SUOGLS'Il':D PLDA GOG I CAL CONCEPTS RELATING TO THE PLAYrno OF THE TENOR TRO MBONE A T!ffiSIS SUB!.U'i.TED IN PARTIAL 1- ULFILL:i!EMT OF TIU:. ro:: 1.;lJIRU/lhN'l'S F OR TRL DEG!'lEi. OF MASTER OF ARTS IN MUS IC EDUCA~ION IN Tll'F GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE Ti :: 'JUS !','!'l\'l'F COLLFJJE "'OR W•)ME N rt:PAP.TJmNT OF M USIC ED UCATIO?l' BY L. J ANE HATIEY , Bo S , t:ElITON , TEXAS AUGUST , 1953 TJ'i/3 TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVE'RS'ITY LIBRARY /)3~ ✓'/,.-: :,;, Texas State College for Women Denton, Texas __ _August _ ____ 19 ___ 53_ vVe hereby recommend that the thesis prepared under our st>pervision by ______L • __ J A,NF __ HA TLBY ~ ------ _ ____ ____ __ ________ __ _____ _ entitled S lJGOJ l'-,__']Ji,l}_ l;'J,i;l)l!flQ_']_I_QA.L....C.0.NCEl'TS.. RFI,ATT NG_~-- he accepted as fulfilling this part of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, Committee in Charge of Thesis Accepted: (/~~~ ' Director,~ F ,E• ACE The v,r it:r w:i. shes t o a c\.:n owled;:;e her a ppre cia­ tion for t he he l pful o s si1Jtance an d advice t; lve n by Dr , LowrencG A, fa,nlc ,: i n th0 preparation of thin t hesis. The wr· itc. r a l so n i s h cs t o expr• c ss s i ncere ap­ pr•eclate d t u her trombone t ea cher , John J, Silb er, for h i s untl11 i n ° i n t Etrcs t un ci. cncourage1ao nt in tile wr ltin;_ , o:t' this thesis, iii TABLE OF CON'!'afT$ •• ·••w••oo • • • ti • • 111 C'.Il~. P 'l'E fl • • • • • • • • " 41 • . ii • • • • • • PAGE I• I N~tHOi>UC T'I ON " 0 • • • e- j) 0 0 9 t< 0 l I.'¼l ckground o (> ., • • • o • • ., , • ~ l Purpoaa o f t he Study • • • • • • • • l Pl.an o f .Procu cture •• • • . " 2 ::ev1ew of !?e l ated Ma t erbl 4 Pl9n f or Ilemaindor o f 'I'he R1s •• . .. 5 • 0 • • • • • • . " 7 He r mon1.c overtones 7 Intone tion P:robloma o • ll Jl. cou:1t1ca l Con!l i de !'9t1ons ••• • • 0 ....., 1.(\ff\;')' 1(1 f!U RE AND n rn WHiTHPIECE G , ) III. • 0 • • • • Physiology an <'t Histology o f tho Lip Mus cule ture o • • • • • • • • • • 23 Embouchure 1n Rela tion to the l'iesulte.nt Pitch • , • , •· • • • • 28 Placement of the Mouthpiece ., • • • .. 31 Selection of a Mouthpiece • • • • • • 35 I V• 'l1 JUE • • • • • • o • • e. , • • • • • e- • 42 F,eaonance ., • • • • • • •• • • • • ;, 43 Brea t h Control ., • • • • ti • • • • • 49 Vibrato••• • • • •. • • • • • • • 51 iv CARE THE .TROMBONE v. OF . ~ .. 54 • " . • ~ • ! ! Care ot' Inst:i?Uinent in Case 55 • ~ • ~ Handling the Trombone ' 58 • • • . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Oare of the Hand Slide 59 Care of. the Mouthpiece • • • • • ~ • • 63 Cleaning and Polishing the Finish of the Trombone • • • • • • • • • • 64 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 67 Summary • • · • •· • ~ • • • • • • •· • ~ 67 Conclusions end Recommendat1ont • • • • 67 Suggestions fc.r Further .Study . '• . 70 BI BLI 0G PA PHY • ·• • • • • • ·• • • • • • ·• • • • • • 7~ V LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Harmonic Series ~ " • ., " " if " • • • • 8 2. Vibrating Rope j • ' ·• • • .. • .. • . • ' 10 31 Deviation of Partials in the Harmonic $er1ee Eis Away from Equal Tempera .. ment • • • • • • • • ••. • • • • • • 14 Nomenclature or Notation • • • • • • •• 15 50 Alternate or False Slide Positions• • • 17 s. ttNormaltt Positions as Compared to the "Truett J?os1t1ons • • • • •• • • • • 19 7. Arrangement · r,f Fibers of the 0rb1eular1• Oris • Tracing ( from Gray) • • • • • 24 a. Muscles of the Face. Treeing ( from Gray) 26 Recess of the tower Teeth. Tracing ( from Gr·ay) • ,. ·• ~ • , • • • • • • • • • • 32 10 • The Cup Mouthpiece ·• • • , • • • • • • • 36 ll. Physiolog1csl s11d Acoustiesl Description for Three .Vowel Sounds, Tracing ( from Miller) • • • • • • .. • • • • • 48 l2 • Diagram of the Trombone • • • • • • • • 64 Trombone Slide in Sections • • • !I • • • 55 l4o Blocking the Trombone Hand Slides • • • 56 •• Incorrect Blocking . ••• • • • • • 66 b. Correct .Blocking • • • • , • • • • 56 'V1 CHA,P'mR I IN'!' l':!ODUCT! ON Ba.dcip.-otmd At the present time there are n•11oua trombo.ne method bodu1 with general pedagogical COllll!lentar1e(! on 1mrned1et& problema of execution on the in11bument. Only e few of.' these boo)UI preoe.nt the fundamentai 1tl• fol"!l¥it1on that would s:lt'ford the pl.lllyer· en ell•1neltut1ve grasp of' the most Oollll'llon p:rocedurea involved 1n the proper exeeut1on or available tri:mibone l1teratUZ'e. Ub• :t'ortunttely, op1n1ona concern1rig basic procedures of execution are almost as nume:r,ous ss their authors. · It 1s felt by aom.e that there 1s en a.bsenee of any valid fountainhead of e;eneral theoretical 1nt'ormat1011 on the playing of the tenor trombone. Purpose o.f' the .~tu~ It 1s the pui-pose of this thesis to diuover th1'0Ugh andyds the fundamental informational data neceuary for the ut'.ldefftand1ng or ce!'tain eommoimble aspects or braas pedagogy, and in pa~tf.cul.ar• the un1Qw, ractt• Uildol'1:,1ng the theo17 of' teno:i, bombone playing ancl teaching. The 1mmed1ate value of such a colleet1oi:1 ot data eonceming the tetacb1ng or t?'Ombone 1a to atf'ord l 2 a re•dj refeNnce or spec1 1." 1e pedagog1ca1 mterial fOl' the experienced instrumental muSS.o diNctor u wel1 at £or the nGvice teacher. To clal'itJ the meaning of the term tenor trombone, tbe ina~nt 1.a also ,:,eferred to ae the Bb tenor tJ'offl,o, bone, eo called beeuue the-bamons., ae:r1ea 1n closed or f1ret pod t1on 1a bu!lt on BBb• The pract1eal range ot the teno,.,. tlt'omborie 1a E to ca> it 1a • · non-t1/'8in&poa1ng lnetrument. Plan ot Procedu.ro The bade lnf'ormat10111 that would dd 1n supplying trombone teachers end players with effectiw analytical and pedagogical asdstance was embodied in treatment or certain related problem ereaa, including, (l) the harmonic aerlu and ita 1mp:U.Cflt1ons ror tt>ombone perfOl'• maneeJ (2) emboucm.u-e developt11entJ (3) the mouthpieces (4) tone produ.ct1on and rea.onanc;&J and (5) Clare of the instrument. An oxbauetlve 1nveetigst1on or the implications ot the bamon1c aer1ea and related acoust1cal problem• f or trombone per:t'o1"l!lanc:e •• madee Intenelated aapeett con• cernillg tom qual.11:1 1 1ntonatton, ~nd tbe 11l1de l!lSCbllnlem •te examined atid categol'ieed, In connection w1tb the need tar a aelentlff.e app:roe eh to e111bouch1Jl'e development, 3 the physiology and histology of lip and facial muacul.4l• ture were reviewed and suitQ~le recoll!!llendatione mad$. Sal1ent info rmtlt:I. on co1;1()l;lm1ng mot.tthp1eee c~racteris ties and f'unct1one.1 aspects of selection of mouthpieces were reviewed. An explanation was mede .of' the importance of a clear understanding of pressure, placement, and regard for individual differences in relation to the embouchure and mouthpiece. Answers to the following questions were soughtt (l) What may a mouthpiece be e.xpected to contri• bute toward good performance? (2) What mouthpiece for which player? (3) Under what conditions should a change of mouthpiece be recommended? The factor of tone prodUc­ tion• together with such ram1f'ica tions es .reaenanee 1 breath control. and vibrato was reviewed 1n ai!lbhor1tative so'Ul'eell and summarized. Important phases treated under the care of the instrument are grasp of the instrument,. play 1ng posi t1ons • p~•ui•utiona in the care of t ha 1ne tr,,1.. ment, and a suggested prooedure for maintenance of the trO!llbone. It was not the writer's objective to invent or to propose any step by step plan of presentation of trombone technique as 1s commonly found in trombone method books, but to present a review of the factual information that 1s. essential 1n any flexible procedure or methodolo.gv. The investigator used analytical and observational researoh 4 methods. Related literature was extracted from method books and from literature concerning the teaching of brass instruments and the trombone• The investigator ueed certain observetional p1•actices with beginning in• strumental students at Texas State College for Women. Review of Related Ma t erial The investigator has made an extensive search of studi e s 1n music and has been unable to discover com­ prehensive pedagogical mate-r ial concerning th, funda .. mentals o f trombone playing . Numerous pedagogical pre­ sentations concerning the trombone in respect to its relationship to other brass instruments and a few spe­ cific remarks as to its unique position in the brass family were found. No specific or highly related ma­ terial b.as been repo1' ted in the Bibliographz £f_ ~ ~ Studies .!E, ~ Education1 £!:. .!E, Doctoral~­ tationa Accepted .!?1. American Universitiee. 2 -lMusie Educators• National Conference, Research Council, B1bl1oiraThfi of Research Studies in Music Edu­ cation, 1932-19 8 C 1cago: Music Educators17fiitronal Conference, 1949). 2Associs tion of Research Libraries, Doctoral Dia• sertat1ona AcceWted Er American Universities. Vois. r:!'9, (New Yorks H•• Wilion co., 19!3:'\-Hlbz). 5 Plan r ot- ~ma1nder o:f' Theda In Cbaptoi- II II th$ hflrmon1c aeries snd tr-mbone $:U,de ll!OCbanhs ls d10CUll!ii0d utldtll' tb=-ee dlvidone t {l) bemon14 ovo:rtonal'JJ (2) intonation probl!lllllO (3) •• oouats.eal conddel'GI ti.on•• C:bsptu• III 1ncludH tt1tomt1ti<>n relstod to the ombouch;.ire snd tho mouthpioee pl i;; e1ng empha111s on tbsee i'll.to,u (1) trui 1>hl?'dology fJDd b:t.stolog,v Of the U.p m'WI• culttuNt wlth U.luatnttona or tho 11tr-uetu.re of facial m,uicle111J (8) th" fllliboucb~l"$ 1n relation to tho remultent pttebJ ( i ) pllll cement of' t ho mouthpituie J ( 4) eolnt1on ol" • 1110utbpleoe •.