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GETTING TECHNICAL
Practice Techniques
So far in this column I have tried to provide some observations and
suggestions concerning basic aspects of technique. However, as in the
acquisition of any skill, an organized and dedicated approach to practice is
necessary in order to reach a consistent and reliable level of performance.
Warm Up
Firstly, like an athlete, the best way to achieve suppleness and rhythm or in
our case, tone quality and flexibility of range, is by an almost ritual ‘warm
up’. For the brass player, limbering up the breathing mechanism, ensuring a
comfortable but disciplined posture and responsive embouchure, is crucial in
ensuring a long lasting ‘modus operandi’ and natural, physical freedom in
one's playing. Many subscribe to the notion that the dimensions of a careful,
structured ‘warm up’ can yield a proportional level of stamina at the other
end of the day. However, one must never lose sight of the real purpose of a
‘warm up’. In my opinion, the reasons for warming up may differ between
various categories of players. For instance, a student should use a ‘warm up’
to perfect technical refinements and may come back and repeat certain
aspects several times in a day, while the occasional performer (sometimes
affectionately known as ‘Weekend Warriors’) should use it to re-establish
formal playing skills to ensure, if possible, a satisfying and rewarding
standard of performance and hopefully avoid their ‘lip going’ in the first
fifteen minutes. A regular player will, however, utilize a ‘warm up routine’
to rebalance technique from the style of music making undertaken the
previous day. In other words, a kind of ‘daily MOT test’: checking some
aspects thoroughly, while merely ‘paying lip-service’ (literally) to others.
For example performers who enjoy a varied musical life may find
themselves playing in a Big Band one night and then possibly more sensitive
chamber music the next day, thus employing contrasting techniques.
Although versatility among brass players is common and most rewarding, it
requires intelligence and skill to adhere to the strict rules of style between
musical genres. For this reason conscientious players will almost always
undertake a short ‘warm down’ after a performance to promote a rebalancing of playing skills. This may take the form of a series of ‘false
harmonics’ in the low register, thus relaxing the embouchure while
recomposing the breathing.
Start on the second harmonic (no valves/1st position) and bend the notes
down a 4th with the lip while keeping the instrument full of air.
This can be repeated from the fundamental or pedal register (an octave
lower) to acquire further relaxation.
Scales & Arpeggios
Although perhaps not universally the most popular subject of an organized
practice routine, scales and arpeggios still represent the most effective way
to acquire the following:
Expanding Range
Intonation
Fluency of fingering/slide positions (muscle memory)
Co-ordination between tongue and fingers/right arm (muscle memory)
Consistency of articulation and legato slurring throughout range
Consistency of tone throughout range
Knowledge of keys and cliché passages
Breathing organization and quick inconspicuous breaths
Stamina/endurance
In my experience, players who regularly practice scales and arpeggios gain a
confidence and freedom in their playing that is easily recognisable in
performance, auditions and assessments. In addition, the ability to recognize
scale or arpeggio based material within pieces aids reading and fluency of
execution. Finally, in all honesty who can really deny that the above list
represents many of the attributes that are synonymous with the finer brass
player.
Organization
Timetabling practice is the only way to maximize progress and ensure all
aspects are covered. I recommend that after a thorough ‘warm up’ and then
scales, a student should then prioritize remaining time between
studies/etudes, solo repertoire and orchestral excerpts (if applicable).
In full-time higher education there is without doubt a temptation to practice
for long stretches in the vague hope that a lengthy ‘work-out’ will inevitably
lead to improvement. In reality, the ability to concentrate for long periods
plus the taxing physical nature of brass playing will often result in fatigue,
bad habits and even lasting repetitive strain issues. The professional player
is, however, often faced with the opposite problem of finding enough time to
practice and perhaps ‘slotting it in’ between other playing engagements. In
my experience one should not try to play for more than 45 minutes in any
hour. The remaining time is then available for rest and the stretching and
relaxing of muscles. Many professionals ‘on the road’, take with them bound
copies of a forthcoming solo programme that can be lifted out of the case
whenever a free moment in a playing schedule arises. Speaking from
experience, there can be nothing more frustrating than unexpected free time
without the correct materials to practice.
Awkward passages
When attempting to learn a new piece of music many players find that they
can play the majority of the work with very little preparation, with only a
few awkward passages causing hesitations or break downs on each complete
run through. The obvious remedy here is to play the difficult passage again
and again and again. However, always take care to analyse the real technical
problem before attempting to repeat the passage. Awkward passages usually
involve a tricky fingering/slide shift and associated co-ordination of the
tongue. Prolonged, careless, repetition only promotes ‘practicing in’ the
problem. As referred to above in the paragraph on the benefit of scales, we
are very dependent on ‘muscle memory’. Here are a number of ways to
conquer a tricky passage!
Break down into small motifs
Play very slowly
Apply a different rhythm (perhaps dotted: long/short and then short/long)
Try and identify certain notes, which if exaggerated give increased clarity
(Secret notes!)
Expect to play certain passages up to 50 times each session
(with full concentration and analysis).
I know a number of esteemed colleagues who still practice difficult passages
of an oft-performed work very slowly a few days before a performance.
Given that a major obstacle in gaining fluency in any fast passage is often
that of simple co-ordination, don’t be afraid to give the ‘chops’ a rest. Sit
down, make a cup of tea and use the tongue and fingers/slide arm to mime
the passage. Most people are very happy with the results that can be
achieved by this simple and effective aid to co-ordination and ‘muscle
memory’.
Advanced skills
I know many talented players who are aware of their limitations in certain
technical areas. These usually include exercises in the extreme high and low
register (including pedal notes) and commonly, ‘lip-trills’. Building a
consistent high register with a good sound can be physically taxing so try to
timetable practice towards the end of a session, followed by some low
register (false harmonics) to ‘warm down’. There is nothing frightening or
mysterious about the ability to ‘lip-trill’, which can be leant in a relatively
short time. Slow, measured oscillations between two notes will help to even
out the relative difficulty of going up over a harmonic and the ease of
coming down. Finally, never be embarrassed about sounding less than
perfect in your practice. It is always wiser to practice the things you are not
so good at rather than those you already do well.
Lip Trills
Play the open 6th harmonic but on valves 1 & 3 or 4th position
Oscillate to the note one tone above
Set a pulse of quarter note = 84
One bar of quarter notes
One bar of eighth notes
One bar of eighth note triplets
One bar of sixteenth notes
One bar of sixteenth sextuplets
Hey presto! You are trilling!