If I could give just one piece of advice to competing bands it would be this :
read and understand the criteria……………….!!!! You need to understand the criteria based judging system that is being used by just about every competition in the world. It tells you EXACTLY what you need to know to get the highest possible scores in every caption. I am always amazed (and frustrated) when people start to complain about the scores, but have no idea at all how and why we gave them the scores we did. Here is a very simple demonstration of the process :

Criteria

If this is the criteria the judges must use, then they are obligated to follow the criteria. Notice there is nothing in the criteria about quality. That might be in a different box or caption. If I was a judge and the best band I had ever seen in my life had just performed, but they only used brass and percussion instruments, then the highest score I could give would be a 75. My hands are tied! Even if I want to give them a higher score, I cannot – because the criteria determines the box in which they are scored. If they had used just one woodwind – maybe a flute in the pit for some special effect – then I would have been able to give them a score of 100.

Criteria based assessment is an excellent system when used by judges who understand how to use it correctly. It is an excellent tool for instructors who read it and pay attention to the details. Judges are human and we do our very best, but we can be affected by different things. The criteria system helps keep us honest and precise in our evaluations. The old “sliding scale” system was inconsistent and left too much room for scores based on issues not related to the caption.

Often, in the highest scoring boxes, you will see statements like “All members of the ensemble….” That means ALL MEMBERS. If I see just one member who is not doing what the caption is focussing on, then I cannot give the band any score in the range of the highest box. Your kids NEED TO KNOW this. Mati siji, mati kabe! Sometimes criteria describes “a wide range of emotion.” What is that? Making me feel good for the entire show is nice, but it is does not display a wide range of emotion. How many emotions can you describe? Wikipedia has a list that is so long that I can’t paste in here without adding several pages.

I once judged a Winterguard competition where I was given a list of criteria that included the music used in the performance. Part of the score went towards things related to music, including repertoire, continuity, suitability and quality (including mixing and editing) of sound. It was obvious right from the start that many groups had not read the criteria and had assumed that the scores would be based on just the performance and execution of technique. WRONG! I had no other choice but to follow the criteria. As a result, some groups received a score much higher or lower than they expected. The group I liked the most put on an awesome performance. They were outstanding on so many levels… until their last song. The recording sounded like someone had held their handphone close to the television to make the recording and it was such an extreme change in style of music, that it was a shock. There was no sense of continuity. My score dropped down an entire box because the criteria demanded it.

So, read the criteria carefully and make sure that you and every member of the staff and performing group know and understand what is required. If you disagree with a judge’s score and you really understand the criteria, you will be able to make a much better and more intelligent argument.

*Ketua Dewan Juri DMC 2010

• Arsip berita Road To DMC 2010

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/2010/02/01/general-effect-wiki/ http://library.marchingband.web.id/2010/02/01/general-effect-wiki/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:25:21 +0000 admin http://library.marchingband.web.id/?p=149 General Effect Music & General Effect Visual

The most global area of evaluation is known as effect. Music and visual presentations should create an effect unto themselves, triggering aesthetic responses to the intellectual and emotional design and performance. In essence, this is how we determine what is entertaining about a particular program. Effect captions are the most subjective to judge and yet there are established principles of design and performance practices which can determine what is effective.

Effect judges are looking at the actual design of the show, the peaks and valleys of excitement throughout, and how the performers make the show successful. Questions a judge might consider in judging effect are: Do all of the elements of visual and musical design reach an effective climax together? Are there a variety of effects in the show that display a wide array of human emotions? Does the pacing of the show vary, remain steady, or have lapses?

It is important to realize that it is not just the designers who control the effect but also the performers who bring the effects to life. The performers may be truly amazing musicians and superb marchers, yet they may have limited show material to work with. Eventually the effect wears thin. To be a good effect judge, one must have a depth of understanding of how shows are put together and how performers can not only interpret the design but also actually elevate its success.

Sumber : Drum Corps WIKI

• Drum and bugle corps (modern)
• Understanding of General Effect by Wil Bijl
• INDONESIA HARUS MEMILIH By Dody J Purnama

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
• Wil Bijl Facebook
• 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.

Throw It Down DVD Cover Throw It Down, an 88-minute documentary from director John E. Maher, offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the reality of marching in a top-ranked drum and bugle corps. The film follows the 2006 season of the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps from Canton, Ohio, and presents themes that are universal to anyone involved in the marching activity.

This is a film about perseverence and the ultimate rewards for those who manage to navigate the challenges of a summer spent living, breathing and dreaming drum corps. It’s important to watch Throw It Down all the way through. In the first 30 minutes, uninitiated viewers might wonder why anyone would want to join a corps and work so hard. But the answer becomes clear later in the film when the intensity and repetition start to pay off.

CREATIVE FILMMAKING
Maher and his crew have successfully created a film that is emotionally intense and visually sophisticated.

At times the cinematography is so good that it’s easy to forget this is a documentary and not a movie that had the luxury of a script and multiple retakes. The cameras did a great job finding the stories, capturing interesting angles and getting inside the action.

“My camera assistant kept me from being trampled when we were working close to the drill,” Maher says. “We collected some 60 hours of material. Part of the trick is getting the corps members comfortable with us and then just being there at the right time. There are no shortcuts in this type of filmmaking.”

Throw It Down Film Crew To develop the story line, Maher creatively weaves a series of dream sequences through the film. These segments take viewers into the lives of corps members and illustrate how immersed the performers have become in their tasks. The intensity of the dreams is balanced with doses of humor and an upbeat musical score.

Some of the most clever editing is found during the audition scene when the nervous tapping of prospective members sets the pulse for a music video. Another scene that works well is the food crew’s fast-paced shopping trip to buy groceries.

The visual aspects of the film are complemented by an effective soundtrack. Several original songs perfectly illustrate the mood and determination of corps members. A song titled “Push Through” delivers the key line, “I won’t give up, you won’t give in, we’ll take this thing to the end.”

OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE
One of the strengths of Throw It Down comes from the fact that the filmmakers were largely unfamiliar with the drum and bugle corps activity. Maher has worked as a professional filmmaker for more than 30 years and Throw It Down is his 14th film. This “outsider” view allowed him to bring an independent voice to tell the story based on what he observed.

Initially, the fact that Maher was not familiar with the operation and protocol of a marching unit was problematic.

“The corps was concerned about our disrupting their drill routine,” Maher says. “I needed to get close and they wanted me back so we danced around that sensitivity all summer. I was deathly afraid of spoiling anything for them but at the same time I had a responsibility to the producer to make a good honest film.”

A significant moment of bonding between the filmmakers and the corps occurred in early summer when Maher showed the Bluecoats a preview of footage that had been shot during the winter camps.

“Corps director Dave Glasgow told everyone then that we were part of the Bluecoats family. That was a very emotional moment for our crew,” Maher says. “We knew we needed to make a special effort to honor their concerns and make a good film.”

TIMELESS TOPIC
Throw It Down gets its title from the concept of performers “throwing down” the best performance they can possibly give. The film ends on a joyous note with the Bluecoats members showing ultimate satisfaction with their final performance. Yet the film is not just about a single season. Throw It Down gives viewers new appreciation for any quality performance, since they have peeked behind the scenes and witnessed the grueling effort that was required offstage.

The film has already won several awards on the film festival circuit and continues to be screened at special events across the country. Visit ThrowItDownTheMovie.com for a schedule of upcoming screenings. You can also order Throw It Down on DVD.

Youtube > Throw It Down – movie trailer

Winter color guard has a big fan in the world of entertainment. Heather Henson, daughter of Muppets founder Jim Henson, is prominently featuring flags and props inspired by winter guard in her elaborate stage show titled Panther & Crane.

“It’s a puppet show embedded in a collage of dance and animation,” Henson says. “I love using all the senses to create emotion and mood. I also love spectacle with meaning, so there’s a story line about the environment. It’s all done in service to give people a sense of harmony and a sense of beauty of nature.”

The hour-long Panther & Crane has been performed several times for festivals and special events. Henson continues to refine the show and hopes to make it available to a broader audience.

“It’s still in development and every time we do it, it’s a work in progress,” Henson says. “We’re trying to get it down to a small enough cast that can be economical to tour.”

The show’s combination of color guard and puppetry is not unusual for Henson, who continually experiments with new ways of expressing movement.

“I’ve always been intrigued with manipulating objects and finding things that will move beautifully,” she says. “I studied animation, where you break things down and study the way they move. But because I’m also from the world of puppetry, there’s a lot of movement that I love to work with that can only be done live.”

Henson has experimented with many types of movement. In theatre she worked with making confetti move in different ways. She even experimented with liquids on overhead projectors.

“Some experiments failed, like the time I got a snowmaker and used blacklight snow material. I was trying to do a dance where we would manipulate the snow with big fans. It didn’t work at all! But it was interesting and I kept trying to do new things.”

Discovering winter guard
Henson first heard about winter guard when a percussionist friend told her she might be interested in the guard activity. She went online and was thrilled to discover the art form.

“I looked at all those amazing videos. I had no idea! I was completely impressed with that world,” Henson says.

Henson eventually bought some flags to put into her show, but she had not yet been trained on guard techniques.

“I gave the flags to my performers and said ‘OK, wave them around, do something.’ It wasn’t going very well!”

Fortunately, she was reconnected with choreographer Genevieve Bernard of Voci Dance in Orlando. The two had met years earlier but at that time Heather didn’t realize Genevieve had a background in color guard. Genevieve’s credentials include instructing Field of View Winter Guard and performing with The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps.

“Genevieve was amazing. She had great information,” Henson says. “We brought Genevieve in to choreograph the flag section in our first show. She made it look a lot better.”

As Panther & Crane evolved, the collaboration became even stronger. Genevieve trained the dancers and put flag movement throughout the show. Heather added other objects for the dancers to work with.

“We use bird wing flags that are dyed to look like feathers, and we have cloud flags that are hand-dyed. We also have angel wing flags that are like swing flags on a J-pole,” Henson says.

Large tarp flags are used to provide visual and audible enhancement during a storm sequence.

“We like the sound of the tarp flags. They’re hard to handle because they’re heavy. The performers have to use a ton of muscle when they’re swinging the tarps back and forth. I love the look of the body when it’s working against an object, the push and pull.”

Patterns and nature
The environmental theme for Panther & Crane grew from Heather’s love of nature. She explained this passion while paging through a journal of sketches she had made in preparation for this interview. The sketches were skilled interpretations of water flowing and grasses moving in the wind.

“The basis for a lot of my artwork has been nature. I love seeing form and function. I love seeing patterns in nature such as flow patterns in water, growth patterns in shells, growth in leaves. I think I’ve always been looking for patterns.”

“I was always intrigued with unison movements of parades,” Henson adds, recalling her exposure to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from a young age.

“With almost anything, once it’s repeated and done multiple times it becomes beautiful. I think that’s what happens a lot in winter guard. You do one thing, but you do it in multiples and you do it in sync, and it’s gorgeous.”

Beyond Panther & Crane
Heather is involved in multiple projects through her company, Ibex Puppetry. She produces a film series called Handmade Puppet Dreams as an effort to bring broader exposure for cutting-edge puppetry on film.

“There are lots of interesting puppet films that get lost in the cracks. They don’t make it into animation festivals because they’re live action. They don’t make it into live action festivals because they’re quirky and they look a bit too much like animation,” Henson explains. “I put them all together and we have our own little festival.”

“This process has made me appreciate my father’s work even more. I think my father was a master of puppetry on film. He really did hone it. He made puppets that were specifically made to be seen close up on television or film. Their faces have so much articulation, so much emotion. I think Sesame Street and The Muppet Show are some of the best examples of puppetry on TV or film. But with Handmade Puppet Dreams, I’m trying to show that there are other things out there besides the Muppet style, so I tend to show other styles that don’t have as much exposure.”

Ibex also produces the annual Orlando Puppet Festival and strives to present monthly programs for the Orlando community, ranging from children’s shows to edgier puppet “slams.”

Henson is open to deeper collaboration with the winter guard activity. She talks excitedly about the winter guard videos she has purchased or viewed online, and she is pleased with the beauty even simple flag movement has added to Panther & Crane. In the future she has dreams of raising the level of flag technique in her show.

“I’m completely enamored of the skill in winter guard,” Henson says. “People practice all day long for days and days. The dedication is extraordinary and the level of creativity is wild.”

For more information about Heather Henson’s work and for news about future performances of Panther & Crane, visit IbexPuppetry.com.

Photos by Marching.com. Logo image courtesy of Ibex Puppetry.

Copyright 2008 Marching.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published or redistributed without permission.

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