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Thread: How do you use your trigger?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,868

    How do you use your trigger?

    Due to a recent post on triggers and their usefulness and robustness, I am curious to know how others who have horns with triggers use them.

    I would surmise there are two ways to use a trigger, namely proactive or reactive. Perhaps also proactive and reactive together would be a third methodology.

    The proactive trigger user would give trigger to his horn prior to playing a note he/she suspected would be sharp. The reactive trigger user would apply trigger to a note once he/she heard the note and realized it was sharp. Both trigger-meisters should know any tendencies of their horn to play sharp, and which specific notes did play sharp, in any case.

    I have watched David Childs when he plays. He seems to use the trigger frequently. He also seems to apply the trigger when he starts the note, anticipating that it will be sharp and applying the correction before the note sounds.

    I tend to use the trigger when I find the note is not in tune to my liking.

    Given the two different methods, it would seem that applying trigger first might be the better method if you had some level of certainty about what the pitch of the note was going to be (with and without the trigger). However, I hear the pitch I am aiming for prior to playing it (once I know the piece sufficiently well). So I tend to adjust if I am not satisfied with the note once I am playing it. And then, only on notes that are sustained for a while (long enough to hear if it is in tune or not).

    So, how do you use the trigger? And if you have a euphonium with a trigger and do not use it, at least show it to others to impress them.
    Last edited by John Morgan; 03-03-2017 at 02:09 PM.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  2. #2
    Hi john....for sustained suspect notes proactively and reactively as needed.
    Unfortunately my bumper upper in one of my bands is on a trigger free round stamp and usually doesn't lip notes very far down....which if I'm triggering the same note to it's normal position usually leaves me flatter. So if I am matching the principle cornet or have the lead etc I usually trigger, but if I'm in unison with my section I just lip!.....and that's a 1st section band! In my village band it's even more interesting ..... Tuning what tuning!
    Current Euphs:
    York Eminence
    Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign (Round Stamp/ Globe)
    Boosey & Hawkes Imperial
    Plus an attic of old classics in various states of repair!
    Previous Euphs:

    Besson Prestige (German)
    Geneva Symphony
    Wilson 2900 with Eminence leadpipe
    Sterling Virtuoso (300 mm heavy red brass bell)
    Cortios 167 II
    'Gob Iron': Doug Elliott Euph 104 I 9s (plus a few others!)


  3. #3
    I can say only how I would use a trigger, if I had one, which I don't -- I would get myself and the horn thoroughly warmed up, and then play all the way up and down with a tuner, looking for notes that are sharp (for example, on my Jinbao, concert 5th-partial concert D, 6th-partial F, and 8th-partial Bb, for starters. Then every time I would land on on any of those notes for any length of time, I'd use the trigger.
    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)

  4. With all of my horns since my 2007 Prestige, I spend perhaps a month getting used to the horn. Every day I do the same daily routine with metronome and tuner. I use this learning time to get really familiar with the intonation tendenciesmofmthe horn. If I have a trigger I develop the muscle memory required to always hit the trigger when needed. On my Sovereign, I have to lip and use alternate fingerings.

    All of the comments about listening and matching pitch in the ensemble apply.

    Doug
    Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
    Concord Band
    Winchendon Winds
    Townsend Military Band

  5. #5
    When I used a trigger I did pretty much what Doug describes. I used the trigger to anticipate where the notes needed to be, so I could play in the main part of the pitch.

    In my case, and this may not be a problem for anyone else, my brain wants to play some notes sharp. This may be pitch memory from my old Besson days, or it may be the "I'd rather be sharp than out of tune" syndrome. That's when I learned that my chops need more discipline!! I worked to get just the right trigger position for my upper F concert, for example. But as I get going (excited) that position was suddenly not far enough out, even though my tuning Bb had not drifted.

    Only recently have I had some success training my chops to rely on the Adams pitch and not to tweak the note before I even hit it. But that comes and goes. I've still got some stuff to teach my chops...or brain...or whatever!
    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

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Richmond, TX
    Posts
    20
    Ok, so I am a beginning euphonium player...so what the heck is a trigger?
    Last edited by Charju; 03-12-2017 at 09:19 PM. Reason: Spelling

  7. #7
    It's a trigger that's attached to the main tuning slide of the horn, that allows for on the fly adjustment of tuning. Nice for notes like high F and low C (Bass clef)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Richmond, TX
    Posts
    20
    So it's an add on item? Is it normal to have one? If so, where/how do I find one? Google trigger?
    BTW thanks for the info!

  9. #9
    Usually triggers are a "luxury" on the euphonium. Many professional models like the newer Besson Prestiges have them standard. Adams and Sterling horns have them available, at a cost however.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,868
    Adam and Charju - welcome to the forum. So, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a picture of my custom Adams E3 euphonium with a trigger. As you hold the horn with your left hand, typically your index finger works the 4th valve, and your thumb works the trigger (the lever you see in between the 3rd valve slide tubes). It is attached eventually to the main tuning slide, so that you can move the main tuning slide out. This allows you to adjust for those pesky notes that might be sharp on your horn. There is no provision on euphoniums (that I know of) that would allow for the opposite effect (moving the slide in to adjust for flat notes - but why not? - I would bet this feature will be coming sometime to a euphonium store near you). Once you move the trigger with your thumb, it returns to the original position (the main tuning slide as well) when you let up on the trigger. It is spring loaded.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Hope that helps. Triggers seem to be getting more common, some as standard and many horns as options (usually a few hundred dollars).
    Last edited by John Morgan; 03-13-2017 at 12:57 AM.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

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