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Toneproduction - Milt Stevens PDF

Milt Stevens, principal trombonist of the National Symphony Orchestra, provides 35 tips for producing beautiful tone on trombone. The tips cover proper posture, breathing technique, embouchure formation, articulation, and use of vibrato. Stevens emphasizes listening to tone models, using free-flowing air, keeping an open throat, and allowing the air stream to move naturally through the lips for all registers. The overall goal is to create a sound that is centered, resonant, and elegant.

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José Milton
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178 views3 pages

Toneproduction - Milt Stevens PDF

Milt Stevens, principal trombonist of the National Symphony Orchestra, provides 35 tips for producing beautiful tone on trombone. The tips cover proper posture, breathing technique, embouchure formation, articulation, and use of vibrato. Stevens emphasizes listening to tone models, using free-flowing air, keeping an open throat, and allowing the air stream to move naturally through the lips for all registers. The overall goal is to create a sound that is centered, resonant, and elegant.

Uploaded by

José Milton
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TONE PRODUCTION:

AN OUTLINE OF THOUGHTS BY MILT STEVENS

Principal Trombonist, National Symphony Orchestra


Artist in Residence, University of Maryland School of Music
Conductor, The Washington Symphonic Brass

1. Consider your posture first. Investigate the Alexander Technique


and Feldenkrais.

2. Listen to and imitate great tone quality. "Imagine the most


beautiful tone quality."

3. Use lots of air! It's free! Fill lungs! Of course, your ribs and
abdomen will move.

4. Feel the resonance of your tone through the floor into the soles
of your feet.

5. Inhale thinking "OH"; exhale thinking "HO". Keep opening


between lips round.

6. Always keep the air column moving. Think of wind.

7. Think of the analogy of water moving through a hose.

8. Use "thick", wide air for low notes; use fast, "cool" air for high
notes.

9. Think of using a "rope of air" for low notes; use a "thread of air"
for high notes.

10. Have moisture in your breath; pretend you are fogging inside
of mouthpiece.
11. Keep your mouth "tall"; think of having a hot potato in your
mouth.

12. Keep your mouth in an oval shape; think of having a hard-


boiled egg in your mouth.

13. Think of a free, unimpeded throat. Do not create resistance in


your throat.

14. The tongue should be at rest in the low part of your mouth.

15. Shape your tongue like a ski jump-a little elevation in back to
low in front.

16. Consider the look of the "brass player's face". Read Farkas:
The Art of Brass Playing.

17. Keep the inside of your cheeks touching your molars; funnel
the air to the lips

18. Keep corners of lip firm; "think!" inward direction of corners


when ascending.

19. Never allow the chin to bunch up. Keep the chin flat, down,
and in a point.

20. Think of having thick muscle fibers in your lips; lips are a
cushion for mouthpiece.

21. Be able to sing the notes. Are you able to hear the exact center
of every pitch?

22. Be able to lip buzz (free buzz) at least enough to demonstrate


how the lips work.

23. Be able to mouthpiece buzz almost everything you are


expected to play.

24. Your lips should be aligned properly; be able to start notes with
a "pa" attack.
25. Be able to start notes just as easily with a breath attack ("ha"
attack) or tongued.

26. Consider the "buzz point" on your lips for every note in your
range. It changes!

27. Perform lip ripples (glissandos) from low to high and high to
low.

28. Distribute the pressure of the mouthpiece equally on both lips


for all registers.

29. Use the "pivot system" to direct the air stream through lips
naturally for all registers.

30. Allow tongue elevation changes to take place naturally for


register changes.

31. Do not raise the tip of your tongue for high register-only the
back of the tongue.

32. Adjust your mouthpiece pressure for dynamics; use less


pressure for soft notes.

33. Shape your notes; allow a gentle taper or "round off" to add
elegance to your sound.

34. Use vibrato to enhance tone quality; think of a fine singer or


string player.

35. Remember "Never louder than lovely."

Milt Stevens
Principal Trombonist, National Symphony Orchestra
Associate Artist, University of Maryland School of Music
Conductor, The Washington Symphonic Brass

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