Category Archives: Playing techniques

Mastering Trumpet Articulation: The Power of Articulated Air

Posted on by
Reply

So, what does Articulated Air mean? Some teachers may refer to articulation or tonguing as an isolated discipline in trumpet playing. The reality is that everything comes back to the way that we control our flow of air through the trumpet. This is nothing new, of course, we know that the air is what fuels the machinery of our music-making. So why, do we as teachers so often talk to students in terms that can be confusing and take the emphasis away from the only truly crucial element?

The use of language in teaching, particularly with younger and developing minds is crucial to give clarity of message and to make sure that the correct mental triggers are in place to help them in their development. This is a concept in which I have a great interest and have worked extensively with students and teachers to develop a way of communicating sometimes complex ideas in a simple and straightforward way.

The relaxed and full breath at the start of any phrase is always crucial and should be foremost in the player’s mind, no matter how challenging the exercise may appear. A beautiful sound is only possible from a sense of relaxation and should always be aspired to. I try to avoid words such as blow and push, as they automatically trigger a sense of tension in the mind and body. Instead, we think about releasing the air through the trumpet, and setting up a steady flow of air.

Articulated Air is a concept that adds the tongue (in various shapes and positions depending on what you are playing) to your airstream. The focus as ever is on the breath in and supporting the flow of air out. We set up the air to flow and allow the tongue to articulate as the icing on the cake.

CLICK HERE to purchase downloadable and printed copies from Obrasso Verlag

In this publication, I have developed several exercises that encourage this natural use of articulated air. Many of them also include aspects of traditional airflow and flexibility work to make sure that the emphasis remains on this. In our standard repertoire of standard methods and study books (including Arban, Clarke, Schlossberg, Vizzutti etc.) there are many excellent exercises that can and should also be used. It is important though to always focus on this relaxed air. This can easily be forgotten during an intense practice session.

Below are 4 chapters from the book (Articulation Slur Warm-ups, Circle of 5ths Articulation Patterns, Dotted Rhythms and Irregular Patterns) which you are welcome to download and use for free:

Articulation Slur Warm-up
Circle of 5ths
Dotted Ryhthms
Irregular Patterns

VISIT THE ‘EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES’ PAGE FOR FREE WORKSHEETS AND LINKS TO OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Tone Without Tension

Posted on by
Reply

Marcus Reynolds is a clinician and lecturer for the British Association of Performing Arts, and the British Trombone Society. Also the creator of Stratos embouchure system, in this feature article (originally published in ‘Brass Band World’) he unravels more mysteries of the embouchure.

“In my last article [click here to read ‘Power over Pressure’], I explained how whistling against your palm would indicate the trajectory of the air. If the top-lip ventures over the bottom lip, then the air is directed against a metal wall – the side of the mouthpiece. When this occurs, great resistance will be felt. By trying to force the same amount of air through the instrument, the cheeks and all sorts of air cushions could start to inflate, vastly reducing the power of the original articulation.

In my previous article, I mentioned whistling or blowing out candles. This will open the teeth and allow more air to travel to the lips. Here’s a trick that keeps the corners of the lips towards the point of pitch, and keeps the cheeks in and the teeth open. Two tongued whistles and then two ‘blow the candles out’, followed by two tongued buzzes.

Practise these three exercises 20 or 30 times. It sounds laborious, but it really is a short cut to clear and powerful precise notes. I cannot see how you perform these exercises, but if you are not relaxed and there is over tension in the neck, the air will not flow. The sensation is that of blowing candles out.

Now we need to ensure that there is enough air being directed towards the aperture so the lips can vibrate most efficiently. Whistle again, or get as close as you can to the shape, keeping your facial muscles still and breathing through the nose. See if you can fit your little finger into the gap between the teeth. Most times you will not be able to because, as you strive for a greater range, the jaw can go into clenching mode, closing the aperture and stifling the air flow.

Let’s next examine the journey of the air from the back of the throat. It must travel without being choked or diverted. Take a breath and use the lips as a ‘stopper’ to inflate the cheeks. Then force your cheeks in to push out the air, but purse your lips so that the air escapes under pressure. You must practice this many times until you start to hear high-pitch squeaks escaping through the lips. These squeaks are actually unrefined notes from above the stave, whatever instrument you play. This process is used in learning to circular breathe.

This is where the Stratos will help; adjust the chin rest to its extreme setting. Keeping the airstream level as you empty your cheeks, aim those squeaks into the mouthpiece – eventually you will be rewarded with the high note clarity you were seeking. So many players start playing into the higher register without foundation.

Try this: play an octave interval well within your comfort range. Start to move upwards in semi- tones. Take your time, going up say five semi-tones, ensure no strain is felt, then go down to where you started. Place the tip of your finger between your teeth to check the gap, and then buzz through the same exercise. The buzzing won’t sound wonderful, but with perseverance the notes will sound freer and richer when you return to playing them because blood and oxygen have been delivered to the lips, and with the buzzing the capillaries and filtrum (the bit between the bottom of the nose and the top lip) are no longer being crushed.

The beauty of Stratos is that it rids students of the fear of changing their playing technique and allows you, or your mentor, to make micro-adjustments that do not hinder your playing.

Many teachers tell their students to use less pressure, but what is being offered as a substitute? Remove the scaffold too early and the building collapses in much the same way that your mouth muscles will, if the mouthpiece weight is removed too quickly. Stratos incrementally reduces the weight of the mouthpiece from the lips until the new muscle memory is self-supporting. “

SIGN UP HERE FOR NEW BLOG ARTICLES EMAILED DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX:

[jetpack_subscription_form show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]

Practice Mutes

Posted on by
Reply

Choosing the right practice mute can be a tricky decision. Weighing up characteristics such as volume, resistance, sound and of course price, with so many mutes currently available is a minefield. I have done some side-by-side testing on 6 different models here. Practicing or warming up with a practice mute is always going to have a large element of compromise, and is not generally recommended as part of a long-term practice plan. However, most people in the real world find that they need to use one either occasionally or regularly – it is about deciding what you are going to compromise on!

Over the years, the Denis Wick practice mutes have been the most popular, offering great value for money, decent intonation and a high level of resistance, perfect for opening out the throat especially in the low register. There is a tendency for most practice mutes to blow sharp in the low register, and this one is not too bad. Response is a bit sluggish, but this is to be expected from such a high level of resistance.

VERDICT: Good value basic practice mute *** (out of 5)

The UK best-seller over the past 10 years has been the Don Maslet mute. It is a really good all-rounder providing an even response across the range and options to change the level of resistance and volume. I found this to be comfortable for practice however it does not get quite as quiet as some of the others on the market, so not really one for an on-stage discreet warm-up! You pay more for this model, but what you lose in your pocket, you gain in all-round usability! Not reviewed here, but very similar to the Don Maslet mute in style and price is the Wallace Collection practice mute.

VERDICT: Good all-rounder  ****

Relatively new to the UK market are the Bremner sshh Mutes. They are incredibly lightweight and pretty much dentproof with their moulded plastic design. They give good intonation, medium resistance and are great for a pre-gig warm up. They priced about the same as the Don Maslet.

VERDICT: Durable, responsive and good value  ****

Yamaha’s Silent Brass system has been around for over 20 years and has had numerous improvements and additions over the years. The mute itself is compact and can be stored easily in the bell. The high quality pickup, amp and effects give as close to a ‘natural’ sound as is possible. They are also great for playing along with CDs, mp3 players, iPods etc. I have spoken to people who love this and use the full system a lot. I have spoken to even more people who have bought the full system and only ever use the mute! The mute itself is OK, intonation is fine and it is certainly quiet. Perhaps a bit too resistant for my taste, and definitely too pricey for my budget!

VERDICT: Packed with features and great tech, a bit expensive though  ***

The Vincent Bach 1857 Practice Mute is just horrible. It is inexpensive and compact, but I am struggling to find anything else positive to say! It is extremely resistant without being quiet enough, and intonation is a huge battle. If you are looking at the lower price range, then I would recommend the Denis Wick over this in every respect.

VERDICT: Erm, possibly consider not practising rather than use this! *

The ‘Warm-Up’ from Best Brass looks great. It is really compact and quiet too. The response and intonation were not quite as good on this model as some of the others; however it is excellent value for money and will find a place in many players’ cases for a quick pre-gig warm up.
VERDICT: Very portable and convenient for gigs  ****

I have come across many others over the years including mutes from Jo-Ral, Wallace Collection, Humes & Berg, Tom Crown and the eBrass (from Best Brass). I did not have these available to me for a side-by-side testing but your comments on any of these or the ones that I have reviewed above are welcomed!

Links:

https://www.deniswick.com/

http://www.masletmutes.com/

http://sshhmute.co.nz/

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/winds/silentbrass/

https://www.bachbrass.com/bach/

http://www.bestbrass.com/
 

Never Mind the Day Job

Posted on by
Reply

For 12 years after graduating from music college, I considered myself to be a professional trumpet player – in that my primary income came from playing the trumpet. Like many other musicians I also pursued other avenues on the side, such as teaching, arranging, etc. There are a multitude of fabulous musicians who manage to keep incredible practice and performance levels up even though they have numerous balls to keep in the air. This requires a huge level of commitment and focus, and is not the subject that I am going to address here!

This is about players who are either coming back to the trumpet after a period of time away, or manage to continue playing to a high level even though they are gainfully employed full-time doing something completely different.

Having made a career change 5 years ago and taken a ‘proper job’, I continued to try to rely on what I thought I knew about practising to get me through the occasional engagement that I would take on. Practising became physically painful (both to me and anyone unfortunate enough to hear it) as I went back to my ‘tried and tested’ routines that used to set me up nicely for a tough night’s work. The gigs were a huge struggle as I battled with the new mind-set that the best that I could expect was to ‘get away with it’.

Eventually I made a choice to stop playing completely as I could not enjoy it if I did not feel that I was playing at my best … and I could not work out how to achieve that whilst doing a 50-60 hour per week day job. Predictably though, as any recovering trumpeter will tell you, the urge to play again just got too great!

About 18 months ago, I realised that I needed to start enjoying playing music again. My day job involved talking about trumpets all day, and aside from some instrument testing, I had gone for over a year without doing any practice or performing. I needed a plan, and the first step was to clarify exactly what I wanted to achieve, what time resources I had available, and to come up with a clear and realistic set of expectations.

So… 20 minutes practice, 4-5 days a week.  This was what I felt that I could commit to. It sounds like nothing, especially to players who are accustomed to having a mouthpiece surgically removed from their chops after a long day in the studio!

I wanted to get back to a decent, solid and functional technique, and most importantly a core sound that I was happy to listen to.  I left behind the study and practice books that I used to use through college and as a young pro.  I dusted off old materials that I had used in high school as well as researching new stuff that was pitched at the level that I was aiming.  Have I yet achieved the standard that I intended? NO … Am I enjoying playing the trumpet and performing again? Most definitely…YES!

My advice now for anyone looking to get back into playing the trumpet, or trying to find a new way of incorporating some playing into an already busy schedule, is ‘take it back to basics’ and make sure that you find materials that you can enjoy practising.

I have found some really interesting resources on this subject that I recommend that you check out:

The Comeback Trumpet Player by Mark Hendricks: http://mphmusic.com/blog/comeback-trumpet-player/the-comeback-trumpet-player-tips-1/

Tools for Trumpet Players with Day Jobs: Workshop Notes by Dan Hallock: http://www.trumpetguild.org/resources/pedagogy/category/8-articles-and-essays?download=193:tools-for-trumpet-players-with-day-jobs-dan-hallock-2010doc

Starting Over Again by David Brown: http://www.trumpetguild.org/resources/pedagogy/category/8-articles-and-essays?download=192:starting-over-again-the-true-comeback-player-david-brown-2013docx