Food for thought. Found this on Dr. Dave Wilken's blog: http://www.wilktone.com/
http://ideas.time.com/2012/01/25/the-myth-of-practice-makes-perfect/
I remember Dr. Mack (And Bob and Dave and Dave...and Dave...heck, all my private and applied teachers) saying "I don't want to hear what you do well, I want to hear what you are having problems playing." Turns out they are right.
When you pick up the horn today, work on something that causes you difficulty. Let speed come from well executed technique.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Some thoughts on equipment
Most of the students I see don't own their own mouthpieces. I find that somewhat frightening. Only one at the post-secondary level has owned mutes, which is nowhere near as surprising.
Here are the basic recommendations I tend to make. I'll touch on mouthpieces first, then mutes.
The first thing I usually suggest to a secondary student, or the occasional primary aged student, is the purchase of a mouthpiece. Two good things come of purchasing a new (better?) mouthpiece. The first is a greater sense of ownership in the process. The second is an almost immediate increase in facility. Playing on a 'stock' 12C (tenor trombone) or 24AW (tuba) can make a negative impact on the students early endeavors. Both of those tend to be too small to allow the student to play in the mid to low range of the horn with the sound that most band directors expect.
Tenor trombone; most students have success with a mouthpiece that measures an inner diameter in the 1 inch (25.4mm) range. These measurements are approximations. There are numerous brands with mouthpieces in this range. Most music retailers carry several so as to placate the local private teaching community. The most common size designations are 6 1/2 and 50. These correspond to sizing models developed by the largest mouthpiece manufacturers.
Tuba; the two basic sizes my students experience the most growth by using are around 1.24 inches (31.5mm) and around 1.28 inches (32.5mm). Again, these measurements are approximations. The numbering on tuba mouthpieces is less codified, however the designations 18, 66, 12 and 69C4 tend to relate to those sizes of tuba mouthpiece.
This is meant to be a VERY generalized list of mouthpieces. I have used and continue to use mouthpieces in these sizes to meet my playing goals. The sizes are fairly conservative in that my goal is to get the student playing a mouthpiece that allows access to most of the range of the instrument and still maintains the characteristic sound of said instrument. If the student can play most of the pitches s/he sees on a regular basis with control, half the battle is won. Also of note, I have deliberately avoided talking about shape, bore and rim profile. Mouthpiece shape, and the variations therein, deserve more space. So, COMING SOON!!! A blog on the vagaries of mouthpieces!!!!!
Owning mutes is not generally expected of tuba players in a secondary ed setting. They're bulky, expensive and much of the literature written for these settings doesn't call for muted tuba.
Trombone literature is a different kettle of fish. There are instances of parts calling for mutes as early as Jr High/Middle School. I recommend that students purchase mutes in this order; 8th to 9th grade-Plunger (new, please. No handle required.) and Straight. As soon as the student makes the top Jazz ensemble-Cup and Bucket. There are a couple of others, pixie and Harmon most notably, that a secondary musician can see called for but aren't used with the same frequency as the four mentioned earlier (plunger, straight, bucket and cup) that I can't recommend buying these last two as a matter of course. Wait until you really need them. Also, there are a number of manufacturers of mutes. Best to try before to buy (with the exception of the plunger, just grab one from the local hardware store) and access to a playing professional after purchase can really help. The corks on the mutes will need to be filed and shaped to fit your horn. Keep in mind, if the students purchases a new instrument the mutes will fit (and play in tune) differently than before. New cork might need to be purchased and the whole fitting process will need to occur again.
By the time the student begins playing in any collegiate ensemble they should own both the mouthpiece appropriate to the instrument and a basic set of mutes for their primary instrument.
Feel free to comment and thanks for reading!
Here are the basic recommendations I tend to make. I'll touch on mouthpieces first, then mutes.
The first thing I usually suggest to a secondary student, or the occasional primary aged student, is the purchase of a mouthpiece. Two good things come of purchasing a new (better?) mouthpiece. The first is a greater sense of ownership in the process. The second is an almost immediate increase in facility. Playing on a 'stock' 12C (tenor trombone) or 24AW (tuba) can make a negative impact on the students early endeavors. Both of those tend to be too small to allow the student to play in the mid to low range of the horn with the sound that most band directors expect.
Tenor trombone; most students have success with a mouthpiece that measures an inner diameter in the 1 inch (25.4mm) range. These measurements are approximations. There are numerous brands with mouthpieces in this range. Most music retailers carry several so as to placate the local private teaching community. The most common size designations are 6 1/2 and 50. These correspond to sizing models developed by the largest mouthpiece manufacturers.
Tuba; the two basic sizes my students experience the most growth by using are around 1.24 inches (31.5mm) and around 1.28 inches (32.5mm). Again, these measurements are approximations. The numbering on tuba mouthpieces is less codified, however the designations 18, 66, 12 and 69C4 tend to relate to those sizes of tuba mouthpiece.
This is meant to be a VERY generalized list of mouthpieces. I have used and continue to use mouthpieces in these sizes to meet my playing goals. The sizes are fairly conservative in that my goal is to get the student playing a mouthpiece that allows access to most of the range of the instrument and still maintains the characteristic sound of said instrument. If the student can play most of the pitches s/he sees on a regular basis with control, half the battle is won. Also of note, I have deliberately avoided talking about shape, bore and rim profile. Mouthpiece shape, and the variations therein, deserve more space. So, COMING SOON!!! A blog on the vagaries of mouthpieces!!!!!
Owning mutes is not generally expected of tuba players in a secondary ed setting. They're bulky, expensive and much of the literature written for these settings doesn't call for muted tuba.
Trombone literature is a different kettle of fish. There are instances of parts calling for mutes as early as Jr High/Middle School. I recommend that students purchase mutes in this order; 8th to 9th grade-Plunger (new, please. No handle required.) and Straight. As soon as the student makes the top Jazz ensemble-Cup and Bucket. There are a couple of others, pixie and Harmon most notably, that a secondary musician can see called for but aren't used with the same frequency as the four mentioned earlier (plunger, straight, bucket and cup) that I can't recommend buying these last two as a matter of course. Wait until you really need them. Also, there are a number of manufacturers of mutes. Best to try before to buy (with the exception of the plunger, just grab one from the local hardware store) and access to a playing professional after purchase can really help. The corks on the mutes will need to be filed and shaped to fit your horn. Keep in mind, if the students purchases a new instrument the mutes will fit (and play in tune) differently than before. New cork might need to be purchased and the whole fitting process will need to occur again.
By the time the student begins playing in any collegiate ensemble they should own both the mouthpiece appropriate to the instrument and a basic set of mutes for their primary instrument.
Feel free to comment and thanks for reading!
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