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

• Profile Pelatih Marko S. Hermawan
• Tips memilih tema marching band
• Mari mencerdaskan per-Marching Band-an (episode 2 habis)
• Mari mencerdaskan per-Marching Band-an (episode 1)
• Indahnya sebuah pemanasan…(Part 2 – selesai)
• Indahnya sebuah pemanasan…(Part 1)
• Penilaian Vertikal vs Horisontal; Sudut pandang yang berbeda dalam menilai marching band
• Sayangi telinga anda
• Mahasiswa MEC menguji anak-anak dalam program Penelusuran Bakat Musik Anak
• Liputan Parade Konser Ensemble Recorder
• Tips”3K”

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

Lip trills differ from lip “shakes”, both in sound and in the technique of execution. When I speak of a shake, I am referring to that technique that is primarily used in jazz music, a slurred figure in the upper register similar to a trill but usually alternating between notes whose interval is usually greater than a major second – that is, an interval wider than just a single scalewise step. The interval is often a third, and by some trumpeters it is even wider – for example in many of the older recordings of Maynard Ferguson. In my experience with playing shakes, I have a feeling of controlling the pitches primarily with my air, assisted by an up-down jaw motion. I concentrate on using very strong air support, and using considerably more air to go to the upper note.

Lip trills, by contrast, are always stepwise – the alternation between two pitches of a major second. The speed of the lip trill is usually faster than that of the shake and it should sound as smooth as a normal, fingered trill. Because the notes must occur between overtones that are a step apart, the lowest lip trill possible is between E and F-sharp at the top of the staff (fingered 1-2-3).

The feeling I have when playing a lip trill is totally different than when I play a shake. Although I do use good, steady, adequate air support on a trill, the quantity of air is usually much less than that of a shake. The most important thing, I feel, is to have a feeling of focusing very “far forward” – I would say clear out on the front tip of the lip, whereas with the shake I feel that the motion is further back in the oral cavity. Try whistling a high note, then whistle a trill – that little fluttering quiver is approximately the same sensation as a lip trill. You can bully yourself through a shake by using your strength and power (and probably should do so, to get the right style), but a lip trill must be performed with flexibility and finesse. With a shake I feel that my airstream is a fat column of air, but with a trill I feel that it is fast, intense, but small ribbon of air.

Following is an exercise which I wrote for the purpose of working on lip trills. Start with this 1-2-3 fingering and work your way up chromatically after you are comfortable with each successive pitch level. Start at a tempo of about quarter-note = 126 and try to work up to 184 or faster.

Remember to play lightly, with finesse, and to feel yourself focusing your tone “far forward”.

In another one of my Trumpet Topics, Slow vs. Fast, I addressed the advantages of increased efficiency when you practice short fragments up to tempo, rather than starting slowly and gradually increasing the tempo.

I would now like to offer the suggestion that tongued passages, both single-tongued and multiple-tongued passages, should be practiced at near the performance tempo almost from the outset. The reason for this premise is that in tongued passages, the coordination of fingers, tongue and airflow must be critically aligned. Because airflow is often much different at a fast tempo than it is at slower tempos, the “feel” of the coordination will generally be totally different at different speeds. Look, for example, at the following excerpt from the Arutunian Trumpet Concerto:

At a performance tempo of 144 (or even faster) the airstream should be very smooth and continuous for a clean execution and to avoid “pecky” tonguing. However, if one were to practice this figure at quarter note = 108, it would be extremely awkward to double-tongue. To coordinate the fingers and tongue, the airstream would probably be separated – a style and feel of blowing which is totally different that it would be at the final performance tempo. In this case it would be much more effective to practice the passage fast, at the final performance tempo. The first 5 sixteenth notes should be practiced until mastered, then the second 5 notes practiced. Finally, the two groups (the first 9 notes) can be combined; all of this practicing done at the final performance tempo.

Many fast single-tongue passages also will benefit from practicing up to tempo, rather than starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed. Consider the following excerpt from the first movement of the Halsey Stevens trumpet sonata:

The tempo is 116-120, and to single-tongue this many consecutive sixteenth notes requires an extremely smooth airstream, with a feel of the tongue bouncing or ricocheting off of the airstream. To practice this passage at a slower tempo is to practice it with a totally different feeling that the feel of the smooth air at the ultimate performance tempo.

It may appear that I advocate practicing only at fast tempos, however I acknowledge that there are many instances where slow practice is absolutely necessary. We must all have numerous practice techniques and when we see that one technique is not producing forward progress, we must be able to change to a different, fresh approach. I hope that some of my suggestions will be helpful to improving the efficiency of YOUR practice.

Several years ago I attended a master class at the National Trumpet Symposium, given by Gilbert Johnson, the Professor of Trumpet at the University of Miami. I vividly remember the improvement he made in one of the student’s playing by making a very simple suggestion. The student was playing the first movement of the Giannini Concerto. In cut time the trumpet’s initial entrance begins on an after-beat (see below). The student was a fine player, generally having a very nice, full resonant tone. However, on the first few notes of this entrance his tone quality was noticeably, and consistently pinched and un-focused. Gil asked him to play the first three quarter notes as a measure of 3/4, starting on the downbeat of the measure. The problem was instantly corrected – every note had a free, resonant tone quality!

A few years ago, I had a graduate student, a fine player, but who was having some very unusual difficulties with Bozza’s Caprice – he simply could not get a tone started on the opening triple-tongued fanfare. Following the eighth rest on beat two, he absolutely could not get a tone to sound! After several suggestions which still gave no results, I finally had him re-measure the figure so it would start on a downbeat rather than an upbeat (see examples). It worked!

The problem, I believe, is that we are conditioned to basing our rhythmic pulse upon downbeat activity. When there is no sound on the downbeat, i.e. a rest, we try to substitute something else on the beat such as a grunt in our throat. Most of us who have experienced playing endless afterbeats in a march are familiar with the technique of making a little grunt in our throat on all of the beats, so we can keep the rhythm of the off-beats steady. In this repetitious activity of alternating between a closing of the throat and playing a tone, we are able to play the tone with an open un-restricted air passage. However, I have observed many players who tend to close their throats on the downbeats in passages such as those above, and are not able to entirely relax and open their air passage for the tone which comes on the afterbeat.

I have found that I am always more comfortable beginning a passage on a downbeat rather than an afterbeat and that is it very easy to simply re-measure the music mentally. In my recent discussions on single-tonguing, I suggested that you think of beginning the opening excerpt from Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major on the downbeat of a 3/8 measure rather than starting it after a sixteenth rest to give better focus, better rhythm, and to keep the throat open. See Ravel opening . In your next practice session why don’t you try displacing some of the offbeat entrances to downbeats and just see if perhaps you feel a bit more secure.

The traditional way to write ratamacues or any drag rudiments is with grace notes. The spacing and interpretation of the grace notes is left up to the performer.  The more modern way of writing drag rudiments is with a slach on a sixteenth note. This literally tells you that the “grace notes” are thirty second notes. However, the performer may choose to interpret them in a more slurred or chopped style.

Below is an exercise that isolates each part of the single ratamacue. It is very important that there is a clear distinction between the accents and the taps. The more contrast, the more appeal. All of the diddles should clearly be two notes … no more, no less.

Next is an exercise incorporating single, double, and triple ratamacues.

Now the fun begins. By incorporating beat shifting and accent shifting you find that ratamacues can be used in less traditional ways. Below is an exercise that may give you a few ideas of how you can use ratamacues in these situations. They are not just for breakfast anymore.

Finally, I would like to leave you with a street beat incorporating my favorite rudiment and my favorite visual, backsticking.

Dr. John Wooton

John Wooton is currently the Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. From 1988 to 1992 John served as Percussion Coordinator/Pep Band Director for University of Iowa Bands. A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, John received degrees from The University of Southwestern Louisiana, The University of North Texas and The University of Iowa. As an instructor and/or performer, John has been associated with five P.A.S.I.C. Marching Percussion Forum champions. He marched snare drum for four years with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, Illinois (1981 – 1984). During those years John held the Drum Corps Midwest Individual Snare Drum title, and placed in the top ten D.C.I. Snare Drum Individuals three consecutive years. From 1987 – 1989 John served as Percussion Caption Head for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. For the 1991 and 1992 drum & bugle corps season John served as Program Coordinator/Percussion Arranger for the Night Express Drum and Bugle Corps form Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Wooton is presently serving as a member of the Percussive Arts Society Marching Committee.

By : Bryan Goff
This Trumpet Topic page is a conclusion in a series of postings related to improving one’s single tonguing. Like so many of our trumpet techniques, maintenance is often simply a matter of disciplining ourselves to regularly devoting just a few minutes every single day to exercises which were designed to preserve that technique.

If you have incorporated the basic exercises from my preceding four web pages into your daily practice routine your single tonguing should have shown considerable improvement by now. If you missed those pages, you can access them by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.

Following is my exercise for single tonguing maintenance. The entire exercise should be played in one breath. After you are able to make it in one breath (at approx. quarter = 120) you should always practice it with a metronome, constantly trying to keep pushing your tempo faster and faster.

My exercises from the preceding pages in this series should have given you a good preparation for perfecting the opening excerpt from Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. My suggestion is that you think of starting this excerpt on the downbeat of a 3/8 measure rather than starting it after a sixteenth rest, as it was originally notated. See my Ravel opening . Starting on a downbeat gives better focus, better rhythm, and you are less likely to start with a closed throat.

Following are several exercises that work on basic rudiments. Each exercise isolates the individual hand and then puts them together to play the rudiment. There are obviously many more rudiments not listed here.

The last exercise, “Flamolation”, is an exercise still used by the Cadets of Bergen County Drumline. This exercise isolates each hand for several basic flam rudiments.

Thomas Aungst

Thomas Aungst is the Percussion Arranger and Caption-head for the seven-time D.C.I. World Champion, Cadets of Bergen Co. Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also the Percussion Director for the Dartmouth Public School System in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Tom is the author of the instructional video, ìRehearsing The Contemporary Percussion Ensemble.” The video is published and distributed by the Cadets of Bergen County. He is an active clinician and endorser for Pearl Drums. Tom is also an endorser of Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Zildjian Cymbals, and Remo Inc.

Apa jadinya seseorang yang bukan guru musik SD, menilai anak-anak SD dalam bermusik? Apa jadinya seorang operator sound system ikut menilai dan melihat anak-anak membaca not balok? Dan apa jadinya seorang pelatih paduan suara SMA ikut dalam acara tersebut? Jawabnya adalah: mereka menemukan dunia baru!!

Dengan berlatar belakang pendidikan dan profesi yang berbeda-beda, para mahasiswa program BmusEd (S1) MEC tersebut mendapat tugas untuk menilai dan memberi komentar tentang anak-anak program Penelusuran Bakat Musik Anak (PBMA) dari Music Education College “Suling Bambu” pada tanggal 10 Juni 2007 di Kampus MEC, Margaguna, Jaksel. Adapun anak-anak yang berpartisipasi dalam PBMA adalah mereka yang berasal dari TK sampai SD kelas 4. Salah satu mata kuliah program S1 tersebut adalah bagaimana menilai dan mengobservasi seorang anak dalam bermain dan menguasai musik. Kriteria yang di nilai telah disiapkan oleh Dr. Pono Banoe, antara lain: Musical reading & hearing, vocalising, ensemble & rhytmic, music writing and rudiments.

Acara dimulai dengan masuknya Jason ke dalam kelas, dia adalah murid TK dan telah bermain piano dengan grade prelimenary 1. Dengan rasa percaya diri, Jason mengikuti instruksi yang dipandu Dr. Pono Banoe, antara lain bermain piano sesuai dengan not yang ditunjuk beliau di papan tulis. Walaupun usianya masih belia, namun kemampuan mengikuti ritme, ensemble dan irama oleh Dr. Pono Banoe dilaluinya dengan sedikit salah. Dan ketika disuruh untuk solfegio (bernyanyi sesuai dengan not yang dimainkan), suara Jason sangat in-tune dengan not di piano.

Michele yang merupakan penampil kedua adalah siswi kelas 2 SD dan berada di tingkat Pre II. Kemampuan ritmitik, tempo dan vocalising cukup stabil, namun karena dia gerogi, maka suaranya kecil dan malu-malu. Hal ini mungkin disebabkan kebiasaan Michele bermain bersama teman-temannya dan merasa malu ketika dinilai sendirian.

Kemudian ada Ariq (SD kls 4), Yesia (SD kls 1) dan Nada (SD kls 1). Mereka sekaligus dinilai oleh mahasiswa MEC ketika bermain lagu, bernyanyi dan mengikuti irama. Terlihat Ariq memang lebih menonjol dibanding teman-temannya, sedangkan Yesia dan Nada masih terbata-bata saat bermain piano sendirian. Siswa lain yang dinilai adalah Amy, Abim dan Tya, yang semuanya masih duduk di bangku SD.

Dari sekian anak-anak yang dinilai oleh mahasiswa MEC, terlihat bahwa terdapat kesamaan kemampuan bermusik yang diperagakan oleh siswa TK dan siswa SD kelas 1 – 4. Mereka sudah mempunyai kemampuan ritmitik yang cukup bagus, dan daya ingat akan istilah musik masih kuat, dan kemampuan bermain piano sudah bisa lancar. Hanya saja ada beberapa tempat dimana mereka masih bingung untuk mengidentifikasi not-not di garis paranada.

Penulis berkesimpulan bahwa, semakin dini seorang anak diperkenalkan ke musik, semakin baik pula mereka bermain dan menguasai istilah musik dan ritmis. Hal pertama yang mereka kuasai adalah kemampuan ritmitik dan gerak yang mudah mereka ikuti dari gurunya. Kemudian diikuti kemampuan menghafal istilah musik seperti piano, forte, cressendo, coda, dengan cepat mereka sebutkan di papan tulis. Kemampuan bermain piano atau alat musik juga menjadi baik saat mereka mengerti istilah dan irama musik yang mereka mainkan. Sehingga sudah menjadi keharusan bagi seorang guru musik untuk memberikan istilah-istilah musik sejak dini.

Bagi kalangan pelatih marching band, terutama mereka yang melatih drum band tingkat TK dan SD, selain kemampuan mengajar irama dan ketukan, dianjurkan juga untuk memberikan istilah musik yang lazim dipakai dalam melatih, sehingga anak-anak terbiasa pada istilah tersebut dan mampu mengaplikasikan dalam kegiatan bermusik mereka. Percayalah, anak-anak yang masih dini pun bisa menghafal istilah ekspresi, dinamik dan tanda tempo. Rekomendasi Dr. Pono Banoe akan istilah musik yang lazim digunakan, serta persepsi anak akan istilah tersebut adalah: