Foothills Brass Quintet Brass Basics JKM

Blend


Balance


Intonation


Every group whether wind ensemble or orchestra should have as one its goals to have a
great sounding brass section. I have included a brass reference page with some of the
best brass ensembles that are around today. Each has a unique style and approach, but
they all have some fundamental similarities. They have excellent musical taste, they
have great sounds individually and as a group that enable them to play all styles of
music, and they play precisely together.

Sound
The number one way for us to improve as a brass section is to constantly improve our
individual abilities to make sound. For the most part, this work cannot happen at band
it happens during your own practice time. Do the exercises I have laid out for you
on a regular basis, and you will see the progress we need to have. The best type of sound
to strive for is essentially a powerful classical sound this is the most adaptable style for
different types of music. Here are some basic rules that you should be conscientious of:

Blend
1) The easiest way to achieve blend is by having individuals who produce
sound in the same way. This is at the root of many of my
suggestions regarding air and sound. Working on these
concepts will guide you towards a quality timbre on your
instrument. Your sounds will have similar characteristics,
and will match easily. We will achieve a beautifully blended
and warm sound with ease it will literally just develop as a
by-product.

2) Besides timbre, there is another simple rule Everyone
must contribute equally. No one sticks out. There are two
common problems here
- Weaker players do not fill up enough to balance.
- Stronger players play too loud and stick out.
Listen carefully to yourself and the group around. Try to get
into each others sound.
Balance
I have mentioned that humans are attuned more to high frequencies, when
thinking of balance we need to consider this. Having more bass presence
gives the listener more of a sense of tonal center, a context or foundation
for everything else. Believe it or not, this physiological law is actually
helped give rise to Motown in Detroit. Up to that point in history,
recordings tended to be very tinny and loaded with high frequencies -
there was no mixing capability yet. Soul artists in Detroit started
Brass Basics
Brass Ensemble
Foothills Brass Quintet Brass Basics JKM
experimenting with recording in industrial warehouses that naturally
amplified the bass sound on the recordingpeople really like the results!

Another reason to project more bass is that it improves the overall sound.
A single note played on a trumpet, is actually composed of about 4-7
audible frequencies higher than the fundamental note being played. When
you mix two instruments, you not only strengthen these higher
frequencies, but you also create new ones called resultant tones. Physics
proves that the more bass or fundamental frequency, the stronger resultant
tones happen when mixed with higher, in-tune frequencies. The more
resultant tones and strengthened overtones we get as a brass section, the
more powerful and massive our sound will be.

All in all you need to think of balance as a pyramid, with the low brass
providing the most sound, full middle voices, and lead trumpet line that
just floats on top. There are times when well adjust this because things
need to be more present to make the music work, but in general in brass
choir playing this is what we go for.




Foothills Brass Quintet Brass Basics JKM
Intonation
Intonation as a group starts with having individuals who are able to play in tune
with themselves. Beyond that, it requires sensitive listening and adjustments.

Unison notes: When you play the same note as someone else (often we
have unisons as there as 3-4 people on each part) it is very important to
match pitch. If you are out of tune, you will hear beats in the sound. As
you get closer in tune, the beats slow, and eventually disappear. Strive to
make the unison sound like one player.

Chord Tones: As brass players we have an inherent set of advantages
over other instruments. Our harmonic series are all the same, and except
for horn they even start on the same note. We also have very minute
control over where we place our notes intonation wise. Studies have
shown that intervals and chords when played perfectly in tune (according
to a tuner, or Equal Temperament) they dont necessarily resonate as well
as when some small adjustments are made to make the intervals in tune
(Just Intonation). These adjustments depend on what part of the chord a
given note is in relation to the root. Heres a brief list of the most
pertinent adjustments.
Equal versus Just intonation:

Equal temperament is playing 100 cents per half step, like with a tuner. This is the way
a piano is tuned.

Just intonation is adjusting to make intervals and chords "beatless." As wind
instrumentalists we have the ability to accomplish this.
Here are the places where you should begin to do this (with relation to the root):
M3 Narrow by 14 cents
m3 Widen by 16 cents
P4 Narrow by 2 cents
P5 Widen by 2 cents
m7 Narrow by 4 cents
You must know your place in the chord to accomplish this task.

Excepted from: Trumpet Intonation by Gary Wurtz , DMA. Texas Music School Project.
See http://www.tsmp.org/ for lots of great music resources

M3 = major third m3 = minor third P4 = perfect fourth
P5 = perfect fifth m7 = minor seventh
Foothills Brass Quintet Brass Basics JKM

Dynamic Range
Not only must we incorporate the elements of blend, balance, and intonation, but
we must also be able to maintain that delicate mix over the widest spectrum of
dynamics. This means every player must have excellent control of his or her
sound all the way from ppp to fff.

Playing Together
The most important aspect of playing together is
having a unified image of what you want to
sound like on the piece of music you are
performing. When working on styles of music
that you are less familiar with, such as jazz or
Latin, you need to make you have a clear idea of
how it is supposed to go. Listening to these
styles is the best way to learn how to play them. Outside of music image, there
are four main details to look out for that will help us play together:

1. Start together this may seem obvious, but very few groups do this
precisely. Breathing together on the pickup beat is essential.
2. Stop together again this is very obviouseven fewer groups do this
well. Do not use your tongue to stop notes. Stop the sound by
breathing in.
3. Sustain the sound Maintain a perfectly even dynamic of sound,
especially at the end of notes. Dont ever let the sound die away
unless there is a decrescendo. You will often need to breathe during a
phrase without causing a disruption in the sound. You accomplish this
by stagger breathing.
*Stagger breathing when you need a breath during a phrase, fade
your sound out. Grab a quick breath, and reenter at a soft volume.
Fade back into the proper dynamic. Be careful that you do not
breath when the people next to you are. In fact, during difficult
sections it may be wise for section leaders to decided when each
person will breath to avoid breaks. Obeying these rules will
maintain an even smooth sound even though people are breathing
in!
4. Change notes together If even one person does not change their notes
on time, it reduces the clarity of the music. We must strive to change
precisely at the same time. This often relies on having a good sense of
pulse.

Developing a great brass line sound takes time and individual commitment. Practice the
fundamentals and learn your music early, so that your time together as a group can be
spent in pursuit of a magnificent group sound!


3 Levels of Listening

1. Yourself
2. Your section
3. Brass section