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!

Why is this so hard?

Here's a simple little tuning exercise that's not as easy as it looks...










Some players, once they own that trigger, begin to believe that all positions beyond 4th are alien territory. Thus a simple gliss to 6th seems to give trouble.

After finding 6th, you would think it a simple matter to gliss back to 5th accurately. Nope!

I think there are several reasons for this..
1. When we do our beloved Remington long tones, we are always measuring out from 1st position. Accurately "measuring out" is something we do a lot, but "measuring in" is something we don't practice. Maybe we should do that famous Remington pattern inverted.






2. (disclaimer, this is pretty speculative, I may have it wrong)
Beyond 4th position, the elbow begins to have to extend beyond a right angle and seems to be less accurate.

Anyway, try those glisses out with a tuner (look first, then listen), see what you think.

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 2) ... Singing in the Fast Lane

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.

The evening master class featured the following:

Adam Johnson - Jongen Aria and Polonaise
Daniel Brady - Vaughn Williams Tuba Concerto
Quartet (me, Josh Bynum, Sam Schlosser, Casey Thomas) - Apon, First Quartet
Orchestra Section - (Lange, Abissi, Rodriquez, Bremer and tuba, of course) -
Nielsen Great Symphony, Smetena The Moldau, Respighi Fountains of Rome

A lecture and Q&A session with Mr. Alessi.

Here are some observations. As before, I wasn't able to hear Danial Brady's performance and couldn't take notes when our quartet was playing.

• When you have a repetitive figure, do something different on each repetition.
• When sitting, place the stand so the slide isn't under the stand.
• Joe held the student's fingers as if he were holding a trombone slide and then moved his hand to demonstrate a smoother slide action.
• He described jaw vibrato as looking like a fish. Later he humorously that perhaps you could go out and buy a fish to help with jaw vibrato.
• How to practice vibrato. I'm not completely sure I got this right but I think he said: practice undulating your jaw with a clear rhythmic pulse. (he demonstrates starting with quarters and then eighths and so on). Do a "mini-crescendo" on the quarters and eighths. When he gets to triplets, he starts undulating the jaw. By the time he gets to 16ths, it's just the jaw.
• The most out-of-tune notes are the F and A-flat partials. (I believe he means the 6th and 7th partials. He would refer to partials by note name rather than number.

• On syncopated passages he warned against the beat counting getting into the sound. He demonstrated, swelling the sound on each downbeat.
• "We carry around this bag of silly stuff" In other words, we all have these bad habits that tend to stick around.
• He again warned against "flaring" on the trombone. (A flare, is a sudden swelling in volume as a note is sustained, often as one is about to lead to another note. )
• "If you want to show beauty, let it resound through the hall. Don't rush."
• "Try to play in a simpler way."

Mr. Alessi finished the masterclass with a lecture and a question and answer session.

He began by reminding us that "Rhythm controls everything."

He told a great story about his early career and auditioning. What follows is a paraphrase, not a verbatim quote. I'll try to be as accurate as I can. Any other people who heard the lecture can correct me if I got something wrong:

He spoke about the time he began to get serious about winning auditions. After early success with the San Francisco Ballet while he was in high school (once he even asked the personnel manager if he could be excused to attend his prom) he described himself as "spoiled," believing that it would be easy to win the next audition.

He took a number of auditions in which he was not successful. In New Orleans, 120 people showed up. They had everyone warm-up in this big room. "The sound was like a nightmare, like a B-52." He went on to list a number of other auditions which were not successful.

Then he decided to get serious about winning an audition. He started recording myself. "That's when I discovered about rhythm and pitch." He observed that, if you go to a disco, you'll hear a strong beat (he demonstrate thumping a rhythm on the stage). He pointed out that you need that kind of strong internal rhythm. He demonstrates singing "Stars and Stripes" with perfect rhythm. He recalled that his father drilled that into him, tapping a pencil on the stand. He suggested that we all need to connect to something familiar (in other words, familiar music that has a clear pulse).

"At Juilliard, I make my students sing in lessons." He asked if you can't sing convincingly, how can you play convincingly. He recommended that we should conduct and sing. He feels that this kind of practice, without the instrument, is not done enough.

"For the brief time I was in Montreal (preparing for the New York Philharmonic audition), every day I would go down to the hall with my tape recorder and work on my rhythm."

He pointed out that preparation is the most important. Absolutely be prepared for anything you're going to do...an audition, a recital, whatever.

Concerning pitch:

He began by reminding us that, first, we have to understand the pitfalls, to understand the pitch tendencies of our instruments. He observed that, all around the world, he has to tell people the same notes are out of tune. He asks the audience, "Do you know why?" After a number of failed attempts at an answer, he provided the answer, "Finger on the bell."

He shared that another problem with pitch is that there's not enough singing that goes on. We don't sing enough. "I grew up in a house where everyone was singing."

He also suggested playing duets with yourself. Tape one part and then play with it.

He described the ideal pitch as being like "a train going down the track."

I raised my hand and got a chance to ask one of my "deep questions:" "When you play alone, should you temper notes like you do when you are playing chords in a section.

He thought for a moment and then replied that this question ran the danger of becoming paralysis by analysis. He pointed out that when he's playing, he just wants to sing and make it in tune. He doesn't want to analyze it that much.

He went on to point out that, if you have one note in a passage, like a D, that keeps coming back again and again, you need to return to the same note. Sometimes, he draws brackets in his music connecting pitches so he can make them in tune.

Going on...

He reminded us that if you're in high school or college, now is the best time to practice. When you get out, you're going to have to make living and that will cut into your practice time.

He recommended that, every day, you should visit the standard books: Arban, Schlossberg, Remington. In other words, visit the fundamentals every day.

"There's no point in practicing when you're not focused." 45 minutes is a good amount of time. While resting, he used to practice the piano. After visiting the studies, he recommended that we practice etudes. He mentioned playing Bordogni vocalises in 4 registers and Blazhevich etudes. He suggested we might follow etudes with work on solos and excerpts.

He recalled that the most fun he had listening to repertoire was when he was very young, maybe 13. His father had albums he would listen to. He got the Chicago Symphony excerpt record and would dream of doing that. He observed how now Jay Friedman calls him and wants to get together to play golf. "I never imagined when I was looking at those record covers that that would happen someday. It's like a dream come true."

He stressed the importance of learning the repertoire. The best way to do that now is iTunes. "Put all your favorite things on an ipod and listen all the time. "

When he was in San Francisco and Philadelphia, he would go to orchestra concerts every single week. "We were enthusiastic." After the concert was over, he would always go backstage and congratulate the section.

About jazz:

"I'm listening more and more and finding out what jazz players do rhythmically." Recently Robin Eubanks called him and wanted to get together to play. "That's the great thing about New York, there are all these great players." He told a story of how he and Robin Eubanks got together and played along with the Aebersold accompaniments. He quoted Eubanks, "Jazz is like a language. You have to learn the language." For Christmas he received the Columbia JJ Johnson collection and keeps it in his car. "I love JJ Johnson. That is pure jazz." He observed that he would like to start transcribing solos.

He feels that practicing jazz does help his playing, especially in the brass quintet. On a recent NYPO brass quintet tour, they played a number of pop tunes. He shared with us that Phil Smith loved playing the Johnson Rag. When he got back, he couldn't get it out of his head.

With respect to recital programming, he said the he looks for a great opener. He also shared that you don't want a recital to be too long, especially a trombone recital. He recommend an optimal length of 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

About finding time to practice in a busy schedule:
Every year, he takes time to clean up his studio. During the year, rushing to and from gigs, he doesn't have time to put his music away. So once a year, he resets, puts everything away and gets organized.
Every piece he's doing, he puts into a blue bound folder which he carries with him. He noted tht sometimes he is carrying around several of these blue folders in his case. This way he has the music available to practice whenever there is time. "Being organized with your music is important." He pointed out that orchestra tours are a great time to practice because there's so much downtime. He pointed that sometimes they all are fighting over good spaces in which to practice while on the road.
He ended with a great quote (I hope I got it right)

"It's just sing, sing, sing, sing, sing. That's life in the fast lane."

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 3 (part 1)...Aim and Fire

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.

The day began for the participants with a group warm-up led by Peter Ellefson. He generously gave us handout for not one but three warm-ups. He commented that he likes to update his warm-up every few years and that one shouldn't play the exact thing year after year (although it does work for some). Click on the link above and you can see these warm-ups, I blieve. Once again, I wasn't writing notes at the time but I do have a few recollections:

Pete recommended two books: The Brass Player's Cookbook and Also Sprach Arnold Jacobs.

When breathing, he recommended that you "keep the jar open" at the end of the inhalation. In other words, don't close off your throat.

He talked about the "4-1 disease" When playing a passing tone between 4th and 1st, many players play a convenient halfway position between second and third.

He included a wonderful exercise for playing extremely soft and stressed the importance of playing your very softest every day.

He spoke highly of an out-of-print book, "55 Phrasing Studies" by Jaroslav Cimera.

Lastly he threw in a very nice thought, "In order to be a quality musician, you have to be a quality human being."

The warm-up was followed, once again by a masterclass with Joe. We began the session with a moment of silence in memory of Milt Stevens.

The performers were:

Stephen Lange - Creston Fantasy

Jared Lantzy - Schnyder Concerto for Bass Trombone

Ben Perrier - Arrows of Time, Mvt 2

Quartet (Dishman, Abissi, Johnson, Brady) - Debussy Trois Chansons

Orchestra Section: Mahler, Symphony No. 2

Here are some notes:

Alternate positions present a trade-off between tone/pitch and facility.

When playing fast passages, don't worry about those little intonation adjustments (B-flat in sharp 5th and so on).

If you want to learn something quickly ... you can learn it twice as fast if you write in the positions, even the obvious ones

When demonstrating triple tonguing, I noticed he was using the T-T-K syllable pattern.

"Go for the gold, don't go for the silver."

In phrasing, your should try to earmark certain notes that you're going to go for.

When taking a breath, try to color the note before. "Think about what you're leaving in the hall"

You have to take risks. He commented that he is more impressed by someone who takes a chance even if they mess up rather than someone who only plays it safe.

Get used to placing the stand lower so the audience can see you. Don't have the stand blocking you. Also, don't let page turns distract from the music.

He suggested that we should play off to the side of the stand not right behind it.

He suggested that you should point your bell so that you're "bisecting the hall" In other words, straight out into the middle of the hall.

Many players need to move the air more slowly.

"The way you breathe affects the way you blow. It's a mirror." He demonstrated a breath with throat tension to show the sound of a bad breath. He again reminded us that the best breath is just like a sigh.

He pointed out that when you create friction or make a sound as you breathe in, you're closing off the throat.

On the old T.V. sets, you would use a dial...uhf, vhf, and you had to dial it in. In a similar way you have to dial in the note to find a sweet spot on notes.

If a new thing feels awkward, that may be good (he used an analogy of golfers who change their grip.)

"When you introduce the melody, let the melody speak for itself. You don't have to add a lot to it."

He used an interesting analogy concerning alternate positions: It's like going home and everything has changed in your neighborhood.

As you taper off the note, taper off the vibrato, ending with a straight tone.

A good practice technique for the high range is to play the passage down an octave and get it to sound the way you want. Then take it back up the octave.

"The higher the passage, the more you have to breathe deeper."

"Deep breathing does not mean making this sound (he demonstrated a somewhat noisy Darth Vader-like breath), I think that's a misconception."

For tonguing the high B-flat, he used the syllable "tee"

He also repeated (many times throughout the day) "Aim and Fire" as advice for hitting a high note.

All good quartets should try this exercise: close your eyes, then start and release together by listening to the first player.

He told a great story about Phil Myers (principal horn of the NYPO). Myers always wants to know is going on in everyone else's part. He takes the time to re-write each first horn part in Finale, adding complete cues for the other instrument parts. "When he walks into rehearsal, he is more prepared than anyone."

That's all for the morning masterclass. More to come ....

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 2 (part 2).. Masterclass No. 1

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.

In this master class, 5 participants played:
Paul Compton - The Pugh Concerto (mvts. 1 &2)
Weston Sprott - The Grondahl Concerto (mvts. 1&2)
Joseph Rodriquez - Gershwin Medley
Louis Bremer - Sagittarius 2
Nicole Abissi - Martin Ballade

Here are some of my notes:

• Joe quoted Wycliffe Gordon, "You have to be able to sing what you're going to play."
• Make sure your phrase lead to the last note. When you get to the end, don't give up. Finish the phrase. He gave the analogy of a racehorse slowing down before the finish line.
• He pointed out that the hardest thing about music sometimes is that we play with blinders on. Take the blinders off and see the whole phrase. He gave the analogy of bad drivers who don't see the whole road around them.
• Be sure your technique is clean. He pointed out that his teacher harped on him all the time about his slide.
• When working with an accompanist, lead don't follow. He observed that this is what messes a lot of people up when they audition for Juilliard. "They don't drive the car."
• One possible cause for playing sharp is a too-fast air stream. "Personally, I like low and slow" Lower pitch, slower air stream.
• He suggested that the student should try to make the sound reach to the corners of the hall. He then demonstrate and said that, as he he plays, "I'm hearing the hall ring"
• For the tendency to play sharp he suggested that one should let the sound settle down into the pitch. He also phrased it this way, "Let the notes sit down where they want to go."
• Joe said in his own practicing he was thinking of incorporating some pitch bending (with the embouchure) to explore the center and find the sweet spot.
• At one point he advised a student to sing more and take more risks.
• Regarding phrase groupings and the comparison between the small phrases and the larger phrases: he pointed out that the overall phrase mark is the most important one.
• At one point he observed "You have to think, 'I have nothing to lose.' "
• If you want to learn about phrasing, listen to the great singers: Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Nat King Cole.
• "I think when you're having fun, you don't get as tired."
• For high notes, don't use a downward pointing body position. Think of lifting your body (and bell) as you play higher. This gives you a little more leverage. Joe talked about Maynard Ferguson's trumpet players and how they would lean back while playing high notes. He suggest doing a tiny bit of that same gesture.
• One of the keys to phrasing, never do the same thing twice.
• A recital of trombone music can become very boring if a player plays in only one style.
• A common musical problem is that we sometimes crescendo too soon. Often you should wait to start the crescendo.
• Be more aware of the thematic material in the piano part. Know when to back off and let the piano lines come out.
• Avoid the "car horn" sound where the tone has no musical shape. On many long notes, you can let the sound relax.
• With respect to loud playing he observed that it's good to show off your stuff but that it should lead somewhere.
• Regarding slide technique, he observed, "I'm not a "wrist-ey" player. {meaning not so much flexing of the wrist} I like to index with the slide. When I go to a position, I like to have a connection straight from the tone in my brain to my slide."
• Avoid "panic breathing" in your performance. He described breathing as a chance to replenish yourself. Do this every chance you get.
• "Be true to the music, not convenient to yourself."
• Try rehearsing a piece from the ending and work towards the beginning. This way, you have a clear idea of how you want it to end.
• Bad breathing often comes from trying to frantically rush through everything.
• For rapid tonguing, he suggested pulling the tongue back a little (in other words, tongue farther back in the mouth.).
• Have a consistent breath and breathe this one way whenever possible. He demonstrated by playing Bolero and then then Mozart Requiem, pointing out that he takes the same breath in either situation.
• If you open your mouth wide to breathe, you end up closing the throat.

Wow, all this from one masterclass. I don't know if I'll be able to provide this much detail about every class (especially the ones I'm playing in), but I'll do what I can.

Oh yes, the recital. Well, what can you say......

he's the man

John Hancock's Knuckles

In the spring semester, I teach a class in secondary trombone for music ed. majors. As I go over the basics, I find myself double-checking my trombone majors for those little basic details.

Here's one that comes up at times: slide grip. Some of my students end up holding the slide in some odd way other than at the pads of the finger tips. Of course I point this out and some of them ask, "What does it matter? This way is comfortable."

Here's a new explanation to consider: when you write with a pen, don't you use the tips of your fingers for fine control?

Try signing your name by holding the pen closer to your knuckles instead. How does it look?

How would John Hancock's signature have looked had he been holding the pen close to his knuckles.
Perhaps this....




Instead of this....