Brass Instruments
Brass instruments, whether it be the
trombone, French horn,
trumpet, or
something else, all function on similar ideas. There are
several techniques that can help any person who is learning to
play a brass instrument. It is simply not true to say that a
great brass player is talented because he or she is a
“natural.”
Brass students spend a lot of time looking
for that secret gimmick that will make them great. Eventually,
those learning to play a brass instrument become frustrated,
because they cannot find that secret ingredient. The secret is
really quite simple: great brass players are created through
practice, and the right kind of practice.
The right kind of practice
The fact is, learning to play a brass
instrument requires the right kind of practice. Correct
practice will focus on correct technique. Sometimes teachers
give their students who are trying to learn to play a brass
instrument harder and harder pieces to try to learn, thinking
that this will force them to improve their skill as they are
working above and beyond their abilities. What this in fact
does is increase frustration. It does not matter how hard the
piece is that you can learn. If the brass student is using poor
technique, the student will be a poor player.
Wind Power
The first aspect to correctly playing a brass
instrument is wind power. Air is how the brass instrument is
powered. Learning how to breath properly is key to learning to
play a brass instrument. Practice breathing exercises, and
learn to sit with your chest up. This will allow you to
completely fill the chest cavity with good, clean air. Keep the
shoulders relaxed as well.
Next, the student who wishes to learn how to
play a brass instrument needs to focus on learning to control
the tongue. The tongue helps to produce the sound. If you are
playing lower notes, form your tongue like the “awww” sound,
and if you are playing a high note, form your tongue like the
“eee” sound.
“Tonguing” refers to the use of the tongue to
create the separation between notes in a song. Tongue using the
tongue against the top of the mouth, behind the upper teeth,
but not touching the teeth. Incorrect tonguing causes the flow
of the air to slow down, and the player cannot play as quickly.
A good tonguing exercise is to practice the “t” and “k” sounds
in rapid succession.
Tonguing and correct breathing are the first
steps to learning to play any brass instrument. It is essential
to learn these two skills correctly in the beginning of
learning to play a brass instrument. These skills, if learned
improperly, are hard to change. Start off right with correct
tonguing and breathing!
These simple techniques, along with the
guidance of a good teacher ,will help you along on your path to
playing a brass instrument properly.
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