UreMusic Education

Maintaining brass instruments will ensure that your instrument stays in prime condition and responds appropriately and reliably in performances. Brass maintenance routines should be completed regularly to help prevent problems before they occur. Procedures must be followed on an ongoing basis. Knowing these procedures and how to perform them will save you time and money in the long run because you're more apt to avoid costly repairs and shouldn't have to spend time trying to salvage a poorly maintained instrument. Regular Maintenance  Step 1 Use a cloth to wipe off your mouthpiece after each use. Before putting the instrument in the case, use a mouthpiece brush to quickly scrub the shank of the mouthpiece. Identify the shank by finding the long portion of the mouthpiece that fits into the lead-pipe. Step 2 Choose an appropriate polishing cloth for your instrument. Brass instruments need a brass polishing cloth. After each practice session, polish the length of the instrument qu...

French horn tone can be improved with short exercises. Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images The French horn is one of the most difficult brass instruments to achieve a steady and pure tone. The reason for this has to do with the small mouthpiece and the fact that it is very easy to slip between different pitches. While this makes the French horn an ideal instrument for learning to play extremely complex music, it provides great difficulties for a student just starting out on the instrument. Practicing long tones will help you to greatly improve your tone and build up the muscles in your face, known as the embouchure. Step 1 Play the first note of a C chromatic scale below the treble clef staff. Play each pitch of the scale with the following pattern: half note, half note followed by a whole note. Take a breath for four beats and continue the same pattern on the next pitch in the scale. Continue ascending until you can no longer play any higher. Do not remove your lips from the mouthpiec...

Learning to double tongue on the French horn will double the speed that you can effectively articulate notes. With a single-tongue technique, you are limited to the speed at which your tongue can create each articulation. Double tonguing consists of two components -- the initial and secondary articulation. The initial articulation involves the tongue striking the point where your teeth meet the roof of your mouth. The second articulation occurs when the tongue is pulled back and pushes a short burst of air forward. This technique requires some practice, but in time, you will be able to improve the speed and efficiency of your double-tongue technique. Step 1:  Pronounce the sound "tu." When you say it, you will notice the tip of the tongue hits the roof of your mouth, right behind your teeth. The sound "tu" is used in a single-tongue technique. Step 2: Pronounce the sound "ku." Notice how it pushes air forward as the tongue pulls back, while the tip of the ...

Glissandos appear commonly in string music. The glissando technique provides a way to quickly move between two pitches and brush over all of the pitches in between. The technique varies depending on the instrument due to differing mechanical capabilities. Strings, brass, woodwinds, voice, piano and even percussion instruments can all create a glissando between pitches. The actual technique consists of sliding through the pitches between two notes, quickly moving up or down a scale. The glissando appears in the score as a wavy line between two notes with the text "gliss." above the line. Strings String glissando provides one of the most effective methods of glissando since you can easily slide your finger along the string. This enables the violinist to play all the chromatic notes between two pitches as well as the microtones. Microtones are the pitches between the standard chromatic pitches on a keyboard. On a string instrument, playing an ascending glissando comes easier...

Horns can be considered a low, middle or high brass instrument. The trumpet has the highest register in the brass family, but it is not the only brass instrument that can hit a high note. Certainly, it is the most common high brass instrument, but the cornet and french horn can hit high octaves as well. For this reason, any brass instrument that plays in the treble clef and is capable of playing, at least, an E5, which is the E on the top space of the treble clef staff, is considered a high brass instrument. Trumpet The trumpet transposes down a major second from its written part. This makes it an instrument in Bb, since all transpositions use the note “C” as the basis for transposition. The trumpet has a cylindrical bore that provides a majestic, brassy timbre suitable for triumphant and joyous music. The trumpet has the ability to extend up to three octaves above middle C. Cornet The cornet does not transpose like the trumpet and, as a result, falls into the category of a non-t...

The orchestra has several sections of instruments. The orchestra as it exists today has developed steadily since 1600. Composers and instrument makers all played a role in its creation and development. From stabilization to eventual refinement, the orchestra is mostly standardized. Knowing what instruments make up the Symphony orchestra is an essential step towards becoming a well-informed composer and listener. Strings The violin often leads the orchestra. The string section of the orchestra has an enormous range and the ability to perform as expressively and with as much nuance as the human voice. The role of string instruments in a majority of orchestra compositions is to play almost continuously throughout the piece. These were the first orchestra instruments to achieve maturity and are a crucial part of the Symphony orchestra. Violins, violas, cellos, and basses all contribute to the string section with the Harp occasionally adding to the overall atmosphere of the orchestra. ...

The Arban methods provide players with a professional technique that helps them learn proper posture, breathing, articulations, and develops coordination. Music studios use this technique as a supplement to learning standard repertoire. Mastering these techniques makes the process of learning a new piece easier. It contains the fundamentals that all trumpet players’ need to learn and, for this reason, is referred to as the “bible” of trumpet technique. Posture The method starts with an overview that details correct posture and the best way to hold the trumpet. The student is instructed to sit up straight with the shoulders relaxed. For instance, in the trumpet method players support the trumpet with the left hand making the right hand free to depress the valves as necessary. Breathe properly by taking air into the diaphragm and letting the airflow naturally through the lungs and out the mouth; avoid stagnating the air when you play. Articulations The major articulations are legat...