Category: Brass

Artikulasi Triple Tonguing – Bagaimana cara memainkan

Sering kali kita harus memainkan partitur yang memerlukan teknik artikulasi yang lebih cepat. Teknik “Triple Tonguing” adalah teknik advanced yang sering digunakan saat tempo cukup cepat.

Ini adalah suatu metode yang sistematis untuk bisa mengembangkan “Triple Tonguing” supaya artikulasi cepat dan tetap jelas.

SBP – Sing, Buzz and Play

When playing music, the most important is how it sounds…In other words, how well can you sing it.
Singing doesn’t always mean using your voice, but any instrument can be used to sing…
Sing with a trumpet sound, sing with a Tuba sound, or sing with a percussion sound.

It all comes down to how good a singer you are.

That of course doesn’t mean you have to have a great voice… unfortunately, not everybody have a great voice… But generally speaking, everybody can sing. (reminds me of a movie “Ratatouille” where Chef Gusteau mentioned that everybody can become a great cook.

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Using a Respirometer – Spirometer to develop your breathing

Breathing for playing a brass and wind instrument should be as natural as possible. It is a natural process to breath in and breath out.
However, when playing a trumpet, we need to develop the breathing technique to be able to breath in and blow with as little tension as possible. In other words, we need to develop a natural breathing. This is ironic, as we mentioned previously that taking a breath is a natural process, so why should we develop this “natural” process?

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Oil your valves before and after playing

Every trumpet player have at least one thing in common. We all have experienced the dreadful blue screen of death…Oops, that is for computer geeks using windows…sorry.

Let’s start over, we all have experienced the dreadful valve stuck in the middle of an important solo at least once…Didn’t we? It feels like “Window’s blue screen of death doesn’t it?”

No matter how expensive our instrument is, somehow there is this supernatural energy that comes into life and on purpose will make sure our valve stick in the most important moment of our life.

Well, we can’t do anything about an entity or a poltergeist manifestation from happening and distracting us, but we can limit the risks of sticky valves if we perform simple regular cleaning and maintenance check up on the valves.

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Calisthenics exercises

Calisthenics exercises integration in everyday brass practice can improve your playing.

What are Calisthenics

From Wikipedia, the definition of Calisthenics:

…a form of exercise consisting of a variety of exercises, often rhythmical movements, generally without using equipment or apparatus. They are intended to increase body strength and flexibility with movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using only one’s body weight for resistance…

A very good informative site and also a comprehensive Calithenics Exercises List can be found here so we can more understand the value of such exercises, check it out.

In Brass playing these exercises are added to regular practice routine, and generally will help improve general playing how so?

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Brass players: A step by step warm up routine

Many players brass players struggle to find the right warm up that will help them play in a consistent manner. Although there aren’t any magical secrets about warm up, this routine could be used as a base to develop a personal warm up.

The purposeĀ of a warm up routine is to prepare yourself for practicing and playing and should not in anyway make you tired. The length or how long should you warm up will vary day by day, depending on the general physical and mental condition on that particular day.

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