Lindsay Baker

MusEd250
Brass Facts
Teaching breathing to young beginning students should consist of
a more demonstration based approach. This works best for younger
students. Attempting to give long drawn out explanations may be
something young students wont fully comprehend. However, for older
students that are still beginners, giving the explanation of the
breathing process may help them visualize it better since they have a
better understanding of how to breathe.
The breathing process consists of two parts: inhalation and
exhalation. The inhalation consists of filling the lungs in a way that
resembles yawning to allow for the full expansion and intake of air. The
exhalation is to be imagined as a steady constant stream of air through
pursed lips toward an object that is at a distance. Teaching breathing
should feel as natural as possible since it is already a natural human
action. Relaxed breathing is key.
Teaching the embouchure formation should be done in
conjunction of other aspects like breathing and producing sound on an
instrument. They are all connected and dependent on each other. It is
almost impossible to teach embouchure formation by itself. If a student
has a seemingly correctly formed embouchure but cannot get a sound
on an instrument, things may need to be adjusted.
The embouchure is not a set form that is the same for every
student. It completely depends on the shape and formation of the
mouth, which will vary from person to person. Therefore, all aspects
are required when teaching the formation of the embouchure.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that articulating is the
tongue stopping the air when it is really more of an interruption of the
air. I typically use the comparison to a faucet with running water as you
move your finger through it. The water doesnt stop moving but is
interrupted by your finger. Another misconception involving articulation
are the syllables used to create the articulations. Students are often
told there is one correct syllable when really it can vary from person to
person and which syllable works the best for them.
Ignoring articulation marks is another misconception for brass
players. Students will often tongue slurred notes or vice versa. Rough
attacks at the beginning of notes is another issue young students may
have with articulation. This can also lead to tone quality issues for
brass players.

The most common method that the article states about

acceptable tone quality is to have students listen. They can listen to
various recordings and demonstrations by the teacher and begin to
decide what is a good tone quality and what is not. Long tone exercises
can help students with learning how to produce a good tone quality.
Listening to others is one great way to hear what a good tone
sounds like but recording yourself and judging the tone you are
producing will be the ultimate method of learning to produce a good
tone quality on the instrument. Having students record themselves
practicing and listening to it can help them understand what they need
to do to create a good tone.
Achieving balance in an ensemble can be difficult in a beginning
setting. The article states that introducing musicality can help to
achieve balance within the ensemble. This involves students
understanding which lines in the music are the primary melody and
which are accompaniment. When students understand where their part
lies in the hierarchy, they will be able to balance themselves within the
ensemble.
Listening is also a huge factor in achieving balance within an
ensemble. When students can listen across the ensemble and
understand who plays what part and the parts that need to be heard
should be the most prominent, they will be able to adjust to fit within
the sounds of the ensemble. This involves a great deal of musicality
and sensitivity while playing.
Expanding musicianship and technical proficiency involves
teaching concepts and building from those concepts. No matter how
simple the concept is, you can build and expand from it. This helps
students to develop a sense of musicianship while still developing their
technical skills. Listening to each other is another great way to develop
students sense of musicianship. They can give feedback to their peers
while also judging themselves and the musical decisions they make.
Fundamentals are the foundation to developing musicianship as
well as build their technical skills. Over time, musicianship will develop
and students will begin to make musical decisions about their own
playing.
There are many similarities between singing and playing a brass
instrument. For example: breathing. Both require the breathing process
of inhaling and exhaling. Though the way the air is pushed out is
different between the two. The production of sound is also similar
between the two. Vocalists move their air to create a vibration in the
vocal folds while a brass player moves air to create a vibration in the
lips. Similar concepts but they involve different areas of the body.

Developing the range for students involves the velocity of the air
being moved. The softer the dynamic is, the more gentle the air
stream. As the dynamic increases, the more vigorous the air stream is.
Both require a steady air stream. It requires an understanding of
breath control.
Vibrato must be taught to students, though there are various
ways to create it. Vocalists have great examples that should be utilized
when showing students the various ways to produce vibrato.
The only new concept to me was the teaching of vibrato and
using vocalists as examples. I knew there were different ways to teach
vibrato to the different instruments but I never thought to use vocalist
examples to show the various styles and nuances in sound.