playing tips- eupho

8/6/2019 Playing Tips- Eupho

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CONTENTS

Editorials, Articles and Playing Tips

y Building a Better Soundy Mouthpiece Whistling and Resistance Mouthpiece Inhalationfrom the book,

A Brass Player's Cookbook, published by Meredith Musicy Time to SHAPE UP! The Mead guide to getting the year off to a good starty Using Vocal Techniques to Enhance All Aspects of Low Brass Performanc

Steven Mead's lecture notes from the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clini2001

y Preparing a Major Solo Piece for Euphonium- by Steven Meady Getting the Simple Things Right - by Steven Meady Stamina and Nerves - by Steven Meady Touring - by Steven Meady Two British Euphonium Legends - by Steven Mead


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Buildin

b tt

sound

A ti l b

t v n M

d (

s p int d in F b uary/March editions of Brass Band

WorldMagazine)

Whe

y

s

e

hee

e

hone often the first thing the other person s

ys is , 'Hi, its

me', the voice will be instantly recognizable. When you play one note on yourinstrument, its 'you'. Your musical 'DNA' is recognisable by you, fellow band

members, and people who hear you practice (usually family or neighbours).Maybepeople pay you the compliment that they like your sound, they exercise theirsubjective opinion that what u do is pleasing on theear and feel it is a trueenough

feeling to tell you. You may modestly and hopefully discreetly agree with them oryou may not. Some people will go through their musical lives permanently unfilledby thesound they make on their brass instrument, and that's a pity.

I know 99% of readers will probably be amateurs and as such can always say they

don't have enough spare time to work on their playing to get it to a 'professional'

level, but getting a high qualitysound may not need as much time asyou think.

With low brass playing the essential requirement is quality air, taken in a deeprelaxed way. In all theclasses and workshops I give, the basics alwayscome first forafter the mastery of these all is possible.

ryslow inhalations like a yawn with the

back of the throat open , mentally counting 4 seconds, and then 'blow' out for 4seconds, now with the lipscloser together, producing a 'whooshing' sound. Repeatthen with different combinations of2:4,2:6, 2:8, 4:2, 4:4, 4:6, 4:8

here are many breathing exercises to help you get the air moving, but this will getyou started. You might consider a breath training device like the popular

'Ultrabreathe' too, to really work the lungs.

Now consider the space inside your mouth, the essential resonator for your tone.

his is the2nd essential element of good tone. Ifyou enjoying s inging and ifsingingwas an important part ofyour musical training you will create a round and high vocal

cavity quite naturally. I was taught to imagine an egg standing vertically insideyourmouth.

he air from your lungs passes around this space to achieve a rich tonequality. Ifyou can also maintain this feeling when inhaling you can keep tension outof thesound too and are less likely to squeeze thesound. Using a lot of 'high quality'air also necessitates support from the moving abdominal muscles and I like toimagine this as the moving of a cello bow, and its varying speeds of movement

change thesound accordingly.

Many low brass players are never instructed to think ofchanging vowel sounds whenplaying different tessitura. For me this was only an extension ofvocal techniques Ilearned as a young lad, but found it reinforced later in life in the great teachings of

Arnold Jacobs and others. In the mid-range imagine thesound 'AH', with a normaltongue position (sing it to find this !).In the low range 'AW' and in the upper range'OO' and in thesuper high range with the air traveling very fast, 'EE'. Practice with 'D'


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articulations (Daw-Dah-Doo)veryslow 2 octave arpeggios using the right sounds forthe right pitches, keeping every note the same dynamic, around 'mf' to start, andproducing the best quality sound possible.

he essential element in all this is that

you are listening to yourself, having first imagined the best sound you possiblycan. Ifyou havesomething tonally to aim at beforeyou play the art of imitating that soundcan be quiteeasy. When I was growing up in Bournemouth that was how I learned,

by training thevoice and by listening and trying to imitate great euphonium artistson recordings.

Another really useful technique is to spend more of your practice time playing lownotes, for low brass players (ifyou have a 4th valve) from low C to pedal C. It is notimportant that you don't use these notes too often in the band room.My favourite

warm up is to start on pedal C, then slowly ascend in this pattern: C,Db, C,D, C,Eb,C,E,etc playing a sustained 'forte' dynamic, without vibrato or inflection of any kind,holding each note for 4 slow counts. When you arrive at the octave, go back the

other way, C,B,C,Bb,C,A,C,Ab, etc. Repeat da ily ! Ifyou have a practice mute use thistoo as the resistance you have to blow against will open the back of the throat. I

guarantee you will make a bigger more open tone afterwards.By practicing belowthe stave you will be simultaneously be helping yourself to play better high notestoo. And finally try to keep the aperture (thespace between your lips) constant. It

mayseem an easy thing to say but over time if facilitatesso many other features ofsuccessful brass playing.

ood luck, it is possible to changeyour musical DNA!

One of the hardest things for a brass player is to sense that your playing isdeveloping, getting better, particularly after the age of say 25, when the first pushfor 'stardom' is over and you are left to contemplate the balance between your

work, family commitments, band and all that goes with that. Where is yourmotivation to practice to take you to the next level? Some people are naturally

ambitious and to ascertain quite where this comes from might necessitate someexpensive minutes on a psychiatristscouch.Some people want a bigger and betterhouse, others are happy with what they have, and so it is with brass playing.So, thisadvice is for all whether you seem happy with your lot or you continually aspire to

do better.

he low brass fraternity are a gregarious warm-hearted breed ofmusicians who share thesame brand of basic humour, who appreciateeach otherswork and are happy to provide rich tones in a band and orchestra that give pleasureand simultaneously make the others musicianssound better!

hat said, there are many who lack anything like a daily routine and herein lies thepotential for a lack ofsustainable improvement. In the last article I mentioned the

importance of quality air, relaxing, utilising the open resonant space within themouth, vowel sounds and low tone practice.

hese key points underlie all we do, it'sifyou like in computer speak, the default way of playing.

hese are there from thefirst to last notesevery day.

he playing position isvital too; the distance from thesmall of the back to the top ofthe head has to be maximized, almost a military style straightness maximizes thepotential of the lung capacity.

ry this for yourself:stand with your back against a


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wall with your feet about 30cms away, slouch a little and take a big breath. You cansense the air intake is 'in the chest', so if you were to exhale strongly your lowermuscles simply wont need to function. In playing terms, you will be working the

facial muscles too much as the 'support' muscles (with their cello-bow-motion, asper the last article) are not being used. Repeat this a few times.

hen standcompletely straight with the back of your feet touching the wall, as well as the

backside, shoulders and head. Now exhale and feel the air automatically enteringlower, filling up like one fills a glass with liquid..( ah ha now you understand!). Asyouexhalestrongly the full use of the musclescan be felt and you have more air. As if toreinforce this critical point, try this: stand up straight, put your arms up (a la copmovie!) aboveyour head, take a deep breath then exhale. Repeat 3 timeseach timewith your armsstretching a little more than before.

hen return to a normal positionand take a powerful breath and feel the differenc e that internal stretching has made.If we can trace 90% of brass players problems to poor air use then surely thequestion of posture and good air intake issomething immediately fixable.

Start your daily routine with this awareness and your lips, tongue, fingers and ears

will thank you. I always begin by 'waking up' the low notes and then progress into atechnical warm up of Clarkestudies, scales and arpeggios.

hese mayseem terriblyold-fashioned to many 'progressive' thinkers but believe you me all the students I

know who have practiced and mastered their scales are brilliant sight readers andcan learn musicvery quickly. It mayshock you learn than many players who auditionat the RNCM can barely play a scale to save their lives! Shocking indeed but am I

more sad for them or frustrated with their teachers? In this 'push-button' age thetimeless discipline of regular disciplined study is not very trendy but I for one will notaccept the watering down of our musiceducation.

he long lasting benefits of scales

and arpeggios can steer you through a career in music or give you the edge inreading and maintaining an even sound with whatever ensembleyou play in. On a

similar topic, and I hate to sound like a drearyschool master, the long note routine Iadopted as a teenager isstill as useful in sound development as it ever was. Using 20seconds as the unit of length, start on a middle F#, then proceed alternately higherand lower, , F, #, E, A, Eb etc arriving after some minutes at octave Cs. Rest for aminute then continue, C#, low B, D, Bb, D#, A etc. Rest after the two octave F#s, thenfourth valve permitting, continuing on to high C and pedal C.

hen take a fewminutes off and contemplate thesoundsyou've been listening to.

ry to play with a

beautiful soft sound ('mp' maximum) and a little vibrato. Breath e deeply andeffortlessly on the 20 second mark ( I hang a watch on the music stand). Ametronome is ok but can disturb the beauty with its ruthlessclicking or beeping.

hissimple exercise has kept me is reasonable shape for over 20 years. One final point

for now is the subject of vibrato, a much maligned feature of the brass playersexpressivevocabulary. Often overdone, often predictable and distracting, when used

sensitively it puts the human element of warmth, beauty as well as thecreation andresolution of tension into our music. We should cultivate this as we do pure tone,but the two are not to be confused. If you are unsure of the mechanics of vibrato

'creation' here is a quick five-step guide:


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1. Repeat over the word 'Yah' (like in a ! erman women's institute meeting),yahyah yah yah.

2. Repeat again but silence thevoiceso only thejaw action continues. 3. Repeat again but try to keep the lips as fixed as possibleso the movement is

seemingly at the back of thejaw. 4. Repeat step three but simultaneouslyexhalestrongly a strong stream on air

with the lips in the 'playing' position with thejaw creating the messagingeffect which is the basis of a rich and controlled vibrato.

5. Take up instrument and playsome mid range long tones using theexperienceofstep 4 to guideyou.Then listen and keep listening and refineyour sound in

the way an artist or sculptor will perfect a work of art.

So that's it for this little piece: posture, scales, long notes and vibrato all of which canhelp the building progress whatever your age or aspirations.

Enjoyyour practice and make beautiful sounds.

Steven Mead

Mouthpiece Whistling and Resistance Mouthpiece Inhalation

Two unconventional things to do with your mouthpiece that enable you to play

with more open " freer sound

RECIPE

Musically, all of us are 'products' of our past musical training and we instinctivelybehave and react in a similar way to the way we did when we wereveryyoung.Sodoes it mean that our brass performance is pre-defined for us? Maybe, but mytempting little recipescan enable any brass player to unlearn some bad habits and

quickly formulate new ones. A bold promise yes, but these simple related recipesmay balance your acquired knowledge of how to play a brass instrument with theskills, (good and bad) that you picked up between the ages ofsay5 and 12.

Here are two techniques to try with mouthpiece alone, really a 'starter' to beconsumed before the main course, rather than as the main dish itself.

INGREDIENTS

1. your mouthpiece, cleaned inside and out (as per normal!) 2. a tuning machine or keyboard, orjust a very good sense of pitch3. a mirror

SERVES

all brass players who feel the need to play well, in particular those who suffer from


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airflow issues and a poorlyshaped embouchure.

The first recipecan beserved either at the beginning of a practicesession or indeedin the middle of one, or mid -rehearsal.

Often our performance can be improved by utilizing more space inside the mouth

and at the back of the throat.The benefits of deep breathing are often negated by arestriction in the throat area and at the back of the oral cavity.Tension makes this

worse as does a lack of 'vocal awareness'.The air simplycannot pass freely throughthe lips, causing a restriction in tone quality, dynamic range and pitch range, toname but three. Ifsuch a concept is appreciated veryearly in one's musical life this

area of technique often stays with us a lifetime, but it can be learned ofcourse.

y Take your mouthpiece (mp), ensuring the shank has been cleaned, turn itaround, then put your lips around theshank ensuring the lips overlap at least2cms (about _ inch) from theend of the mp.

y Hold the mp with one hand and now breathe in and out slowly. Stay asrelaxed and open as possible and check using the mirror there is no facialtension.

y Now take the forefinger of thespare hand andjam it into the b ackbore of themp, blockingjust about all thespace.Breathe in again, gently at first, sensinghow the body is now trying to take in the air despite the massive resistanceyou'vecreated. Relax more and check for facial tension.

y Now increase thevelocity of the intake, trying to fill you lungscompletely inabout 4 seconds, and then exhale too for thesame duration.

y You are now creating a wonderfully powerful tone chamber inside yourmouth and in the throat area.

y Continue this for about a minute (stopping earlier if you become dizzy, faintor die)

y Re-unite mouthpiece with instrument and carry on playing. The benefits ofthis 'dish' are immediate and can be long -lasting.

Thesecond recipe usesexactly and same ingredients but now the mouthpiece is the'correct' way round. I've enjoyed this dish for years and it brings back happychildhood memories of when I was an 'angelic' boy soprano! Vocal concepts havealways been important to me and this unites a vocal approach with whistling; notwhistling with the lips but the natural pitched sounds that emanate from the mp

alone when warm 'round' air is passed through it.Benefits of this areessentially:1. amore rounded aperture2. an awareness of the 'bicycle wheel' ofcontrol muscles we

have round our lips and 3. control of the moving air from the base of the lungs.

y Hold the mp as ifyou are going to buzz on it. Without vibrating the lips pass alarge amount of air through so you'reemptyyour lungs in say2seconds fortrombone, euphonium or tuba, maybe5seconds for trumpet and 4 for horn(a real fortissimo burst of pure warm air). Ensure thesensation in the middleofyour aperture is thesame as when you had the shank of the mp in yourmouth in recipe1.


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y Now take a good breath but allow the air to passslower, say mezzo forte anddouble the exhalation time. As you do this imagine the pure sound ofyourlips whistling (don't worry ifyou are a non -whistler) or a pure hummed tone.

You might, as you near the end of this breath, hear the first signs of theelusive mp whistle.

y Now take a similar large breath but now try to make the exhaled air verywarm and veryslow. Ifyou hear anything resembling a hiss there iseither asnake in your practice room, or you are forcing/squeezing the air through anaperture that is too 'flat'.

y Persist with thisverysoft air and the pure whistle will come (it's possible on atrumpet mp, but very high pitched; quite easy of a horn mp and very easy,onceyou do it right, on anything bigger.

y Use a keyboard or tuning machine to ascertain its pitch, and then try toincreaseyour whistle range to 3 notes, then up to 8. Don't press too hard onthe mouthpiece and check in the mirror that your eyes are open and you

don't look too weird! Try to sustain your notes for 10seconds or more. Onceyou get good, expand your mp whistling range to include Clarke No.2 finger

drills.

Thisexercise will improveyour tone quality asyou are forming a rounder aperture

and maintaining the 'cylindrical' aspects of your air column to where it leavesyourlips and as it travels through your instrument. If it doesn't happen right away don'tgive up, it may take a few days. Like recipe 1 you could hear an immediate

improvement with the 'real' playing that follows. # ood luck with this. Enjoy.

Time to SHAPE-UP - The Mead guide to getting the year offto a goodstart

Well we all need a break sometimes, and probablyyou, like me, eased off over the

holidayseason, maybe only for 2 or 3 days, maybe a week and...surely not, even 10days? And now you want to pick up your instrument and expect it will feel alrightafter about half an hour.Sorry, its not my fault, but it won't, or at least it shouldn't.

It is true to say the moreyou practice, you moreyou miss it when you don't; yourmuscles get accustomed to the workout and when you don't use them in that unique

way that playing a brass instrument demands, they forget and lose power and co-ordination very quickly. It only a subtleshift, but you're out of the zone and th ere'swork to be done to get you right for that first rehearsal with the band/orchestra ,

never mind the first concert or solo gig.

Just how much you've over-indulged yourself on your holiday will also be a factor inyour 'recovery'. Ifyou did not exercise at all, not even walking, for a week and atetoo much everyday, not to mention the cumulative effect of several days alcohol-

induced dehydration, it is not only the lips that are going to protest.

The first symptoms are that you cannot seem to get much air in the lungs...you feel

fat, even if the bathroom scales are only edging a little higher. The breathingmachine that we become when our brass playing is in good shape is quite


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sophisticated , with open oral cavity, relaxed throat, flexible abdominal musclesallowing for a rapid intake of air, like a turbo-charged yawn.These 'opening' musclesare the first to tense up with inactivity, you didn't practice, you didn't exercise...duh !

When the mouthpiece is re-united with the 'face' it can feel like a stranger, aborrowed mouthpiece, the rim may feel smaller and sharper. You might well play

brilliantly for the first 5 minutes and then...oh dear, it all goes wrong...toneproduction, sound quality, flexibility, sustainability all , as one diminish to the poi ntofembarrassment and you check out of the window and around the door that no -

oneyou respect is listening.

It's time to work out, so here goes my one week recovery plan

Day 1 (2 sessions 20 mins each) Stand tall -stretch up with the arms, then down , then higher, breathing in and outeach time, stretch higher and breath deeper and slower each time. Repeat for 3 mins

1. Twist the body left and right keeping you head still , again increasing width ofthe twist and thespeed, don't forget to breath...repeat 3 mins

2. Take a deep breath and flap the lips (NOT buzz), make the lipssound like theengine of a Harley Davidson on low revs, hold sound for 5secs, then 6 then 8then 10. Rest for a minute and repeat

3. Timed inhalation and exhalation, 4 (secs):4, 4:6, 4:8, 4 :10, 4:4, 6:4, 8:4, 10:44. repeat No.35. With instrument start very gently and low, in treble clef Bb pitch, bottom

C,B,C,Bb, C,A,C, Ab, C, $ , C, F#, each note 4 slow beats, breathing only whenyou need to at mp dynamics, repeat three times.Then C, Db, C, D, C, D#, C, E,C, F, C, F#, C, $ (@3)

6. Rest for five minutes7. Repeat No.6 tonguing four crotchets (1/4 notes) for each pitch, at 1/4 = 88 8. Rest for 5 minutes 9. slow chromatic one octave scales , up and down in one breath and be very

positive with the fingers and keep the throat open all the time, add smallcresc. and dim. , first legato then with the tongue

10.Gently playyour favourite10 mins of warm up exercises but not too fast ortoo loud. Limit you Day1session to about 25 min and if possible do it twicein the first day, finishing each session with Ex.3

y Walk vigorously for 20/30 mins. Drink lots of waterDay 2 (2 sessions 30 mins each) All of Day1exercises and then:

1. Two note flexibility in descending 4th s (1 /8th notes), starting middlecgcgcgcgc-------- X2, bf# bf# bf# bf#b ---------X2 etc as low as you can go .Slowly with firm corners of the mouth and good round space in the middle ofthe aperture and constant support from the middle of the body. Repeat twice


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2. Pedal tones, 4 mins, quite strong but very stable in pitch, keep eyes andthroat open keep posturevery upright

3. simplesingle tongueexercises (Arban)4. Use 'Basics Plus' (Guggenberger) or similar basic method book from the

beginning to develop pitch and dynamic range. o Takeyour time, with frequent breaks, stay hydratedo Walk vigorously for 20/30 mins. Drink lots of water

Day 3 (2sessions 40 mins each)

Repeat Day1, but compact all exercises into 15 mins, gently increasing speed ofchromaticscales, and two octaves now, tongue quicker notevalues ofex8, toinclude triplets and 1/16 notes.

Repeat Day2, but add the following:

1. Two octave major and minor scales, not too quick and takevery deep breathsbeforeyou start

2. Practice more extended flexibility exercises but not too fast, use ametronome if possible

3. Long toneexercises, starting middle F#, G, F, G#, E, A, Eb, Bb, D, B, Db, C, C(octave below), each note20secs long

4. Play 3 ofyour favouriteslow melodies, with full expression and dynamics andmakesureyou stand up for this...things ares tarting to get 'real'.

5. More 'Basics Plus' - typeexercises6. Makesureyou warm down, with the 'Harley' exercise. y Walk vigorously for 20/30 mins. Drink lots of water

Day 4 (3 sessionsof20 mins%

more ifyou're feeling G& & D)

You're doing fine, feel what you body is allowing you to do and try to increase theperformance without 'pushing' anything too hard....repetition, rest..repetitionrest....it pays off, so to be patient.

Try to get the Day1 breathing exercises to fell much deeper now....the Ultrabreathtrainer can be used right from Day 1 but increase the power and duration of theexercisesstep bystep, day by day. ADD:

1. Two octave arpeggios, tongued and slurred at quite a brisk tempo but alwayseven dynamics

2. Double and triple tongue (eg Arban) 3. Sight-read some new exercises or a solo... use that 'dark' side of the brain. 4. Go back to your favourite slow melodies and now transpose them higher

and/or lower...use that musical brain ofyours 5. Increase pitch range of Day 3 long tone exercise, now continue (alternately

higher and lower notes) until you get to high F# and (two octaves lowerF#)..rest for 3 mins after this


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6. 'Rev-up' the Harleyexercise, in 2s, 4s, 6s, 8s, 10s y Walk vigorously for 20/30 mins. Drink lots of water. Don't forget to warm

down each time...pedal tones will do fine.

Day 5 (3 sessionsof30 mins ' or twoof45 mins)

You know you are getting better, but you ain't thereyet; you need to start to tacklemore of the lengthy Arban technical exercises, a couple of the Rochut MelodiusEtudes, book 1 or 2: 3 ifyou're really ace!

Step up each of theexercises from the previous days, adding range to the flexibilityexercises and some dynamics, Clarke finger studies, keep the dynamics on thesoftside and use a metronome.

Take frequent rests now so you don't flatten the lips too much.

Keep the posture upright, eyes always open, keep drinking water.

Take time out to do some more breathing exercises...push the Ultrabreatheexercises harder.

Use theBasics Plus range-building exercises and scaleexercises.

Day 6 and 7Increase the above to your normal , (or newlyelevated) practiceschedule, for me its

3 sessions of1 and 1/4 hours minimum but ...hey...you will be as good asyou wanna'be !! It'syour life...but if ajob's worth doing it's worth doing well.

Implement your New Year musical resolutions:

1. Learn 6 new solos, buy (not photocopy) some new euphonium or baritonesolos.

2. Learn all the scales and arpeggios you could never be bothered to learnbefore

3. Improveyour sight-reading, 'look' at a new study or solo for 5 minutes beforeyou play it...imagine how it will sound, work out any difficult rhythms, watchaccidentals, watch for changes of key..GO FOR IT !!

4. Keep your instrument in good condition, brush the leadpipe out , with a longbendy brush, not just water ! This alone could transform your sound andintonation.

5. Don'tjust own a metronome, use it. 6. Set yourself a challenge, a solo in a concert, a recital, tackle a pieceyou never

thought you'd be able to play, form a quartet, play duets regularly with afriend in theBand.

y We're all driven by motivation...the art of musical performance particularly.So it's time to 'shape up' and enjoy another year playing your


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instrument...better than you'veever done before.Good luck

StevenMead January 2005

Using Vocal Techniquesto Enhance AllAspectsofLow Brass Performance

Friday December 21st 2001, 3pm - Midwest Band and Orchestral Clinic, Chicago

StevenMead, Clinician(sponsoredby Boosey and Hawkes)

A personal history, mine and yours, early singing experien ces, allied to the

performance ofsinging.

y What were theexperiences, good/bad and what about thesubstance?y Was it vocal training, orjust singing, trained or untrained?y Was there any concept of vocal performance or was it just with others at

school, church , in the bath etc?

y What was the music: spiritual, descriptive, competition orientated,recreational, academicetc ?

y What elements of our personal history do we remember and are we awarethat it influences our core musicality, ability to phrase, tonal concepts,natural musical breathing?

y If we all had someearlysinging experiences is it possible to remember themnow and re-apply what was part or our experience to the way we makemusic/teach music now?

My influences

y earlysounds I heard.S.A.junior choir,junior band, first music lessons, brasslessons

y feeling for sonority, UK brass bands, soloists, recordings y singing in public y How brass playing took over from singing for me, and why y Mycareer, in brief and how the realization that as I developed as a m usician

and brass performer, I was regressing in terms of my memory ofvocal tuitionand honing what was clearly working to become a detailed method I couldapply to mystudents and my own playing.

B. Elementsofthe method

AIR FLOW

y from before the beginning of the inhalation to theend of the respiration thebodyshould feel powerful and relaxed

y the air passes without any over constraint through into the mouthpiece y the air issupported on itsjourney through the instrument , like an extension

of ourselves


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ORAL CAVITY

y basic understanding of resonance (from the Latin: resonantia, "echo") y in vocal terms: amplification of a source of speech sounds, especially of

phonation, bysympatheticvibration of the air, especially in thecavities of themouth, nose and pharynx.

y brass playerscan grasp thisconcept bysinging in a variety of ways, with theirteacher

y brass players do not need complexexplanations, keep it simple TONGUE POSITION -VOWEL SOUNDS

y three basic vowel sounds, 'ah', 'aw', and 'oo'. These sounds, can bedeveloped through singing, 'half whistling', and blowing pitched air throughthe mouthpiece

y makesure the tongue movement is not excessive y ensure the tip of the tongue position for the beginning of the note does not

varyy support all thevowel sounds with the right kind of airy vowel sound technique will only work if the aperture shape and 'bicycle'

wheel muscles work together in thecorrect way.

OPENNESS of the EMBOUCHURE

y this iscritical to the free flow of the airy each student's lips will beslightly different so a flexible approach is necessary y think 'ah' as the basic sonority and projecting this sound through the

instrument

y always moving, causing easy vibration of the lips, throughout the dynamicand pitch range

EVENNESS OF LIP VIBRATION

y use thevertical, centered index finger method to assessevenness y essential for maintaining consistent response

C. MusicalApplications

SOUND QUALITY -SUBJECTIVE OR OBJECTIVE ?

y can we usevocal models to teach sound quality and do we have to be able todemonstrate it ? Yes and ideally..yes.

y long tone practice, how to do it. y building dynamics into long tone worky think legato, play melodies y articulate within the air stream, play and sing thesameexample


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contrasts of dah, dat, doo, ta, tu, la etc and assess the application determinedbystyle, dynamic of the music

VIBRATO

y "Singers should not produce musical tones with a voice gaping wide in adistorted fashion or with an absurdly powerful bellowing, especially whensinging at the divine mysteries; moreover they should avoid tones having a

wide and ringing vibrato, since the se tones do not maintain a true pitch andbecause of their continuous wobble cannot form a balanced concord withother voices". Practica musicae (1496) ofGaffunus (MSD, xx, 1968, pp.148ff)

y avoid extremist teaching and theories; allow your students to develop abeautiful sound but one which is always musically sympathetic to theensemble or situation

y do not be tempted to imitate theexcesses ofvocal vibratoy for low brass, free the lower jaw allowing the resonant sound to vibrate

rather than just the pitch, i.e. keep the space of the oral cavity round and

high

TECHNICAL STUDIES, FAST EXECUTION, COMBINED WITH FAST TONGUE USE,

EXPRESSION AND NUANCE

y use a large range of technical exercises and use them in a consistent yetflexible manner

y stress the use of a metronome for instilling and re-asserting rhythmicdiscipline

y even in study material listen to ends of phrases and sustaining quality of longtones; it marks out a high qualitystudent from an average one.

Think like a musician, notlike a brassplayer

Thinking musically is one of the most important things to learn in the process ofcreating of a vocal style of brass playing. Develop theear and a feeling for melodic

lineso that good musical experiences in the memory trigger immediatesolutions tomusical problems.

-Steven Mead, December, 2001

Article for ClarinoMagazine

Preparing a Major Solo Piece for Euphonium

"Euphonium Concerto" - Joseph Horovitz

Preparing a major solo piece takes a lot time, whoever the soloist is. Playing thenotes may take a shorter time but a piece ofstature and importance needs more ofyour time than the time it takes to get through the notes. There are not really

enough quality solo pieces for euphonium in existence yet but the situation hasimproved rapidly over the past 15years or so to theextent a euphonium soloist has


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up to 50 extended high quality pieces to select from, from sonatas to rhapsodies,fantasies, fantasias, concertinos, concerti and so on.These major works range from 8minutes to 25 minutes duration and have various accompaniments from piano to

brass and wind band, string and full symphony orchestra. Some have extremetechnical difficulty, so much so that there are maybe less than ten players in theworld you could do a goodjob with it.Therefore the purpose of this article is not to

confuse or impress with seemingly "mythical" ways to play one of these incrediblyhard works with the 5 or 6 hours practice per day to learn, and memorize suchworks, but rather to take what is perhaps the best known and most often playedconcertos for euphonium and show a variety of methods to achieve musical success.

The work I haveselected is the Euphonium Concerto by Joseph Horovitz, composed

in 1972 as a commission from the National Brass Band Championships of GreatBritain.Trevor Groom gave the first performance on October 14th of that year withthe famous GUS Footwear Band conductor Stanley Boddington, at London's Royal

Albert Hall. The work was subsequently recorded shortly after by the same soloistand band with thecomposer conducting.

When it wascomposed it was, almost unbelievably, theeuphonium's first concertosave for one of two extended theme and variation solos that erroneously calledthemselves "concerto".Thecomposer thought at the time he was making quite hightechnical demands on soloists and in a few instances in thescore asks for one or twophrases in the outer movements to be played a littleslower as heconsidered them

to be too difficult for most players. With the technique "inflation" that has gone onsince then, not only do these phrases not need to be slowed down, almost everycollege level player is able to master the technique required with some ease, save

for about four or five phrases.

Horovitz deliberately wrote for a threevalveeuphonium, aware in 1972 that not alleuphoniums had four valves, and not wishing to prejudice wideselling of thesheetmusic (a very shrewd composer), decided to restrict the range demanded so that

nothing lower than concert Bb is demanding (hecould ofcourse, even with a threevalvecompensating instrument has asked for low E) or higher than high concert C. Itreally is amazing that this, the most popular euphonium concerto, has a range of

onlyjust over two octaves, or maybe that is the reason!

However, the musical challenges and an understanding of thesense and idiom of the

musical language seems to remain a mystery to the generations of euphoniumistswhose musical vocabulary is inevitably derived for the music of their history, i.e.

operaticstyleslow melodies and theme and variation solos.The thought processesnecessary to master largescale 3 movements works had not been called into actionbefore and therefore lie dormant for the most part.So concert preparation must seetechnical and musical considerations go hand in hand for a deficit in either one willmean failure, for the composer at least. Also I suppose it essential to say that justplaying studies, exercises, and general "practice" does not make the completemusician. It is imperative to listen to music, to understand the unique "language"that it is, like inflections of speech. By studying other instrumentalists and


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particularlyvocalists wecan go beyond the notesvery quickly and leave our mindsopen to musical refinement rather than thesimple playing of the "symbols" weseeon the printed page.

So now a brief overview of the Euphonium Concerto by Horovitz for those notfamiliar. It is in the standard three movement concerto form; fast /slow /fast,

although the term "fast" is not really as applicable with these outer movements thanin other euphonium works! It is Horovitz at his romantic best, with many intricatepassages requiring detailed articulation immediately contrasted by smooth

melodies. He is always meticulous to mark exact details of tempi, articulations anddynamics, more so than many other large scale euphonium works; yet I still hearcountless performances where many of these clear markings are completely

overlooked. The use of contrasting dynamics is not overdone but a controlled wellarticulated pianissimo technique is important for this work. In the outer movements(1 and 3) there are several passages that require extremely well developed finger

technique and that require detailed slow practice. The music is full of character,sometimes bold, sometimes tender, sometimes a little pompous and often cheeky.

The second movement undoubtedly contains some of the finest slow music evercomposed specifically for theeuphonium and is a movement, which well played andsensitively accompanied, rarely fails to create a special atmosphere and a magicalsilence in the hall at the end. Whilst on the subject of accompaniment, this workexists with brass band, symphonic wind band (recently completed), chamberorchestra and piano; all orchestrations done by thecomposer.

In terms ofspecific preparation for this work I must confess here to have played thiswork over 35 times and so I know all the "corners" and have only to slowly play

some of the technical sections for the "finger memory" to return and having had theluxury of being able to work with the composer (now aged 73 living happily in

London with his wife Anna) I know exactly what he wants. This of course raisesanother interesting point; how much of the learning process involves us deciding wewant to playsomething a bit different from what thecomposer has asked, or ratherhow much originality or licensecan a soloist allow him/herself before the ap proach

can be questioned. Do we want all performances to sound thesame? Ofcourse notor there would be no interest in going to concerts or buying recordings. Thetemptation to exaggerate certain features, indulge oneself, show off etc are realdilemmas for the soloist and ones musical integrity is on the line every time weperform a well known major work,just as trumpet players arejudged on how theyplay the Haydn and Hummel concerti. In many cases even quite well known worksfrom the repertoire seem almost incomplete in terms of performers instructions,

articulation, dynamicsetc but in the hands of talented musicians the piece is able tocome to life. With others the absence ofsuch marking leads them to thinking what I

describe as a mezzo forte approach to everythinghow dull!

Horovitz makes our job easier in a way, byspecifying exactly what he wants and soweshould do our best to obey thecreator's instructions and in order to do this weneed to practice the music slowly so that we can take in all the details, like a slow


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drive in thecar to absorb all the beautiful sites, not to mention the road signs.

In the newest edition on the Concerto, (Pub. Novello 1991), Horovitz has revisedsome of his tempo markings so that the outer movements do not keep changingspeed quiteso much, thus giving the music more flow and line. It is a good idea tofollow this clearly; from my experience if you ever get the chance to perform this

with thecomposer present he will tell you in no uncertain terms how much fa ster orslower you played it from what he really wanted.

And so the opening theme of the 1st movement is a typicallyjoyous, elegantHorovitz theme with alternating smooth and staccato moments for the soloist to

begin his/her journey. I have often spent a lot of time with this opening whenstudents play this at a masterclass at it has to be right, full ofenergy and strength yetstill retaining a feeling ofease and quality, like driving a Jaguar car, (or Mercedes if

you like!) as a steadycomfortablespeed. Perhaps theeuphonium's primarystrengthis the lyrical, cantabile quality of its sound and so this Concerto always gives thechance for the soloist to demonstrate their tone. I never advise soloists to change

their basic practice routine to suite a particular piece as their basic routineshouldcontain all the essential ingredients to master even the hardest works. Long notepractice and technical studies played slowly (Arban, Clarke, Vizzutti etc) however areparticularly useful here. As Ivesaid earlier the need to listen to other types of musicis essential too, particularly great vocal music as the teacher can find himselfexplaining theshape ofeverysingle phrase whereas a musician who has a feeling forsung melody will instinctively find the meaning of a phrase and play it musicallywithout prompting.

Giving the music time and space is a major factor in making any work sound good.Take away the rush and panic and the audience gets a chance to appreciate what

you are trying to say. This isvery true for the first big "technical" challenge of thework (Bar 8, C), where it is easy to let the music accelerando to a point where thesoloist stops trying to play all the notes and all we hear is a blur. It will probably be

necessary to break this phrase down into 3 or 4 pieces and practiceeach veryslowlyuntil the brain and figures, helped by a continuous air flow, begin to communicatewith each other. Keep the right hand relaxed but ensure the fingers always move in a

strong way, without tension.

The alternation between slurred and staccato elements is an essential component of

the1st movement so a strict observance, even exaggeration of the long lengths (i.e.short notesshorter, long notes longer) will help tremendously.Thecontrolled use of

vibrato is also an important factor in making Horovitz's solo music work well andexcesses here (too much vibrato or no vibrato at all) can destroy a performance.Think like a singer and the rest is up to your personal good taste and preference.

The last phrase of the first movement can also cause problems, usually because thesoloist has never really appreciated exactly what the pitches of the notes are,particularly the last six1/16 notes. Practice it slowly and smoothly (without tongue)until everything is in place, then bring in the correct articulation (a controlled flat -


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style double tongue is probably the most efficient).

Great breath control and perfect tuning are essential for the success of the 2ndmovement. This is one of the greatest slow movements ever composed for theeuphonium; its beautifully shaped phrases and calm shifting harmonies can createan incredible atmosphere in a liveconcert.So thesoloist must keep relaxed and rely

on the flow of air through the instrument to sustain the quality of th e tonethroughout. I recommend students to record themselves practicing and then aprocess of self-analysis can be helpful, listening carefully for an even sound

throughout the bigger intervals and precise tuning, particularly in the higher notes.They will usually be sharp in this movement, so adjust valve slides/mainslides/lips/triggers etc as necessary. Don't blameyour instrument - audiences hate

excuses!

Some rubato to the music will also help the feeling so keep the music flowing gentlyforwards all the time, not too static.Theend of the movement is quite memorable,14 measures of middleconcert A; soundseasy, but it is not. It demands total control

of the tone, the ability to allow thevolume to rise and fall as directed whilst keepingthe tuning perfect and gently re-articulating as required. Although it is very slow,practice it slower than you intend to play it, getting used to the time passing veryslowly. Not unrelated to this is the need to keep oneself in good physical conditionto play a major solo piece, with the need for sustained concentration and the abilityto provide a constant high-quality air supply both being dependant on reasonably

good health; jogging, swimming, walking, sensible diet etc all help greatly in thepreparation for musical excellence in performance.

The 3rd movement allows thesoloist thechance to show off technical prowess butHorovitz doesnt make it easy for us, with many of the fast passages needing very

careful preparation for the fingers and the use of a metronome in rehearsal isessential to keep the notes even-paced and clear. The mood is again joyous andalmost pompous, and like the first movement very clear attention to note lengths,

particularly thecontrast between long and short notes isvital. In preparin g for thisConcerto it is the desire to make the piecesound easy that drives me to practice itmore; simply getting through without injury is not enough. Consider thechampion

bullfighter ofSpain, he doesnt run around madly trying to escape thechargi ng bull,but "plays" it with ease to the amazement of the audience. I have manysuch strangeanalogies in my head but I try to keep most of them to myself!

Keep the music rhythmic, feeling the pulse of the metre and even in the hardest

passages keep a rhythmic feel to it (6 before I). Try to find if any "alternative"fingerings will help keep the smoothness, for example middle concert D on 1/2instead of0 and concert G and low D on 3 instead of1/2. What iseasy for one playermayseem more awkward to the next so you have to find your own solution to theproblems.

By keeping a daily routine covering all aspects of "normal" valve technique theplayer should not find any of the passages unplayable but will still need to slow the


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music down to get it right before playing it in tempo.

Try to rehearse with the accompaniment when you can. Ifyou are to perform with aband or orchestra, familiariseyourself with the accompaniment beforeyou get whatwill probably be very limited time with the largeensemble. If you are to play withband then the need for constant projection ofsound also has to be a focus ofyour

thoughts in rehearsal; if the audience cannot hear clearly what you are doing thenthere's not point you playing ! Rehearse in a variety of acousticsituat ionsso that youare used to both dry and resonant halls and can easily adjust

articulations/dynamics/note lengths for maximum effect. A dry acoustic will mean toneed to play smoother and generally longer notes and a very resonant hall willdemand greater clarity of tonguing and cleaner articulation.

As the musicchallenges are overcome with patient practiceso theconfidence of the

performer should also grow and the psychological aspect of performing becomesone ofenjoying the prospect of playing the pie ce to the public rather than the fear ofwhat could go wrong. It is in thisvital final step that so manystudents fall.Beclear in

your mind that you are the master of the music, enjoying the act of giving yourinterpretation of the notes to an audience. Thestudy of a major work, such as theHorovitz Concerto is a rewarding and challenging experience and after one or eventen performances the dedicated musician will still find ways of improving it, refiningall aspects. I hope the above thoughts will be of benefit to all brass performers.

-Steven Mead, August 2000

Getting the Simple Things Right

Much of the music we play today seems to be 'technically' very difficult. That is to

say we need to have great flexibility , fast fingers, super fast tongue action etc.Anyone who has ever taken part in , or adjudicated a solo contest can testify it isoften the simple things that can go wrong. In slow movements of test pieces thequiet soft passages, lone entries, high sustained sections for exposed instrumentsare often the undoing of an otherwisesuccessful performance.Similarly I often findwith students nowadays the teaching of rhythmic playing has clearly not beenthorough enough, nor the counting of exact note values, tied notes, rests. Tripletsare often played in any rhythm apart from that which is mathematically correct.Many players onlyever practicescales the night before an exam at school or college.Aren't we missing the point? You wouldn't pretend to be a qualif ied mechanic ifyoujust like cars and have lots of tools in the garage. You have to learn the trade and

keep learning it.

Music is a language. Like anyone who has travelled to France it is possible to get by

with a basic knowledge and order 'one beer please!' To strike up a reasonableconversation with someone takes a little more practice and effort.

Whatever your practice time try to spend a sizable percentage , say 70% doing what'experts' call the simple things: controlled flexibilities, long notes, sc ales and


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arpeggios (major and minor), single tongueexercises with metronome, the playing ofclassic melodies, soft playing, dotted rhythm exercises., mouthpiece practice,breathing exercises. And so the list goes on.

Much of my solo repertoire has got much more 'difficult' in recent years but theroutine of getting thesimple things right has not altered. If it has it is to get them

even more right than before. In a world that seems to be constantly changing onething remains. Ifyou want to sound good on a brass instrument no lottery grant onits own is going to make you play better. Think of brass playing as a language thatyou sing through your instrument.The more disciplined your practice the moreyouwill be able to communicate with people.

Stamina andNerves - are they related?

Stamina is the ability to sustain something at thestrength at which you would like, inbrass playing terms there are two kinds ofstamina:

1. >Mental2. >Physical

The breakdown ofeither isclear, one the result of lost concentratio n, the other from

a muscle fatigue, usually , but not always in the ability to sustain the pitch andquality of high notes.The moresubtle deficiencies include lack of flexibility, inabilityto play anything less than FORTE, lip vibration reduces due to e xcessive pressure and

therefore tone production becomes like trying to fire a faulty rifle.

Stamina then requires active and continually quick mental thought processes andsustained use of correct breathing, blowing technique, body posture, embouchure

position and sufficient relaxation to allow the body to continue to function for aslong as necessary. How long is this ? It depends.

Nervescan take on many guises, and not all of them are by any means harmful. In

fact that 'sense of occasion feel' can enable us to play better than ordinarily, with areal mental alertness organising our body to act in an unusually well coordinatedway with strong powerful relaxed attitude to performance.Thesense of importancecreated makes us think about the minutiae of performance details more than usual.The positiveeffect of the detailed thought can make all aspects of our preparationmore detailed and therefore more thorough which gives us the confidence to playbetter. It is only with the negativeeffects of nerves that our performancestarts to

drop off, sometimes quite dramatically and inexplicably. We have to understand theindividual topics to integrate them to a strong combination that can sustain and

enhance our performing career.

Touring

It must seem to readers of theBB that I've been travelling with myeuphonium forhundreds ofyears as many have been hearing of myexploits for some time! Well Ienjoy my playing and have in the last 10 years or so been able to concentrate on


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professional solo playing around the w orld , whilestill trying to keep my feet on theground and look after my family, teaching, private students , writing and othercommitments at home. My 'job' has evolved; it was never advertised in the paper

but I instinctively moved my career into a position where I was able to play theeuphonium as much as possible and make a living from it.

When I left school in 1980 I was told that I'd never earn a living from theeuphonium , unless Ijoined a military band , so why not play the trombone or tuba. Istuck to my guns and after three years at Bristol University and then teaching

training at Bath moved to theMidlands to get a realjob, teaching at deFerrers HighSchool in Burton on Trent and playing with the Desford CollieryBand. It goes withoutsaying it was a fantastic time to havejoined the Band and the atmosphere in the

Band was electric. I practiced at school from early morning and then as soon asextra-curricular activities were finished around 6pm, went directly to the band roomor stayed at school till 9pm to practice. I wassingle then !!

Practice makes you lucky so they say and I've never lost the urge to play, I'm a

practice junkie , unfortunately. It paid off then and still does, as the soloengagements started coming in , mostly as a result of the exposure I was gettingwith Desford, and particularly through theBBC Best ofBrass.The travelling initiallyhad to fit pr

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