1. Tonal Production By Shelley Jagow

2. Air Breath Support slow air speed = dull, thin, unsupported tone wide air exhalation= uncontrolled, squawky tone shallow, tense inhalation = dull, thin, unsupported tone steady, focused air speed = centered and supported relaxed, deep, natural inhalation = full, supported tone

3. Posture poor posture = dull, thin, unsupported tone, and generally displays a lack of player respect for the desire to achieve good tone. correct posture= centered and supported tone

4. Embouchure weak and poorly developed embouchure = dull, fuzzy, unsupported tone tight, biting or forced embouchure= sharp, small, restricted and stuffy tone correctly formed embouchure = centered and supported tone

5. Amount of Mouthpiece ( Saxophones, Clarinets) too much mouthpiece in mouth = wide, squawky and uncontrolled tone; usually plays consistently flat too little mouthpiece in mouth = small thin, restricted tone; usually plays consistently sharp correct amount of mouthpiece = full and centered tone

6. Reed Condition (Saxophones, Clarinets) reed too soft = encourages over-blowing, therefore it causes a wide, squawky, bright tone; usually plays consistently flat reed too hard = encourages biting, therefore it causes a small, fuzzy, restricted tone; usually plays consistently sharp properly conditioned reed = full, centered and supported tone; able to control pitch

7. Equipment poor equipment = poor tone; often caused by inferior-made instruments; leaking tone holes; bent rods; poor mechanism alignment; poor quality mouthpiece or percussion mallet; poor quality reed; poorly adjusted percussion heads, etc. good equipment = good tone; caused by purchasing quality director- recommended instruments and equipment, proper care and maintenance by the student, and by annual maintenance by a qualified instrument technician

8. Tonal Concept poor tonal concept = poor tone; caused by lack of quality aural models or abundance of poor aural models good tonal concept = good, characteristic tone; caused by frequent and regular listening to quality aural models, and a solid understanding of the fundamentals necessary to produce good tone.

9. Aural Concept poor aural image = lack of mental image of the desired sound due to poor audiation skills good tone is a result of an internal mental/ aural image of the sound before physically producing it. The inner ear must first hear the desired tone before physically emitting the tone to the outer ear

10. Balance poor balance = poor ensemble tone; caused by players trying to hear themselves above others instead of with others; can often be an ensemble mix of under-supported and over-blown sounds that creates distorted tone qualities proper balance = good ensemble tone; caused by quality tone production achieving the fundamental concepts of blend and balance.

11. Percussion Stroke inappropriate stroke for musical style = striking the surface at the incorrect place appropriate stroke for musical style = solid understanding by the student to know where to strike various percussion instruments and the type of mallet selected for various tonal qualities Where: Edge of the drum produces a softer, thinner tone. Off Center of a drum is the preferred, general playing area that produces less ringing resonance that the edge, but not as dry as the center. Center produces a drier, less resonant tone. Mallet: Softer mallets create a darker tone because the mallet produces a strong fundamental pitch with less overtones. Harder mallets create a brighter tone because the mallet produces a weaker fundamental pitch with stronger overtones. Larger mallets produce a darker tone. Smaller mallets produce a brighter tone.

12. Percussion Stroke cont. inappropriate stroke for musical style = striking the surface with an incorrect manner appropriate stroke for musical style = solid understanding by student to know the manner in which to trike various percussion instruments for various tonal qualities Manner: A faster stroke produces a more intense tone than a slower stroke. A tighter grip on the stroke produces a compact, less resonant tone. A relaxed grip on the stroke produces a fuller, more resonant tone.

13. 3 Logical Steps to Effective Balance and Blend by Ed Lisk If you hear yourself above all others, 1 of 3 things is happening: 1. You are overpowering or overblowing! Make the necessary adjustment. This initiates an auditory reaction to Balance. If you still hear yourself and you made the adjustment in #1, then: 2. You are playing with poor tone quality! Make the necessary adjustment (embouchure, breath support, posture, reed, etc.). Poor tone quality will not blend with anything! If you still hear yourself and you made the adjustment in #1 and #2, then: 3. You are playing out of tune! Make the necessary adjustment by extending or shortening the length of your instrument.