I have through my teacher been doing lip bending exercisers do any of you guys use them and over what range.
I have through my teacher been doing lip bending exercisers do any of you guys use them and over what range.
My section mate in the Coast Guard Band had gone to Ohio State. While there his teacher had him go through an entire semester with his tuning slide pushed all the way in, but of course he was still required to play in tune! It helped him develop a very full sound.
I have practiced playing simply tunes like Blue Bells of Scotland. I use the standard fingers (key of Eb concert) but tried to play it a half step lower.
Because I play a lot of jazz/pop songs (check my videos on YouTube) I often do down-and-back bends, so that has also given me more flexibility.
There are some examples to help start the conversation. None of my own teachers had me working on this particular skill.
Dave Werden (ASCAP)
Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
Adams Artist (Adams E3)
Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
YouTube: dwerden
Facebook: davewerden
Twitter: davewerden
Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium
Some of David Vining's "Daily Routines" have note-bending exercises. Some days I can get a good half-step; other days -- not so much
David Bjornstad
1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)
David Bjornstad
1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)
One of my sectionmates can play D middle of the staff to G or Gb bottom of the staff in first position on trombone...but it's entirely worthless to be able to do it to that extreme. No more than a whole step is ever going to be necessary for a scoop or the like.
1905 Boosey Class A Euphonium-Wick SM4M
Yamaha 301M Marching Baritone-Schilke 52
1960 Conn 11J-Conn Helleberg
1961 Conn 14J-Vincent DFL
2015 King 2341-Bach Corp. 24AW
Olds O95 Sousaphone-King 26
I'm no expert, but I've noticed that the ability to bend notes can depend on the horn you're playing. It was really hard for me to bend notes on my Yamaha 641, but much easier on my Miraphone 5050. Not sure what design aspects contribute to that though...
Rick Floyd
Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
YEP-641S (recently sold)
Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank
"Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
Chorale and Shaker Dance (John Zdechlik)
David Bjornstad
1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)
It has nothing to do with scoop. It has everything to do with embouchure conditioning so that a player is more precise in locking pitch in. We are euph players, not trombone players. Except for the jazz inflections for the occasional transcribed ragtime, trad jazz, or big band piece in concert or brass band, we really don't have that much repertoire that requires scoops.