Mac Guy vs PC Guy

I guess this ad campaign has ended. Too bad.

Like most of my posts, I'll use these guys to illustrate a point.

In a recent lesson, I was working on two basic goals with a students. One was to relax, the other was be more accurate with his slide.

• When I worked with him on relaxing more, we saw nice progress except his slide positions got sloppy.
• When I worked with him on placing the slide more carefully, we also saw nice progress except his sound lost resonance.

Ahh, to do both...

Mac Guy = relaxed, breathing well, etc.

PC Guy = very picky about precise slide positions.

Sadly my Google image search for a morphed image that was a blend of both guys failed. I though you could find *anything* on the web!

NYPO Mahler 2 ..one spot to see AND hear

As part of the 9/11 decade commemoration, the New York Philharmonic performed Mahler's 2nd symphony. I missed the live broadcast because of a performance of my own but, fortunately, the whole thing is available in high definition on YouTube (which, we should remember, started in 2005 - four years after that terrible day...so much has changed).

Besides being moved by this great performance of one of my favorite symphonies, I found that actually watching the performers was quite instructive. In fact, I've cued up the video and used it in 3 lessons thus far.

In the following video, I've been cueing it up to roughly the 7-minute mark...the powerful chorale that starts with the trombones and bassoons. I've been using it to point out two things:

1. Relaxation: Watch, as the music gets louder, how relaxed the performers are. Such efficiency!
2. Embouchures: You get a lot of close-up shots. What do you notice? Not everyone is the same but there clearly are some general trends....very little movement, firm corners, etc.

Enjoy..watch, listen, learn.

The Air Obstacle Course

Living in Columbia, SC means living near Ft. Jackson. Every fall, they host an event (sponsored by the marine corps) called the mud run.

This last fall roughly 14,000 people ran, swam, crawled and basically oozed their way through an obstacle course. (I even considered doing it but then I realized that I am sane).

Somehow I thought about this when listening to a student's overly noisy breath.

Noise = friction.

It's almost as if the air has to run an obstacle course to go in and come out. What we really need (low tongue, relaxed throat) is a new superhighway...

Aharoni's New Book (and I continue banging the relaxation/embouchure drum)

I recently got a nice email from Eliezer Aharoni, former bass trombonist of the Jerusalem Symphony. He had a few nice things to say about my new book, Simply Singing for Winds.

Mr Aharoni, if you don't know the name, authored one of the real classic books for bass trombone,
the New Method for the Modern Bass Trombone. A more exhaustive book I have not seen.

He has come out with a new book, The Non-Classic Bass Trombone, which has some nice tunes in a pop style along with a play-along recording.

He has posted some YouTube videos that mostly feature Micha Davis,Bass Trombonist of the Israel Philharmonic.

One nice thing about these video: they show the player(s) from some different camera angles.
I've never heard Micha Davis before but I really like his sound and his relaxed physical approach.

Anytime you watch a great player, be sure to take details of both sound and sight and store them in your memory vault. Four details that jump out at me when I watch Micha Davis play...

• Really nice centering of sound on low notes
• Very relaxed demeanor, especially notice that the slide arm isn't too tense.
• The second uses a variety of camera angles including a brief close-up of Aharoni's embouchure. Notice those firm corners.
• Lastly, notice that Davis is able to play most of these low notes without having to puff out the cheeks. Yes, it can be done.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 9, ...the Last Day

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

On this final day of the Alessi seminar, we had the usual morning warm-up (it was my turn to do the warm-up for the participants), the last masterclass and, in the evening, a great party at an area restaurant.

I should note that I have been describing the schedule for the participants. Each afternoon the auditors had masterclasses running, I believe, from 2:30-5:00. These classes were run by Pete Ellefson
Although I didn't attend any of Pete's classes (hey, I need to practice sometime!) I spoke to a number of auditors and they said he did a great job!

This morning's schedule was:
Adam Johnson - Jongen Aria and Polonaise (2nd half)
Daniel Brady - excerpts
An auditor - Mahler's 3rd
An auditor - Rota Concerto
A final chat with Mr. Alessi

Here are my notes:

• When you perform, don't put the stand in front of you. "The audience wants to see you, not the stand."
• For a rapid dotted-eighth, sixteenth rhythms, he again suggested pulling the tongue further back in the mouth.
• He talked about the importance of focusing your practice both on the technical side and the musical side. "You have to pay homage to each one and then they become one." He doesn't believe that, if you only focus on musicality, the technique will come.
• "I think that air flow and relaxation comes from good musical decisions."
• He talked about the need to perform more than just the orchestral repertoire. "Where do we get to express ourselves in the literature? Maybe once every three years."
• He talked about trombonists being "a little bit lazy" in not getting together often enough to work with pianists. It really bothers him to hear any trombonist play out of tune with the piano.
• He reminded the student to always keep things interesting, dynamically.

The Creation

• After the student's momentary false start, he said "Once you commit yourself to that first note, it has to come out." (no matter what it sounds like)
• At one point, he asked the student, "Would you vote for that?" (in an audition) Later, after the student had made a few adjustments he commented that he would have voted for that last performance in a professional audition.
• Don't ever play tentative. Just go for it.
• If you get nervous and start to hear those voices in your head, "replace the voices with musical things." Start thinking about the tune and then just start playing. He demonstrated by singing a passage then breathing and playing in time.
• For the rests in this excerpt, he advised the student to breathe through the whole rest, not just at the very end.

Fountains of Rome

• Be sure to start your breath early enough so you are ready to fire on time.
• He used the phrase "always three to one" to describe beat groupings:

• He suggested that, in this excerpt, perhaps the breathing should not be symmetrical and predictable.
• To improve intonation consistency, he suggested playing this excerpt (and others) very slowly at least once a day to "sweep the area for pitch."
• He cited a quote from virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman, "The slower you practice, the faster you progress. The faster you practice, the slower you progress."
• Concerning how many breaths to take in these sostenuto passages he advised, "You have to be a magician and figure what you need and what you don't need."
• Don't lose time on the half notes in an effort to "make them as big as a house."
• All these details, (especially rhythm and intonation) separate the 2% from the other 98%.
• Concerning an early breath taken in the passage shown above, he said, "When you get to the main event, why would you want to breathe after that first note?" He pointed out this was the time to show off your stuff.
• Regarding your sheet music, he advised us to save everything we ever play. Then, in the future, you can take the music back out and restart where you left off.
• Don't be late after taking breaths. The time has to be solid when you come up to breathe.
• Concerning the process of fixing an out-of-tune passage by identifying a problem note he said, "What's the main culprit? Find it."
• Concerning keeping the low brass section rhythmically tight in one section he advised placing the sixteenth note directly on the downbeat:

• Get an ipod and make a collection of the orchestral repertoire. Get three of four versions of the same piece. "It's kind of a monumental task but start with one piece and build from there."
• He noted that a lot of bass trombonists don't bother to learn the score. They just know the excerpt passage.

Mahler 3

• He noted that this is a tricky solo to play. "With this solo, you have to go for it but not go out of control."
• Make sure the air doesn't get too fast. He recommended, "A nice big sound, nothing more than that." He also advised, "Don't blow yourself out of the pocket."
• Building on this idea further he advised us to retain our good sound. He pointed out, "There's a slot where every note goes. Are you in that slot?"
• He talked about remaining calm even though the music can become very intense, even threatening. He advised us to separate ourselves from the music somewhat so we don't become too involved and lose control.
• As a demonstration of relaxed air, he held up the student's hand and blew warm air against it.
• In describing the ideal attack, he raised the analogy of a stereo system already playing music with the speakers turned off. You flick the speaker switch on and you get "immediate sound."
• He also advised that the notes should "sound like bricks" and not become distorted.
• He doesn't feel that alternate positions have much value here. "Go for the best possible sound, not convenience."
• In playing loud, he said, "Less, sometimes, is more." He gave an analogy of great golfers and their effortless approach.
• He also suggested that one might practice this excerpt in the manner of a Bordogni etude noting that, "we forget that these things are melodies."
• For younger players, he suggested not starting out trying to play too loudly and then add volume over time rather than trying to hammer away at it.
• He demonstrated the excerpt, observing, "You see, I'm using a lot less energy than you but it's twice as big."
• He broke one passage down into its component intervals stressing the importance of correctly hearing these intervals.
• He noted that a lot of young players tend to play sharp. He cited two possible causes: blowing too fast and measuring off the bell with the finger.
• For younger players, he said that now is your chance to get the notes in tune. Then it will sound bigger later.
• When going to the low A, you're not supposed to increase your air speed. Decrease it.
• In trying to get the student not to move the bell around so much he suggested, "try to make your amplifier more consistent."
• "Things sound better when it feels easier. There's a direct correlation."
• In not crossing that fine line between exciting and out-of-control, he suggested the "2% solution." I believe he meant playing a loud passage 2% softer. Just back off a bit.
• When you see the music get exciting, don't lose control. He used the phrase, "fortissimo with some intelligence."
• Peter Ellefson observed from the audience that, as he watched the waveform of the audio software recording the masterclass, it was possible to actually see the difference in tone between Mr. Alessi's tone and the student's. Pete also noted that more effort doesn't necessarily translate into more sound.
• Joe advised that student to "take a snapshot and ask yourself, 'Is this best sound I can play with?' "

(end of Mahler coaching)

• Concerning tongue placement in the high range, he noted that, the higher you go in the scale, the more tongue placement is important.
• He pointed out that, as a general rule, when you play louder, use less tongue. The opposite is true for playing softer.

At the end Mr. Alessi came out to sit in the audience and field more questions. He had many more stories to tell and wonderful pieces of advice but I opted not to take notes at this point.

I guess you just had to be there.

This is the end of my written notes for the Alessi seminar.

A Final Comment:

I would like to thank Mr. Alessi for conducting this seminar. I was consistently impressed not only by his spectacular playing but his consistent work ethic and clear commitment to helping each student.

I had heard stories of Mr. Alessi's intensity and was quite nervous about playing for him for the first time. As one former student put it, "He sets the same expectations for you that he sets for himself." Throughout the week, I found him not only intense but very positive. When a student played well, he was quick to praise them. On many occasions, he would say something like, "That was perfect," or "Very nice playing." You knew that this wasn't hollow praise of the "atta- boy" variety. If he praised you, you had earned it.

If something wasn't up to standard, he wasn't going to let it slide. But I never found any of his criticisms throughout the week to be anything less than fair and professional. If his own playing wasn't up to his personal standards he would try again and sometimes apologized to the audience if he didn't feel he was playing well enough. (I should have such bad days!)

Mr. Alessi was consistently hard-working, polite, highly focused and completely sincere in his efforts to help everyone who attended this seminar. This set a tone of mutual respect and professionalism that made the seminar a very positive learning experience for everyone involved.

As Pete Ellefson put it at the beginning, some students say they can't afford to attend this seminar. He added that, if you are serious about making it as professional musician on the trombone, you can't afford not to.

I agree.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 8.."Jaw Droppers"

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

Today began with the usual warm-up sessions (ours was led by Paul Compton) followed by trombone choir rehearsals. After lunch, we boarded buses and traveled to St. Paul's Lutheran Church for our second concert which consisted of soloists, chamber groups and both trombone choirs.

In the evening, Joe gave another masterclass. The performers were:

me - a maestoso etude followed by Mahler's 3rd
Casey Thomas - Castereded Fantasie Concertante
Miguel Rivera - Morales Fantasy for Trombone and Piano
Josh Bynum - excerpts

Once again, I don't have notes to share from my own coaching. Here the notes I wrote down from the remainder:

• Joe discussed the problem of excessive tension in slide technique. He suggested that, sometimes, you need to just let go. Just play it.
• He noted that many times he tells his students to do something and they tend to overdo it, going too far with a suggestion.
• He gave the analogy of great athletes and how they stay so loose.
• He referred again to the idea of a "dead man's float" (floating in pool, completely relaxed) as he discussed staying relaxed in a performance.
• He suggested, "Try to wean yourself from the music." Don't be so dependent on the music as you perform. For a demonstration, he moved the music stand farther and farther from the student. "I think that's a good test as you learn a piece. Do you have to be so dependent on the music?"
• In faster passages, relax the slide more. Don't try to stop the slide in each position. "It becomes more of a glide." He demonstrated, playing a repeating chromatic scale at faster and faster tempos to show how the slide action becomes smoother as you speed up.
• To free yourself up while tonguing rapidly, let the tongue come back. Don't try to spit out every note. "Start thinking 'dah' "
• When killing time with colleagues from the NYPO, they chat about everything and sometimes talk shop. His colleague Phil Smith (Principal Trumpet) likes to use the term "the gully" to describe that spot on the roof of the mouth where one should place the tongue when tonguing rapidly.
• Some passages you should know so well that you can wake up in the middle of the night and play them. While the student was playing a challenging, fast passage, he also suggested that one should make phrases out of the notes.
• He demonstrated a scale exercise he likes to do, suggesting that we do this every day with the metronome:

• When a student played a rhythm that wasn't accurate, he said, "You cannot lie about rhythm." He gave the analogy of someone who cheats on their golf score.
• He praised the UNM Wind Ensemble Conductor, Eric Rombach Kendell, because he makes his students sing their parts. He then gave a short demonstration singing and conducting in strict time.
• He talked about playing a Bordogni vocalises in 5 ways:

1. As is
2. Tenor Clef
3. An Octave Down
4. An Octave Up
5. In Tenor Clef Down Two Octaves

• He began one vocalise and expected the student to be able to play along with him from memory.
• He pointed out that, in particular, there were two Bordogni etudes that everyone should have memorized and be be able to play in those five ways without using the music. This, I believe was the one, he was playing with the student:
  

In a humorous moment, after playing the first etude with the student, he asked audience to sing the other Bordogni every trombone player should know. Sure enough, we all started singing:

• In talking about high range he said, "The higher you go, the sweeter you play. That's my motto."
• He suggested that a good way to develop the high range was to get a fake book and start learning some of the standard jazz ballads. Be able to play them in the high range.
• He observed that, when he goes into the high range, it's easier if he eases off a bit. "Let the note go up there by itself." He also said, "I almost try less."

Although I have been trying not to interject my own opinions into this blog, I do want to point out that, as he was making these comments, he was demonstrating some of the most beautiful, effortless high playing I have ever heard. I think it's fair to say that a lot of jaws were dropping.

• Concerning long practice sessions, he said, "You can play ten hours a day but I don't think it's going to do you any good." He went on to note that he doesn't get his endurance from playing ten hours a day.
• As you descend into the low register, be sure to maintain an embouchure. There should be no air escaping.
• If you rely on single tonguing for too long, the tongue is going to get tired. He sometimes will alternate between single and double tonguing.
• He gave another demonstration of tonguing while accenting the KAH syllable (tah-KAH). He pointed out that if you really want to develop strong double tonguing, you need to practice it very slowly. He also pointed that you can practice it while walking down the street.
• He pointed out that, at faster tempos, the syllables "da-da-ga" worked better (than "ta-ta-ka")

Mozart Requiem

• In the opening figure, he talked about 'air management' suggesting that one option was to go a little faster.
• Many people have the problem of using a different tempo for half notes and the quarter notes.
• Concerning intonation, he said that you have to microtune. Every partial is in a different place.
• On the legato arpeggios (beginning on low B-flat) he advised the student to let the last note of each arpeggio relax a bit. I believe he meant to not clip those notes off.
• He advised the fourth position D as passing tone in the legato lines to avoid 'sawing.' He demonstrated repeatedly jumping back and forth between first and third positions as a sawing motion.
• At one point, Joe and the student played through the excerpt together for pitch. This was a common practice with many of the excerpts presented at the seminar. With other students, he would sometimes play along playing from one of the section parts from memory.
• With this excerpt, the pitch has to be right on. You just have to listen more.

Hungarian March

• On the ascending quarter notes, he suggested starting with the trigger B instead of 7th position for better intonation.
• To help with timing, he had the audience sing the opening tuba arpeggio right before the big run. After we did it, he joked, "You guys are late."
• Since he had already worked on this excerpt with the student in a private lesson, he had the student recall some of the concepts presented in the lesson:
• Joe had suggested "symmetrical breathing," meaning taking breaths in the same places rhythmically.
• In the ending of the excerpt, he had suggested using the D in the alternate 4th position.
• On the opening scale, Joe had noted that most people tend to use too much tongue and not enough air.

The Ride

• He praised the student for playing the excerpts from memory.
  
• He noted that, when playing this excerpt, he hears rhythms from the piece in his head. He sang the rhythm pattern of the accompaniment and one of the singer's lines.
• He suggested these slide position choices for the opening of the ride (the minor version):

Someone asked if, in a live hall, would he bring down the pitch of the last A-sharp (given that it is effectively the third of a major chord). He said that he would bring it down a bit.

He suggested a sequence for working out this excerpt with respect to intonation.

First, play the long notes (beat 2 and 3 of each measure):

Next, practice the excerpt without the dotted rhythm, using straight eighth notes:

Or, if this is giving you trouble, you could practice it this way:

He suggested also practicing the excerpts using subdivisions:

As a demonstration, he had the student play the original excerpt while he played the subdivided version.

Another practice technique was to isolate portions beginning at each 16th note.

Concerning breathing, he suggested two-bar phrases.

That's all for now.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 7...Be True to the Music

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

These notes are from the morning masterclass, Saturday Aug. 7th. In the evening we heard the first participant recital.

This morning's performers were:
Louise Bremer - Bach Sarabande, and excerpts
Sam Schlosser - Tomasi Concerto, Mvt 2 and 3
Paul Compton - Life Pictures by David Schipps
Weston Sprott - Crespo Improvisation No. 1
Stephen Lange - excerpts

Incidentally, before I begin writing up my notes, let me point out that these musical selections were the choice of the participants themselves, not assignments given by Mr. Alessi

Bach Sarabande

• Joe noted that they asked for this solo in every round of the NYPO bass trombone audition because it showed a great deal about the players.
• He noted that there is a difference between somebody who just plays the notes and an artist.
• Be careful how you release the notes. As an analogy, he gave a demonstration where he shook the student's hand and then abruptly turned away.
• In the context of good note endings, he compared it to polishing something and then finishing it so you have nice sheen.
• "If you're going to take a breath, then the note before the breath needs to relax." In this instance, he was referring to quick breaths taken between phrases (as happens frequently in the Bach).
• He observed that one of the things he loves about music, especially with the breath, is figuring out a way to make it work, musically.
• If you really need to come up for air, why hold on to the preceding note for so long? Perhaps you can release it a bit sooner "then it becomes a less stressful event."
• The release of a note "shouldn't be like a karate chop."
• This piece has to be totally pure. The notes all have to be polished.
• Concerning the repeats, if an audition committee requires you to take the repeats, don't breathe in the same places on the repeat. Variety is good.

Schumann Rhenish Symphony

• As you play this slow chorale, think of the back beat to keep the time steady. "Concentrate always on the back beat."
• If you run out of air on the long note, keep up with the rhythm. Don't make the bar shorter.
• He did not feel that the bass trombone should crescendo to help the principal part as it ascends.
• He iterated the idea that he would rather hear somebody play the chorale very soft, possibly missing a note, than play it safe with a middle dynamic.
• In response to a question about whether one should use alto trombone when playing this excerpt in an audition, he advised against using alto. He cited the added problems of having to bring a second instrument to the audition and the difficulty of switching horns in the middle of a round.

Haydn Creation

• On hearing one note which flared just a bit, he reminded the student to "polish the note."

(end of creation notes, sorry I didn't write down more)

• The opening of the Tomasi Concerto (mvt 2) should be like a nocturne...not too loud, very peaceful, even on the high notes.
• Regarding the 'blues' section he said, "You don't want to make this sound like American jazz." he advised the student to keep it subtle and not add too many glisses.
• For the opening of movement three, he reminded the student to "keep it joyful."
• He talked about "launching" a new section with an energetic note (in other words, the last note of the trombone phrase which 'launches' the next passage for the orchestra/piano. He credited Sam Pilafian with this term.
• There's a lot of people with very powerful chops but sometimes they tend to lean on those chops too much.
• He repeated the oft-heard phrase, "Blow slower, aim lower."
• As a demonstration, he had the student purposely aim high on the first note and then repeat, aiming lower. He then demonstrated some pitch bending, trying to find the spot "where the room resonates." Later, he added that when you tend to blow things on the high side, "they tend to become a little diffused."
• Even in music that begins fast, still take a slow breath, if possible. Don't use a quick, tense breath.
• "Let that note sit down to where it resonates."
• Although I have avoided most embouchure comments in this blog, I will note that he advised several students during the seminar to say the 'M' when forming the embouchure.
• While doing some imitation work with the student towards the goal of a resonant tone, he said, "Try to get that sound out in the hall."
• Be careful not to ride on top of the notes with a fast air stream. Joe demonstrated by playing the solo from Rimsky Korsakov's Russian Easter Overture to show an easy, resonant sound.
• You need to spend a lot of time thinking about the ends of notes, not just the beginnings.
• In some lyrical pieces, composers will write many small slur groupings. Often it is better to play a long slurred phrase instead of trying to bring out the groupings.
• For soft attacks, he said, "Introduce the air very slowly into the instrument."
  
• For soft playing, he suggested practicing with no tongue. He loves when he is able to play really soft breath attacks.
• You don't want to use this 'no-tongue' approach in performance, just for practice.
• You've got to develop that suppleness and sensitivity that soft playing requires.
• Often, when presented with a forte-piano figure, it sounds better not to drop too quickly to the piano dynamic.
• In coaching, he often uses the phrase "be true to the music."

Health and Exercise
In a short question-and-answer session he was asked about physical exercise. When he can find a good pool, he likes to swim. At one point, he was swimming over a mile before he would go to rehearsals. He also likes jogging and cycling. Sometimes he bikes into New York City from his home. In college he did some weight-training and found that this made it much easier to hold the instrument.

He observed, "If you take care of your body, it's easier to play." He also noted that losing weight helps the breathing because there's less weight to lift when you're breathing in.
He commented that he would love to do one of these seminars when he was 70 years old but also stressed that he wouldn't keep performing recitals if he felt the quality of his playing was slipping. He also spoke about the importance of healthy diet.

Mental Focus
In talking about the mental focus required for auditions, he referred to Olympic athletes training four years for a single event. He advised that it's not a good practice to go into an audition while having to deal with a lot of distractions. "Focus on the task at hand." He also advised, "One day at a time."

At the audition, he suggested that you should try to find a place to just be by yourself for a moment. "Hear the piece in your head before you perform." "Be in the moment."

He observed, "Playing a performance is like taking a journey." It may be a bit scary at first but you just move from point A to point B.
"Prepare and execute."
He noted that, in a performance something is always going to go wrong. That's normal. Just stay the course.

St. Sean Sym. No. 3

• He discussed the option of performing this excerpt without alternate positions as something worth considering. He recently performed this piece without using alternates.
• He reminded the student that it has to be exactly in tune. "You want maximum resonance on every note."
• Before you choose to play alternate positions, try it first with the main positions and make sure it is in tune before you add in the alternates.
• For this excerpt, it is best not to use vibrato or, at the very most, minimal vibrato.
• He asked the audience, "How many of you intimately know Schubert's Unfinished Symphony?" (only a few people raised their hands). He said this response made him sad since it is such a great piece. He raised this question in the context of praising the principal clarinetist of the National Symphony in a recording of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony.
• There are a lot of pieces that are overly marked and might benefit from a simpler approach.

Also Sprach Zarathustra
(the fugue subject excerpt)

• Be very careful on the pitch of the notes following the opening D-A-D.
• It is not a weakness to put arrows in your part (for tuning)
• Rhythmically, this can be a problem in auditions. He demonstrated an interpretation which lingered too much on the half notes.
• He described Glenn Dodson (former principal trombonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra) as the "the most exciting playing I have heard in my life. Period."
• At one point he was teaching himself to relax and play no matter what came out.
• The student, a member of the St. Louis Symphony, described using 'little reminders' to help himself relax. He works to hear the orchestra sound in his head before he starts and likes to sometimes practice the excerpts with the recording.
• Joe noted that there are too many excerpt jocks out there who only know the excerpt and not the whole piece.

(the excerpt with the leap to high D)

• Remember that this appears in both the first and second trombone parts.
• It is best to slur to the high D if you can.

Bolero

• If you do Bolero too many times without listening to the accompaniment, you don't really get it.
• He noted that the one thing he hates about the job is all the waiting the trombonists must do before coming in for an important passage. He compared this to a "field goal kicker waiting on the sidelines."
• One of Joe's favorite recordings of Bolero is Glenn Dodson's performance. The tempo was very slow, 58 1/2 (don't choose that tempo in an audition!). Joe was sitting next to Dodson during the recording session.
  

Til Eulenspiegel

• Concerning the accented notes in the run, be sure to accent them equally, "6 on, 6 off." Be sure to really bring these notes out.
• In working with Dave Finlayson on this run, they decided that it wasn't necessary to use the same slide positions.
• Joe used to get together with a friend to play excerpts. He used the phrase "duets on the excerpts."
• He related a story in which Norman Bolter and his brother used to go out and face each other, standing at opposite sides of a field. In playing out, "have a target" that you practice at.

That's all for now.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 6...Beat Boxing

You might be asking, "What happened to day 5?" Well, that was a day off for everyone.

On to Day 6 (which, by the way, was Friday, Aug. 3rd)

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

This morning's performers were:

Joseph Rodriguez - orchestral excerpts
Nathan Dishman - Stojowski Fantasy
Nicole Abissi - orchestral excerpts
Jared Lantzy - Schnyder Concerto mvts. 2 & 3
Ben Perrier - Arrows of Time, mvt. 3

Here are comments from my notes:

Mozart Requiem:

• Concerning the opening arpeggio, Mr Alessi noted that it was fine to take a breath, if needed, in that passage as long as it was done in time. At one point he demonstrated, snapping the subdivisions and suggested that one should "breathe after the last snap," meaning after the last upbeat before the long B-flat. Later in the coaching, he sang the excerpt, demonstrating a very quick breath before the long B-flat.
  
• He spoke about the importance of a smooth legato, commenting that, 30 years ago, the legato that was going around "was very caveman." He warned against getting the "wah-wah" in legato, describing this note-shape as being "like footballs."

• "When you tense up to play soft, you have two choices: don't tense up or don't play so soft."

• He described that requiem solo in this way, "It's a beautiful little melody. There's not much we have to add."
• Someone asked if vibrato should be used in this excerpt. He replied that it wasn't really necessary. If you do use vibrato, don't use it too much..."just a little sprinkle here and there."
• Concerning excerpts, he said that the hardest thing is to be out there and get scrutinized during an audition.
• He reminded us to "hit those excerpts constantly." (in the context of someone who is serious about winning an orchestral audition).

Hungarian March

• He observed that the level of reverberation in Avery Fisher tends to expose bad attacks.
• In reference to the ascending quarter notes before the big run, he commented, "That scale tells a lot." He reminded the student to get the slide to the next position ahead of the note.
• He used the phrase, "no-man's land" for the gaps between the separated articulations.
• As for the big run, he spent time demonstrating triads built from the longer notes in the run: C-A-F, A-F-D, C-E-G. These notes have to be very stable.
• Of the run he pointed out, "You have to keep reminding yourself what is simple about this."
• When you do any exercise related to an excerpt, be certain to play the exercise with perfect rhythm.
• Be sure not to "telegraph" the next note by moving the slide early, causing a small gliss.

• He sang the run while snapping three big beats:

• Be certain not to slow down at the end of the excerpt. Stay on top of the beat.

(end of Hungarian March comments)

• Concerning any changes to the embouchure, he commented, "You have to be like a policeman to yourself." In other words, you will need to be constantly vigilant.
• He went into a demonstration in which the student lay on his back (keeping the feet relaxed) with one hand laying on the belt buckle. He had the student first fill up the lower part of the lung (closer to the belly), followed by the chest. He then had the student place the finger vertically on the embouchure while breathing in. He suggested that we try this relaxed breathing exercise at any time of the day if we felt we weren't breathing well. Upon returning to the standing position, the breath should just as simple and natural.
• Concerning the placement of the feet while playing, he suggested that we try lining up the feet as if centered on two perpendicular lines on the floor (like a helicopter landing pad). By lining the feet along these line, the feet are aligned and you are facing directly forward.
• He suggested that we might try videotaping ourselves to check posture.
• He recommended that we practice posture and breathing first without the instrument. Then, when the instrument is introduced, be certain that we don't revert to a different posture.
• He reminded us that, as we extend the slide past 3rd position, to be certain the fingers don't reach out for the bell. This causes many trombonists to play sharp.
• For descending into the low register with a rich sound, he called to mind the rich warm quality of Bing Crosby singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"
• He pointed out that, when the pitch is exactly right, the tone will sound more rich.

Mahler 3

• When playing the opening notes, count 1-2-3-4 (the quarters) rather than 1-2-3 (the half notes). Later he added that he likes to let the sound bleed a little into the next beat.
  
• When you get to the low A's, think 'dah.' "Let the air do more work than the tongue."
• As you descend into the low range, make the air go slower.
• When articulating in the low range, watch out for a chewing motion in the jaw.
• At the end of the first excerpt he suggested that we should "try not to smash these notes. Play them in a singing manner."
• He reminded us that many other musical elements have to be in place along with a big sound.

Ein Heldenleben

• He observed that this is one of the hardest excerpts to play, rhythmically.
• With respect to the occasional out-of-tune notes, he pointed out, "Those few notes start to add up in an audition."
• He observed that, in practicing, he's happy to just focus in on a single measure and really polish it (to apply what has been learned)
• As you play, be careful not to look so "student-like." (meaning with a frantic, tense expression in the face, eyes wide-open)
• It is important to memorize those excerpts that are important to you.
• Concerning the long low F he said, "If you have to take a breath, that's not the end of the world."
• He built on this idea be describing the notion of gaining and losing "points" in an audition. If you play something really well, you gain points and this gives you some license. Of auditions he said, "I want to give these players points." (as they begin their audition). He went to note that some players play with a poor tone or faulty rhythm and they don't get those points.
• If you memorize something and you're able to play well from memory, that means you really know it.
• Concerning tempo choices in excerpts: choose tempos that are "good averages." Don't choose an odd tempo just because one recording goes at that speed.
• For any excerpt, you should know the piece as whole well enough to be able to sing some of the themes. Thinking of these themes can relax you. "You have to put yourself in the piece."

(end of the Heldenleben comments)

• It is important to be able to tape yourself at half speed, especially to study legato and attacks. In discussing the various technologies available to accomplish this, a member of the audience mentioned a website called The Amazing Slow Downer
• He went into a demonstration of correct hand position when holding the slide. He stressed the important of keeping the thumb straight (like holding car keys as you're about the unlock the door) for better control.

"Beat Box" Demo

Mr. Alessi invited Anthony Barfield to the stage. Anthony composed one of the pieces Joe performed on his recital earlier in the week. Using a microphone, Anthony put on a very impressive display which he referred to as "beat boxing." If you closed your eyes, you would swear you were listening to a drum synthesizer. Joe told us this was a great example of internal rhythm. Joe then got up on stage and played Hungarian March while Anthony provided a "beat box" accompaniment. Everybody loved it! Joe pointed out how it is so much easier to play when you have a beat like this.

Moving on...

• If we are trying out an adjustment in technique, it might feel strange. In this context, he observed, "Alien doesn't mean bad." In other words, just because a new way of doing things feels strange doesn't mean it's wrong. He recommended that sometimes it is good to explore new things, even if they are alien.
• While the student was playing a fast, technical passage, Joe suggested that he pretend he was just playing a nice F (the note, note the dynamic)
• As you descend into the lower register, don't allow that embouchure to collapse.
• If you are playing a fast, technical passage filled with awkward intervals and tricky rhythms, be careful you aren't "slicing up your air like mincemeat." He also referred to this kind of playing as "hacking and slashing."
• When you see a difficult passage, don't freak out. When approaching such a passage, Joe observed, "I'm just pretending I'm playing a chorale."

Mini-Lecture on Slide Technique

• Joe observed that people have to have more "respect for the slide."
• He placed two water bottles on the stage, each bottle representing (I believe) the exact point in time when a new note begins. He asked us to consider the question, "When should you move your slide in legato?"
  
• He used the phrase "within the technique, stay relaxed in your own environment" for the avoidance of tension.
• He demonstrated a passage of slow, widely-spaced staccato notes with a quick slide motion in between so that the slide was well-placed before each new note.

(end of lecture)

• When you practice double-tonguing, try emphasizing the "kah" syllable...
  tah-KAH-tah-KAH-tah-KAH
• When multiple tonguing a fast passage, be sure to maintain the right pitches. Later he reminded us to practice technical passages slowly enough to maintain a good tone.
  
• You have to respect a difficult passage and take enough time to learn it at a slow speed
• If a highly technical passage in a solo is marked 'forte' consider not trying to play it so loudly. Don't try to "muscle it out," especially if you are playing alone at the point in the solo.
• With respect to demeanor during auditions, he recalled a recent audition in which Lisa Albrecht was given the one-year position to replace Jim Markey. He observed that is was amazing to see the difference in demeanor of someone who has been there before.
• In terms of playing difficult material, he wants his approach to be "like taking a stroll in the park."
• He demonstrated transposing a difficult passage into the middle range to work on tone quality.
• He observed that, in a lot of the lessons he teaches, they simply devote time to getting the first note of something.

That's all for now...

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 4 (part 1) ... Rhythm is King

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

This morning's master class featured the following performers:
Casey Thomas - Wilder Sonata (starting with the last movement and working back)
Miguel Rivera - Sulek Sonata
Josh Bynum - Salzedo Piece Concertante
Quartet (Compton, Rivera, Lange, Bremer) - Spaniola AMS
Orchestra Section - Passages from Wagner's Die Walkure

Here are some comments (I took a lot of notes!):

• He pointed out that all is not lost when you feel nervous. When you feel nerves kick in, don't panic.
• "When I go on stage, I like to put myself in a little box." I believe he was referring to a technique for screening out distractions while performing.
• He recommended that aspiring performers should get on stage more often and get used to dealing with nerves. Don't just do one recital a year, do six a year.
• For a rhythmic passage in which a long note was followed by triplets he used the phrase: "pre-authorize the triplets." (in other words, think triplets during the long note).
• For phrasing, he suggested one might a circle a note in the music and then aim at it.
• "Sometimes you just have to tear licks apart." If a passage is giving you trouble, extract a segment of it and see if you can play it ten times in a row perfectly. If you miss on the tenth time, start over. Then take the next fragment and do the same. Then, put the fragments together.
• Concerning slide grip, he suggested a very natural grip of just 2 fingers and the thumb.
• Concerning about slide grip he suggested that, in softer legato passages, you should hold the slide more gently. Later, he said, "When you play the Rhenish (Schumann Symphony No. 3 the soft trombone chorale) you're going to hold the slide like you have a little bird in your hand."
• At other times (especially during moving passages requiring accuracy he suggested you might want to grip the slide a little harder while staying relaxed. He demonstrated how one can firmly grip a pencil and still stay relaxed. "A firm slide grip improves the connection between brain and slide."
• He recommended that any trombonist serious about auditions should have the main excerpts memorized.
• "Everything is coordinated by rhythm." (for example, breathing, embouchure, slide, etc.)
• Don't just practice short phrases. Play something like a Bordogni etude all the way through to promote air flow.
• As a suggestion to a student whose sound he wanted more projected, he used the phrases "Don't be gun shy" and "Warm up the room."
• Musically, he warned that we shouldn't go into a state of "suspended animation," a place where we are floating but nothing is happening musically.

Here was one funny exchange:

Joe: "You're not playing for the president of the United States. You're just playing for trombone players."

Student: "I'd rather play for the president."

• Focus on accurate rhythm. He had a student sing along with the piano part to ensure the rhythm was accurate.
• It's one thing to guess at something. It's another thing to know it.
• There's no point in trying to play it if you can't sing it.
• He re-emphasized this simple saying, "Rhythm is King!"
• If your rhythm isn't solid, how are you going to know when to move the slide, when to breathe?
• He also pointed out that a better slide grip will improve rhythm.
• He warned against breaking the wrist in slide technique because it leads to uncoordinated playing.
• "There's bad health and good health on the instrument." Elements of brass health include such things as posture, slide grip, how you inhale, etc.
• Before you perform a piece, you have to know the score.
• "I'm writing all kinds of cues" (in his music) He even invited us to take a look at the solos he performed Monday night to see how many cues he had written.
• He used the phrase "ear marks" to describe points in the score he listens for in order to not get lost.
• He described his preparation for the Rouse concerto which doesn't have a piano reduction. To get ready for this complex piece he even hired Jim Pugh to create a midi file of the score so he could practice it. He pointed out, "I like to have everything prepared a month before."
• He expressed admiration for Christian Lindberg. "He's way beyond me in terms of the amount of information that is thrown at him."
• He stressed the importance of listening to great singers. At one point, he asked a student, "How many Frank Sinatra recordings do you have?"

• In a very impressive demonstration of the power of listening, he began sight-reading Salzedo's Piece Concertante. It quickly became clear how closely he was listening to the chords in the piano part. Once or twice, when the pianist played a wrong note, he stopped and looked over at her. Even while sight-reading, he knew that the chord couldn't be right.
• For one particular chord he said, "See, I put a little vibrato there because I like that chord. Listen to that chord, that really turns me on!"
• He pointed out that, although he had never played the piece before, he knew what to do because he was listening carefully to the piano part.
• Keep the embouchure corners consistent. Look in a mirror every day. "You have to create a more stable environment."
• For high, soft playing: "The key is the higher you go, the less energy you use." He suggested that we listen to "high-floaters" like Bill Watrous and emulate their style.
• He enjoys going through a piece and finding alternate positions to facilitate the music.
• He demonstrated a segment of Bolero (the ascending B-flat, C, D-flat) and played the C in third position instead of first. With regard to getting up into that partial he joked, "You either pay now or pay later."
• He said that we don't talk enough about diminuendo and playing softer.
• "When you play softer, relax." He told a story about an old episode of the original Star Trek in which they were trapped in a force field until Spock suggested that perhaps they could escape by relaxing. "I remember that being a very pivotal time for me."
• When you want to play soft, breathe more slowly. He recalled a childhood memory of floating in the pool, a "dead man's float."
• Breathe in slowly and trust that the soft note will come out.
• "It took me a long time to realize that you have to respect the melody." Melody is king (...along with rhythm).
• Joe talked to us about his new trombone. He is trying out a new Edwards design that uses a traditional rotor valve. He added that he was trying to get away from a giant, wide sound. He stressed that we should make sure our sound doesn't get too wide.
• He commented on the recent bass trombone auditions for both the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Upon comparing notes with the Met audition committee, they found that they had both heard a lot of players with giant sounds they couldn't control. He also noted that Paul Pollard, the winner of the Met audition, was the runner-up to Jim Markey in the NYPO audition.
• "Keep you sound contained where you can handle it"
• For the famous dotted Ride rhythm, he likes to use the word "Tympani." The main thing is that you don't get to the 16th too soon.
• He reminded us to to visit our soft playing every day.

That's all for now...

Grunts and Moans

I'm doing less teaching over the summer but I do see a few private students.

So often, freshman students arrive with bad habits so deeply ingrained that it takes months or years to turn things around. That's why I like to work with younger students and try to instill good habits earlier in the process.

Here's the big one I'm noticing this summer (not that I haven't seen it before!):

THROAT TENSION

Especially when students go to attack notes, I so often hear a little grunting sound as the throat tenses (often for the attack). In more severe cases, you can actually hear a soft humming or moaning sound along with the playing.

I've even held up a recorder microphone close to a student's throat to help them hear these sounds. Sometimes the effect is kind of spooky, like the ghost of someone's grandfather is humming along with the music.

Remember, the vocal chords help to keep food out of the lungs. But, as they close, this also prevents air from coming out of the lungs.

Some things to think about it:

1. Higher notes seem to cause more trouble.
2. Tricky music makes things worse.
3. You need to notice it in order to fix it. Have a friend stand nearby and listen for those throat sounds.
   
4. As your throat relaxes, you might notice your sound getting bigger and notes speaking more easily.
   
5. When notes don't speak, I often hear a very significant grunt (makes sense, really..less air going to the lips makes "air balls" much easier)

You can't hold your throat open.

A relaxed throat is an open throat.

Ding Slurp

OK psychology fans: remember Pavlov and the dogs.

Quick summary: Pavlov serves food and rings a bell. Dogs salivate over the food. Eventually, he rings the bell without any food present but the dogs salivate anyway. I believe this is called a conditioned response.

Stimulus: bell

Response: salivation

This theory is sometimes called the "Ding-Slurp" theory.

Think about a tricky passage..

All too easily you can end up with:

Stimulus: Music

Response: Tension

Tension bad, very bad.

How to turn this around? Try looking at the tricky passage but play it in a simple, lyrical style (slow, smooth, totally relaxed). The key is to look at the notes as you play in a relaxed style. You are trying to build this..

Stimulus: Music

Response: Relaxation

It might work. At least it's worth a try.

Formulas, formulas

You may know this one (not original):

P - I = R

Potential minus interference equals result.
In other words, your performance is your potential (the best you can possibly play) minus all the stuff that holds you back.

Let me expand this ...

P=SC + F

"SC" stands for sound concept. You're about to play a piece...do really know exactly how you want it to sound? (Be honest, have you marked in the breaths, decided on nuances like vibrato, degree of attack, etc.).
"F" stands for fundamentals. Assuming that you really know what you want the piece to sound like, do you have the command over your instrument to produce the exact result you hear in your head? Do you end up playing mezzo piano because you can't control your tone at piano? Do you resort to "wah" attacks because you can't "ping" the notes cleanly?

I=T+D

"T" stands for tension. If you allow your body to tense up in a performance, the fundamentals won't work to bring forward your sound concept. Relaxation is crucial.
"D" stands for distraction. Anything that takes your mind off the task at hand. There are two types of distraction: external and internal. If a comet crashes through the roof during your performance, you might not play as well as planned. Internal distractions are any thoughts other than the phrase at hand. Thoughts like:
"Man, I hope I don't blow this."
"Wow, this is going really well."
"I wonder what the listeners think of me."
I like to think of nervousness as simply a matter of attention focus. If you are immersed in the phrase of the moment, it's hard to be nervous because you are focused away from yourself.

What does this all mean?

Well, maybe it can simplify things. If these formulas work, there are only four things you need to focus on:
Sound Concept
Fundamentals
Tension
Distraction

What else is there.

(Sound Concept+Fundamentals) - (Tension+Distaction) = Result

Ouch, too much math for a trombone brain.