Brass
Suggested Reading
1. Rehearsal Rooms
Struggling to improve the acoustics in your band room? Check out how the Medan Band did it.
2. Concerned about playing swing music properly?
Check out my guidelines
3. Ear training exercises for bands
Unlike piano players, ear training is essential for wind band performers. But how many band directors bother to give their bands suitable exercises?
4. Intonation problems
While tuning is simple act of adjusting a length of tubing on a wind instrument (often by reference to a single note), intonation is an ongoing process in which a player strives to match the pitch of others in the ensemble during performance.
5. “Blowing” a wind instrument
A common misconception among wind players is to believe that the air moves through the instrument in order to produce the sound. This is simply not true.
6. Conducting – suggestions for home practice
The best way for a conductor to improve is in front of a live ensemble. The unfortunate reality, however, is that this is not always possible. Aspiring conductors therefore have little choice but to find other ways of honing their skills.
Suggested Books, Instruments & Accessories
Warm-ups
- Details
- Category: Brass
- Published on Sunday, 25 April 2010 15:57
- Written by Bruce Gale
- Hits: 4489
Just as an athlete finds it necessary to limber up ahead of a training session, regular warm-ups should form an important part of every brass players practice session,. Warm-ups are essentially embouchure training and muscle building exercises designed to allow the muscles and tissues involved to become supple. They also promote good tone, breath support, flexibility and range. They typically include long tone studies in the middle and low registers, scales and lip slurs. Some teachers also recommend that players “warm-down”, especially after a demanding practice session. A warm-down usually consists of a few soft notes in the low register designed to relax the lips and prevent stiffness.
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