Musical Image

Respiration
    Respiration is a  simple, essential activity that everyone does without being taught. Almost every person who picks up an instrument alters this basic function. A trumpet player who wants to play a high note stiffens the body in preparation for this formidable task. The act of breathing is no longer simple or natural, as it would be for a sigh or a yawn. The habit of taking a correct breath is extraordinarily important. It should be consistent under any circumstances. Breathing should be a part of making music. A recording of a fine singer will capture his breathing. It will always be clear and without any hissy sound. The first step is a yawn or a sigh that inhales a full, deep breath. The size of the breath may vary to fit the phrase, but the character of the breath should remain consistent. The other part of respiration is blowing the air out, and this too should be a simple, almost instinctive behavior. To blow out a candle takes one kind of airstream, but to just make the flame flicker takes a more gentle airstream, which exemplifies the flexibility necessary to play softly.
    When faced with a difficult passage, players often change the natural process of breathing and blowing, which creates problems with tone, range, and articulation. The basic rule is simple: always blow the same way. Music notation is vertical as notes are high or low, but the airstream should be fundamentally the same regardless of pitch. A violinist draws the bow back and forth essentially the same way regardless of whether playing high on the E string or low on the G string. On a trumpet, sound is produced as air moves across the lips and moves through a little hole in the mouthpiece in a horizontal fashion. The process of moving air through the trumpet should be the same regardless of the pitch played.
    When playing in the high register many players stiffen the body, which restricts the natural process of breathing and blowing. Too much emphasis on abdominal support tends to tighten the abdomen; the result is that many players lock the breath in a muscular action that physiologists call the Valsalva maneuver. Valsalva is a natural function in excretion, childbirth, and lifting heavy objects, but it impedes trumpet playing by constricting the breath. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the sensation of playing fortissimo in the upper register and the tension of the Valsalva maneuver. The key is to avoid locking the air in before playing because this makes it impossible to move a significant amount of air freely. By starting a phrase with the intensity and force to play in the upper register, the abdominal firmness here results from doing the work rather than from superimposed tension before playing. This is probably the most significant distinction for brass players to learn. Many problems that are commonly diagnosed as tonguing, flexibility, endurance, or range deficiencies are traceable to some distortion in the area of tone production.
    I recommend practicing wind patterns away from the trumpet to be free from the inhibitions and worries that often become bad habits when playing the instrument. These wind patterns should be executed by forming the mouth as if preparing to play the instrument, taking a full breath, and blowing the musical pattern with the wind and articulation only.

This should be done without the instrument or mouthpiece and without buzzing the lips; the articulation should divide the wind stream, not interrupt it. When the body has no fear of playing poorly, the wind patterns are free and effective because it is usually difficult to make a mistake. By playing the opening movement of the Haydn concerto using only wind patterns without a trumpet, there is no sound and consequently there are no bad notes. Put a piece of paper in front of your mouth and see that the wind moves the paper energetically, although it feels almost effortless. In contrast, if you lock the air down, the paper barely moves and the abdominal area solidifies in a state of isometric tension, which means you are wasting 50% or more of your effort.
    One miscalculated breath can spoil a whole phrase or even more, so it is important to decide where to breathe; then practice taking breaths there with the same neutral quality you would use for a simple phrase and not as if a high C is coming. Even though the intensity of effort and the energy expended is much greater in the high register, the fundamental technique stays the same. If the body becomes a kind of fake embouchure and puckers up for high notes, the breathing process becomes ineffective at the very moment you need it the most. Especially when a trumpeter becomes nervous, it is important to guard against packing down the breath. Train your body to respond in a certain way and never allow it to change.

Articulation
    Another technique to simplify is articulation, which is nothing but language. Children learn to speak without any idea of how they manipulate their tongue and lips. When we pronounce the syllable tu there is a specific place where the tongue strikes the teeth, and in almost every instance that is the ideal place to tongue when playing. There is no reason to complicate the issue and increase a performer’s self-consciousness by training a skill that is already naturally in place. Articulation is simple as long as it is approached through language, but it is not easy. Articulation takes work, patience, and discipline.
    The French school of playing exhibits some of the best qualities of articulation in the world, but it would be a mistake to have students who speak American English use the French tyu because that sound is not a normal part of their pronunciation. If you hear a good staccato and pronounce the syllable tu properly, you will get a wonderful staccato because tonguing is basically language: whichever consonant fits the style of the music plus the vowel are factors that affect the substance of the sound. Enunciation of the consonant ensures a tongue stroke in the desired style and clarity of attack; the vowel keeps the wind flow open to support the sound.
    Multiple tonguing works the same way, but the second syllable should not be produced too far back in the mouth. Some books on my shelf advocate using a ku sound that is coughed into the instrument. How gross and ugly a k would sound when produced that far back in the mouth. A ku should be produced on the palate and not be guttural, so the farther forward you keep it the more effective the double- and triple-tonguing will be.
    Guard against overdependence on the tongue for starting the tone; too much tongue produces a percussive sound. It helps to think of the trumpet as more like the violin; except for avant-garde effects, or col legno, violinists do not bang the bow against the string, they draw it. The musical ideal is to produce a pure sound right from the beginning, without any pop or sting to the note. Then it is possible to change the character of the articulation to fit the musical context. With an accent or sforzato more attack sound is desirable, but the ability to start cleanly and without accent is a great musical asset. It is especially important to avoid hard attacks when warming up.
    To emulate the violin attack, practice just blowing, without the trumpet or mouthpiece, and without forcing, pushing, or pressing; just let the wind flow. Then take the instrument and match this effect as closely as possible. If you chop at a note or interrupt the airflow, this invites a cracked note. Listen for which notes sound like violin strokes and which are more like timpani strokes; the notes you slap at are likely to break.
    I know of no effective pedagogy to teach flutter-tonguing. As with all articulations this is a matter of language, in this case a rolled r. Some players trill the r easily, but for others it seems impossible. The difficulty stems from the fact that American English does not use a rolled r, so it is a movement to be learned specifically for the instrument. Recent pedagogical literature suggests that some people are genetically unable to flutter-tongue, but I suspect that native Italian, Spanish, or German speakers, who have the trilled r in their language, have little difficulty with flutter-tonguing.

Embouchure
    Teachers often give direct instructions for wind and articulation, but descriptions of embouchure activity are usually vague and highly individual. The embouchure is much like vocal cords; training comes from use. By combining good musical standards, healthy breath support, and appropriate practice materials, the embouchure develops almost autonomously, with little direction. The practice of studying your embouchure in front of a mirror is seldom helpful and often is frustrating or discouraging. A cloudy tone is not caused by a poor embouchure but may be the result of pressing the air out, which causes the higher overtones to disappear. Instead of a wonderful dark sound, the notes sound pinched or dull. As the air is freed up, the sound becomes livelier and more colorful.

Practicing
    I don’t believe there is only one effective way to warm up, but I am suspicious of using glissandos, because they do not zero in on anything specific. Glissandos may loosen things up and get a little flexibility going, but that is possible with exercises that have a more practical musical application. Take a big breath before each pattern, and even on mouthpiece buzzing try for musical effect. Listen to what is good or not so good with the sound. I strongly recommend blowing wind patterns away from the instrument, using lots of breath. With wind patterns there are no inhibitions; it is easy, natural, and the body functions in a more normal manner. The trick is to reproduce this effect and feeling on the instrument.
    To overcome tension in the high register or when playing piccolo trumpet, always start at a secure point. For students preparing to play the second Brandenburg Concerto I have worked out a routine that I call the "Brandenburg Project." Students begin this extraordinarily difficult and physically demanding piece on B flat trumpet while reading from the piccolo notation but playing down an octave so there is little or no anxiety. We work through the technique meticulously and then do the same thing on a C trumpet. As the level of difficulty increases, the idea is to maintain a stable execution. We then go to the higher trumpets and at some point, usually on the E flat or F trumpet, students start to scrunch down a little until I remind them to maintain the same technique as before. The act of going through the project will gradually increase their strength as long as they do not change the basic technique. It takes more energy to play high, but this should not introduce inappropriate tension. The system works if enough time is taken to develop consistent responses. The best method to introduce the piccolo trumpet is to start on a lower trumpet with the piccolo notation and gradually progress into the upper register without relying on any additional physical force. Energy, yes, but not force.
    Choose a tempo for practicing at which you can control the sound without it sounding as if you are target shooting. When the tempo is too fast, the music sounds crowded and nervous. Choose a tempo that establishes the brilliance of the piece but also allows a certain ease of technique.
    Both tone and intonation are dependent on the player’s musical concept and his use of the breath. Thinness of tone often comes from body tension in anticipation of a high note. Many players seem to exist only for the high notes, but having spent a large part of my life as a second trumpet player, I have grown inordinately fond of low notes. The idea here is to retain the vocal quality, and even if the dynamic is soft to keep the sound interesting. Do not skimp on the breath; use a big yawn. In any range if the musical concept is strong and the wind is free, it is amazing how the ear guides all of the small adjustments that produce good intonation.
    People ask how I teach vibrato, but I have never taught it. I have never come across a student who plays with an absolutely dead, straight sound with no inflection of any sort. Such mechanical procedures as vibrating a particular number of waves per minute often sound like Hammond organs to me and are useless. Trumpet players should listen to singers and other good brass players and try to emulate their sound. I usually have students sing to learn about their natural inclination for nuances and then encourage them to imitate their voice as best they can. Demonstration is also helpful. However, after teaching trumpet for over 30 years I have found no specific pedagogy for teaching specific types of tone or vibrato. I always come back to the basic concept of aesthetics, to how the person hears tone or vibrato.
    I try to let students alone as much as possible and not produce carbon copies. Of a large number of successful students, all have developed individual characteristics in their playing. Individuals should cultivate their own aesthetic, their own personality; that is much more musically gratifying, much more artistically satisfying.

The post Teaching the Concepts of Trumpet Playing appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to observe a great many successful band, orchestra, and choir directors. Although I’m not sure I could chart with 100% accuracy the personality of a successful director, I’ve discovered that these people exhibit recognizable success characteristics. For example, I’ve never met a truly successful band or orchestra director who blamed other people for his own mistakes.
    Success in public school music is not measured in expensive suits or handmade Italian leather shoes, nor is it a luxury car or condominium. Opinions vary as to the precise definition, ranging from “a long string of 1st Division contest ratings” to “a super large music program in which a cast of thousands is enrolled.” Some may describe a successful director as one whose ensembles tour across the nation to perform at major parades or national music conventions. Others limit the description of successful to directors whose groups have been awarded the regional Heisman trophy for music, such as State Honor Band.

    Whatever definition you choose, you’ll find that successful people share similar characteristics. The following examples describe qualities of many successful directors I know.

    Energy. Successful directors snap, crackle, and pop with energy. If they get tired, they don’t show it. When everyone else is exhausted, they are just getting warmed up.
    Dean Killion, originally a band director in Nebraska and later transplanted to Texas Tech University, had enough energy to light New York City. I was a student secretary in his office a number of years ago and remember a particularly long and grueling trip to a football game from which we returned in the wee small hours of the morning. When our office opened I sat at my desk sleepily nursing a cup of coffee, but Killion ran into the office as if he were completely rested and fresh.

    Uncompromising Standards. A 10-foot sign that stretches across the band hall at Odessa Texas Permian High School rehearsal area proclaims to all who enter that Quality is Uncompromising. When the school opened in the fall of 1959, the band and orchestra began a string of sweepstakes that today remains unbroken. J.R. McEntyre, who directed both groups, worked with singleminded purpose: to achieve the highest standard of musical excellence. It was not possible to get his approval of an unmusical phrase, a sloppy entrance, or a tangled run. Until he got what he wanted, students did it over and over. He didn’t let anyone give a bad performance. It was that simple.

    Being Organized. Organization means more than a clean desk. It means being prepared for rehearsal: taping your practice session, studying scores, and making notes. Roger Winslow, recently retired from L.D. Bell High School in north Texas, was driven, exacting, and as organized as the Dewey Decimal system. He never wasted a moment of rehearsal time because he studied the previous day’s tape, then planned precisely what he needed to correct and improve. Rather than running through a piece, stopping where he encountered errors, Winslow focused on the trouble areas, repairing them deftly and swiftly. His preparation of a 45-minute contest program during a 50-minute class period was true mastery.
    Much of what Winslow achieved resulted from the daily routines he set up early in the school year. He trained each child in proper rehearsal etiquette, such as entering the room, checking the board for messages, and observing rehearsal order. The daily warmup chorale took care of ear training, balance, blend, and tuning. Winslow’s rehearsals took on the air of my father’s admonitions: “When will you have time to do it over if you don’t have time to do it right? Just do it right to begin with.”

    An Inquisitive Nature. Successful directors continue to learn about their profession by reading or even going back to school to take graduate courses or workshops. During conventions you don’t see them at the snack bar but in the front rows of the clinic sessions, listening, taking notes, asking questions.
    William Revelli, the dean of American bandmasters, began his career as a string player. Refusing to be hampered by his lack of practical knowledge of band instruments, he proceeded to Chicago to study privately with members of the Chicago Symphony. After achieving success with bands in Hobart, Indiana, he continued his quest for knowledge and improvement as a musician by listening to recordings of major symphony orchestras following each school band practice. His desire to improve and raise his standards continued in his own band rehearsals and in every clinic he conducted. Revelli has passed on the importance of continuing education to generations of admiring teachers across the nation.

    Sharing the Credit. Successful people reward and give public credit to others for a job well done. Acknowledging help from associates, students, and parents is a small and easily accomplished act of generosity that they’ll never forget.
Over the years I’ve seen the market flooded with certificates of appreciation, and now with computer programs to generate personal certificates the possibilities are limitless. Many of us depend solely on this type of recognition; but Randy Storie of Midland, Texas rewards members of his band and orchestra with Good Guy awards, ranging from certificates for McDonald’s hamburgers to pencils inscribed with the statement “I Love Music.” Storie and his officers catch students in the act of doing a good job and praise them publicly. Parents who assist in myriad ways are acknowledged in concert programs and newsletters. Well-wishers find Storie accepting compliments about a performance, and responding with kudos for his private teachers and parents. Sharing credit has earned him undying loyalty from his supporters.

    Optimism. Successful people are optimistic by nature. They believe they can make things better. They are positive.
James Croft of Florida State University guest-conducted the Texas All-State Concert Band (the second band) the year I served as organizer. There ought to be no stigma attached to making a second all-state band, but students who do often feel like losers, and can be hostile, belligerent, or frustrated and angry with themselves. The first rehearsal with them is critical, but on the morning of our first rehearsal the hotel operator forgot to give Croft his wake-up call. With no time to prepare, or even to eat breakfast, Croft just smiled, strode to the rehearsal, and turned what could have been a disaster into a great day. His philosophy is, “Every day I get up in the morning and tell myself something great is going to happen, and if it hasn’t happened by lunchtime, I make it happen.”

    Interest in Students. Some egomaniacs clamber up the ladder of success ruthlessly stepping on everyone in the way. The real jewels in our profession shine through their students. Instead of using their ensembles to build a personal reputation, they emphasize the growth and well-being of each young person whose lives they touch.
    Clarence Sawhill of U.C.L.A. was one of the kindest gentlemen I ever met. He also knew the most about making music. Sawhill would spend the same amount of time patiently explaining things to a young novice band camper as he would to a graduate level student. He respected every student, young or old, with whom he came in contact. He inspired his bands to greatness by treating everyone with kindness and love, and having those feelings radiate from the music.

    A Positive, Patient, and Persistent Outlook. Just as the mighty oak needs time to grow, young musicians mature slowly. Teachers cannot speed up the process just because we know the right answers, and as all master teachers can testify, telling is not teaching.
    Rick Lambrecht of El Paso realizes that correcting a child once ensures nothing; he will only develop skills through correct fundamentals and proper techiques. In dealing with today’s generation, youngsters who thrive on instant gratification, Lambrecht has mastered the arts of patience and persistence. One week before a concert and sight-reading competition I watched Rick’s hour-long full band rehearsal. Of those 60 minutes, he spent 30 of them working on fundamentals: a tone study, tonguing and style exercises, long tones, tuning, and balancing the sound. His students, who were anxious about the notes of the contest pieces, saw his emphasis not on the competition, but on learning to play their instrument well. Lambrecht doesn’t pay lip service to correct fundamentals; he and his bands live them on a daily basis. The result is a band that can play anything put in front of it, a truly musical group.

    Confidence. The general run-of-the-mill director looks at the printed page and faithfully reproduces every ritard (on time), every dynamic (and only those indicated). A musically successful director has confidence in his ability to interpret and to take musical risks.
    Being creative is a little like being the lead dog on an Alaskan dog sled. He’s the only one with a change of scenery. While most American marching bands in the 1950s formed stick figures and performed picture show themes for football halftime entertainment, Texas Christian University director Jim Jacobson looked for some new scenery and dazzled his audiences with floating, sliding, and diminishing diamonds, thereby writing a new chapter in the history of American marching bands.

    Bear in mind that the people who succeeded over the long haul have most, if not all, of these qualities, and one more that matters the most. It requires a real, genuine, passionate interest in what they’re doing, whether it’s teaching marching band or show choir, or directing a jazz band or symphony orchestra. They care. Caring about the details that other people forget, don’t want to be bothered with, or are willing to leave to someone else is what makes for real success.

The post A Portrait of Successful Directors appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Drill Design
    In a literal sense, marching rehearsals must flow from beginning to end. Rehearsals brought to a standstill while the director corrects drill-writing errors or learns the drill are not conducive to flow. Set students up for success with good, teachable drill, written to the ability level of the ensemble. Teachable drill is written on the grid as often as possible. End points should end on a grid point, such as yard line and a four-step interval dot. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to place an end point that is 2.65 steps off a yard line. Lines, diagonals, and curvilinear intervals should remain a whole number as often as possible. A pass-through should be sensibly thought out, accounting for a maximum of one group being blind to the transition. Step size should be manageable and monitored during each transition. Instructions should be meticulously indicated on each printed set. Carefully planned equipment changes and prop movement eliminate on-the-field discussions the can bring rehearsal to a grinding halt. The instructor should learn the drill ahead of time. The instructor’s ability to make comments and corrections about the drill without looking down and studying the sets saves time in rehearsal and model preparedness to the students.

Rehearsal Environment
    The field should be prepared well before band camp. Ensure that field markings are clear and adequately refreshed as needed. Consider the intended and unintended consequences of all decisions regarding the rehearsal environment. Decide on the method for marking drill on the field. Will poker chips of various colors be used, or will spots be marked with paint? If paint is used, where is it located and who will paint? Each decision should be made to improve rehearsals.
    The director must also determine how audio will be used in rehearsal. Will audio files be used when setting drill? Students enjoy marching large chunks of drill occasionally with audio files played through field speakers. This allows students to focus on marching visuals and can provide a sense of meaningful accomplishment while learning intricate visuals. Ensure that all electronic equipment, including speakers, the metronome, and a microphone is working and a backup plan is in place. Student managers may inspect technology before each rehearsal.
    There is an increasing trend towards all-electronic teaching materials. Directors should weigh the merits of using paper or dot books versus PDF files displayed on cell phones or tablets. Determine whether rehearsals will proceed more smoothly with students coming to the field prepared with all drill and music on one device. Some schools have cell phone policies that allow use during a rehearsal and offer charging stations or a portable power device for phones with low batteries. Other schools film rehearsals and upload to a shared online folder that is viewable within minutes. Ultimately, the use of technology in rehearsals depends on the needs of a school and how a director assesses the benefits and challenges for their band, including the availability and feasibility of backup plans. An annual review of technological trends in the marching band world is recommended.

Student Leadership
    Perhaps the most vital part of rehearsal planning is communication. Meet with student leadership early and often; many programs schedule a summer leadership retreat for this purpose. Leadership should understand the plan for the season and be able to communicate the plan to band members during field rehearsals. Student leaders also appreciate knowing rehearsal plans in advance and providing input into the agenda.

Warm-Up
    Flow can be established at the start of rehearsal with a regular warm-up procedure that can be modified for variety during the marching season. Start with a brief stretching routine in an attendance block. Drum majors can lead the stretch into a music warm-up that addresses fundamentals directly tied to the day’s music. Strong preparation and planning are essential in the quest for flow. Chart your attendance block and concert arc formations. Plan each rehearsal by setting primary and secondary goals. Based on these goals, choose procedures, or rehearsal segments, for the day. Rehearsal segments may include warm-ups, music arcs, sectionals, fundamentals, drill, and a visual block. Plan the specific amount of time spent in each segment, including breaks. Making decisions on the fly can lead to indecision, which disrupts rehearsal flow and causes student and staff frustration.

Teaching Sequences
    When discussing rehearsal flow, an effective drill teaching sequence is crucial. An effective sequence is logical and framed through the lens of the performer, while also containing consistent procedural structures. First, announce a clear and concise instruction with the full band’s attention. The band responds by performing the announced task, such as a specified drill segment, before stopping for instructor feedback. Sometimes, despite the best focus and intent by students, the band can forget to stop at a particular point in the drill. The drum major can aid the band by employing a procedural structure; such as a whistle four counts before the completion of a drill segment. This can be followed by a visual cue for the band to stop and wait for instructor feedback.
During this drill teaching sequence, the instructor should frequently think from the students’ perspective:

Would I understand these instructions?

Would I feel comfortable with this music and transition?

Would I feel confident retaining this information?

    When the answer is yes, the rate of instruction is likely congruent with the rate of learning. Remember, when learning new drill, flow occurs when students feel they are learning new information at a rate that matches their ability to absorb new information. Instructors who monitor student feedback can find this sweet spot of rehearsal flow. Moving too quickly or slowly can lead to frustration or boredom. It helps to leave the tower frequently and spend time on the field to communicate with student leadership regarding the flow of rehearsal, as perceptions from above can differ from the experience at field level. Look for signs that rehearsal is moving too fast or slow such as: slow movement to reset a drill segment, excessive talking, confusion with the drill or music, a decrease in performance quality, or a lack of retention.
    Provided music has already been rehearsed in concert arcs, retention of new drill can be improved by following these common instructional steps:

1. March a new drill segment without music, forward and backward while stopping at halfway points as necessary.

2. Play the corresponding music at standstill at count zero of the new drill segment.

3. March and play the new drill segment as necessary.

4. Go back one set and march two consecutive sets for continuity. Build in time for feedback from percussion, color guard, or dance instructors. Staff members appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback.

    It is unnecessary to perfect each transition at the beginning of the season. The band should simply be attaching new drill to music and developing an understanding of the continuity of the transitions. Therefore, it is important to establish continuity and a flow of the drill from set-to-set, particularly for percussion and color guard, where work can be harder to learn in smaller chunks. Later, when cleaning the show and specific attention can be given to details, use the hourglass model for effective rehearsal flow. Have the band perform a run-through of several transitions, rehearse in detail, and run the transitions in their entirety before flow is disrupted. Always monitor student flow. It is helpful and fun to create names to establish reference points when starting a rehearsal segment mid-show, as measure numbers are often forgotten once the show is on the field. For example, divide the opener into thirds and assign a unique title to the second and third portions of the drill for the entire band’s understanding.

Student Well-Being
    Whenever possible, avoid ending rehearsals late with announcements. Students and parents can become frustrated with late dismissals. Avoid ending a well-paced rehearsal with a feeling of frustration. Plan to end the teaching portion of rehearsal early enough to allow pertinent announcements. Additionally, plan for time to maintain student health throughout a rehearsal. Students generally do not want to call attention to themselves by leaving the rehearsal field for health reasons, so directors should install methods for monitoring temperature and humidity, such as cell phone apps and on-field gauges. Provide frequent water breaks according to the National Weather Service’s heat index charts and fluid intake recommendations.

Conclusion
    After rehearsal, review with staff and students and ask reflective questions. Determine what worked well and what changes can improve future rehearsals. This review can illuminate obstacles that may have prevented rehearsal flow. Also, directors with passion for their craft serve as a powerful model for students in the band. This, combined with musicianship, enthusiasm, and the preparedness for creating an environment for success, is what will most determine rehearsal flow.
    Knowing the flow facilitators for marching band students is an important element for any director desiring good attitude and performance. Flow does not come from pep talks before performances (Steckel, 2006). Directors should not leave a marching band performance to chance or expect a last minute speech to inspire the masses. The average result in practice will likely be the result in performance. Do your best work in rehearsal and enjoy the performance. Flow may be a pathway to a higher level of musical experiences in rehearsals and lead a band to greater performance success. Of course, it is impossible to achieve flow all of the time, but the concepts in this article should increase the opportunity for students to experience flow in marching rehearsals.

References
    An Exploration of Flow Among Collegiate Marching Band Participants by C.L. Steckel (2006 master’s thesis available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, 1433602).
    Flow in Sports: The Keys to Optimal Experiences and Performances by S. Jackson and M. Csikszentmihalyi (Human Kinetics Books, 1999).
    From Competition to Exhibition: Student Perceptions of the Transition from High School to College Marching Band by J.P. Cumberledge and A.I. Acklin (Journal of Band Research Vol. 54, No. 2).

The post Flow in Marching Rehearsals appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

January 8: First Lesson
    My right thumb appears to be my first obstacle. My initial approach to playing the bass was to strum with it, but my teacher, Kitt Lyles, a Northwestern University graduate, said it was better to strum with the first and second fingers. Thumb playing isn’t necessarily wrong, but it won’t be much good in fast passages. Unfortunately, using the first and second fingers made me want to rest my thumb on top of the instrument, which will cause an overly stretched hand when playing on the G and D strings. My teacher rests his thumb on the A string when playing on the G string and on the E string when playing on the D and A strings. Playing A on the G string causes the A string to vibrate sympathetically, but resting the thumb there prevents that.
    I was surprised to learn that pushing down on the string is better than pulling up on it. The first exercise of the lesson was playing open strings to get into this habit. When playing the A, D, or G strings, the finger should come to rest on the string above it. We set a metronome to 60, and the teacher had me play four quarter notes per string, from E to G and back up the instrument.

    Going down was simple enough, but coming back up is going to take practice. Moving from G to D (or D to A etc.) I already had both index and middle fingers resting on the higher string, starting me with a dead note from accidental muffling. My teacher referred to a dominant finger, meaning starting with either index or middle every downbeat. He also said that moving up could be an exception to this. He recommended a dominant middle finger, as it is longer and stronger than the index.
    The second exercise assigned for the week was chromatics, starting on the open G and putting down one finger per fret up to fourth-finger B. One of my only memories from a college string techniques course 21 years ago was using only first, second, and fourth finger on the bass, so I wasn’t expecting to have to use the third finger on its own, but my teacher pointed out that it was better to develop the dexterity that comes with using it, because I would need it.

    I have a lot of work to do on keeping my left hand curved. I like to bend my left thumb backward, plant it someplace, and never move it, and while it is used to help support the instrument, playing will be easier if I keep my hand curved. I have big enough hands, but they’re mostly palm; my tiny pinky finger struggles to reach and press down hard enough, especially on the E string.
    I never knew where on the fretboard I was supposed to press down. (I also didn’t realize that the little bars on the fretboard were the frets; for some reason I thought the frets were the spaces between. In hindsight, the term fretless makes a lot more sense now.) My teacher said to press down (finger?) right behind the fret, rather than on it. This sweet spot is easier to press down than exactly in between frets and also eliminates buzzing. There was a lot of buzzing today. Developing the muscle memory to land where I should is going to take some work.
    After some work on chromatics and all the coordination that comes with playing them (coordination that I lack), the teacher asked me to play a G major scale without using open strings. He showed me that the finger pattern (2-4-1-2-4-1-3-4) works starting from anyplace on the fretboard, which is convenient if I don’t want to think, but I want to know where all the notes are. I might look into downloading an app that helps me review this.

    The lesson ended with the opening line from Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love.

    The minor third at the end of the line was a rough stretch between index finger and pinky, and when I pointed out an easier alternate fingering, my teacher agreed, said he used that with younger students, but I should stretch.

January 9: 30-Minute Practice Session
    I’m having trouble balancing the instrument. I am following my teacher’s instructions for holding the bass while seated, but it feels like it’s taking the attention of too many body parts away from performance technique. On my way out of the store I spent seven dollars on a strap. I like the laziness of sitting while playing, but tomorrow I’m going to try standing up and wearing the strap to see if it’s easier to focus on good technique playing this way.
    I am doing well at pushing down on the strings to play rather than pulling at them. It’s easy to be self-critical, but it’s important to acknowledge things that are going well. Baby steps and all that.
    I have also had a bit of success with that first exercise going up and down the strings, but only at q = 30. A couple habits learned long ago are getting in the way, even though they are good habits for wind and percussion players. Back in beginning band (in 1986), the director was a stickler for being ready to play the next note by fingering it early whenever possible. This 32-year-old habit makes my brain want to put a finger down on the string I’m going to play next even while it’s still vibrating, choking off the note before I mean to. Adding to this, when moving from the G string to the D string, I seem to want to be a timpanist and muffle the ringing G string with my right hand instead of the left as my teacher told me to do. There might not be anything wrong with right-hand string muffling, but I can see how it could make playing a faster passage needlessly complicated.
Something new to practice: I am getting good at starting with my middle finger, but stroke (pick? strum?) strength is wildly inconsistent from note to note. Also, when I try the chromatic exercise I learned yesterday, there is no rhyme or reason to which finger I use at any given time. Tomorrow I might spend some time just playing quarter or eighth notes on one string to work on both a consistent sound and going back and forth between second and first fingers. It seems like an easy and good thing to commit to muscle memory as soon as possible.

January 10: 45-Minute Practice Session
    Using the shoulder strap helped immensely, whether sitting or standing. I’m curious why my teacher didn’t insist on it, and slightly worried that doing this on my own means I’ve fallen into some sort of bad habit.
    I’m playing a bit better than yesterday. At the end of the day, that’s the goal. Moving up and down open strings (especially up) is getting easier, and I get it right more often than I mess it up, even after just two days. Plucking consistency is improved as well. There is still a lot of work to do, though.
    I took time out to watch a couple YouTube videos of bassists playing and noticed that they move their left hands around, whereas I like to plant mine and not ever move it. This is probably something to practice harder tomorrow.
    Chromatics (and hitting the right spots on the fretboard) are coming easier as well, at least on the G string. D and A are tougher, and I can barely reach the E string. The width of the bass neck seems to be roughly equal to the length of my pinky. A different teacher said the flexibility would come in time and that I should consider practicing chromatics on frets 5-8 rather than 1-4.
    I also wondered if they make smaller-sized bass guitars. My question was answered at the end of my practice session, when I discovered something called a short-scale bass hanging near the one I’ve been using to practice on. (The store lets teachers and students borrow instruments off the wall to use for lessons.) I might play with it tomorrow a bit and will definitely ask my teacher about the differences between the two sizes. A brief internet search offers varying opinions (no surprise there), but one common statement is that the short-scale basses work well with flat-wound strings, whatever those are.

January 11: 40-Minute Practice Session
    I’m tired today and don’t feel like practicing, but I went anyway, choosing instead to ignore the laundry pile I’ve been putting off. I’m glad I went; after just two more sessions, the frustration I felt in my first practice session is more or less gone. There is still a great deal of work to do – and that is just on these first basic exercises – but I think I’ll be able to handle it now.
    Moving on open strings was mostly flawless. Every now and then when I mute a string with the left hand I accidentally sound the note attached to whatever fret I touched, but that will stop eventually, too. On chromatics, I’m getting buzzing sounds on the E string and sometimes the A string, but the muscle memory is starting to come.
    Much of the work today was on the G major scale, which I’ve been neglecting in favor of the other two exercises. Going up the scale is quite a bit easier than coming back down. The primary problem is moving from E, played on the D string to D, played on the A string. My right hand forgets to change strings, but because that open D is the correct note anyway, everything gets jumbled up in my mind. I’m supposed to practice the scale in half notes at q = 60, but I worked the scale in whole notes and then dotted half notes at that same speed, which helped. One thing I should have done but didn’t think of at the time was just practice going back and forth between E and D (and also between B and A, the point at which I change from the A string to the E string.
    I spent the last ten minutes of my session trying a short-scale bass. It’s a lot easier to hold and to play, but I’ll wait to play one again until after I get my teacher’s take on them. I called up a video of MEUTE’s cover of You & Me by Disclosure and Eliza Doolittle (Flume Remix). It’s in Bb minor, which isn’t the best key for a beginning bassist, but it has a slow tempo, one chord per measure, and some extremely easy licks in the bass line, so it made a good note-finding exercise. I still haven’t found an app I like for this purpose.

January 13: 50-Minute Practice Session
    I played a perfect G scale at the tempo my teacher assigned today. Only once, but you have to start somewhere. I forgot to practice the string changes I mentioned Friday; I’ve made a note to practice that tomorrow night.
    The biggest problems I can see at the moment are some rattling, which seems to be caused primarily by me wanting to move to the next note too soon, and still being entirely random in whether I use my index or middle finger to play.
    I put in a little time on the Cream lick tonight. It ends with a minor third played by going from first to fourth finger and back on the same string, and it’s quite a reach. I took some time just to work on the minor third, which seemed to help.
    I feel ready for my second lesson. There will always be more improvement to be made, but practicing pays off.

January 15: Second Lesson
    I opened the lesson asking about short-scale basses. My teacher grabbed one off the wall and play-tested it, showing me how the tone knobs on the instrument and the amp affected the sound. He took the bass all the way from a bright and punchy sound to a deep, dancehall-style woof bass. Ultimately, he proclaimed it fine, and he gave me the short-scale bass he grabbed to use for my lesson, although he also had us compare hand sizes, and  his proportions match mine almost exactly
    The move to a smaller instrument barely affected everything I had practiced on the standard-sized instrument. For the open strings exercise, we moved to eighth notes, both straight and with accents on 1 and 3, the ands of one and three, 2 and 4, and the ands of 2 and 4. We also did all these exercises with a left hand finger on the third fret. My teacher said it was okay that I changed which finger was fretting as I went up and down the strings.
    Adding accents to this exercise also helped with alternating between the first and second fingers, which is still something that needs work.
    At this point conversation turned to the Cream lick, and I mentioned that I was having trouble stretching between first and fourth fingers. The exercise he gave me was to use only first and fourth fingers and increase the distance each time:

    This is also a good exercise to practice shifting hand position.
    The chromatic scale has been expanded. Rather than 0-1-2-3-4 on one string at a time, I’m playing a scale from low E to B on the G string. It’s still 0-1-2-3-4, but also moving from one string to the next.
    I have also been assigned to G scale at twice the speed (quarter notes at 60 instead of half notes). This has further expanded to C, F, Bb, Eb, and Ab scales. It is the same pattern for all; I just need to know where on the fretboard to start.

January 16: 30-Minute Session
    Scales are coming well. It helps that it’s the same pattern for every key; I just need more work on finding the starting note.
    Yesterday during my lesson, my teacher showed me a good hand position away from the bass. I put my own hand in that position and took a picture of it with my cell phone. It’s a good reference to have.

    I’m having a difficult time making accented notes sound different from regular notes and am struggling to figure a way to practice this. It might be time to check YouTube for inspiration.
    Overall, this was a productive, but unremarkable practice session. Sometimes there are breakthroughs, but sometimes, you’re just putting the work in to get better.
    I ended today by pulling up a YouTube video of Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love and playing along. The song is somewhat faster than I’ve been running the lick, but I went through the whole thing anyway. Stumbling full-speed through music is a terrible way to practice, and I got the lick wrong much more than I got it right, but it was fun to play along with something.

January 17
    No practice today. I have to be somewhere at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

January 18
    No practice today. We are supposed to get a foot of snow, starting around rush hour. It’s disappointing to miss two days in a row, and if this storm is everything people say it will be, I might miss more, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. If I’m efficient, I can make up for it on Sunday and Monday.

January 19
    No practice today because of the snowstorm. This underscores the importance of having an instrument at home.

January 20: 60-Minute Practice Session
    I’ve switched back to a full-sized bass. The short-scale one is easier to play, but I’ve developed just enough muscle memory on the larger size that I want to go back. In the long run, this is probably a better decision, on the off chance that a bassist is needed but I don’t have (what will eventually be) my instrument. I’m probably going to buy a bass this coming weekend. This started out as an experiment to see whether I would pick it up as quickly as people thought I would, but it seems like I’ll be able to play competently (but not expertly) with a few more months of diligent practice, so it’s time to commit. It’s on my list of things to discuss with my teacher on Tuesday.
    My biggest playing problem currently seems to be brain freeze. If I either fret on the wrong string or play the wrong string, my mind shuts down from not getting the sound I expect. At the moment, I’m not sure how to overcome this. Will I eventually get used to how the strings, which are all different thicknesses, feel, or is it just a matter of being more mindful of where my hands are? This is especially prone to happening on the chromatic scale.
    I am starting to find intervals. For example, this

is a major third. This is all self-evident from the fingering pattern for the major scale, but it didn’t sink in until tonight.

January 21
    No practice today. Insomnia got me up before 3:00 a.m., and I just don’t have the brainpower for the practice session I need to have tonight. Normally, I wouldn’t be averse to a lighter, “fun” practice session consisting of calling up songs I know on YouTube and stumbling along with them, but if I drive out to the store to practice, I’ll feel I should do more work on technique, especially given how many days I missed this week.

January 22: Third Lesson
    Despite a shortage of practice time this past week, things are progressing. My assignments for my final lesson next week are the other six major scales, scales in thirds (do-mi re-fa me-sol, etc.), major and minor one-octave arpeggios, and a clever finger stretching exercise.

    This also works going up or down on just one string, which I have dubbed the Philip Glass exercise.

    The bass I used this week was a Fender jazz bass, as opposed to the precision bass I started with or the short-scale bass I used briefly. My teacher said that he likes the jazz bass, but the one I buy should depend on the sound I like. My budget for the instrument is $500-$800, which will get me a good mid-line model. I took a brief look at amplifiers, for which my goal is to get the most inexpensive amplifier I can plug headphones into, and found one I liked for $99. My teacher agreed that skimping on an amp in exchange for a better bass was a good plan. Other expenses include a cord, a stand, and a case. I had a gig bag for my tuba, and while it was a lot easier to carry in a gig bag, it also got beaten up enough that I’m no longer a fan of gig bags and will be purchasing a hard case, which is probably another $100-$150.
    Because I’m starting to get some rough fluency on finding notes, we spent part of today’s lesson playing a 12-bar blues in E, inspired by my teacher catching me playing

in the waiting room when he came to get me. Rather than having me do a walking bass line right away, he suggested I stick to roots of chords, over which he soloed on guitar. It’s a good feeling to play along with someone and feel like I’m contributing, even if it was just roots of chords. We went through nine or ten rounds of blues, and I started trying to add leading tones and work in basic scalar lines. It took me three times through to get this lead-in to the V chord correct

but it was a victory when I did.
    We stopped and tried a second round of E blues at a much slower tempo, but with me playing the simple walking line he had caught me playing before the lesson. For measures 9-10, he recommended this:

    After the blues, we went back to work on my assignments from the past week, followed by some time playing through Sunshine of Your Love at tempo. Time flew today.
    The biggest takeaway for me, though, is that it’s much better to play standing up. When I sit, I get lazy fifteen different ways, but standing forces me to take posture and hand position seriously (plus it’s easier to see what I’m doing).

January 24
    I bought a black Fender Aerodyne four-string jazz bass. I like the sound, it was easy to play, and several of the staff at the store admitted they had been considering it for themselves. Total cost with case, tuner, stand, cable, amp, and a three-year protection plan was just over $1,200. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I guess I’m officially a bassist now.

January 25: 20-Minute Practice Session
    This was mostly a matter of setting everything up and figuring out what all the knobs on the bass and the amp do. My bass has two pickups (these are the bars that run under the strings), and what seems to be recommended is to turn one all the way up and the other 90% of the way up. Other than the volume knob on the amp, I left everything there alone. My amp came with a headphone jack, so I can practice in my apartment without shaking my neighbors’ windows.

January 26-27
    Traveling this weekend; no practice.

January 28: 30-Minute Practice Session.
    Today’s primary goal was work on arpeggios: 1-3-5, 5-3-1, and 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 in both major and minor keys. I also spent time reviewing major scales through the circle of fourths.

January 29: Last Lesson
    Tonight felt like a celebration (as much as is possible on the eve of the –50° windchills that hit Illinois the next morning). I realize I have numerous advantages (such as a music degree) a typical beginning instrumentalist does not, but the progress I made was more than I thought was possible.
After reviewing everything from last week, we worked on the two-octave major scale for the bulk of the lesson. Although there are multiple fingering patterns that work, the easiest seems to be this one that requires sliding the first finger on all but the G string.

Epilogue
    In late March (after more practice), I started playing bass at my church. The first performance was terrifying; I remember commenting that no matter how many times I’ve done it in the past, the first public performance on a new instrument feels awkward. I made mistakes, including both landing on the wrong fret and playing on the wrong string, but I survived. Subsequent performances have gotten much easier, in part because I still practice whenever I can, but also in part because I lived through that first performance. There are no substitutes for practicing diligently and getting performance experience, whatever the instrument.

The post A Crash Course in the Electric Bass appeared first on The Instrumentalist.