HMU 397A Orchestration


Class Notes 10

Individual Brass Instruments

Please note: All references to "Adler Movie" and "Adler Audio" can be found on
Six Enhanced Multimedia Compact Discs for The Study of Orchestration
A copy will of this CD set will be available for checkout at the multimedia lab.

All other items can be found in zip file on index page

10 homework:  Test Yourself III  - FINISH PAST DUE ORCHESTRATIONS IN GARAGEBAND.  There are a lot of outstanding orchestrations not yet submitted.  Remember part of your grade is your submission of all homework assignments.

Individual Brass

Similar to our study of the individual woodwinds, Adler will speak of each brass instruments registral characteristics These characteristics are very important and define the nature of the instrument in any given register .  Just as we called the middle strings of the string instruments as weaker than the outer strings, so too will certain registers in the brass be considered dull or, conversely strident .  These considerations are intended simply as a caution, not a deterrent to composers and orchestrators.  It is very important to know the "Registral Characteristics" presented with each instrument (ie pg. 332) and you may be asked to state those characteristics for each instrument in the future.

 

French Horn


French Horn overview

Adler CD 3 Horn.Mov
http://personal.stevens.edu/~abrick/files/08bfiles/horn.jpg

Oddly, the term French Horn is a bit of a misnomer as it is not, in fact, french at all but German.  In practice, the French Horn is often simply called a "horn" and should not be confused with the term "horn" used in other genres.   The horn is extremely versatile and posses a very great diversity of sound.  It is as comfortable as a doubling instrument as it is a featured one.  As we saw in the Introduction to Brass lecture, the original horns did not have valves.  As a result, the player was only able to produce those notes found in the harmonic series of that instrument.  There were many different Horn crooks that allowed the length of the tube to be altered and thereby changed the transposition of the instrument.  Players also developed a "hand horn" technique that allowed them to carefully place their right hand in the bell of the horn.  This would slightly alter the length of the tube and thus, the resultant pitch.  As you will see this technique, called "stopping" also muted the horn and thus altered the pitch.  Today, unless specifically stated otherwise, all horns in the orchestra use the valve mechanism and Transpose in F.  They sound a P5 lower than their written note. 

French Horn Hand Position
French Horn Hand Technique


The standard symphony orchestra calls for 4 French Horns with two horns on each of two staves.  Horn players tend to be segregated into low note players and high note players.  Often the two will use different mouthpieces to facilitate their particular range.  As such, it is common that the 1st Horn will be the principle high note player and Horn 2 will be the principle low note player while horn 3 and 4 play the secondary high and low note parts respectively.  That is, the first of the two staves of the horn section will be occupied by Horns 1&3 and the second staff will be occupied by Horns 2 & 4.  Please note that in some cases you may have Horns 1&2 and Horns 3&4 grouped respectively.  For our purposes we will use Horns 1&3, Horns 2&4 as our groupings.

Construction:
In order to avoid the awkward use of crooks the modern horn uses a system of valves and crooks that, when triggered, change the length of tubing and the resultant harmonic series.  In addition, there is a "Bb Trigger" that is manipulated by the left thumb that effectively cuts off 3 feet of tubing and thereby facilitates the production of higher pitches. Essentially the modern French Horn is a "double horn": a combination of the F and Bb instruments.

1.  Tubing, valves and mouthpiece

Tubing
Bore
Mouth piece
Valves

Range Characteristics:

1.     Range = F1-C5.  ( Click for Pitch Reference @ Orchestra Users Manual)

french horn range

2.    The notes C-E (sounding low F-A) below the written range are "pedal notes" which exist on the instrument but are rather unstable. 

3.    There are four range characteristics of the Horn presented on Adler p. 316.  These are

Dark and Unfocused (F1-C2) (sounding Bb-F)
Deep and Solid (C2-F2) (Sounding F-Bb)
Bright and Heroic (F2-C4)
Brilliant and Loud (C4-F4)

Play Adler Audio CD 3-(43-48)


Articulation

Click the name of the articulation to hear that articulation.    Click the notation to see a video of that articulation.

Legato
Legato
Non-Legato (default)
non legato
Staccato
staccato
Staccatissimo
staccatissimo
Soft Tongue
Softtongue
Tenuto
tenuto
Double & Triple Tongue
multi tongue
Flutter Tongue
flz

It is extremely important in all brass instruments to understand that  Legato playing must be accompanied by a slur in the notation.  This slur tells the player to NOT rearticulate the next note.  If the player does not see a slur, he will play each note articulated by separating each note with a slight pause.

Of particular interest to all brass instruments is the Hat (dagger) which gives a very strong emphatic attack.

Hat Accents

daggers



Mutes and Stops

1.     Like the strings, the term "Con Sordino" is used to indicate that the player should insert a mute into the bell of the instrument.  Like the strings this not only subdues the volume ant ANY dynamic but changes the color and texture of the instrument.  It is too often forgotten that a mute can be used as a coloring device in loud passages.
(Adler CD 3, muted horn.mov) (Adler CD 3, 53)

Mute: "Con Sordino"

       
2.     Another technique of subduing the the volume of the horn at ANY dynamic is called a hand stop or simply "stopped"  To employ this technique the player will insert the right hand into the bell of the instrument thereby obstructing the opening at the end of the tubing.  This results in a somewhat nasal sound. The most common score markings for a stopped horn are "gestopft" or "bouche" or simply a "+" over those notes to be stopped.  Remember once the stopped passage has been complete the marking "Ord", "Normale" or the graphic "o" (lower case letter O... not little circle like harmonic) must be used to indicate a return to normal playing.

Stopped: "Gestopft" with "+ or o"

(Adler CD 3, stopped horn.mov) (Adler CD 3, 54)

Note: If a passage switches between "Con Sordino" and "Senza Sordino" a lot, players may elect to use hand stops instead of taking the time to put in and remove the mute.  This is very annoying to me as it is a significantly different color and sound. If the passage allows enough time for the player to place and remove the mute, the composer or orchestrator may request that it be done that way.
As well, since stopped horns require just a slight adjustment to the hand that can be executed very quickly, you may request very quick alternations between "+" and "o"

Trills & Tremolos

Trills
trill
Tremolo
tremolo

1. Trills are easy to produce as a 1/2 step a little harder with a whole step.  All a bit sluggish.  Often has a sardonically comedic quality.  In the upper registers, the player can produce trills between harmonics with the lip.  These "lip trills" are less comical and more typical of other brass trills.
(Adler CD 3, 56)  

2.   Tremolos are harder to play and risky. 

Coloristic effects

1.     Glissandi

gliss

Adler is great but he is just dead wrong here: Glissandi are GREAT in the horns. They are extremely exciting and there is nothing like all 4 horns executing a gliss simultaneously.  The effect makes a great swooping effect.  Its produced by manipulating the embouchure to slide through the harmonic series while manipulating the valves.  Use the same notation as that for other Gliss

(Adler CD 3, 57)

3.    Microtonal Glissandi

By manipulating the embouchure the horn player can produce a bending effect of about 1/2 step.
http://andrewhugill.com/manuals/horn/movies/microtones.mov
Similarly, by manipulating the right hand and slowly opening and stopping the instrument you get a similar effect but slightly more muted

http://andrewhugill.com/manuals/horn/movies/handgliss.mov

4.     Cuivre ("brassy")
This marking is mostly reserved for the Horns and indicates that the horn player is to force so much air into the horn that the air column breaks up.  It produces a very extreme brassy sound 
(Adler CD 3, 58)

Cuivre


5.     Bells Up
The horns bell typically projects behind the player.  With "Bells Up" the player turns the instrument so that the bell projects above the players head.  Although this does make a brighter, crisper change in the coloration, it has a far greater impact visually and is quite cool to see. Use the marking "Bells Up"
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/horn/movies/bellsup.mov

(Adler CD 3, 59)

Bells Up



Additional Supplemental French Horn Videos

Composer's Workshop - Dylan Hart - French Horn


2 4



Trumpet
(Adler CD 3, Trumpet.mov)






The trumpets history is similar to that of the Horn.  However, even before the advent of the piston system of today's modern trumpets, baroque composer such as Bach were writing virtuostic "clarino" trumpet parts.  This technique disappeared with the rise of the classical period of music.  As we saw in the intro to brass, the tonal limitations of the harmonic series was first overcome by a system of crooks yielding a number of different trumpet transpositions.  Later, crooks were replaced by the modern valve or piston system.   The early piston trumpets Transposed in F and had a huge sound but were slightly inaccurate.  Today, the two most common trumpet transpositions are Bb and C (non transposing)  The two trumpets have a much more focused sound with the C being more incisive and bright and the Bb being a bit warmer and more mellow.    If you want that huge sound its still OK at ask for the F trumpet but one should check to make sure the instrument is available .  There is also a D Trumpet and Piccolo trumpet that are very useful for playing passages in very high registers.


Bb Trumpet  (Adler CD 3, 69)
Bb tpt
F Trumpet  (Adler CD 3 ,70)
f tpt
C Trumpet (Adler CD 3,70)
c trumpet
Bb 8ma Piccolo Trumpet
Piccolo tpt

Different Trumpets
More Trumpets:  Bb @ 0.30  Coronet @1:30  Flugalhorn 3:00  C @ 4.20
D @5.38  Eb @6.38


Construction:

1.  Tubing, valves and mouthpiece
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trumpet/movies/construction.mov

http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trumpet/movies/valves.mov

Range Characteristics:

range

1.     Range = F#2-E5 (Where the Bb Trumpet sounds M2 lower).  It is very important to note that any notes above the high C above the treble clef are risky. 

2.    The trumpet tends to be relatively loud.  In the highest register, the instrument requires a lot of air pressure to achieve the note and in the lowest register it is difficult to control the pitch.  The middle register is manageable at all dynamics for professionals.

3.    There are three range characteristics of the Trumpet
Dull, non descript (F#2-B2)
Clear, Bright and Articulate (C3-A5)
Brilliant and Strident (B5-E5)


Articulation

Click the name of the articulation to hear that articulation.    Click the notation to see a video of that articulation. (When applicable) 

Legato
Legato
Non-Legato (default)
non legato
Staccato
staccato
Staccatissimo
staccatissimo
Soft Tongue
(note soft tongue is from Fr. Horn)
Softtongue
Tenuto
tenuto
Double & Triple Tongue
multi tongue
Flutter Tongue
flz
1.     Like the Horns, there is nothing in the mouth of the Trumpet player so the Trumpets (all brass) easily handle double and triple tonguing. Long extended periods of 2x or 3x tonguing is very difficult so dont over do it.


2.     It is extremely important in all brass instruments to understand that  Legato playing must be accompanied by a slur in the notation.  This slur tells the player to NOT rearticulate the next note.  If the player does not see a slur, he will play each note articulated by separating each note with a slight pause.

3.     Staccato, Wedges, Accents, and Tenuto are all actively employed on the Brass.  Of particular interest to all brass instruments is the Hat (dagger) which gives a very strong emphatic attack.

4.  A very important comment from our clarinet friend applied too discrepancies in brass articulations 



Mutes

1.     Like the strings, the term "Con Sordino" is used to indicate that the player should insert a mute into the bell of the instrument.  Like the strings this not only subdues the volume ant ANY dynamic but changes the color and texture of the instrument.  It is too often forgotten that a mute can be used as a coloring device in loud passages.  Whereas the horns have a single mute that is inserted into the bell, the Trumpets have many mutes that greatly change the color of the instrument.  To indicate a specific mute, you write "Con Sordino" followed by the mutes name.  You will be responsible for being able to identify the following mute


Straight Mute
straight mute
Harmon Mute (Stem in) (wah wah)
Harmon Mute
Cup Mute
Cup mute
Bucket Mute
Bucket mute
Plunger Mute
plunger mute
Solotone (cleartone) Mute
solotone

More Mutes "Con Sordino" (harmon, plunger, pixie and bucket)
More Mutes "Con Sordino" (Cup, Whispa, Derby and Straight, harmon, plunger)

Mute Descriptions


Straight Mute:  The standard default orchestral mute tends to be the loudest mute
Bucket Mute:  A bigger mute requires more time to place on the instrument.  Has a more "old time" sound.
Cup Mute: Often identified by the red cup on the end of the mute, it has a rounder slightly metalic sound
Harmon Mute:  This mute has an open bell in the center of the mute as well as in the center of the "stem".  With the stem in, it has a very old time militaristic sound with a lot of character.  With the stem out the sound is a bit more subdued.  With the stem removed it is even more subdued.
Harmon Mute Wah Wah:  Because the mute has an open bell, the player can manipulate the hand, disturbing the air flow and giving a cartoony Wah Wah sound.   The marking used for the Wah Wah effect is "+" to indicate hand is over the opening and "o" to indicate the hand is away from the opening.
Plunger Mute    This mute originated literally from a toilet plunger.  Like the Harmon, this mute can be used to open and close the bell of the instrument
Solotone Mute:  (Adler Cd 3 muted trumpet (solotone).mov).  This mute is very colorful and has that classic old big band sound. 


When writing for mutes one must remember that it takes a certain amount of time for the player to insert and take out the mute.  Rapid changes between mutes therefore are highly unlikely.  As well, dont forget that the marking "senza sordino" must be used to return the player to the open (non muted) instrument


You can find a huge number of other types of brass mutes here:  https://www.youtube.com/user/Humesandberg/videos  You are only responsible for those mentioned above.

Trills & Tremolos

1.     Most trills that use the pistons are easy to play by professionals.  It should be noted that the more pistons that need to be depressed to execute the trill, the more awkward the execution of that trill.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es3QQimKmjo

A special type of Trill called a "lip slur" can be executed by alternating between the partials of the harmonic series via manipulation of the lilp.  This type of trill is also called a "shake" in standard Jazz nomenclature. https://youtu.be/tqpjTIhD_5A?t=38
(Adler CD 3, 56)  

2.     Tremolos are harder to play and risky. 

Trills
trill
Tremolo
tremolo

Coloristic effects

The videos below are an amazing example of coloristic effects by NY trumpeter Charlie Porter.  He presents these in a jazz context but can be employed in any trumpet genre by a skilled player  Please familiarize yourself with those effects in red

Shake, Fall (downward Gliss), Fingered Fall, Valve Glissando, "Squeeze", Vibrato, Flutter (w/mute), Growl, Multiphonics, Ghost-Tongue
Doit, Bend "dip", Turn, Half Valve, Rip, Scoop, Timbral Trill (he calls it a "tremolo" - be careful of nomenclature)

1.  Fluttertongue.   As with all brass, very effective.

2.   Glissandi
In the lower register where the partials are further apart, its difficult to create a convincing Gliss.  Most often the player will "half valve" or partially close the piston while manipulating the lip.  In the higher register, the partials are closer and the effect is more convincing so in general, gliss works best in the upper register.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXj5xW4uUk0
(Adler CD 3, 74)

3.    Microtonal Glissandi
By manipulating the embouchure the Trumpet player can produce a bending effect of about 1/2 step.  (Adler CD 3, 74)


4.    "Brassy"
Like Cuivre, if the player forces an extreme amount of air through the instrument, it produces a very extreme brassy sound.  Use the marking "Brassy" not "Cuivre"

 

Trombone
(Adler CD 3, trombone.mov)
(Adler CD 3, 81-83)

Philharmonia Trombone
Zoltan Kiss - Fantasia for solo trombone - F.Hidas

The trombone is a very versatile instrument.  It functions well as a harmonic accompaniment, lead section and solo instrument. It has a very subdued rich and warm mellow tone that can become extremely huge brassy and bold.  There are three most common members of the trombone family:  The Bass, Tenor, and Alto (top to bottom in picture below).  The tenor is the most common although the bass is very frequently used as well.  All three trombones are in concert pitch.  They read the same note that they sound.

trombones


http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/3tbnpan.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/noteproduction.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/harmonicseries.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/chromatics.mov

Construction:
Unlike the horns and trumpets, the trombone has remained, more or less, the same as its original construction.  That is, the instrument does not use a sytem of valves but rather has a slide that can be manipulated to extend or shorten the effective length of of the instruments tubing

1.  Tubing, Slide and mouthpiece



2.  The tenor and alto slide has 7 positions.  The bass tromobne has 6 positions.  As the player extends outward to each successive position, the tube gets longer and the note is lowered by 1/2 step.  Therefore for any given fundamental, the slide produces a change of pitch equal to a tritone.

Trombone Slide Chart

To bridge the gap between the 7th position E and the low Bb pedal one can employ the "F Trigger"

F Trigger

F trigger

Fundamental: Pedal Tones

pedal notes

The pedal tones can be useful but must be handled with care. They tend to be very unstable, move slowly and are best left to professional players to produce a useful tone. A good introduction to pedal tones may be found here https://youtu.be/yutv89_7Hl4

Range Characteristics:

1.     Tenor Range = E1-Bb3 (with "F trigger" extend down to C1) (pedals can produce Bb0-Ab0)
Bass Ramge = Bb0-Bb3 (with Pedal tones (fundamental of the harmonic series) extend down to Eb0)
Alto Range = A1-Eb4

2.    Know the registral characteristics of the Tenor and Bass Trombone Adler Pgs 342-343

E1-G1 Dark and Strong

A1-D3 Firm and Powerful

E3 and above  Intense.


Articulation

Click the name of the articulation to hear that articulation.    Click the notation to see a video of that articulation. (When applicable)

Legato
Legato
Non-Legato (default)
non legato
Staccato
staccato
Staccatissimo
staccatissimo
Soft Tongue
Softtongue
Tenuto
tenuto
Double & Triple Tongue
multi tongue
Flutter Tongue
flz

It is extremely important in all brass instruments to understand that  Legato playing must be accompanied by a slur in the notation.  This slur tells the player to NOT rearticulate the next note.  If the player does not see a slur, he will play each note articulated by separating each note with a slight pause.

Articulation

1.     Like the Horns, there is nothing in the mouth of the Trombone player so the Trombones (all brass) easily handle double and triple tonguing. The trombones speak a little slower than the trumpets because the mouthpiece is a bit larger. As such 2x tonguing is more effective than 3x.  Long extended periods of 2x or 3x tonguing is very difficult so dont over do it. (Adler CD 3-80

3.     Staccato, Wedges, Accents, and Tenuto are all actively employed on the Brass.  Of particular interest to all brass instruments is the Hat (dagger) which gives a very strong emphatic attack.

Mutes

pixie mute, plunger mute, straight mute, harmon mute, buzz mute, softone mute, bucket mute, solotone mute, best brass mute, cup mute   (please see trumpet mutes for requisite mutes and their descriptions)


1.     Like the strings, the term "Con Sordino" is used to indicate that the player should insert a mute into the bell of the instrument.  Like the strings this not only subdues the volume ant ANY dynamic but changes the color and texture of the instrument.  It is too often forgotten that a mute can be used as a coloring device in loud passages.  Whereas the horns have a single mute that is inserted into the bell, the Tromobnes have many mutes that greatly change the color of the instrument.  To indicate a specific mute, you write "Con Sordino" followed by the mutes name.  You will be responsible for being able to identify the following mutes


Note: Most trombone players have Cup and Straight Mutes readily available.  Please give ample time to request other mutes.  When writing for mutes one must remember that it takes a certain amount of time for the player to insert and take out the mute.  Rapid changes between mutes therefore are highly unlikely.  As well, dont forget that the marking "senza sordino" must be used to return the player to the open (non muted) instrument

Trills & Tremolos

1.     Since there are no valves or pistons on a trombone only "Lip Trill" can be executed by alternating between the partials of the harmonic series via manipulation of the lip.  This type of trill is also called a "shake" in standard Jazz nomenclature. Since the partials of the upper registers are closer together, "Lip Trills" are better in the upper registers.
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/shakesntrills.mov

2.     Tremolos are harder to play and risky.


3.  Avery special and unique type of pitch fluctuation that is produced by a rapid undulation of the trombone slide is called a Slide Vibrato  https://youtu.be/ejMmgAOwyVg?t=31

Coloristic effects

 

         1.  Fluttertongue.   As with all brass, very effective.
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/flz.mov

2.     Glissandi
Since the Trombone produces different pitches based on a slide movement of a given fundamental, Glissandi within notes of the harmonic series are straightforward and characteristic on the trombone. Glissandi outside the series present more problems, and are usually 'faked' by sliding to the nearest available pitch then leaping to the desired note as quickly as possible. 
https://youtu.be/JZCZ8Bfis0U?t=46


(Adler CD 3, 85)
Note: In Adler example 10-83 a special marking is used to denote the gliss.  Please disregard this marking.  One should notate a gliss with the standard glissando marking.
It is important to understand the limitations of the Glissandi in the trombone. A player is confined to the length of a single slide in any position for a resultant true glissandi. To see an effective chart of the slide positions, click here

3.    Microtonal Glissandi
The slide nature of the trombone makes it the most natural of all wind instruments to play microtones and microtonal glissandi.  By going fractional distances of each position many microtones can be created
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/microtones.mov

4.    Other fun effects
Mouth piece "smacking", tapping, mute pops in the bell, multiphonics etc.. Give written instructions.
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/smacking.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/trombone/movies/multiphonics.mov

5.    "Brassy"
Like Cuivre, if the player forces an extreme amount of air through the instrument, it produces a very extreme brassy sound.  Use the marking "Brassy" not "Cuivre"

Tuba
(Adler CD 3, tuba.mov)

Philharmonia Tuba Overview
Excerpts From Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz
Vaughn Williams Tuba Concerto

The tuba is the bass of the brass choir. It blends very well with trombones, trumpets and horns and can handle itself admirably in solo passages.  Today, the most common Tubas available are the C and BBb although the F, Bb tenor, and Eb are also available.  Typically, a composer or orchestrator will write for the tuba in its standard range and allow the player to determine which tuba in the family of tubas to use.  None of the Tubas transpose.  Their names refer onlty to their range, fundamental, and pedal tones. One should write for tuba in bass clef such that the written note is the same as the desired sounding pitch

Construction:
More akin to the French Horn, the tuba uses a system of valves to effective change the length of the tubing.

1.  Tubing, Valve and mouthpiece
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/tuba/movies/harmonicseries.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/tuba/movies/valve4.mov

Range Characteristics:
(Adler CD 3, 87)  Bass and Contrabass Tubas below

tuba range

1.  Range = D0-G3

2.    D0-Bb0 Deep and Heavy
C1-E2 Very Strong
F2-G3 Gets weaker but still intense

Articulation
(Adler CD 3, 88-92)

Click the name of the articulation to hear that articulation.    Click the notation to see a video of that articulation. (When applicable)

Legato
Legato
Non-Legato (default)
non legato
Staccato
staccato
Staccatissimo
staccatissimo
Soft Tongue
Softtongue
Tenuto
tenuto
Double & Triple Tongue
multi tongue
Flutter Tongue
flz

It is extremely important in all brass instruments to understand that  Legato playing must be accompanied by a slur in the notation.  This slur tells the player to NOT rearticulate the next note.  If the player does not see a slur, he will play each note articulated by separating each note with a slight pause.

1.     Like the Horns, there is nothing in the mouth of the tuba player so the Tubas (all brass) easily handle double and triple tonguing. The Tuba speaks slow in the bottom of its range. As such 2x tonguing is more effective than 3x.  Long extended periods of 2x or 3x tonguing is very difficult so dont over do it.
(Adler CD 3-80)

2.     It is extremely important in all brass instruments to understand that  Legato playing must be accompanied by a slur in the notation.  This slur tells the player to NOT rearticulate the next note.  If the player does not see a slur, he will play each note articulated by seperating each note with a slight pause.

3.     Staccato, Wedges, Accents, and Tenuto are all actively employed on the Brass.  Of particular interest to all brass instruments is the Hat (dagger) which gives a very strong emphatic attack.

Mutes

1.     The mute for a Tuba is a beastly large thing!  As such, it takes considerable time to place and remove the mute into and out of the instrument and ample time must be alloted.  As well, you must specifically request that the tuba player bring a mute with him to the performance.  The Tuba uses only the straight mute. Like the strings, the term "Con Sordino" is used to indicate that the player should insert a mute into the bell of the instrument.  Like the strings this not only subdues the volume ant ANY dynamic but changes the color and texture of the instrument.  It is too often forgotten that a mute can be used as a coloring device in loud passages. 

Dont ever ask for this mute!


Trills & Tremolos

Trills
trill
Tremolo
tremolo


Trills & Temolos  

1.     Trills can be handled very easily on the Tuba and although they are not employed often, creative use of the technique can yield wonderful results yielding a very intense ruumbling in the lower registers and a more majestic undulation in the upper registers

2.     Tremolos can be played but are somewhat ineffective as they speak slowly

Coloristic effects

 

         1.  Fluttertongue.   As with all brass, very effective.   (Adler CD 3, 96)

2.     Glissandi 
Just like the trumpet, In the lower register where the partials are further apart, its difficult to create a convincing Gliss.  Most often the player will "half valve" or partially close the piston while manipulating the lip.  In the higher register, the partials are closer and the effect is more convincing so in general, gliss works best in the upper register.
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/audio/Tuba/5353.mp3

3.    Microtonal Glissandi
Similar to the Horn, by manipulating the embourchure the Tuba player can produce a bending effect of about 1/2 step.  This is most effective down.
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/tuba/movies/microtones.mov

4.    Other fun effects
Mouth piece "smacking", & Slap Tongue.. Give written instructions.
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/tuba/movies/slaps.mov

5.    "Brassy"
Like Cuivre, if the player forces an extreme amount of air through the instrument, it produces a very extreme brassy sound.  Use the marking "Brassy" not "Cuivre"