25 Guided Practice Lesson 3.1

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• apply common brass characteristics including air support and embouchure from their Rotation #1 instruments to their Rotation #2 instruments
• establish proper posture
• control deep breathing inhale
• control deep breathing exhale
• establish a standard embouchure for brass playing
• buzz a consistent tone on the mouthpiece
• buzz a consistent tone on the instrument

Materials

• Instrument
• Metronome

Activities

Note: Throughout this first practice on your new instrument, focus on maintaining good brass fundamentals while observing the primary differences between your Rotation #1 and Rotation #2 instruments. All brass instruments should use a relaxed embouchure, open posture, and air-driven tone. Particular issues to pay attention to are the amount of air required to produce a full tone, the exact placement of the mouthpiece, and unique characteristics of posture. Make sure to review the setup video for your new instrument before starting your first practice

1. Set up Mouthpiece. Saying hmmmm, set the embouchure with the lips gently touching and the corners firm but not tight.
2. Mouthpiece buzzing 4 on, 4 off Set the metronome at ♩=72. Focus on consistent tone production of a comfortable pitch
   1. Do 4 repetitions of 4 on, 4 off
   2. Rest for 15 seconds
   3. Do 4 repetitions of 4 on, 4 off
3. Long tones on the instrument Focus on producing a consistent tone on any comfortable pitch. Repeat 4 times.
4. Vowel shaping exercise. Place your hands along the side of your face and sing through the vowels Ahhh and Eee. Pay attention to tongue placement, jaw placement, and oral cavity size.
5. Lip Slur #1 If you have problems producing the specific pitch that is notated, choose the two adjacent partials that are most comfortable for you. Focus on producing a smooth, consistent tone and a stable pitch on both partials. Focus on moving between partials using Ahhh and Ohhh consonants.
6. Reverse Broken Remington When doing this exercise, focus on making sure each note fully speaks. While pitch centering is important, even more important right now is the clarity with which the tone is produced. Pay particular attention to not having the embouchure be pinched when moving to higher partials.
7. Legato Articulation – Full Score Set the metronome at ♩=90. Listen closely to the initial attack in each measure. Additionally, listen that there is an even attack on each re-articulated note. Do not move on to faster rhythms until you can play slower rhythms with accuracy and consistency. Start on Bb and go diatonically up to F, playing the full rhythm on each note.