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 characteristicsThese 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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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)
F Trumpet (Adler CD 3 ,70)
C Trumpet (Adler CD 3,70)
Bb 8ma Piccolo Trumpet
Different Trumpets
More Trumpets: Bb @ 0.30 Coronet @1:30 Flugalhorn 3:00 C @ 4.20
D @5.38 Eb @6.38
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)
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
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
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)
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
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.
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.
To bridge the gap between the 7th position E and the low Bb pedal one can employ the "F Trigger"
F Trigger
Fundamental: Pedal Tones
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)
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
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
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.
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.
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
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"
