I stumbled across an excellent YouTube video of a masterclass given by Charles Vernon, bass trombonist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He speaks on a variety of brass concepts in regards to Song and Wind, a methodology of the late Arnold Jacobs. The main ideas in the video include having a sound concept in your head, good air movement, and using rhythm to coordinate all physical aspects of playing (breathing, embouchure, articulation, and valve or slide movement). Enjoy!
The studio!
I’ve recently re-vamped my home studio. This is “the laboratory” for lessons, practicing, study, or anything else music. I’ve recently added a web cam (this is the view)-more pictures to come!
Find time to play with great players
Successful trumpet playing is easier if you have a great model to follow. Putting yourself in situations where you can play with high level musicians is one of the fastest ways to conceptualize and reinforce many aspects of making music.
I’ve found recently that sitting in an orchestra section has re-opened my eyes (ears) to what great articulation, a resonant sound, and leadership can do for trumpet playing. This weekly reminder has helped me with some aspects of my playing that I have let slide over the last few months to a year.
There are dozens of other concepts to learn while playing with a great player. Style, dynamics, control, balance, blend, intonation, and pace are just a few of them.
Take a lesson, play some duets, or “zero-in” on the principal of your section the next time you have rehearsal. I guarantee you’ll learn something to incorporate into your own playing.
The Sound of the Trumpet
A trumpet is identified by the sound it produces. There’s nothing else in the world, natural or man-made, that sounds like a trumpet. It’s also one of the easiest instruments for the everyday public to identify. Due to this and the fact that the trumpet plays a prominent and/or leading role in most ensembles it is imperative that quality of sound be of the highest priority for any trumpeter.
A select few of us are lucky enough to produce a beautiful, resonant sound without even trying. These people can put most of their focus toward something else while the rest of us spend a good deal of time working out different aspects of a good trumpet sound. For most situations, a good trumpet sound will possess qualities such as brilliance, clarity, depth, core, and projection. While each trumpet player works on various exercises (pedal tones, long times, breathing methods, soft and loud playing, etc.) to enhance the qualities they are looking to produce, having a vivid mental sound concept may be the most important. It is for me.
Take the time to immerse yourself in the sound of your favorite players. Listening to great trumpet sounds will cultivate a sound concept of your own, which will eventually find its way out of your bell. Listening will do as much for your sound as playing exercises, provided that your ear is critical enough when examining your own sound. The brain and ear working together really go a long way to promoting growth as a player. A “trumpet friendly” practice room and a recording device will help your ear do its job more effectively. I could discuss trumpet sound behind the bell versus out in front and how that can trick the ear, but that’s a topic for another day.
Balance
I’ve come to realize over time that balance may be the most important concept in trumpet playing. Balance can make a player stronger, and more versatile; without it a player can be reduced to an elementary level of performance with a simple one-dimensional sound.
For me, discovering balance has made me a more physically capable player. Air and embouchure must be balanced to achieve great control, stamina, and sound. This means there must the correct amount of air to properly vibrate the lips freely at a given frequency, and allow the lips flexibility and suppleness for “finesse”. Too little air and the lips will collapse, resulting in a small sound and reduced control (lips will tense up or clamp together and inhibit vibrations) in the mid to high register, often to the point of not having a high register. Too much air and the lips will spread apart, resulting in a spread sound, little to no control at soft dynamic levels, and often the necessity of using excess arm pressure to obtain a high register. That’s not to say either of these scenarios will be an automatic failure for a player, but it generally impedes progress or stops it altogether, based on my experience as a player and teacher. Balance is somewhere in the middle; the air provides all the energy for playing and does nearly all the work except for allowing the lips to have just enough control for “finesse” (low to high register, soft to loud dynamics)
Notice: The above scenarios are very basic in explanation, and many smaller variables also affect the outcome.
Stamina is greatly improved by balance. The air and embouchure working together producing a force moving away from the mouth will interact with mouthpiece pressure moving towards the mouth. Both of these forces will nearly cancel each other if the air/embouchure group is operating efficiently. This reduces muscle fatigue by a great degree, which allows a player to play under higher stress levels or for longer periods of time.
Once the right ratio of air to embouchure is found, slight variations in the air intensity will provide different tonal colors. For me, my normal balanced state produces a sound biased towards the dark side of the spectrum. (Around a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being dark and 10 being bright). If I increase my air slightly above the balance point I can move my sound up to around a six or so. Conversely, if I reduce my air below the balance point I can move down to a three. Air usage and balance adjustment will vary the amount of high and low overtones present, changing projection and color, giving a more three-dimensional quality to your sound. This is a very useful tool for an orchestral or free-lance player.
A third component is necessary for some to achieve balance. Using the right equipment can make things easier to get the sound or feel that a player desires. By changing the resistance of the mouthpiece or trumpet (or both) you change what the body must do arrive at a balanced state. Also, a trumpet and mouthpiece that contribute to the desired sound will allow a player to remain closer to the “normal balanced state”. I choose to play Bach trumpets. I find they have a middle of the road sound (dark to bright) which works well for my personal normal balance state. These horns enable me to change my sound color to suit the style of the music or the group in which I am performing. Yes, I have to work a little harder for a bright commercial sound (playing above the balance point) or dark jazz ballad sound (playing below the balance point), but I can get there with one horn. You can imagine the work necessary to play bright on a naturally dark horn, and vice versa. However, if you can also see the benefit of selecting a horn suited to your sound concept. For example, if you want to play with a dark sound, a dark sounding trumpet will bias your normal balanced state a little more to the dark side, making your life a little easier.
A mouthpiece can tweak what a particular trumpet will do for you. There are thousands of mouthpiece combinations on the market to help players “dial in” their playing. (Mouthpiece safari,anyone?) I’ll save that topic for another day…..