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Thread: Terrible slurring habits

  1. In addition to the advice above, I would agree that one of the most important aspects of practicing lip slurs is indeed direction. But when I'm practicing slurs, instead of worrying about slurring up, down, playing upstream, downstream, etc, the only important direction for me is forward. For example, when playing exercises out of Charles Colin's "Lip Flexibilities", you'll see series of partial slurs that go down, up, back down, back up, etc. I find that if I worry less about the up and down motion and instead think of all the notes being flat out and just blowing forward from note to note, I'm able to navigate them with much more clarity and ease.

    Just something else for you guys to try.
    JACE VICKERS, DMA
    Assistant Director of Bands
    Assistant Professor of Low Brass
    East Central University

  2. Thanks Paul and Jace for these suggestions, references and your shared expertise. In orchestra we are playing Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Military March No 1 and No 2 (original rep). Besides both of these pieces in their original form being a low brass blast, one phrase which comes to mind is in No 2 where there is an upward slur art a fast tempo that needs to be executed just right or else bad things will emanate.

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    It occurs before the first ending and or Coda and crosses this upstream downstream transition zone. For some strange reason more air always does the trick which I equate to Jace's approach of "moving forward."
    Bob Tampa FL USA
    Euph -- 1984 B&H Round Stamp Sovereign 967 / 1978 Besson NS 767 / Early 90s Sterling MP: 4AL and GW Carbonaria
    Tuba -- 2014 Wisemann 900 CC / 2013 Mack 410 MP: Blokepiece Symphony American Shank and 33.2 #2 Rim

  3. Jace.

    You have a great point, which is VERY helpful.

    'Diagnosis' of a problem is one thing, but you have hit the nail on the head with an uncomplicated 'treatment' or 'remedy.'

    Sometimes we can think on things too much, and when the music gets complicated, we mess up.

    We need to be focusing on musicality when we play and the simplest and most direct route is what we need.

    I asked a colleague once how he pulled off a certain virtuosic passage. His reply was that he really did not know as he doesn't really think technique anymore. Fortunately at an early stage in his career he had those aspects of his playing very well 'disciplined' and at this point in life has the luxury of being able to focus on artistry rather than struggle with technique.

    Many thanks and hopes that you will continue to chime in with good ideas.

    Paul
    BMB F tuba 445s
    BMB CC (BAT) 865s
    Mack Euphonium 1150s
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  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by paulmaybery View Post
    Jace.

    You have a great point, which is VERY helpful.

    'Diagnosis' of a problem is one thing, but you have hit the nail on the head with an uncomplicated 'treatment' or 'remedy.'

    Sometimes we can think on things too much, and when the music gets complicated, we mess up. <snip>

    Paul
    This reminds me of what some golf pros would say, "paralysis thru analysis". Sometimes the simple remedy works fine without over thinking the problem.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
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    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
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    Chorale and Shaker Dance
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  5. Quote Originally Posted by RickF View Post
    This reminds me of what some golf pros would say, "paralysis thru analysis". Sometimes the simple remedy works fine without over thinking the problem.
    To quote Paul from a recent post... "Amen!"
    Bob Tampa FL USA
    Euph -- 1984 B&H Round Stamp Sovereign 967 / 1978 Besson NS 767 / Early 90s Sterling MP: 4AL and GW Carbonaria
    Tuba -- 2014 Wisemann 900 CC / 2013 Mack 410 MP: Blokepiece Symphony American Shank and 33.2 #2 Rim

  6. "For some strange reason more air always does the trick which I equate to Jace's approach of "moving forward." "

    Yep, and we can think of it a little more subtly also.

    When playing rangy stuff and teaching range, I always teach the student that there's no such thing as high notes low notes (and sometimes I have them verbally say "there's no such thing as high notes or low notes" - kinda liberating!)

    There are only notes that are close by ("low notes") and notes that are further away ("high notes"); our range is actually horizontal, not vertical. In the middle and low register, the notes are close in front of us, we don't have to push the air very far. As we ascend, the notes gradually get further away, so we push the air further to meet them. As an example, you can air-play through an ascending scale or arpeggio with your hand starting about six inches from your face. The goal is to hit your hand (the note) with your air. As the scale goes on, you move your hand (note) further away, and you propel your air further and further away to meet the note. Usually, as you do this, you can notice your facial musculature moving quite naturally to aid in directing the air more directly forward to meet the note.

    So, you can think of "forward" as just meaning "more air", or you can think of it as propelling air on the horizontal (as opposed to vertical) plane that is our range. I've found this idea "everything is flat out" really helpful when playing and teaching, but I'm not sure how well-known it is; I didn't come across it until I started grad school.

    (Hopefully this is coherent in a written format, it's a little easier to explain in person)
    JACE VICKERS, DMA
    Assistant Director of Bands
    Assistant Professor of Low Brass
    East Central University

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