Brass WorkBook for Trombone Section y . Roger Harvey [Brass Works, 113,Contents: page Preface 3 The Trombone Section 4 Chapter 1-Tuning Exercises 6 Chapter 2-Balance 13 Chapter 3-Articulation 17 Acknowledgements: Grateful thanks to my colleagues who have helped me try out these exercises and have offered invaluable advice, especially the trombone sections of The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the LPO, Philharmonia and LSO. BrassWorks: BrassWorks began as a series of publications of tentet pieces. The list consists mainly of concert items arranged or composed for The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble or its successor group London Brass. Many have been recorded by them. The series is now extented to include a group of BrassWorkBooks, music for larger brass ensembles and items for trumpet ensemble, horn ensemble and trombone ensemble. For further information: BrassWorks, Chantilly, Duton Hill, Gt. Dunmow, Essex. CM6 2DZ. Tel: +44 (0)1371 870762. Fax: +44 (0)1371 870876. E-mail: rharvey@brassworks-music.com ‘Web: http://www.brassworks-music.com. This series of BrassWorkBooks is designed to help players to extend their ability in specific areas of instrumental development. The first publications will be for alto trombone, natural trumpet, bass trombone and trombone section training. The books are aimed at those who have reached at: least a moderate standard of performance skill on their instrument and now have the desire to develop ability, in some cases, on an alternative related instrument. These books will not, therefore, dwell on the basics of brass playing; it will be assumed that the player has already acquired a reasonable knowledge of: -embouchure formation ~breath control -articulation and legato Though reminders of the basic requirements of a good set-up will be made when applicable. The main focus of the books will be on the particular technical requirements of the instrument. or performance environment. The books will include, as appropriate: - advice from an experienced performer on the instrument. -exercises to help get the feel of how the instrument blows, how to help centre and focus the sound and production. -advice and exercises on specific tuning challenges -exercises to help with particular reading difficulties such as clefs and transpositions -a selection of excerpts from the repertoire with tips on how to approach them -a group of original studies which will help master the instrument and may be used for exams, auditions and concerts. repertoire lists 115The:Tromhone Section. The trombonist in the orchestra: The ability to play well in a section is an essential part of a trombonist’s technique. Unless you are in the unlikely position of becoming a full-time soloist or recitalist, the majority of your playing life will ‘be spent not showing off your carefully honed ability to play sonatas and concertos, whipping around ‘the instrument from top to bottom, but playing parts that are generally well within the technical capability of all decent players. This role requires a whole range of complimentary skills and subtleties that are perhaps not so easily learned as pure technical ability, in order to produce a musically apt contribution to an orchestral or band performance. That is not to say that fluent technical ability is of ‘no use; on the contrary, the more command you have over your instrument, the better you will be able to adjust to the demands of the music, the manner of performance of your colleagues or the whims of the conductor and the more stimulating and fulfilling will be your playing experiences. An addition to technical ability, an interest in and a knowledge of the music that you play should help you to a more informed approach to your playing and a greater enjoyment in your participation. Apart from the genuine benefits to musicianship of knowing the musical style, a keen interest in the music in its own right can often be an essential tool for the prevention of terminal boredom for a trombonist who may be only marginally involved in the performance due to a lack of notes. Section playing: The standard grouping of three trombones, usually 2 tenors and a bass, is a glorious tool for composers. It can provide a uniquely wide range of timbre, texture, volume and tessitura. In the hands _ of an imaginative composer it can give voice to almost any aspect of the expressive pallette. It then depends, of course, on the skill, musicianship and understanding of the players to deliver the intended message, Since trombones are almost always written for as a family group, it is essential that the players perform in a unified and corporately supportive manner. Although trombonists, naturally gregarious folk, often get together to play through repertoire informally, important aspects of the continual process of training and assessing section playing are sometimes neglected: a good section concentrates on unity of articulation, note lengths, note shapes and phrasing, balance, tuning and general awareness, radar and teamwork that develop with the confidence in each other. Some of these aspects are addressed in this book but simply playing through the exercises will acheive little: they should be approached with an understanding of what the objectives are and rehearsed ctitically to gradually work towards these goals. The supervision of a teacher or colleague may help but the main idea of this training is to develop a keen sense of awareness between players and an ability to adjust and match through the players’ own critical faculties so that they can largely do away with ’spoon-fed’ instructions. Not only will this make the the section so much more sucessful but it will, through the increased input of the individual, make the whole music-making activity so much more rewarding. This book does not contain orchestral excerpts as there is a great deal of material already available. However, these exercises should be supplemented by attention to appropriate orchestral repertoire. As a supplement to this book, try ’Forty Dance Movements from Banchetto Musicale’ by Johannes Schein, arranged by Brian Raby and published by Alaw Music Publishing, 4 Tyfica Rd., Pontypridd, South Wales. Tel: +449001443 402178 Email: brian.raby@easynet.co.ukSpecific roles of the section members: 1st trombone: ‘The section principal should learn to lead musically and with authority. He needs to have a very good technique, sound and range if he is to cope comfortable and flexibly with the demands of his part. He needs to be aware of the context of the trombone parts, how they fit with others and what their importance is to the musical texture. He should be flexible enough to adapt to the conductor’s viewpoint. He needs to keep in close musical touch with other parts of the orchestra, especially the trumpets, in order to match, blend, co-ordinate and tune. He needs to be aware that there is always a danger of being late through distance and sometimes a lack of contact with players further forward in the orchestra or simply by taking too much time in preparing and producing notes, so he should be on top of the beat, anticipate and breath in time and play with confidence, even in quiet passages. In some circumstances he has authority to run the section and he should endeavour to treat his colleagues with respect, understand the difficulties of their roles and appreciate the support they give him. By encouraging a happy team which works for each other with mutual understanding, the musical situation will be all the more fulfilling. 2nd trombone: . . He has the difficult job of producing a sound that matches and fits well between the other 2 players to give a well balanced feel to chords. He must match dynamics, articulation, note lengths and shape and style generally and must co-ordinate well and be constantly aware of tuning within chords, adjusting as necessary. ‘He must be prepared to play up to support or assist the Ist when in unison, provide strong support in octaves so allowing the the Ist to take ita little easier and sounding richer and fuller for less effort. He will occasionally need to step froward to play a few unforgiving solo notes and so should be able to enjoy the rare moment without becoming overawed by it. He must keep on top of the Ist player’s every subtlety of performance; he is responsible not only for his own part but should act as a link between Ist and bass; a good 2nd will make the job much easier for the bass trombone and will contribute hugely to a good section feel. If he has'a confident Ist, a good 2nd player should be able to glue himself musically to his leader, co-ordinating almost by instinct, At the same time he must keep his attention on the other critical parts of the music at any moment and even keep the conductor in the comer of his eye. Bass trombone: He should have all the faculties of a good 2nd player and also have the confidence to lay down the lower notes of the chords on which the section depends for its tuning in an authoritative but sensitive manner. He must always support the section sound well; the Ist player is at least 2 seats away and relies on a solid foundation to feel confident in leading the section. He must not overblow, however. He must keep in good musical contact with the upper voices, preferably through the expert link of the 2nd player. In addition to the right-side radar, he must keep in touch with basses, cellos, bassoons or whoever may be playing the same part in the music to keep a careful check on tuning, dynamics, style etc. 117Chapter 1. Tuning In this set-of exercises aim for impeccable tuning with‘comfortable, ringing chords. Although awareness of good.intonation is the primary objective here, it is also essential that balance is even, tone quality is well blended and style of articulation well matched if the section is to sound good. 1. Major triads, root position Listen carefully to the intervals (major 3rds should be kept low) ; adjust quickly as the chord builds. Andante Maestoso(J=60) mp 2. Major triads, 1st inversion Listen for a good clear Sth, then make sure that the 3rd in the bass is not too high. Andante Maestoso(J=60) mf af3. Major triad, 1st inversion/ Major triad, root position » Listen fortinging 6ths (keep the 3rd in the bass low) and clean Sths. Andante Maestoso (J=60) tf 4. Major triad, Ist inversion/Minor triad, root position Be careful not to push the minor 3rd too low. Try playing the exercise without the 3rds to check the Sths. Andante Maestoso (J=60) P 4 1105. Major triads, 2nd inversion 2nd inversions often cause trouble if the bass note is not well in tune. Try this without the 2nd part to establish the interval of a4th between top and bottom voices. (2-66) Moderato mf nf nf 6. Simple chord sequence While concentrating on intonation, keep the chords perfectly balanced and aim for unity of articulation. Moderato (J-60)7. Chord sequence with inversions. : Listen carefully to the tuning as you proceed through the inversions. Always adjust as quickly as possible. Aim to breathe together after each phrase in order to develop good Cee Allegro, > sim, 1 ee 2Q| + f 3] fe fk 8. *Pasacaglia’ theme: chord sequence for tuning and matching articulation. Keep a careful ear on note lengths. i Andante sim. : uf ot mf ——=lfF ‘sim. aa 9.°Chorale”” crese ad 2 Aim to breath together in order to co-ordinate production. Match the legato style. Adagio 1 P : mf 2} Be P mf al Mf 10. Chord sequence in a minor key f PP ‘Articulate firmly and clearly but within the dynamic. Phrase as a team. Andante > > > sim. 12111. Arpeggio exercise “Aim‘for an equal dynamic through the parts witheven dynamic and production. Andante 1 3 ‘Mp poco matcato MP poco marcato ‘MP poco marcato 12. Chord sequence: diminished/minor/major; closed position ‘Tune each chord, as quickly as possible; make sure it has settled before moving on. Slowly mf13. Chord sequence: augmented/minor/major; closed position . As well as the tuning, pay attention to’balance. fete, Slowly af 14. Chord sequence: minor/major/augmented; open position Keep aiming for ringing chords, well balanced and perfectly in tune. Slowly mf mf 15. Chord sequence: major/minor/au, gmented/major Phrase together. Think of the breath as a short upbeat to the new phrase. ba. 2’ 0 be be,’ a. wL?L.. 9 4? 12313. Chord sequence: augmented/minor/major; closed position As well as the tuning, pay attention to’balance. Slowly af 14. Chord sequence: minor/major/augmented; open position Keep aiming for ringing chords, well balanced and perfectly in tune. Slowly mf uf 15. Chord sequence: major/minor/augmented/major Phrase together. Think of the breath as a short upbeat to the new phrase. 12316.Chord sequence: major/minor major/diminished 7 Moderato . iheties nt AY 2 erese a os PP 7 17. Fourths, fifths and octaves > Allegro B. f >18. Parallel movement Moderato (diminished) augmented) beh: (enajor, root) (minor; root) mp ————| f >| sim. 2| BE mp | fo" sim. 3] mp f= sim. Sees Ist 2 (minor; Ist inversion) (Gimninished) (augmented) 1 be 2 3 mp op a 19. First and second inversions. A well-tuned bass line is vital. Andante 1 f 2 tf 3 ——— 2 3 SSS ee SE 12520. Minor triads Allegro - _ be Bors Mio f ip f p— fe. -— a 1 Be AB | | "21. Binde ™P [SS — _ pp Andante — = > : 1 : f | BE i 3] 5 1 2] 3] qj | 3 &< | PPChapter 2. Balance Aim to match sounds and dynamics so that chords ‘ring’. Always remain aware of intonation. 2nd player should fill out the chords but without sticking out. 3rd player should provide a strong support without dominating. 1, Equale 1 Andante Maestoso f f : 1p > erese 1272. Prelude 1 from '48' book 1- JS Bach Attempt to'match the level of dynamic and articulation -in all 3 parts to emulate a single melodic line.» Andante P "sempre poco marcafo ¢ tenuto P_ sempre pogo marcato q tenuto P sempre poco marcato e tenutocrese poco a poco cfesc poco a poco ritenuto ss = 129= E 3. Equale Listen very carefully to the changes of dynamic and aim to match the evel as you enter. Andante oe qe f——| P= p—S f = pp P f ‘ee f——- _ > —— Fe? IF = 4. Crescendos and diminuendos Match the changes of dynamic as closely as possible. Allegretto sempre tenato —= uf nf mf P Sempre tenuto mf af = P. mf | ‘sempre tenuto_ f= —<——__ | f—— t= P— | ff Lf Ee of >1 —== Saf |p f=? P » f= =p ff. —=1f |p poe fF SS Pp fp fo? : : f f t——_ —— ————— ap a 5. Emerging from and blending into texture. All phrases should begin and end with good balance; let the marked part come out of the texture but then get back to exactly the correct section dynamic. Adagio ag 1 2 = sim 3) BE 1 fo=>? —= 2 => 3] EQE => af 'p fp f=? sp f>P ritenuto ritenuto 9 meno mosso PP ’ = —= $f ——— #p a 131Chapter 3. Articulation “Imthis section pay particular attention to oe aiming to match note-length and shape,and character of production. Continue to be very aware of tuning and balance. 1. Staccato Allegro molto2. Canon. Mixed articulations. Exaggerate the different articulations so that they are clearly evident in the texture. Allegretto, _ 34 f ss 2 Z — = = s Ss S33 p crese Sif 3. Legato To move as smoothly as possible, sustain the sound with the breath support and move the slide quickly but without jerkiness. Andante at aa mp 1334. Staccato in piano‘and forte Allegro a f Pp a135 f Poe fp5. Accents. Aim to match the firraness of the accents and note shapes and Iengths. Allegro . ; > > > > f o| BE f 3| BE fe 6. Staccato in piano. Aim for exactly the same note lengths. Allegretto 3 AA > ees aa ik > > > > > P 1 P 2) BE = P 3] BE = = 1 ol BE 3] BE 7. Bell notes. Attemp to match the note shapes as closely as possible. Andante gi le \tow| & | pls R b| fox bi\p |b |p | & | PB &l ? |) pel pH pe a ee Fee Ppp r=8. Co-ordination As well as feeling the pulse, try to develop a corporate-feel so that you move together almost by instinct. Adagio | : =| = = = = A f 9. part switching; legato cantabile Try to make the melody notes sound like one line although they pass from part to part. 12710.. Pointed, quick marcato Presto 4 ff marcato staccato 2 ff pn marcato ¢ staccato | BE FF marcato staccato 1 2Q| 3 1 = Pp 2] a| BE P crese 1 2Q 3]13911. Swing phrasin| S Wing Pp g ‘Try with different degrees of swing and various articulations from lazy to hard and punchy. Lively swing tempo (J=150) 3. 1 7S ft 2 5 f ol ESE | 2 3 1 2] 3] | |