Page 27 - Bandworld Magazine 2015
P. 27
SO YOU WANT A BETTER TRUMPET SOUND?
PART ONE:
FIND A ROLE MODEL
SO YOU WANT A BETTER TRUMPET SOUND?
Vocabulary Bank:
Airy Big Brassy Bright Buzzy Clear Closed Cutting Dark Deep Dull Edgy Focused Free Full Harsh Heavy Light Mellow Muffled Narrow Open Pinched Relaxed Resonant Rich Ringing Round
Shallow Small Spread Strained Strong Vibrant Weak Wide Woody
The adjectives in this word bank are only suggestions. You can create your own adjectives/short phrases in
yourresponses. Someoftheseadjectiveshaveapositiveassociationandothersnegative. Listenforboth.
PART ONE:
Remember, we are only considering tone quality and not other elements of performance.
FIND A ROLE MODEL
1. Example #1 Tone Quality Description:
_____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Example #2 Tone Quality Description: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Example #3 Tone Quality Description: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Example #4 Tone Quality Description: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Example #5 Tone Quality Description: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Example #6 Tone Quality Description: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Example #7 Tone Quality Description: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Which performer’s tone quality do you like best? Why? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
Fay Olswanger 50
Let’s answer our question with another question....
What is a trumpet supposed to sound like?
It’s probably difficult for you to describe what you think a clarinet should sound like, but I bet you could offer an opinion of which sound you liked better if you heard two people playing the trumpet.
Using a critical ear, listen to each performer and fill out the worksheet on the following page. Do not be afraid to listen to recordings multiple times!
These six individuals are accomplished trumpet players who have great tone. However, none of them have the exact same tone. The sound that appeals to one ear might not appeal to another.
Example No. 1: Adolpf ‘Bud’ Herseth Former Principal Trumpet of Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Example No. 3: Alison Balsom Trumpet Virtuoso
Example No. 5: Wynton Marsalis Trumpet Virtuoso and Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Trumpet
Tone Playlist
Example No. 2:
Maurice André
Former Trumpet Teacher at Paris Conservatory
Example No. 4: Allen Vizzutti Trumpet Virtuoso
Example No. 6: Tine Thing Helseth Trumpet Virtuoso
Example No. 7: Philip Smith Principal Trumpet of New York Philharmonic
Fay Olswanger 49
1/4 size sample pages
SO YOU WANT A BETTER TRUMPET SOUND?
PART THREE:
EMBOUCHURE CHECK
SO YOU WANT A BETTER TRUMPET SOUND?
Play these tone exercises daily to improve tone quality. Always listen to make sure that you are producing your most beautiful tone possible. Slow intentional practice is what develops a better tone!
MOUTHPIECE BUZZING
A lot of great brass work can and should be done on the mouthpiece. Any brass instrument merely amplifies the sound that you produce on the mouthpiece. Therefore, the tone quality of your buzz will be the tone quality of your playing. Work to achieve the most beautiful sound you can while buzzing.
Mouthpiece exercises should be done at a full volume. Where glissandi are indicated, they are an essential part of the drill. Make them as slow and even as you can, passing through as many pitches as possible. Where no glissandi are indicated, try to keep the pitches as clean and distinct as possible, while still slurring (maintaining one constant airstream).
If you have a piano to start each pitch anTd rhueamr thpe ienterBval,uitz’s zheianvilgy recommended you use it. Alternately, you may play each starting pitch and interval on your instrument. You can (and should!) do this exercise in any key and with any
starting pitch. The intervals are listed below for easy identification.
œ œ ˙
Major 3rd
[Composer]
œ œ ˙
[Composer]
[Composer]
[Composer]
Exercise No. 1
&4 œ œ ˙ Major 2nd
Exercise No. 2
œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙
œ œ ˙
Major 7th
Trumpet Buzzing 2
Perfect 4th Perfect 5th Major 6th
Perfect Octave
Trumpet Buzzing 3
&4œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
Exer4cise No. 3 ˙
&4˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙w
Exercise No. 4
Trumpet Buzzing 4
&4œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ w
Fay Olswanger 55
Now you have an idea of where you are. You have an idea of where you want to go.
But, how do you get there?
In the next section, you will find some common embouchure problems that result in a decrease in tone quality as well as how to fix them.
Correct Formation of the Embouchure
1) Practice a “sigh” breathe, saying “HO----” as you exhale. Make sure to keep your throat relaxed and open with no restrictions.
2) Say “banana.” Make sure the “buh” sound is strong.
3) Set the lips in the “B” formation (like you’re saying “buh”).
4) Lips should be together naturally (not too tight or too limp).
5) Sigh through the “B.”
6) Produce a good buzz in this position.
Keep in Mind
A beautiful free buzz is a beautiful mouthpiece buzz. A beautiful mouthpiece buzz makes a great sound. Bottom line: Your buzz should always have the best tone quality possible!
Fay Olswanger 53
So You Want a Better Sound? continued on Bandworld Online • www.bandworld.org/free 27
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