Music 3111 High Brass Methods, Fall, 2018
Dr. Buckner, RFA 216, 870-230-5410, [email protected]
http://hsutrumpets.com, http://fac.hsu.edu/bucknej/hbm/hbm.htm
Course Description/Objectives: A study of brass pedagogical techniques, including elementary and advanced teaching procedures and analyzing student problems. All students will demonstrate a basic proficiency on the Trumpet and the Horn. Two class meetings per week.
Instructional Procedures: Lecture and playing high brass instruments (Specific playing assignments depend on student's background.)
Evaluation:
4 written tests @ 20% = 80% 4 playing tests @ 5% = 20% Total: = 100%
Students are expected to practice outside of class. Tests will be with open notes; however, only typed notes may be used during the tests.
Grading Scales: Regular Scale Extra Credit Scale - See below: 95-100 = A 90-100 = A 87-94 = B 80-89 = B 78-86 = C 70-79 = C 70-77 = D 60-69 = D 0-69 = F 0-59 = F Extra Credit Scale will only be used if the student presents a bound notebook with all typed class notes. All pages must be numbered and a detailed table of contents is required.
Mid-term grades will be based on scores at that time.
Attendance/Make-Up Policy: Students are expected to attend every class. Your future students deserve the best possible teacher. Therefore, THERE ARE NO UNEXCUSED ABSENCES! Each unexcused absence will result in a 10% reduction in the final average. (Excused absences include serious illness, death in the immediate family, HSU field trips, and ensemble tours.) The student should notify the instructor in advance of an absence (whenever possible) to be certain that it will count as excused. If you are ill, you must e-mail or call and leave a message the day of the illness.
In rare circumstances, students will be allowed to make up an unexcused absence by submitting a 4-page research paper with a bibliography of at least 4 sources plus endnotes. (Double spaced, Times New Roman 12 font, no more than 1” margins.) Hint: it’s much easier to go to class than do the paper!!
Texts:
Whitener A Complete Guide to Brass: Instruments and Technique (CG) Buckner Brass Class Handbook (BC) – online at http://fac.hsu.edu/bucknej/hbm/hbm.htm Handouts (HO); Handouts #2-8 (HO2-8) – online at http://fac.hsu.edu/bucknej/hbm/hbm.htm
Cell Phones/Computers: Computers may be used to take notes during class. Cell phones may not be used.
Course Evaluation: Students will be asked to evaluate this course near the end of the semester. These evaluations are very important to the improvement in the quality of instruction and course materials. All results are anonymous and shared with the faculty only after the semester is over and grades have been posted.
Hearing Loss and Performance-Related Injury Prevention: As a musician, your hearing is one of your most valuable assets. Unfortunately, high exposure to sound-producing activities can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. While this can be temporary, it can lead to tinnitus (ringing in the ears), permanent loss of hearing (particularly in the higher frequencies), and deafness. In addition to affecting a student’s enjoyment of music, it also may render them incapable of continuing as a professional musician or music educator. Musicians are also susceptible to musculoskeletal injury, particularly overuse injury. Failure to take adequate precautions can greatly shorten a student’s performing career.
Means to minimize risks associated with hearing loss and performance-related injuries will be discussed during applied lessons and/or master classes. Faculty members can only present information to students and offer resources and assistance in seeking professional medical help when needed. The student has the final responsibility to take proper precautions. Students with disabilities: It is the policy and practice of Henderson State University to create inclusive learning environments. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment of achievement – such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible.
You are encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center located on the first floor of Foster Hall during regular hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday or call them at 870-230-5475. For more information, visit the DRC website at http://www.hsu.edu/TRIO/Disability-resource-center.html. Student Academic Integrity: All students should have a copy of the Henderson State University Academic Integrity and Academic Conduct Policies & Processes. The policies described in this document are applicable to this course. If you do not have a copy of this document or if you do not understand any part of it, please let me know.
Henderson State University, “The School with a Heart,” offers quality undergraduate and graduate education to a diverse student body. As Arkansas’s public liberal arts university, we empower each student to excel in a complex and changing world.
Class Overview
I. Importance of Class - #1
II. Importance of Tone Quality - #1
III. *Warm Up and Playing *A. Attitude - #1 *B. Posture - #2 *C. Breathing - #2-3 *D. Embouchure - #3-4 E. Articulation - #5-6 F. Proper Instrument - #7 TEST #1 - #8 G. Instrument Care - #9 *H. Warmup Routines - #10 *I. High Range - #11-14 *J. Low Range - #14 K. Loud/Soft Playing - 14 L. Endurance - #15 TEST #2 - #16 (Take Home) Reddie for Henderson Day - No Class - #16 M. Pressure - #17 N. Braces - #17 O. Flexibility - #18 P. Lip Slurs, Valve Slurs - #18 Q. Multiple Tongue - #19-20 R. Flutter Tongue - #20 S. Initial Attacks - #20 T. Vibrato - #20-21 U. Intonation - #21 V. Fingering - #22 W. Problems - #22 X. Relaxation - #22-23 Y. Psychology - #23 TEST #3 - #23 (Take Home) Z. Methods - #24 AA. Mutes - #24 BB. The Horn - #25 (tentative) CC. Tuning the horn - #26 DD. Transposition - #27
IV. Equipment A. Instrument Selection - #28 B. Mouthpiece Choice - #29 C. Horn - #28-29 D. Reference Materials - #30 E. Lip Problems, Wisdom Teeth - #30
TEST #4 - Final - #31
Tentative Class Calendar
No Day Date Topic Readings Playing Assignments
Basics: Sound, Air, Embouchure, Articulation 1 T Aug 21 Introduction; Two Basic Approaches; CG (160); BC (2-3); HO (2); HO2 (1-3); Concept of Sound; Recordings; HO3 (9-10); HO4 (1-2, 11-14); HO5 (1, Attitude 26-27), HO7 (16-26), HO8 (3-4)
2 Th Aug 23 Posture; Breathing CG (141-146); BC (4-11); HO (3-8); HO2 (4-17) 3 T Aug 28 Breathing, cont.; Embouchure; CG (146-151); HO (9) Mouthpiece Placement 4 Th Aug 30 Leak and Seal; Mouthpiece Buzzing HO (9a-13) Form Embouchure; Buzz Sirens 5 T Sept 4 Articulation CG (154-156); BC (12); HO (14) Issue Mouthpieces/Trumpets/Horns
Practical: Matching Students with Instruments, Instrument Care; Warmup 6 Th Sept 6 Articulation Teaching Aids no readings Buzz Sirens and Melodies 7 T Sept 11 Matching Students to Instruments; CG (55, 164, 166-172, 178, 188) Assembling Instruments; Holding Positions Issue Horns Buzz Sirens and Melodies 8 Th Sept 13 Written Test #1 (Classes #1-#6) Playing Test #1 (Mouthpiece Only: Sirens and Melodies) 9 T Sept 18 Instrument Care BC (18-20); HO3 (8); HO7 (1-3)
Pedagogy: Range, Endurance, Flexibility, Multiple Tonguing, etc. 10 Th Sept 20 Warmup Routines CG (162); BC (21-26); HO (15-16); HO5 (4); CG (151-154, 158-159) 11 T Sept 25 High Range BC (27-33): HO6 (3-12) 12 Th Sept 27 High Range, cont. 13 T Oct 2 High Range, cont. 14 Th Oct 4 High Range, cont.; Low Range; Loud/ Soft Playing 15 T Oct 9 Endurance HO2 (18-22); HO4 (3-5) Th Oct 11 Fall Break – no class – 16 T Oct 16 Written Test #2 – Take Home! CG (187-188); BC (34-35); HO5 (6) (Classes #7-#15) Pressure; Braces Playing Test #2
No Day Date Topic Readings Playing Assignments 17 Th Oct 18 Written Test #2 – DUE!! BC (36); HO (17) Flexibility; Lip Slurs; Valve Slurs 18 T Oct 23 Multiple Tongue CG (156); BC (37) Switch Instruments 19 Th Oct 25 Multiple Tongue, cont.; Flutter CG (33-35, 59-62, 122-123, 160-161); BC Tongue; Initial Attacks; Vibrato (38-40); HO2 (23-28) 20 T Oct 30 Vibrato, cont.; Intonation
21 Th Nov 1 Fingering; Problems; Relaxation CG (165); HO2 (29)
22 T Nov 6 Reddie for Henderson Day - No Class
- Tentative – 23 Th Nov 8 Relaxation, cont.; Psychology BC (1); HO (18) Written Test #3 – Take Home! (Classes #16-#21) 24 T Nov 13 Methods; Mutes CG (37-38); HO2 (30) Playing Test #3 Written Test #3 – DUE!! 25 Th Nov 15 The Horn - tentative 26 T Nov 20 Tuning the horn Th Nov 22 - Thanksgiving Break -
Equipment: Mutes, Mouthpieces, Instruments; Horn Specifics; Injuries 27 T Nov 27 Transposition CG (35-37); HO (21) Student Evaluations 28 Th Nov 29 Instrument Selection HO4 (6-8), HO6 (13-17), HO8 (1-2) 29 T Dec 4 Mouthpiece Choice; Horn CG (20-21) ; HO7 (8-10); BC (46-49); HO2 (31-32); HO8 (5); BC (55-56); HO2 (33-37); HO7 (11-12); CG (47-59, 63-68, 121-122, 124-137); BC (58-63); HO (22- 23); HO3 (13-20) 30 Th Dec 6 Reference Materials; Lip Problems, Handout: Lip Problems, Wisdom Teeth Wisdom Teeth; Mouthpiece Pullers Playing Test #4 Clean and Turn In Instruments 31 Th Dec 13 Final (Written Test #4) NOT comprehensive!! 10AM-12 (Classes #22-30) Noon
Not Covered A Preparation HO7 (4, 13-15, 27-31); BC (41-45, 52); HO3 (3-7) B Mouthpiece Components C Mouthpiece Numbering Systems D Trumpet CG (24-33, 39-46, 112-113, 114, 118-121); BC (50-54); HO (20, 24-27); HO5 (8-25) E Brass Instrument Repair BC (64); HO (28); HO2 (38-45); HO4 (9- 10); HO6 (19-21); HO7 (1-3, 32-34) Handout Topics
Class #1 – Introduction; Two Basic Approaches; Concept of Sound; Recordings; Attitude
CG (160) – Concept of Sound BC (2-3) – A Listing of Some of the Most Excellent Brass Players on Record HO (2) – Sound...The Most Important Ingredient in All Music HO2 (1-3) – Mike Hedden e-mail; Body vs. Brain HO3 (9-10) – Do Not Underestimate Your Students, As They Deserve Your Very Best HO4 (1-2, 11-14) – Survivor: Public School First Year Band Director; Third Variable; Educator's Viewpoint: Your College-Bound Music Students Need and Deserve Some Special Preparation HO5 (1, 26-27) – Supplementary Texts; Educator's Viewpoint: Balanced Life HO7 (16-26) – What It Takes to be a Music Major; Welcome Address; Looking Back HO8 (3-4) – When Was the Last Time You Performed for Your Students?
Class #2 – Posture; Breathing
CG (141-146) – Tone Production BC (4-11) – Breathing; Arnold Jacob’s Breathing Exercises HO (3-8) – Wind and Song; Thoughts to Ponder HO2 (4-17) – Dallas Brass Windmaster
Class #3 – Embouchure; Mouthpiece Placement
CG (146-151) – The Embouchure and the First Steps in Playing HO (9) – The Brass Player’s Face
Class #4 – Leak and Seal; Mouthpiece Buzzing
HO (9a-13) – Mouthpiece Melodies, Mind Over Metal
Class #5 – Articulation
CG (154-156) – Attack and Tonguing; Styles of Attack and Shaping Notes HO (14) –Williams Scales
Class #6 – Articulation Teaching Aids
no readings
Class #7 – Matching Students to Instruments; Assembling Instruments; Holding Positions
CG (55, 164, 166-172, 178, 188) – Right-Hand Position; Playing Position; Keys to Good Playing Position; Assembling Brass Instruments; Removing Condensation; BC (12) – Facial Characteristics
Class #8 – Test #1
Class #9 – Instrument Care
BC (18-20) – The Importance of a Clean Instrument; The Care of a Schilke Instrument HO3 (8) – Care of Your Valve Instrument HO7 (1-3) – Clean Your Brass Instrument!
Class #10 – Warm-Up Routines
CG (162) –How to Warm Up and Practice Effectively BC (21-26) – Breath and Range Expansion Studies; Warmup Routine; Warmup Materials; Tone Studies, Part I; Alterations to Clarke Technical Studies HO (15-16) – The Daily Practice Routine for Brass Players; Flow Study #3 HO5 (4) – Arban #9 and #10
CG (151-154, 158-159, 162) – (changing pitch); Range and Endurance; How to Warm Up and Practice Effectively
Class #11 – High Range
BC (27-33) – Range Expansion Slurs; Jazz Trumpet: How High is High Enough? HO6 (3-12) – Bernie Glow
Class #12 – High Range, cont.
no readings
Class #13 – High Range, cont.
no readings
Class #14 – High Range, cont.; Low Range; Loud/Soft Playing;
no readings
Class #15 –Endurance
HO2 (18-22) – Performance: A Director's Guide to Trumpet Basics HO4 (3-5) – Embouchure Fatigue: the Physiological Factors
Class #16 – Reddie for Henderson Day – no class (tentative)
Class #17 – Test #2; Pressure; Braces
CG (187-188) – Surviving While Playing a Brass Instrument with Braces BC (34-35) – Brace Relief Shields; Brace Guard HO5 (6) – Morgan Bumper
Class #18 – Flexibility; Lip Slurs; Valve Slurs
BC (36) – Basic Lip Slurs HO (17) – Arban Lip Slurs
Class #19 – Multiple Tongue
CG (156) – Multiple Tonguing BC (37) – Multiple Tongue Practice Aids
Class #20 – Multiple Tongue, cont.; Flutter Tongue; Initial Attacks; Vibrato no readings
Class #21 – Vibrato, cont.; Intonation
CG (33-35, 59-62, 122-123, 160-161) – Intonation; Intonation and Tuning; (marching brass intonation); Vibrato BC (38-40) – Developing Intonation HO2 (23-28) – The Problem of Tuning Correctly; The Battle to Correct Intonation in the Studio of Charles Geyer
Class #22 – Fingering; Problems; Relaxation CG (165) – Fingering HO2 (29) – Embouchure Cure (Dr. Swift)
Class #23 – Relaxation, cont.; Psychology
BC (1) – Supplementary Texts HO (18) – Don't Say Don't
Class #24 – Methods; Mutes CG (37-38) – Mutes HO2 (30) – Mute Designations and Recommendations
Class #25 – The Horn - tentative
Class #26 – Transposition
CG (35-37) – Transposition HO (21) – Horn Transposition
Class #27 – Instrument Selection
HO4 (6-8) – Beware of Bad Instruments HO6 (13-17) – What About Bargain Internet Instruments? HO8 (1-2) – Metals of Brass Instruments!
Class #28 – Mouthpiece Choice; Horn
CG (20-21) – General Mouthpiece Suggestions; Mouthpiece Recommendations HO7 (8-10) – Brass Mouthpiece Recommendations BC (46-49) – Trumpet/Trombone Mouthpiece Comparison Charts; Yamaha Brass Mouthpiece System; Yamaha Brass Mouthpiece Comparison Chart; Holton Farkas French Horn Mouthpieces HO2 (31-32) – Bach Mouthpiece Descriptions; Bach Megatone Mouthpieces HO8 (5) – Trumpet [Mouthpiece] Backbore Comparison Chart
Class #29 –Tuning the horn; Reference Materials
BC (55-56) – Tuning the Holton Farkas Double French Horn HO2 (33-37) – Basic Double Horn Tune Up HO7 (11-12) – The Tuning Slide Stops Here! CG (47-59, 63-68, 121-122, 124-137) – The Horn; The Wagner Tuba; Recommended Literature; Brass in Marching Band; Suggestions for Marching Band Directors; The Historical Development of Brass Instruments BC (58-63) – Care of the Valves; Valve Lubrication Procedure; Reference Books HO (22-23) – Horn: F vs. B-flat Sides; Horn Valve Restringing HO3 (13-20) – Care and Maintenance of the Horn; Technique for Water Removal – by Phillip Farkas; Cleaning the Horn; Repairing Cord-Action Valves; Special Instructions no readings
Class #30 – Final
Class #A – Preparation
HO (19) – Performance for Success HO7 (4, 13-15, 27-31) – Piston Valve Struggles; Efficient Practice; Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits BC (41-45, 52) – Solos and Contest: How to Do Your Best; Recommended Methods; Miscellaneous: Triple Tongue Scale Pattern HO3 (3-7) – Adolph Herseth Lesson Notes
Class #B – Mouthpiece Components
Class #C – Mouthpiece Numbering Systems
Class #D – Trumpet
CG (24-33, 39-46, 112-113, 114, 118-121) – Trumpet and Cornet; Recommended Literature; Flugelhorn; Bass Trumpet; Historical Brass BC (50-54) – Tuning and Valve Slides; Miscellaneous: Trumpet Intonation Tendencies, and Common Alternate Trill Fingerings; Fingerings and Alternate Fingerings and Overtone Series HO (20, 24-27) – The Problem of Tuning Correctly; Teaching the Concepts of Trumpet Playing HO5 (8-25) – Trumpets from International Music Suppliers
Class #E – Brass Instrument Repair
BC (64) – Magnum Mouthpiece Puller (Don’t Use This!) HO (28) – 1997 Cleaning and Overhaul Prices HO2 (38-45) – Cleaning Trumpet and Trombones HO4 (9-10) – 2003 International Music Suppliers Brass Repair Price List HO6 (19-21) – Repairs You Can Do HO7 (1-3, 32-34) – Clean Your Brass Instrument; For Emergency Only