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Thread: How to change notes.

  1. How to change notes.

    I have played euphonium for about 4 years now, so this question may seem very odd, but recently I marched drum corps and have had what I thought about brass playing turned upside down. Essentially, the staff in my corps always talked about air speed being the sole factor involved in note changing. Prior to this, I used a combination of air and tightening/loosening the lips. I have taken quite a few steps back in ability over this summer while approaching the horn this way. Is changing notes purely due to air speed?

    To answer Adrian Quincy, I have consciously made the effort to not really move my lips and to focus more on air speed changing, due to the arching of the tongue. (Thank you so much JTJ for the video and article. It is really great to see and is helping the way I approach.) As you can see in this video of me playing back in December, I moved my corners far too much before, evident in my lip slur portion of the video which starts around the 2:00 mark. Any additional opinions are awesome, and thank you so much to anybody who has helped. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG4oc3zUXCU
    Last edited by redding.micahw; 08-28-2017 at 04:21 PM.

  2. I have zero experience with drum corps, but I've taught beginning Band for over twenty years. Im just guessing here....but the corps staff was probably trying to change your mindset in order to help you improve your range, tone, and projection (mind over matter).

    Technically speaking, air/vibration speed establishes the pitch when you play. With my beginners, there is always confusion between air speed and air volume. I think that both you and the corps staff are correct.....you are just thinking about it in different ways.

    When one tightens/firms the lips (with constant air volume), the air speed/velocity increases and the note changes. On the other hand..... if one simply blows more air, the note just gets louder.....speed/velocity hasnt increased much, but the volume of air has (and volume of sound).

    So....i think you are both talking about the same concept.....you are just saying it differently.
    Last edited by EuphGuy; 08-27-2017 at 03:46 PM.

  3. Not entirely. EuphGuy gave a very clear answer in that it is more of a mental approach than a literal approach.

    Take everything you hear about playing a brass instrument, and kind of merge it together into a technique. If you purely try to change notes with air speed, then your lower register will suffer because you will think you need "slow air." Your air should never be slow, but the speed might adjust slightly. For the embouchure, remember to use it to your advantage, but never overdo it. Use the embouchure to adjust air direction and in turn speed.

    Making sure all aspects of your playing work together is what your instructor was getting at. Never rely too heavily on one aspect of playing to get you through music, make it a balanced approach.
    Thomann EP 902SL Superior Euphonium

    Eastman Shires ETB432G Trombone

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by redding.micahw View Post
    I have played euphonium for about 4 years now, so this question may seem very odd, but recently I marched drum corps and have had what I thought about brass playing turned upside down. Essentially, the staff in my corps always talked about air speed being the sole factor involved in note changing. Prior to this, I used a combination of air and tightening/loosening the lips. I have taken quite a few steps back in ability over this summer while approaching the horn this way. Is changing notes purely due to air speed?
    Can you tell us a little more about what adjustments you've made that have been causing you problems?
    Adrian L. Quince
    Composer, Conductor, Euphoniumist
    www.adrianquince.com

    Kanstul 976 - SM4U

  5. #5
    Last edited by JTJ; 08-27-2017 at 07:24 PM.

  6. As I understand things the mouth corners should have minimalmovement through the registers. The smile embouchure that I think was oncetaught is now a no no.
    The size of the aperture of the inner embouchure as it isreduced in size will speed up the airflow over the lips causing an increase ofvibrations and therefore higher notes.
    I find it hard tothink about arching of the tongue while playing and think that some of thisarching may be instinctive
    A great post I look forward to some more thoughts.


  7. Might be interesting to check out this video
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gH99u8kvTs

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    I absolutely love the photos of adult musicians lying in a multi-million dollar MRI lab and blowing through what are essentially garden hoses hooked to trombone bells. When I do that, my wife thinks I've lost my mind, but the grandchildren seem to appreciate it. The cows in the pasture behind us aren't entirely on board with such experiments.

    I guess this really falls (for clinical and funding purposes) under the broad rubric of "sports medicine" since it seems very similar to (though currently much less sophisticated than) what's being done now in the computer-aided dynamic analysis of activities such as pitching in baseball, kicking in soccer, and throwing in football. If only professional musicians made as much money as (other) athletes, I'm sure that much more rapid progress would be made.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

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