Beginning band: strategies for all ages Presenters: Malena Calle- Southwood Middle School, Miami Erich S. Rivero- Glades Middle School, Miami Susie Lalama- Frost School of Music, UM

Beginning band: strategies for all ages Brass Instruments Pedagogy Erich Rivero

First things to do Take inventory of instruments Make sure all instruments are in working condition Set up instrumentation goals Distribute advanced band instruments Cover music notation and note recognition with beginners Give background on instruments Which musical families they belong to

“Sell” the instruments Discuss “college” instruments Demonstrate instruments “teacher or advanced students” or show via internet resource such as YouTube

Set up instrument “petting zoo” Instrument fittings Make sure to have a good disinfectant (Mi-T Mist-mouthpiece sanitizer) Rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 After all instruments have been tried, students will rank their top 5 choices. Alternating between woodwind, brass, woodwind or brass, woodwind, brass. Students may only select instruments they ranked either a 5 or 4

Demonstrate proper mouthpiece Placement Beginning Brass Mouthpieces Trumpet Bach 3C (if the student has bigger lips consider a bigger mouthpiece like a Bach 1 ½ C) Trombone 12C , 6 ½ AL Tuba Mouthpiece- Bach 24AW, Advanced-Warburton CV8, Parantucci PT88 French Horn Mouthpiece- Holton MDC, Intermediate/Advanced Stork C10, S14 & Warburton M12 For Students with braces EZO Denture Cushions

Demonstrate proper embouchure  Embouchure placement Trumpet 2/3 mouthpiece Upper and 1/3 Lower Trombone Half and half Horn Half and Half Teeth must be level and open when playing. Often is the case that the player needs to extend the lower jaw so teeth may be even due to an over bite. Embouchure Problems For a student who has bubbles in the embouchure. Have the student fill up mouth with air like a bubble. Have him play G on the staff. While playing G have him squeeze out all air so the skin is firm next to the teeth. No air pockets or bubbles. Have the student repeat this four times. Each time the student should close his eyes to feel the embouchure tighten. Then have the student play G and tell him to start with the embouchure like tight like he finished. He will no longer have any air pockets. Tell him to practice in front of a mirror to reinforce the concept.

Instrument maintenance Valve oil for Brass Instruments Hetmans Piston No. 2 or Blue Juice Trpt, Bar., Horn For slides Schilke Slide Grease Slide Grease for Trombone Slides - Trombonetine Instrument Snake Instrument Bath-make sure to remove all felts from instrument. To Shine Silver instruments use Nu Finish Liquid Car Polish

articulations Tonguing Slurring Tonguing Diagram Make sure all the students are saying “TAH” The tongue should strike in a retrograde movement behind the upper teeth in the crevice between the teeth and the top roof of the mouth. Slurring The tongue must move up and down in the mouth. When playing low notes the tongue must be on the bottom of the mouth. The inverse is also true. Say the syllables: TAH EEH AWE EEH AWE EEH When the tongue does not move the note seems to get stuck on one pitch and not move to the other pitch. Tonguing Diagram

Resources Glades Band Website www.wix.com/gladesband/miami Band Handbook Scale Sheet Instrument rental Contract The Art of Brass Playing by Phil Farkas Herbert L. Clarke Technical Studies Arban’s Book for Trumpet and trombone Pg 42 #17 Slurs Band4me.org http://band4me.org/resources.html Erich Rivero’s email address: TPTLOCO@AOL.COM