Hi Everyone - I'm not sure if this belongs here or not, so please feel free to move, moderators. This is a playing exercises question.
My question for everyone has to do with false tones in the low register for euphonium. Most of the private lessons I took growing was from a former student of Byron Pebbles, former trombonist with the LA Philharmonic. In developing the low register, he certainly recommended the Arban's interval exercises, but he also said that if you really wanted to supercharge your low register, try playing many of those low notes (we are talking the low F-low C above pedal Bb) as false tones. For example, if you wanted to play the low F which would ordinarily be first position with trigger (or 4th valve on euphonium), try to play the note in first position without the trigger (which would mean trying to play it open without the 4th valve). Similarly, for the Eb, you would try to make the false tone using the 1st valve only, no 4th valve. At first the false tones don't sound great, but over time, on trombone at least, I could get them sounding somewhat passable. I used to play bass trombone in my former life also, and this approach really did supercharge that register. I have found I can do it reasonably well on any trombone including small bore instruments, but that it is just about impossible (for me at least) on euphonium. Does the conical nature of the instrument and the resultant air stream make this more difficult or am I doing something wrong?
Granted, I can still reap the benefits of just doing it on the trombone, and then the results should transfer to euphonium, but I'm at a loss as to why I can't seemingly do it at all on the euphonium.
Any suggestions or insights would be very much appreciated - thanks in advance!
My question for everyone has to do with false tones in the low register for euphonium. Most of the private lessons I took growing was from a former student of Byron Pebbles, former trombonist with the LA Philharmonic. In developing the low register, he certainly recommended the Arban's interval exercises, but he also said that if you really wanted to supercharge your low register, try playing many of those low notes (we are talking the low F-low C above pedal Bb) as false tones. For example, if you wanted to play the low F which would ordinarily be first position with trigger (or 4th valve on euphonium), try to play the note in first position without the trigger (which would mean trying to play it open without the 4th valve). Similarly, for the Eb, you would try to make the false tone using the 1st valve only, no 4th valve. At first the false tones don't sound great, but over time, on trombone at least, I could get them sounding somewhat passable. I used to play bass trombone in my former life also, and this approach really did supercharge that register. I have found I can do it reasonably well on any trombone including small bore instruments, but that it is just about impossible (for me at least) on euphonium. Does the conical nature of the instrument and the resultant air stream make this more difficult or am I doing something wrong?
Granted, I can still reap the benefits of just doing it on the trombone, and then the results should transfer to euphonium, but I'm at a loss as to why I can't seemingly do it at all on the euphonium.
Any suggestions or insights would be very much appreciated - thanks in advance!
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