3 Simple Techniques for Scale Mastery by Adam Berkowitz

Originally published to AdamBerkowitz.com

Many students struggle with how to learn their scales and arpeggios. I certainly did! Today I’d like to share three simple ways to learn them more efficiently.

3×4

One of the biggest hurdles to scale mastery is that we want to stick with what we know. So often as students, we learn the “easy” scales like C, F, And G first and then rely on them. But, there are only twelve major scales and it doesn’t have to take long to learn them all. Here’s a great way to practice. Start on a scale you’re really comfortable with like C. Next, play the scale a half-step above (C#) and then a half step above that (D). The great thing about this approach is that you can easily compare the scales you’re more comfortable with and those you’re less comfortable with. If you do this every day, you’ll complete the whole cycle in just four days!

MAJOR TO MINOR

Lately every time my students learn a new scale with me, I teach them at least the natural minor scale at the same time. Learning minor scales is a great way to reinforce the major scale and make sure that when minor modes come up in the repertoire you can handle them. For those who know how to find minor scales already, feel free to skip the next few sentences. For the rest of you, this is really simple. All you have to do is start on the first note of your major scale and then go down two scale steps in that key. This lets you find the relative minor. So, the relative minor of C major is A minor. The relative minor of G major is E minor and so on. When you play a natural minor scale, you simply use all the same notes as in the major scale, but you start and end on a different note! I’ll explain the other minor forms another time.

YOU BOUGHT THE WHOLE THING

Last, it’s important to be able to play not just two or even three octaves of a scale. Really we want to be able to play in the scale anywhere on the instrument. Often composers start or stop scales and arpeggios in places you wouldn’t expect. So, it’s helpful to be able to play scales covering the whole range of the instrument not just from tonic to tonic.

Of course you can always mix and match these patterns. Always remember, effective practice is not just about repeating things over and over. Effective practice is about finding new ways to approach old problems. I’d love to know what other techniques you use to practice scales. Let me know in the comments!

Stage Presence by James Boldin

Originally published to BrassMusician.com

Stage presence, and the larger issue of representing oneself as an artist, are two things which I think definitely should be covered as part of a musician’s education.

However, this education doesn’t always have to take place in the classroom or teaching studio; tremendous knowledge can also be gained by closely observing other artists and their demeanor both on and off stage. Other bloggers have written wonderfully on this topic (see links at the end of this post), but I thought I’d throw a few of my thoughts into the mix as well. These are simply a few random tips I’ve put together based on my own experience and through watching skilled musicians, actors, and other performing artists.

1) Consider stage presence as a tool for creating more effective performances.

Because we spend a tremendous amount of time and effort perfecting the audible part of our craft, we often neglect the visual component of a performance. Performances not only need to sound good, they need to look good. One activity that I find useful is to think of every action on stage as part of the performance.

This is something singers seem to do more naturally than brass players, and I think we can learn a great deal from studying not only vocalists’ phrasing, but their body language as well. Try to cut down on extraneous motion, and instead try to channel that excess energy into the performance.  This can prove quite difficult, especially if certain mannerisms and other idiosyncrasies have become habitually ingrained.

On a personal note, I was inspired to work on improving my own stage presence based on the input of my most trusted friend and confidant – my wife!  Ask your friends and colleagues to watch your own performing and evaluate it based not on what they hear, but what they see instead.  This can be a very beneficial, if somewhat humbling, process.

2) Let your stage presence be an outward representation of your highest artistic goals.

We’ve all experienced performances where we didn’t feel our best, and maybe even would rather have been doing something else at the time. But the bottom line is that the audience – especially a paying audience – doesn’t care.

They are there to be inspired, entertained, and otherwise lifted out of the humdrum of daily life. Our body language on stage should present our best side to the audience – the part of us that is engaged, energetic, and feels privileged to be there.  It may not be how we actually feel at the time, but changing our physical actions often has a positive effect on our emotions.

Try this activity sometime when you aren’t feeling at your best about a performance – imagine that you are a world-famous soloist (take your pick) about to perform on stage in a famous concert hall.  What would your body language be?  How would you walk out onto that stage in front of thousands of adoring fans?  Our brains respond very powerfully to imagery, both positive and negative, and going through a simple exercise like the above can do wonders for our mood and stage presence.

3) Explore some type of study in movement.

One trait that both gifted performers and athletes seem to have is an uncanny awareness of their own bodies and those around them.  I highly recommend some kind of movement study for all performers, as it helps us become more aware of our physical actions. I have rarely heard anyone say that studying the Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, Creative Motion, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, etc. had a negative effect on their performing.

4) Observe other artists and their stage presence.

We listen to recordings of great artists for inspiration and ideas, so why shouldn’t we try to learn from their stage presence as well?

I wouldn’t suggest that someone try to copy the stage presence of a well-known soloist anymore than I would suggest that they try to sound exactly like that soloist, but I think it is incredibly important to take note of those things we would like to emulate in our own performances. There is no need to name names – there are plenty of amazing performers out there to watch – and with YouTube, streaming concert videos, and DVD recordings, we can review performances as many times as we want.

5) Use autogenic phrases prior to going on stage.

The moments right before we walk on stage can be very powerful, depending on how we use them. Try coming up with a few words or some short phrases which sum up the excitement and joy of performing for you, and say them out loud right before you walk out on stage.  If you don’t feel like saying them out loud just write or type them on a card and look at them before you enter the stage.

If you don’t think it will break your concentration too much, you can also experiment with thinking of a humorous moment or word to help lighten the mood.  We take what we do very seriously – as we should – but the reality is that playing the horn isn’t brain surgery or rocket science.  Sometimes it’s nice to have a brief reminder that the fate of the world doesn’t hinge on our performances.

The Moral Code of Mouthpieces by Mary Galime

“I want to play higher.”

“I want to play louder.”

“My teacher told me to get a jazz mouthpiece. Can I try the Bobby Shew one?”

“I’m in high school now. I played the 3C in junior high, and now everyone in band plays the 1.5C.”

“Can I get the one that Allen Vizzutti plays?”

Why do we look for new mouthpieces? Over the past 10 years of selling mouthpieces and equipment to brass players of all ages, I seemingly always get one of the above answers to the question “Why?”. Reflecting on the many discussions I’ve had, I’ve come to realize that there is a moral code to trying mouthpieces. Good morals bring future success, and bad morals bring future injury. The above statements are valid requests of a mouthpiece but what is the moral code that guides those requests.

Let’s begin with the bad moral conduct. The player wants to play higher, faster, and louder. They look for the mouthpieces that have advertised high fast and loud by their colleagues, brass deities, or ads in their respective journals. They try their highest notes on their fastest and loudest passages. Something sounds great at the store, they bring it home and a week later they’ve reached the moral to their story: their lip is injured and they can’t play anything. In short, the player wants to play higher, faster, louder and thus higher, faster, louder has guided their search and become their code.

I use the grand “they” in this scenario, but I think we all can relate in some degree to this situation as we all have at some point searched for the tool that would magically make something work when practice and study seem to have failed us. A magic tool will rarely appear for us and work for the rest of our lives. There is a science and method to arriving at the magical tool that is lost if your search is guided poorly.

If not magic, what then should guide your search? The moral code of sound. The moral code of sound suggests that good moral conduct is guided by good sound. As beginners, we had to learn how to make a sound. Once we were able to do that consistently, we began to learn how to make a good sound. In order to create good sound, we have a sound concept. This sound concept that we latch onto gets so engrained in us it becomes our musical heart and soul. Your sound will tell you immediately if your equipment is not the right fit, if something is healthy for you or unhealthy.

Whether you are looking for a specific tool (like a lead trumpet mouthpiece) or for an improved all-purpose mouthpiece, always begin your search with the question “What is the best sound I have ever heard – the one I want to sound like all the time?” With each of the following steps, be aware of whether your desired sound production is happening naturally or through manipulation.

• Have a selection of mouthpiece options ready. I would compare no more than 3 at a time.

• Using a familiar scale, start in the middle register of the mouthpiece and then explore the range, both high and low, loud and soft

• Using the scales test the articulation in all registers both loud and soft, legato, staccato, etc.

• Use lip slurs to focus on the tuning of the mouthpiece

No matter how comfortable it is or how high or low you can play on it at the store, if the sound is not what you expect in all registers, you will uncontrollably manipulate your air and embouchure to create the sound you want. A week of doing this will injure your lip and keep you from playing. Note there is no “might injure” and “might stop you” in this discussion. It will. Physical manipulation over a period of time will injure you. If you are sitting in the audience and can’t see the soloist at a concert, you bend your head to the side so you can. You’ve solved the problem of not seeing the performer, but 30 minutes later you’ve created the problem of a stiff neck. Let your mouthpiece choice be guided by what your sound is telling you, and it will be hard to take home an unhealthy option.

Check Those Vitals! Tips for Better Sight-Reading by Brad Edwards

Originally published to Brad Edward’s Trombone Blog

Whether in an audition or a jury, you may be presented with sight-reading.  Usually you are given a few seconds to look over the music. Especially if you are nervous, you may have trouble thinking clearly and making the most of these precious seconds.

What does a paramedic do when arriving on the scene?

Check if the patient is breathing.

Check the if the patient is conscious/responsive.

Check for a pulse.

That kind of thing…

Actually, here’s an actual EMT checklist but hopefully you get the idea.

What should a performer do when ‘arriving on the scene’ of a new sight-reading?

Check the key signature.

Check the time signature.

Check the tempo.

Notice the opening notes and the dynamic.

How long should this take?  With practice, 2-3 seconds should do the trick.

Let’s look at the list a bit more:

Check the key signature.

Actually THINK about what the key signature MEANS.  Scan the music for the first note you are likely to miss (usually the last sharp or flat).

For example: 

You should immediately look through the music for any C-flats.  Really think about the actual slide position.  Focus!

Check the time signature.

If you see 6/8, what note will equal the beat, the 8th or the dotted quarter??  Does the time signature change?

Check the tempo.

Hear this tempo in your mind. Hear the first few notes in your head at the right speed.  Know what the words mean.  Which is faster Andante or Moderato?

Notice the opening notes and the dynamic.

Not only should you notice the opening notes, you can probably “flash memorize” them in your mind.  I will sometimes have students try to play the beginning of their sight-reading from memory after having only looked at it for a few seconds.  At first they are shocked when I ask them to do this, but you would be surprised at how many  notes they can actually process and memorize.  I like this trick because it forces them to actually play the music in their minds.

Practice Journals by James Boldin

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED TO BRASSMUSICIAN.COM

On a recent trip back home to NC I found an old practice journal from my first year in college. Looking back through this notebook was really kind of fun, and got me thinking about the importance of keeping a practice log, journal, blog, etc. Over the years keeping these kinds of records has helped me in a number of ways, and the college years are a great time to start. Here are some of the reasons I would strongly recommend keeping some kind of written record about your playing. 

Organization/Motivation

Keeping a record of what and how long you practice, along with your personal thoughts and ideas, helps develop organization and time management skills – two factors which I believe are extremely important in succeeding in college and beyond. Getting organized should be one of the first steps in approaching any challenge – an audition, a recital, and so on.

How can you practice effectively if you don’t know what you want/need to practice?

At first, try to be as detailed as possible in your journal, even keeping track of things right down to the minute. Many players, me included, have the tendency to waste time during a practice session, and keeping track of how long you really practice can do wonders for your efficiency. Once the minutes, hours, and days start to add up, a journal can become a source of motivation as well. If you are trying to build up your endurance, try adding five minutes of practice time every two or three days. When you look back at your journal, you can see just how much work you’ve put in over a period of time, which helps build confidence along with the motivation to keep practicing.

Language Skills

I would wager that most teachers along the way have been faced with a situation in which they know basically what point they want to communicate, but can’t quite find the words to say it. Along with our horn playing, language is one of the most useful skills we can have as teachers. Start developing that language now. For example, how would you describe in words the sensations, technique, etc. required to play stopped horn?

What words most clearly describe your concept of the ideal tone?

Practice saying the same things in different ways, because one explanation doesn’t always cut it when working with diverse groups of students with varying backgrounds and skill levels. A good command of language can help you in your own playing as well. Trying to get back in shape after a vacation? Try reading back over your journal/log for inspiration or practice strategies. Stuck on a thorny technical problem? You might have worked on it before, but can’t remember exactly what worked – that’s where your journal comes in.

“Ah-hah!”/Lightbulb Moments

I rarely get them, but every once in awhile something I’ve been struggling with will click and become easy. At that exact moment I try to stop for just a minute or two and really think about what I was doing, and try as best as possible to put the sensation or idea into words. I keep the best ideas on a little 3X5 inch note card, which I stick between the cover and first page of my routine. I think I got this idea from Doug Hill, but I remember reading somewhere that Philip Farkas also did the same kind of thing with ideas about the embouchure and air stream.

To close out this post I’ll include a transcription of one of the pages from that old journal, along with a list of goals I wrote out for my first semester in college. At the time I was still working on an embouchure change I’d started in high school – my low register was pretty strong, but range and endurance were a big priority for me.

Goals (for trumpet players, of course)

1) Be able to play a G above the staff consistently and confidently.

2) Develop internal pulse.

3) Increase volume of air intake.

4) Work on transposition.

5) Physical exercise.

Warm-up: 30 minutes

Lip trills: 5 minutes

Minor scales: 10 minutes

High range exercise (Farkas): 5 minutes

Double tonguing: 5 minutes

-Break-

Long tones: 10 minutes

Maxime-Alphonse Etudes: 40 minutes

-Break-

Haydn, Concerto No. 2: 30 minutes

-Break-

Re warm-up (Stamp): 5 minutes

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9: 30 minutes

Beethoven, Fidelio Overture: 10 minutes

Beethoven, Symphony No. 8: 15 minutes

Low Horn Etudes (McCoy): 10 minutes

Read the original publication by James Boldin here