Making A Good Sound On The Trumpet
Making A Good Sound On The Trumpet
Making A Good Sound On The Trumpet
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By Thomas Dust
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I f your trumpet players are having difficulty playing in tune, the problem may be related to tone. A shrill or nasal
tone is easily confused with playing sharp, and a dull tone can be 'confused with playing flat. A properly resonant
tone is important for developing the concept of intonationin-tune playingand for the student's aesthetic satisfaction.
' A poor tone must be remedied so the student can play in tune and progress satisfactorily with all aspects of playing the
trumpet. To develop a good tone, students need a good embouchure, sufficient breath support, and familiarity with a
high-quality model tone.
Embouchure Tips
First, the student must position the trumpet mouthpiece correctly, not in the pink of the upper lip. To ensure that
the student has placed the mouthpiece correctly, do the following:
Working with just the mouthpiece, insert a small straw (a round, hollow coffee-stir stick is ideal) through the
mouthpiece so that it protrudes about one inch at each end of the mouthpiece. Have the student hold the mouthpiece
Thomas Dust is associate professor of secondary music education at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
February 2007 43
Resources for Making a Good Sound on the Trumpet the trumpet, focusing on faulty
embouchure without addressing play-
Recordings
ITG Presents Terry Everson (available at www.trumpetguild
ing posture and breath support will
.org/products/recordings/index.htm not produce the desired result of a
Anything by Doc Severinsen
beautiful, resonant tone. Like high-
handicap golfers, trumpet players
Anything by Maurice Andre
with faulty embouchures that com-
Anything by Henry James pensate for incorrect breath support
Visual/Audio Media will not progress to the next level of
The Beginning Trumpeter by Grant Manhart (CD-ROM), available accomplishment in their performance.
at www. northern.edu/manhartg/order/order.htm
The Breathing Gym by Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan (DVD), available Breath Support
at www.breathinggym.com/site/indes.cfm Trumpet students who lack a res-
onant tone quality or who have an
Reading obviously faulty embouchure will
The End Result by Robert Baca, www.keynotesmagazine.com/article.php
benefit from improved breath sup-
?uid=88
port. My experience with students is
1975 Clinic Address by Professor William A. Adam, transcription by Mark
that too much instruction on "how to
Mtnasian, www.everythingtrumpet.com/Bill-Adam/articles/ClinicAddress.html
breathe" only causes students to
Monhorfs Selected Quotes, compiled by Grant Manhart, www.northern.edu
become more analytical of the
/manhartg/index.htm
breathing process and results in a
Maximizing Practice, Volumes I and 2, by Mark Van Cleave, available at
www.markvandeave.com/mvcmethodbooks.html
tension-filled, laborious breath that
translates into a tension-filled tone,
poor endurance, and limited range.
in one hand and the end of the straw ated but the tone is still poor, a com- Explanations of the working of the
that protrudes from the mouthpiece mon cause is an improper balance breathing muscles are not required.
shank with the other hand. Have the between embouchure tension and Such explanations work no better
student grasp the other end of the breath support. Directors often focus for teaching breathing than explain-
straw with the center of the lips while remedial instruction on either the ing the action of the limbs and
saying "Mmmmm" and slightly rolling embouchure or on breath support, muscles involved in walking when
the pink flesh of the lips inward. The without considering the interplay teaching someone to walk.
student will then slide the mouth- between these two critical compo- The use of metaphors to assist
piece along the straw until it makes nents. A better approach is to provide students with achieving a relaxed,
contact with the lips. The position of instruction that develops the embou- full breath is recommended; for
the mouthpiece on the lips is the cor- chure and breath support in tandem. example, tell students to "breathe as
rect one for this student. A good embouchure results from if there's an umbrella opening inside
The mouthpiece may seem to be achieving the correct balance between your rib cage," "breathe as if you are
centered or slightly off-center. Which- breath support and tension in the about to jump into the deep end of
ever it is, it's the correct placement for embouchure muscles. A faulty the swimming pool," and so on.
this student's lips and dental configura- embouchure is a symptom of an Fundamental to achieving a full,
tion. In all cases, the inside rim of the underlying problem, usually with relaxed breath is the concept of
mouthpiece will make contact above breath support or playing posture (the good posture. Students should prac-
the pink flesh of the upper lip where it two are closely related). Readers who tice while standing, chest raised,
cannot restrict the vibrating action of are avid golfers will understand the shoulders comfortably back, head
the lips. Once the mouthpiece is in analogy that a good golf swing results erect with eyes looking straight
contact with the lips, have the student from a correct stance and grip. For ahead, feet shoulder-width apart
blow air through the straw while golfers to focus remedial work on the with the weight of the body bal-
pulling the straw out from between the swing arc without concern for stance anced evenly between both feet, and
lips and out of the shank end of the and grip would result in the develop- knees not locked. If seated to play
mouthpiece. You and the student may ment of an unusual swing. Such the trumpet, students must maintain
be surprised by the solid, resonant golfers often play "pretty well" but the same upper-body posture as
buzz that's produced. never see their game progress to the when standing. When the proper
If the mouthpiece is properly situ- next level of accomplishment. With playing posture is maintained,
44 T e a c h i n g M u s i c
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relaxed breathing (the key to good concert F) at mezzo forte. As the stu- the auditory and kinesthetic feed-
breath support) will follow. dent plays, have him or her slowly back.
pull the mouthpiece out of the trum- r/v\ 200
A Model of Good Tone pet. Do not insert the mouthpiece too Moving Forward
To develop a resonant tone on tightly prior to doing this exercise. If Once the student is capable of
the trumpet, the player must have an the breath pressure (controlled by the performing on second-line G the
auditory "image" of a resonant tone. breathing muscles and the level of the mouthpiece exercise just described at
Having a model sound is important. tongue) is in proper balance with the mezzo forte with correct and consis-
Live performances by skilled artists embouchure tension, the student will tent results, it's time to develop the
are the best way to expose student be buzzing the mouthpiece at the correct breath support and embou-
trumpet players to good trumpet same pitch that the trumpet was chure tension for other pitches and
tone. If attending a live performance playing. If the buzz is a different volumes. Have the student practice
is not possible, listening to a high- pitch than that played on the instru- whole notes starting on second-line
quality sound recording is a ment, have the student note this and G. Hold each note for eight counts
reasonable substitute. (See the repeat the exercise with the goal of (J = 60). Start each note piano, then
Resources for Making a Good Sound matching the pitches. crescendo to forte over four beats,
on the Trumpet sidebar.) Recordings A few attempts should be all that and, finally, decrescendo back to
of players such as Maurice Andre or are needed for the student to find the piano over four beats. Rest for eight
Doc Severinsen should be available right balance between breath support counts. Play the same exercise one
for trumpet students to listen to at and embouchure tension. You do not semitone down on F#, followed by
school or at home. Sometimes re- need to say any more than this! an eight-count rest. Play the exercise
cordings can be purchased through a Lengthy and complicated explana- up one semitone from G, on G#, fol-
school's library budget, saving your tions about how the muscles of the lowed by an eight-count rest.
music budget for other needs. embouchure or the breathing mecha- Continue the exercise by alternat-
As students strive to copy the nism work will likely result in the ing one semitone down and one
model tone, they need help learning to student attempting to manipulate semitone up until the student reach-
interpret the auditory and kinesthetic the breathing or embouchure without es the G at the top of the staff and
feedback they receive while playing being attentive to the sound pro- the Ft below middle C. (The pattern
their instruments. The goal is to have duced. Only if the student can't would be G, Ft, G, F, A, E, Bt, etc.,
the ear guide the body when students discover the right balance after up to the G at the top of the staff.)
must make adjustments to the embou- repeated attempts should you sug- Students must listen at all times to
chure and breath support to produce a gest a physical solution. the quality of the tone they're pro-
resonant tone. They will then learn to If the buzzed pitch is higher than ducing and strive for a centered,
make these physical adjustments sub- the instrument pitch, it is likely that the resonant sound.
consciously What must occur is a student is not supporting the air col-
continuous feedback-adjustment loop, umn and is pinching the embouchure. Small Investment, Big
with the students always maintaining a If the buzz is lower or nonexistent, the Return
mental model of good sound, listening student may need more air support, or Student trumpeters who spend
to the sound produced, and respond- may need to firm the embouchure. Do even a minute a day doing the mouth-
ing with various muscles to make the not provide these explanations or reme- piece exercise will notice an improve-
needed adjustments to embouchure dies to the student if you don't have ment in tone quality The ability to
tension and breath supportall at a tolet the student's ear guide the produce a centered resonant tone will
subconscious level. response of the body better enable students to play with
The following exercise will help ' The precise balance of breath good intonation. Students who spend
students find the correct balance support and embouchure tension an additional ten minutes doing the
between embouchure tension and will change with each pitch and long-tone exercise will notice an
breath support by linking the physi- with changes in volume. The subtle improvement in range and endurance
cal sensations of playing to the differences from pitch to pitch and as well as an improvement in tone.
sounds they're producing. throughout the dynamic range can Student trumpeters who play with a
only be learned through attention to good tone and good intonation are
Tone-Development Exercise the quality of sound produced and more likely to find satisfaction in their
Have the student play a second- sufficient practice so that the body school ensemble experiences and
line G (written, which will sound as learns to respond automatically to remain in the school music program. ^