“It Ain’t Necessarily So” Sifting Through Brass Dogma Randy Adams Professor of Trumpet Sam Houston State University “Always take a full breath!” “Only breathe what’s needed.” “Warm-up with free buzzing.” “Never free buzz.” “Support from the gut” “Keep the gut relaxed.” “Arch the tongue.” “Keep the tongue low.” We will learn about these and
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The brass player’s embouchure is a paradoxical phenomenon requiring much training and regular maintenance. The very idea that it is possible to turn a “Bronx cheer” into music with the aid of a mouthpiece and some brass plumbing with a flared end almost defies reason! And yet, with a careful combination of tension and suppleness,
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Part Three: Centering and Tuning What does “Tone Centering” mean, and how do you do it? Recapping from Part One, a “centered” sound is a balanced tone containing the full complement of overtones available in a instrument – a “bright/dark” sound with both highs and lows. Producing this sound requires the correct frequency, a properly
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Part Two: Airflow and Embouchure In Part One of our discussion we focused on overtones and their role in defining tone color. Next comes the nuts and bolts of producing a centered tone. Solid fundamentals are the essential building blocks of resonant sound beginning with air and embouchure. Airflow – The Fuel Supply First, the
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Part One: Overtones “High, fast and loud” are all great fun, but the fundamental aspect of any musical endeavor is a beautiful tone – pure, resonant, warm clear and in-tune. The quest of for a beautiful tone should always be first and foremost in the musician’s thinking no matter what the tempo, volume or
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