagine the surprise when the all of a sudden the guard has other equipment without anybody noticing!

What to think about all those drills where the corps moves all the time as three different units? In Indonesia the drumline is often not an integrated part of the display! They are hanging in the back or on the side, during a percussion feature in front but seldom they are an integrated part of the display!
For the integration of the guard things became better over the last years but many corps still have a problem with integrating the guard in the complete show design!

Some corps play sweet songs and their display consists of blocks or triangles, does not fit! Sweet songs come with arcs and smooth lines, blocks and triangles go together with aggressive music!
Flag colours and shapes are also part of GE, using triangle formed flags with hard colours does not fit sweet songs!

Please evaluate your shows and see if these comments fit your scores on GE, I will be back on more special issues about judging on www.trendmarching.or.id
These comments are meant to be neutral and of use for all instructors of corps and marching bands in Indonesia. It does not make sense to criticise judges or systems, it only makes sense to build a better show concept!

Wil Bijl
Certified judge for DCE (Drum Corps Europe)
Writer for Drum Corps World

• Ulasan GPMB 2009 Indonesia
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• Drum Corps World

I think it’s great when a band or a band program has a style or look that is its own.  Many marching bands perform a certain type of music well, usually driven by the interests of the director.  This sense of a particular “identity” can be a strong plus for a program.

However, I want to encourage all directors to take some chances and “mix it up!”  Even if you have a certain genre or style of music that your band performs well or traditionally is known for, I suggest that you stretch those boundaries and try some new things.

In the genre of classical music we have everything from Haydn to Stravinsky and beyond.  Jazz can be Dixieland or Pat Metheny, and Broadway shows range from “Mame” to “In the Heights.”

Allow your band, your staff, and yourself to grow.  Try challenging yourself to take a different route, or at least stretch into something a little out of your comfort zone.  Your audience, fans, and students will benefit and appreciate something different.

By Wayne R. Downey, XtremeBrass.com

Welcome to the world of XtremeBrass technique. This guide is designed to be your “guide to success” in reaching your peak potential as a brass player. As with any road map, there must be a destination in mind. The destination for all brass players in the XtremeBrass world is developing the ability to play with a beautiful tone. That ability combined with a comprehensive understanding of brass technique will allow the player the opportunity to succeed in the art of making music.

To me, the art of making music is being unencumbered by technical hurdles so that the performer can express and communicate freely their emotional involvement with the music they’re performing. It is my hope that the information contained in this technique guide will bring to light the techniques that have enriched the lives of so many of my students and given them the opportunity to experience the joy of making music.

With the understanding that “tone” is our priority let’s proceed. First and foremost, it’s important to know how to take a full, relaxed breath before attempting to produce a beautiful tone. It’s also important to understand that “air” is the fuel of a great sound and without it a characteristic tone quality cannot be achieved. You must always remember “air creates tone” and your ability to inhale and exhale in a relaxed, unrestricted and efficient manner is essential in producing a great sound.

Breathing – Breathing in a relaxed efficient manner is actually a very simple task that we do all day long without consciously thinking about it. Breathing is defined as the process of taking air into and out of the lungs. This process is an involuntary (subconscious) muscle action of the diaphragm and lower abdominals and is aided by muscles in the chest. For now, there’s no need for you to understand the names or functions of the different muscle groups or get wrapped up in the scientific mumbo jumbo of it all, just remember your body breathes all day long without YOU thinking about it. From this point on let’s refer to this involuntary muscle action as our “Natural Breath”.

The beauty of the “Natural Breath” is that it creates a relaxed, calm feeling throughout the body. All muscle groups become flexible, elastic and function with ease. This is due in part to the oxygen that the “Natural Breath” breathes into the lungs and eventually is absorbed into the blood. The oxygen in the blood not only aids in maintaining flexible muscle motion but also acts as a nutriment to promote muscle growth throughout the body.

Simply put, your subconscious mind regulates your bodies breathing in an efficient and relaxed manner. Your goal as it relates to breathing, must be to learn how to exaggerate the “Natural Breath” so it becomes a voluntary or conscious process without sacrificing the relaxed physical condition it creates.

For the most part, beginning and intermediate brass players over exaggerate this natural process causing themselves a host of problems. First off, exaggerating the “Natural Breath” will result in restriction and tightness in the lower abdominals, diaphragm and chest as well as constriction of the throat cavity.

Constriction of the throat during inhalation will limit the amount of air flowing into the lungs thus adversely affecting your breath capacity and breath control. The tell tale signs of throat constriction are guttural sounds that can be heard while air is passing through the throat into the lungs. To relax the throat so no constriction occurs I suggest you try this simple exercise. First off, put one hand in front of your face and blow air onto the palm of your hand. The physical sensation you will feel will be a cool air column hitting the hand. Next try dropping your jaw and opening your mouth as wide as you can while blowing air onto your hand. The temperature of the air you feel now should be warm. The physical result of this part of the exercise is a throat cavity that is open and relaxed. This physical state should closely resemble the condition of the throat while yawning. Yawning is an involuntary reflex that brings oxygen into the body and is the most efficient breath we can take. Although it is not practical to play with warm air in all registers it is the physical sensation of a relaxed open throat that you must learn to bring to your playing at all times.

Tightness or rigidity in the lower abdominals (muscles in the lower abdomen) will impede the natural process of breathing by limiting the amount of air (oxygen) that you take into your lungs. Without the ability to completely relax the diaphragm you will never be able to take a full breath. Constriction of the lower abdominals will also negatively affect the control of air speed and pressure. This is detrimental not only to your breath control but to your pitch control and range. With only a limited ability to change your air speed and air pressure, changing the speed of the vibration of the tissue of the aperture will be greatly hindered. Thus, limiting your range extension and ability to alter pitch when necessary. I’ll discuss more on these topics shortly.

While discussing breath capacity and constriction I would be remiss in not talking about the condition of the upper body. Although your shoulders and rib cage will naturally rise while taking a breath it’s wise to make sure that they both are relaxed. The shoulders should be naturally rounded, not pulled back to far or slumping forward before taking a breath. The upper body should be in a position that promotes expansion of the rib cage allowing the rib cage to expand and contract freely. If there is tension or constriction in the chest cavity or shoulders that tightness will limit the expansion of the lungs thus limiting the amount of oxygen you can take into your body. As you can see it is important to relate the action of breathing to the ability of taking a full breath because, “air” is the fuel of a great sound.

Lastly, taking a full breath every time you breathe is of ultimate importance.

Breath Control – The next priority in creating a great sound is learning how to control the air you breathe. First and foremost you must learn that the lower abdominal muscles in combination with the position and shape of the tongue in the mouth cavity regulate air pressure and air speed. The more you exert the lower abdominal muscles in an upward motion the more air will be released out of the lungs. Conversely, the less exertion, the less air will be released.

Air pressure is created when the air released from the lungs comes in contact with the back of the tongue before passing over the tongue through the oral cavity and into your instrument. The shape of the tongue in the mouth cavity plays a pivotal role in creating this pressure as well as controlling the speed of the air. The higher the arch of the back of the tongue the smaller the oral cavity becomes (the space between the tongue and the roof of the mouth.) Obviously, the smaller the space between the tongue and the roof of the mouth the more pressure will be created and the faster the air will be released over the tongue into the instrument. Conversely, the lower the arch of the tongue the larger the mouth cavity becomes creating less pressure with a slower speed of air. All professional brass players have learned to coordinate the motion of the lower abdominals with the motion of the tongue for complete control over their air pressure and speed. Once these basic concepts of varying air speed and air pressure are learned you are well on your way to understanding the concept of controlling the air you breathe.

Pitch Control – Once you’ve learned how to vary both your air speed and air pressure you must understand how those functions affect both your tone and pitch. At this point it’s important to understand the direct relationship between the frequency of the vibration of the tissue and the speed of your air. The faster the speed of the air passing through the lips the faster the tissue will vibrate producing a higher pitch, conversely the slower the vibration, the lower the pitch. You might be fascinated by the fact that the frequency of the vibration also affects the color of your tone. The faster the tissue vibrates on any given pitch the brighter your tone will be, the slower the vibration, the darker the tone will become.

Once you’ve learned how to breathe in a relaxed manner, vary your air pressure and air speed you must understand that there is also a relationship between the speed of your air and the frequency of the vibration of the tissue with the size of your aperture.

Realize that the speed of the air is not the only factor that controls pitch. The size of the vibrating surface (aperture) also affects the speed of the vibration of the tissue. Assuming a constant air speed is traveling through the aperture the smaller the vibrating surface the faster the vibration will be, the larger the vibrating surface the slower the vibration will be. Hence the sharper or flatter the pitch or the brighter or darker the tone becomes.

Simply stated, accurate control of pitch and tone color involves a coordinated effort between the speed of your air, your air pressure and the size of your aperture (the vibrating surface).

Assuming that you remember how to change the speed of your air using the lower abdominal muscles in combination with the position and shape of the tongue in the mouth cavity, the next step in the process is learning how to vary the size of the aperture.

The Aperture – I like to create the image (for my students) of the aperture gliding along what I call a laser beam of air (the air column) in a forward or backward motion towards or away from the throat of the mouthpiece. The motion of the aperture is controlled by the muscles of the face and is accompanied by the corners of the mouth moving in a similar manner (much like puckering your lips). The motion of the facial muscles should be very elastic and smooth and the condition of the tissue vibrating should be very supple.

You must realize that this type of motion not only changes the size of the aperture but its location in the mouthpiece as well. The closer the aperture is to the throat of the mouthpiece the larger the size of the vibrating surface, the further away the aperture is from the throat of the mouthpiece the smaller the size of the vibrating surface becomes. This movement should be thought of as a simple rolling motion. This motion will now serve as the technique we will use to vary the size of the aperture (the vibrating surface). To produce a well-centered pitch you must coordinate the speed of your air, your air pressure with the size of the aperture to create the frequency of vibration necessary. I would like to caution you that any unnecessary pressure from the mouthpiece (usually prompted by the hand) could impede the motion of the facial muscles and adversely affect your attempt to control pitch and tone color.

Hand Pressure – The hands play a major role in regulating pressure on the vibrating surface (aperture). Careful attention must be paid by the performer to evenly distribute the pressure of the mouthpiece on both the upper and lower lips to ensure even vibration of the tissue. Uneven distribution of pressure will adversely affect your tone, pitch and flexibility.

You also must understand the relationship between the amounts of pressure the mouthpiece exerts on the vibrating surface and the register (range) you’re playing in. The higher the register the more pressure is needed and conversely the lower the register the less pressure is warranted. The hands must regulate these variations in pressure but at the same not impede the muscle motion. Please understand that the variation of pressure is slight but all-important. For all brass players with the exception of those who play French Horn the left hand is key in adjusting the amount of pressure the mouthpiece exerts on the lips. French Horn players on the other hand (don’t mind the pun) control the pressure with their right hands. Please make a conscious effort not to use pinky rings or any other grasping aids on either hand to alter hand pressure unevenly. Pressure unevenly exerted from either hand could disrupt the equal pressure of the mouthpiece on the vibrating surface.

In Conclusion – This approach to brass technique has been designed to create a coordinated system of muscle motion that is both fluid and unrestricted. The performer should concentrate on synchronizing the motion of the aperture, tongue, lower abdominal muscles and hand for optimal physical and tonal development.

You must be aware of and memorize the physical sensations that occur when a beautiful tone is produced. You must strive to duplicate those same physical sensations repeatedly so your brain will learn to direct the muscle groups (muscle memory) to involuntarily direct the physical aspect of your performance to free your expressive and emotional self. Whatever you’d like to call this phenomenon, being in the zone or being on automatic pilot an incredible amount of dedication (hours of rehearsal) will be required to create that “natural sense” of muscle motion.

The barometer of success of this method is without a doubt your quality of sound (tone). If the tone produced is not satisfactory then one or more of the elements of the system is out of balance and or being disregarded. The method relies on your knowledge of the system coupled with your ability to monitor your tone while making music.

I hope you reap the same successes in your music making with my XtremeBrass Technique that the Blue Devils have enjoyed for decades.

Wayne R. Downey

Embouchure/Aperture
A) Position of Jaw & Corners – Vertical alignment of teeth
B) Mouthpiece placement – Dento facial features
C) Mouthpiece pressure – Evenness of pressure on upper & lower lip
D) Shape of aperture – Oval, shaped by facial muscles
E) Size of aperture – Varies as to register, controlled by the position of the jaw, corners & facial muscle pressure, frequency of vibration
F) Location of aperture – Inside cup of mouthpiece, controlled by position of jaw & corners
G) Direction of Air Stream – Aperture laser beams air column down center of throat of mouthpiece, aperture should glide up & down air column

Air Speed & Pressure
A) Oral Cavity Shape – Roof of mouth, tongue, throat
B) Shape of Tongue – Height of tongue controls air speed, compression of air & directs air column to aperture
C) Air Temperature – Warm vs. Cold, throat constriction
D) Diaphragm – Involuntary, voluntary muscle
E) Lower Abdominals- Control air pressure

Hand Pressure and Shape
A) Hand Shape – See the “C”
B) Point of Contact of Finger – Not the tip nor the pad but the fulcrum, no flying fingers
C) Finger Pressure – 200lbs, or as much as you can exert w/o creating constriction or tightness
D) Left Hand – Controls hand pressure & mouthpiece pressure on face
E) Right Hand – Free of constriction, pinky is not octave key
F) Hand Pressure – Varies as to register

Sering kali ketika saya melakukan penjurian di berbagai daerah, terutama untuk Music Analysis Hornline caption, saya terkadang memberikan masukan dalam memperbaiki aransemen di alat tiup, baik itu horn maupun pianika. Banyak hal yang sepertinya harus diperbaiki dalam teknik mengaransi ini, karena yang terjadi di lapangan terkadang membuat saya ‘gregetan’ untuk membetulkannya. Di artikel sebelumnya, saya menjelaskan mengenai ‘benang merah’ saat pelatih ingin membuat suatu paket penampilan marching band. Disini akan dijelaskan secara sederhana bagaimana aransemen yang efektif dan enak didengar.

Teori dasar

• Linear Balance
Saya memakai panduan yang diberikan oleh Prof. Gary Corcoran, seorang profesor musik dari Plymouth State University, Amerika, yang mengatakan bahwa dalam sebuah musik, terdapat 4 bagian utama berdasarkan fungsinya (Whaley, 2005):

1. Melodic Material (MM)
   Ini merupakan bagian yang memainkan melodi atau materi utama. Termasuk didalamnya dalah harmonisasi pendukung melodi (MMH) yang mengikuti sepanjang permainan. Biasanya Trumpet 1 ditemani oleh trumpet 2 dan 3, atau Baritone 1 ditemani Baritone 2, dst.
2. Countermelodic Material (CM)
   Merupakan melodi kontra jalur, yang mana merupakan cerminan berbentuk melodi namun bergerak berlawanan dengan melodi itu sendiri. Biasanya Mellophone memegang peranan ini.
3. Rhythmic Harmonic Material (RHM)
   Suara ini merupakan background pembentu ritme dan ciri khas dari musik tersebut. Biasanya perkusi dan alat musik non melodic/countermelodic memegang peranan di sektor ini.
4. Sustained Harmonic Material (SHM)
   Suara ini adalah lebih kepada nada-nada panjang mengiringi melodi dan pembentuk kord-kord tertentu.

Istilah diatas sebaiknya diperkenalkan juga kepada pemain, agar nantinya setiap progresi melodi dan lagu, mereka mengetahui bagian apa yang sedang mereka mainkan. Efek dinamik, interpretasi dan volume suara akan sangat membantu apabila mereka mengerti hal-hal ini.

• Teknik Doublings (Penebalan)
Teknik ini juga disebut teknik penebalan nada, artinya nada yang sama dimainkan oleh 2 atau lebih alat tiup atau pukul. Berfungsi untuk menguatkan melodi dan atau harmoni. Doublings biasanya melihat banyaknya alat, variasi alat dan kemampuan pemain (Bailey, 1994). Tidak ada gunanya memainkan melodi untuk 40 pemain sekaligus karena akan berdampak kerasnya melodi tanpa adanya harmonisasi. Teknik ini akan dipakai untuk aransemen pianika maupun hornline.
Dari gambar disamping bisa dilihat bahwa suara oboe 1 dan violin 2 sama, sehingga oboe men-dobel violin 2. Satu hal yang harus diperhatikan dalam teknik doublings ini adalah, apabila hendak men-dobel suara dari tipe alat yang berbeda, tuning alat tersebut harus bagus, sehingga output suara menjadi satu. Sedangkan suara Basson dan Low string berfungsi sebagai SHM, dan violin 1 sebagai harmoni pendukung MM.

• Aransemen Pianika

Sebelum memulai aransi, ada baiknya melihat dulu kekuatan dan kemampuan pemain pianika unit anda. Sifat dan karakter alat musik ini adalah homogen, velositas (kekuatan) suara kecil, dan mudah ditiup/dimainkan oleh pelajar. Sebagai gambaran ideal jumlah pianika, biasanya terdiri dari minimal 30-40 pemain. Apabila jumlah yang dipakai, maka aransi yang bisa dilakukan adalah 2 suara sopran.

1. Sopran 1
   Suara sopran 1 biasanya mereka yang memainkan MM. Namun ada baiknya mereka juga mencoba untuk bermain CM, supaya bisa berbagi dan tidak mendominasi mereka yang bermain sopran 2.
2. Sopran 2
   Mereka yang bermain disini adalah bagian SHM yang mengiringi melodi, atau bisa juga MM pembentuk harmonisasi MM. Bisa beralih fungsi dengan sopran 1, menjadi melodi utama.
3. Pit Percussion
   Disini terkadang letak permasalahan. Sering kali unit yang saya nilai memakai teknik doubling sopran 1 dengan bells, sepanjang lagu. Ini menyebabkan suara bells terlalu mendominasi semua lagu, apalagi jika memiliki 6-8 bells, bermain bersamaan. Saran saya dengan bells yang cukup banyak, jadikanlah mereka sebagai RHM atau CM agar terdapat variasi melodi dan ritmitik yang indah, seperti arpeggio, chord, dll. Disarankan juga untuk menyesuaikan volume bells dengan pianika, agar tidak terlalu memekakkan telinga.
4. Perkusi / Batterie
   Perkusi mempunyai andil besar terhadap tempo dan ritme dalam sebuah lagu. Sebagian besar fungsinya adalah di RHM. Perlu diperhatikan volume suara perkusi, agar tidak terlalu dominan saat pianika bermain melodi. Biasanya sang arranger perkusi akan menyesuaikan pola dan aransemen yang mendukung melodi tersebut.

Setelah menerapkan pembagian fungsi suara seperti diatas, usahakan pemain mengerti fungsi masing-masing bagian. Apabila sopran 1 bertindak sebagai MM, maka volume sopran 2 sebaiknya tidak menonjol, begitu pun sebaliknya. Disini diharapkan agar keseimbangan suara dapat terjadi. Dengan diberlakukannya ‘tugas & tanggung jawab’ dari sang arranger, maka pemain dapat menjalankan ‘kewajibannya’ memainkan lagu sesuai dengan aransemen, dengan baik dan benar. Sebagai gambaran, dibawah ini adalah contoh variasi pembagian fungsi suara untuk kelompok pianika:

Selamat mencoba…!!

Salam,
Marbo
* Penulis adalah Staff pengajar Binus Business School & Endorser Jupiter Indonesia.

Referensi:
Bailey, Wayne, The Complete Marching Band Resource Manual, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994
Banoe, Pono, Pengantar Pengetahuan Harmoni, Penerbit Kanisius, 2003
Whaley, Garwood., The Music Director’s Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Program, Meredith Music Publication, 1st ed, USA, 2005

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• Tips”3K”

By : Bryan Goff

Wait a minute, shouldn’t that be “One, Two, Ready, Play!”? One of the most common playing problems that have observed in my teaching is excessive tension, and the most prevalent tension problem us usually excessive embouchure tension on the first note. It is obvious that if we start out playing with too much tension, it will only get worse as we progress.

Imagine, for a moment, that you and your friend are taking a long, sleepy afternoon drive. You glance over and notice that your passenger is asleep – you know he’s asleep because his lower jaw is hanging open. This is a state of total relaxation, and of course you couldn’t form a descent trumpet embouchure with this total absence of tension – you have to at least close your lips! Now, imagine that your lips are closed, you have no hint of a smile, and your facial appearance is very somber and relaxed. Breath in through your nose and then blow – notice, there will be no lip vibration if you are totally relaxed; the air will simply blow your lips open without vibrating and producing a tone.

Now, as a tension awareness exercise, start with that same somber facial expression and start adding tension ever-so-gradually, until you have just enough “embouchure focus” (which equates to a slight amount of embouchure tension) to produce a pianissimo tone. By practicing this exercise regularly, you will hopefully find it easier to monitor the amount of tension that is present in your embouchure, and thereby increase your ability to decrease the amount of embouchure tension at the beginning of your performance and also to monitor and correct the amount of tension throughout the course of your performance.

In order to start with a relaxed embouchure, I offer another suggestion: take a long, slow, deep breath before playing your first note. For example, in 4/4 time rather than inhaling during a quarter rest prior to your entrance, try inhaling over a half rest or even 4 full beats. I think that in this long, slow breath you will find that you are much more capable of maintaining a relaxed initial embouchure than if you were to take in a quick breath.

So often we tend to say that we have a few “set exercises” that are always included in our daily routine, but when we think back over the past couple of weeks’ practice sessions, we may realize that some of those exercises have been practiced rather sporadically (for me, single tonguing is most often ignored). Lip flexibility is another frequently overlooked exercise for may people. The best policy is to schedule these exercises at a specific point of the daily practice routine, usually sometime during the warm-up period.

Below is a progression of three lip slurs which I have found to be very useful, not only for myself, but for my students, as well. You know the routine – go down chromatically through all valve combinations and back up. Those who cannot attain the upper register in a relaxed manner, might find it easier to start at the bottom (1-2-3 valve combination) and work your way up, as high as you can comfortably do so.

I hope you find this to be a very beneficial 20 minutes (18 min. 12 sec. to be exact) in your daily routine. Remember: every day!

By : Bryan Goff

I keep repeating the theme that in order to not neglect certain playing techniques, we must include these techniques in a specific slot in our regular daily practice schedule. I have previously mentioned techniques such as lip slurs and single tonguing. I feel that it is also important to ensure that we at least include a minimum amount of pianissimo and fortissimo playing every day.

Pianissimo playing requires embouchure control, steady breath control, and suppleness and responsiveness of the embouchure. Fortissimo playing requires, in addition to strong air support, embouchure strength and the ability to control the aperture when subjected to a large volume of air. In short, the extremes of dynamic range require totally different types of physical control. Obviously, the only way to develop and maintain control at these extremes is to practice at these levels, for at least a few minutes, on a regular basis.

I would speculate that most trumpeters who are reasonably accomplished, spend the largest proportion of their daily practice time playing mezzo forte or louder. The reason for this is that their sense of good solid air support will most naturally result in a full, resonant, and somewhat loud tone. (On the other hand, it might be a good idea for less accomplished players to consciously spend a greater amount of time playing at loud dynamic levels to develop a better sense of good air support). It is my belief that these accomplished players may need to purposely include some supplementary pianissimo selections every day. Likewise, even if a player does much of his performing at a loud level, he will not be able to control those fortissimo passages when called upon, unless he has included at least a little fortissimo playing in his daily routine.

Personally, I can discipline myself to include tonguing and lip flexibility exercises in my daily routine, but to include exercises that are designed solely for the purpose of playing at loud and soft dynamics is, for me, extremely boring. I really prefer to cover my dynamic extremes by playing selections from actual musical examples, orchestral excerpts for example.

I would like to suggest that you pick a few of your favorite excerpts which represent extremes of dynamic levels and play them at a specific point in your daily routine.

Following are the names of the transposition keys encountered by trumpeters as they are listed  in English, Italian, French, and German:

LA