Sounding Brass » Tips and Tricks http://www.soundingbrass.com On Brass Bands and Brass Playing Thu, 29 May 2008 17:50:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en Why Warm Up on a Brass Instrument http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/15/why-warm-up-on-a-brass-instrument/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/15/why-warm-up-on-a-brass-instrument/#comments Fri, 16 Feb 2007 04:13:06 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/15/why-warm-up-on-a-brass-instrument/ There are two basic reasons for warming up on a brass instrument.

  1. Getting the muscles around your mouth working. Just as an athlete warms up prior to competition or a game, so the muscles the brass musician is about to work need stretching and loosening.
  2. Helping with the intonation. Cold air in a brass instrument is denser resulting in the pitch being flatter. The body-temperature air coming from you to your instrument will cause the pitch to sharpen. It’s good have the instrument up towards playing temperature, before you start.
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]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/15/why-warm-up-on-a-brass-instrument/feed/ Writing For Brass Bands http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/03/writing-for-brass-bands/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/03/writing-for-brass-bands/#comments Sun, 04 Feb 2007 03:22:19 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/03/writing-for-brass-bands/ Nigel Horne has put together a helpful primer on writing and arranging music for brass bands. This is not an in-depth tutorial on music theory and composition. Rather, someone with an understanding of writing four-part harmony and some idea of the make up of a brass band can use this information to get started composing works for brass bands.

Writing For Brass Bands

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]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2007/02/03/writing-for-brass-bands/feed/ What is a Brass Band? http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/29/what-is-a-brass-band/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/29/what-is-a-brass-band/#comments Fri, 29 Dec 2006 19:52:35 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/29/what-is-a-brass-band/ The term brass band has been used for different types of ensembles, from military bands to New Orleans jazz band. In this case, I’m thinking specifically of the British-style brass band.

Rather than rewrite a complex definition, I’ll point you to existing resources on the web.

]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/29/what-is-a-brass-band/feed/ How to double tongue unevenly http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/18/how-to-double-tongue-unevenly/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/18/how-to-double-tongue-unevenly/#comments Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:12:06 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/18/how-to-double-tongue-unevenly/ Dave Werden give an idea how double tonguing could be used to articlulate rapid dotted 8th/16th passages.

This feels awkward at first, but it is possible to get used to it fairly quickly. Once you have mastered it, you can play a dotted-8th/16th figure with much more speed and fluidity.

Read at Tuba-Euphonium Blog: When Do You NOT Want to Double-Tongue Evenly?

]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/12/18/how-to-double-tongue-unevenly/feed/ Tutoring Tutors http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/30/tutoring-tutors/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/30/tutoring-tutors/#comments Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:33:22 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/30/tutoring-tutors/ Theme Magazine —from The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory— has republished some thoughts from Staff Bandmaster Brian Burditt on being an effective brass teacher.

The teacher’s responsibility is threefold: observation, diagnosis and prescription.

First, the teacher observes the student and his performance problems; second, he thoroughly analyzes the problem; and third, he prescribes a remedy to solve the problem, which, with patience and careful practice, will in time correct the difficulty.

Salvationist.ca – Theme Magazine -Tutoring Tutors

]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/30/tutoring-tutors/feed/ How to Polish Satin Silver Finishes http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/13/how-to-polish-satin-silver-finishes/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/13/how-to-polish-satin-silver-finishes/#comments Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:28:38 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/13/how-to-polish-satin-silver-finishes/ From: Tuba-Euphonium Blog

]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/13/how-to-polish-satin-silver-finishes/feed/ 3 Euphonium Articles http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/06/3-euphonium-articles/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/06/3-euphonium-articles/#comments Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:55:37 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/06/3-euphonium-artilces/ Here are links to three articles on Euphonium playing written by Arthur Lehman, formerly a euphonium soloist with the U.S. Marine Band:

]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/11/06/3-euphonium-articles/feed/ Boosting Your Brass Band’s Skill http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/10/06/boosting-your-brass-bands-skill/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/10/06/boosting-your-brass-bands-skill/#comments Fri, 06 Oct 2006 13:19:56 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/10/06/boosting-your-brass-bands-skill/

Boosting Your Brass Band’s Skill —an article by Bram Gregson, from Theme The Salvation Army’s new online music and gospel arts e-zine.

]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/10/06/boosting-your-brass-bands-skill/feed/ The Brass Player’s Cookbook http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/07/25/the-brass-players-cookbook/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/07/25/the-brass-players-cookbook/#comments Tue, 25 Jul 2006 15:05:23 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/07/25/the-brass-players-cookbook/ A collection of concepts on becoming a successful performer written by 57 of today’s most outstanding brass professionals. Contains to-the-point, thought-provoking ideas proven successful by master teacher-performers. Problem-solving tips, philosophical concepts and technique-building skills, all in one easy-to-read collection. An ideal source of exciting strategies for all levels of development.

(Book not yet released.
Click above image to pre-order.)

Contributors include:

Euphonium players:

Demondrae Thurman, Steven Mead, David Werden

Tuba players:

Kenneth Amis, Roger Bobo, Velvet Brown, James Gourlay, Toby Hanks, Daniel Perantoni, Jon Sass, Deanna Swoboda

Trombone players:

Ralph Sauer, Douglas Yeo, Charles Vernon, R. Douglas Wright

Horn players:

Dale Clevenger, Gail Williams, Froydis Ree Wekre

Trumpet players:

Jeffrey Curnow, Ronald Romm, John Wallace, Warren Vache

Other authors: Jeff Adams, Lisa Bontrager, John Clark, Abbie Conant,
Kurt Dupuis, Peter Ellefson, Laurie Frink, Jack Gale, Wycliffe Gordon,
Dick Hansen, Kevin Hayward, Lesley Howie, Gregory Hustis, Alex Iles,
Ingrid Jensen, Dave Kirk, Craig Knox, Mark H. Lawrence, John Marcellus,
Raymond Mase, Brad Michel, Gregory Miller, Bob Montgomery, Jennifer
Montone, Marc Reese, Mike Roylance, Susan Slaughter, Phyllis Stork,
David Taylor, Kenneth Thompkins, Rick Todd, Adam Unsworth, Tom Varner,
Bill VerMeulen, and Jeremy West.

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]]> http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/07/25/the-brass-players-cookbook/feed/ Brass Warm-up - Open-Tone Lip Slurs http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/06/19/brass-warm-up-open-tone-lip-slurs/ http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/06/19/brass-warm-up-open-tone-lip-slurs/#comments Tue, 20 Jun 2006 02:30:17 +0000 Ian McKenzie http://www.soundingbrass.com/2006/06/19/brass-warm-up-open-tone-lip-slurs/ The attached pdf has a series of lip slurs played on open tones. Work to make the slurs cleanly, with no stray notes or sounds in between.

Click to download:

[tags]Brass, Practice, Music, Warm Up, Lip Slurs, Exercises, Free Download[/tags]

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