Brass Trumpet Cornet Flugel Horn

Home , Brass instrument, Cornet, French horn

Cornet  Find a quiet room to practice in, with no distractions. Trumpet  Try to set aside a regular time for your practice.  Start your practice as soon as possible after your lesson, to Flugel Horn help you remember what you have learnt that day. Tenor Horn  Always maintain good posture when you are practising.  Try to keep an accurate record of what you do and when you French Horn do it. Diaries help to keep a record of your progress and Baritone highlight problem areas to remind you to ask for help from your teacher. Euphonium  Begin your practice session by warming up with long notes. Trombone  If you don’t understand—ask your teacher to explain it to you again. Tuba  If you get stuck - stop - come back again later and try again.

 Try to do as much sight reading as possible—the more you Congratulations on choosing a brass instrument do, the easier it becomes! and welcome to the wonderful world of music  Remember, what you can't play slowly you can't play fast! making.  Don’t practice when you are tired.  Practice the whole performance experience - play your piec- This pack is designed to help you start playing a es to friends and family so you experience a few nerves and brass instrument through Gwent Music Support learn how to cope with them. Service.  Listen to as many recordings of music as possible and enjoy the whole music experience. With the help of your teacher you will quickly learn how to assemble and hold your instrument, Gwent Music produce musical sounds, recognize notation and Malpas Court Primary School Grounds the following pages will remind you how to do it Whittle Drive, Newport. NP20 6 NS Tel: 01633 210800 Fax: 01633 854060 E-mail: [email protected] when you practice at home.

The Gwent Music is a Council Service providing music tuition and activities for children and young With enthusiasm and dedication you are starting people on behalf of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Monmouthshire County Council, Newport City Council and Torfaen County Borough Council. out on an exciting journey of enjoyment and self fulfilment which will stay with you for the rest of FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GWENT MUSIC SUPPORT SERVICE AND OUR RANGE OF SERVICES, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE: your life. www.gwentmusic.co.uk 2 24

 Take each valve in turn and clean through the holes in each using your flexible brush, rinse in clean water and dry.

Now reassemble your instrument:  Take the bottom valve caps, put a few drops of valve oil around the screw threads and gently screw each cap back in place finger tight only. 1. Take in a really big slow breath through your mouth  Insert all the valves using the instructions on application of valve and then let it out through your mouth and relax. oil and take care to replace each valve in the correct valve casing. 2. Repeat exercise 1 whilst clapping 4 regular beats  Insert all the tuning slides again using the methods and (count at a walking pace). procedure set out in lubricating tuning slides. Press each valve fully down as you are inserting the tuning slides as this will release any airlock.

Breathe in Breathe out Finally give your instrument a polish with a clean soft cloth. Finger prints should be wiped off your instrument every time you return it to its case after playing. The lacquer finish will stay like new and silver- plated instruments will not tarnish as quickly. There are silver polish cloths available for bright shiny silver finished instruments, Count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 for older ones, use a cleaning cream such as Silvo and polish off to a bright finish. 3. Keep relaxed. Focus yourself over counts 1 and 2, Lacquer and gold finishes should be only cleaned with a clean soft breathe in over counts 3 and 4. Now, when cloth and a little furniture polish like Mr Sheen. breathing out, keep the airflow steady by supporting it

Final Cautions: with the abdominal (tummy) muscles. This is the  Never insert a valve or tuning slide back into your instrument normal way of breathing when playing your brass without first lubricating it as corrosion could occur and cause instrument. serious damage. Keep your shoulders down  Never attempt to remove a mouthpiece with pliers or vice grips when you breathe in or by using undue force. The use of pliers will ruin the appearance of the mouthpiece by stripping the silver-plating and excessive force could twist and possibly break, the mouthpiece receiving

tube or its bracing.  Never keep loose items in your instrument case that could dent focus breathe in breathe out evenly and steadily or mark your instrument whilst transporting it. Do not overload your case with music books as this could damage your Count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 instrument. Mouthpieces, valve oil bottles etc should be kept in the proper apartments of your case at all times. 4. Breathing must be natural—if you feel dizzy….STOP!  Never transport your instrument without putting it in its case. Routinely check the handle and catches on your case to make sure they are in good working order.

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Disassemble your instrument as follows:

 Remove the mouthpiece POSTURE  Remove all the tuning slides, 10, 11, 12 and 16, wipe off all old grease and set aside. Good posture makes playing easy and  Remove all three valves and place them in a container of enjoyable. warm, soapy water, having mixed in some dishwashing liquid and set aside.  Keep your arms out at 45° so that the  Remove all three bottom valve caps. chest is free. Place all the instrumental parts and the remaining body of the  Stand or sit feeling tall but relaxed— instrument in the bottom of a basin or bathtub. Fill with particularly your shoulders. lukewarm soapy water and add a few drops of disinfectant such  If you are standing, keep your knees as Dettol and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes. If the flexible and your feet hip-width apart. instrument is old or has not been cleaned for a long time you  If you are sitting, keep your back away may leave it to soak for longer.

from the chair back and have your Caution: DO NOT use boiling water because if the water is feet flat on the floor. too hot it will cause permanent damage to the lacquered finish of your instrument, even silver finishes should be treated with caution.

If in any doubt, cool the water down rather than take a risk.  Whilst the other instrumental parts are soaking, take your mouthpiece and thoroughly clean it using a mouthpiece brush, when done rinse it through with clean water, dry and HOLDING YOUR INSTRUMENT polish to a bright shine with a soft cloth.  Return to your basin and using a flexible cleaning brush, Feeling at ease while holding your instrument is important. clean as much as you can of the insides of your tuning slides Hold your instrument loosely in your left hand and Do be careful as even the flexible brush will not go round all practise raising it and putting the mouthpiece to your lips. the tight bends of your tuning slides. Rinse each in clean Do this until you feel perfectly balanced and relaxed. water, dry with a cloth and set aside.  Take each of the bottom valve caps and using a small brush, an old toothbrush is ideal, clean out any dirt from the in- Right Hand sides, rinse with clean water, dry and set aside.

Keep fingers 1, 2 and 3 on the valve  Take the main body of your instrument and using your flexible brush, clean the receiving slides and also clean through caps at all times and slightly bent. the valve casings thoroughly. Rinse through with clean water and dry with a soft cloth after shaking out any excess water from within the instrument.

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Keep the mouthpiece above and  Press each valve down fully to release the airlock before removing each of the tuning slides, 10, 11, 12 and 16 and below the red of the lips. This is wipe off old grease with kitchen roll paper or an old cloth. very important!

 Smear a small amount of specialist tuning slide grease or When blowing, avoid puffing out Vaseline, which is an excellent substitute, evenly onto each the cheeks. leg of the tuning slide using your finger.  Insert only one leg of the slide into its proper receiving tube The playing muscles are all and then remove. around the lower face.  Repeat the procedure exactly with the other leg and remove. Always hold the mouthpiece  Slowly and carefully insert both legs of the tuning slide into with one finger and thumb. For their receiving tubes straight without twisting or bending. all brass instruments, except NEVER FORCE a slide back in. the French Horn, the left hand is

best. It is important not to IF IN ANY DOUBT PLEASE TAKE YOUR press hard on the mouthpiece INSTRUMENT TO YOUR TEACHER. with your lips. When playing any brass instrument, it is the vibration of the lips that creates the sound.

Without your mouthpiece, set your lips as if to say ‘poo’. Blowing Your instrument should have a thorough through the lips will create a small gap in the centre and with practice you will produce a raspberry-like buzzing sound.

clean every three months. Now try this with your mouthpiece and see if you can keep a steady

buzzing sound for five seconds. A clean instrument will:

 Play better Breathe in

{ { { {

 Look better 4  Be healthier to play 4  Last longer

Hold its value better Count 1 2 3 4 buzz/play

Refer to the diagram if you are unsure of any of When you can do this, put the mouthpiece into your instrument and listen to the sound you make. Is it high or low? Your teacher will tell the parts of your instrument. you which note you have produced.

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Unscrew the cap at the top of the valve

casing, carefully pull out the valve from its casing without twisting or turning. The sound of the instrument is produced by Apply a few drops of valve oil to the the vibration of your lips, which in turn is smooth cylindrical sides of the valve and to produced by blowing air between your lips and the inside of the casing itself and slowly insert the valve about 90% of the way back through the instrument. into its valve casing, rotating it clockwise three or four times in order to spread the valve oil evenly on the inside wall of the The function of the tongue is to define starts valve casing. of notes. When you have done this, press the valve down further and turn the valve slowly When tonguing, just think of saying “TA”. until you hear a small “click” sound, this is the valve guide locating its alignment slot on the inside wall of the valve casing. The action of the tongue gives clarity to the Complete the procedure by screwing down the top valve cap, finger tight only. release of the air from your lungs. Now check that you can still blow air freely through your instrument, if you cannot, NOW YOU ARE READY TO MAKE MUSIC! and this is a common problem, unscrew the valve cap and rotate the valve ½ turn until you hear the “click”, retighten the Your first sound will be either high or low and valve cap and blow air through again. depending which note is more natural for you, You should oil each valve in turn as they you will learn to either go up or down from are not interchangeable and you can easily your ‘natural’ starting note. Your teacher will check if you have them in the correct position as each valve is stamped, either help and advise you. under the felt at the top of the valve cap or on the upper part of the valve body itself. We are going to begin with the first five notes This number, either 1, 2 or 3, should corre- spond with the number engraved on the of our C scale. It is like going up and down a outside of each valve casing. ladder.

These instructions although given for the following instruments in particular are very broadly the same and can be followed for all other valve brass instruments. Trumpet, Cornet 6 7 8 1 9 & Flugel Horn 2 3 16 5 1 Mouthpiece 2 Mouthpiece Receiver 3 Mouthpipe 15 13 4 Valve Casings 10 11 12 4 5 Bell Section 6 7 8 5 9 First Valve 6 1 2 3 7 Second Valve 8 Third Valve Finger Hook 9 15

10 First Valve Slide 10 12 13 16 11 11 Second Valve Slide 4 12 Third Valve Slide

6 7 8 9 Tuning Slide Waterkey 17 18 5 13 1 11 First Valve Slide Waterkey 14  Play a note with no valves pressed—ask your teacher if it Third Valve Slide Waterkey 15 10 is C or G. 14 12  Now see if you can move up or down the ladder to the 16 Tuning Slide 4 13 other end. Mouthpipe Screw 17  Keep each note steady and hold for ‘4’ counts—try to 18 Mouthpipe Outside Slide relax.

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16 9

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14 11

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