MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL BAND METHOD. COMPILED BY SCOTT M. BURGENER 2 nd Edition. Student Name. Instrument

Transcription

1 MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL BAND METHOD COMPILED BY SCOTT M. BURGENER 2 nd Edition Student Name Instrument

2 Copyright 2015 By Scott M. Burgener Designed for use by the Mountain View High School Toro Band Program Mesa, Arizona 2

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword... 5 Rehearsal Etiquette... 6 Written Pitch vs. Concert Pitch... 8 How To Practice Effectively How to Sight Read What is Good Tone? Vibrato Important Ensemble Considerations The Pyramid of Sound Intonation Student Responsibilities for Balance, Blend, and Intonation Mouthpiece Pitches for Woodwinds Tuning Tendencies Intervals Major Scales Minor Scales Key Signature Chart Circle of Fifths Circle of Fourths Chords Using Roman Numerals to Identify Chords

4 Articulation Double Tonguing Dynamics Phrasing Dictionary of Musical Terms Orchestral Transposition for Clarinets, Trumpets, and Horns Reading Tenor Clef (for bassoons and trombones)

5 FOREWORD This book is the result of twenty years of teaching band to high school students. One of the things that has always concerned me is the wide range of ability levels of students in high school band. Yet, most have had the same training since the 5 th grade prior to getting to high school. The purpose of this book is to try and bring everyone up to the same level. Any ensemble can only be as good as their weakest member and I know nobody wants to be the weakest member. If you work diligently to achieve all the exercises in this book by the time you are a senior, I honestly believe nobody will ever be a weak player. I have used many resources for the exercises and content of this book. While many things are of my own creation, I have also borrowed from several teachers over the years. I would like to thank all of them for what they have taught me, and I am happy to share their knowledge with you. This book is provided to you at no charge. As a student in the Mountain View band program, you are expected to have this book with you every day throughout the four years you are in concert band. Treat it with care and make sure it is labeled with your name. Keep it in a safe place because even though we love band members, they tend to borrow things when they forget them to avoid the wrath of the band directors. Not cool! If you forget your book, own up to it and share with someone else that day. You will be tested (either by writing or playing) on several aspects of this book at the correct time in your musical development. Your band grade will be partially based on your proficiency on these tests. You will be maintaining a portfolio that shows your progress over the years. We will discuss portfolios at length in class. We will also be using a supplemental book to practice sight reading. This book is called The Sight Reading Book for Band and is written by Jerry West, published by Wingert- Jones. For obvious reasons, you won t be taking this book with you because we don t want you to look at it! I sincerely hope you find this book to be educational, helpful, and enjoyable during your development as a musician. I am very pleased to have you as a member of our band program. Mr. Scott M. Burgener, Director of Bands, Mountain View High School 5

6 REHEARSAL ETIQUETTE High school level music is much more involved than music that is written for younger players. It requires a significant amount of dissection and working on individual parts in order for us to sound at our best. Because of this, it is extremely important to establish a routine of professional rehearsal etiquette, as listed below. 1. Be at the band room BEFORE the bell rings. Start getting out your equipment immediately and get set up. This is not social time. You should be using the first 3-4 minutes to warm up. Please use the restroom before class begins. Rehearsals will begin promptly at four minutes after the bell rings. 2. While warming up, you should be playing at a mezzo- forte level, in a middle to low range. It is not appropriate to play high and loud during warm- up time, nor is it appropriate to play your favorite stand tunes during warm- ups. This is concert band, not marching band. Percussion students should be getting all of the instruments they need for the ENTIRE rehearsal ready during this time. 3. The first chair player in each section is responsible for getting any necessary materials (chorale books, etc.) and distributing it to their section. Items should be returned to this person at the end of class so they can put them away. If the first chair player is absent, the responsibility goes to the second chair player. 4. Every student should have a pencil on his/her stand during rehearsal. Please mark your music as we rehearse. The directors will sometimes change dynamics, articulations, phrasing, or whatever, and you need to mark it in so that you can remember it for next time. If you don t mark it in, we waste valuable time doing the same thing all over again. Do not use pen. 5. Talking must be kept to a minimum during rehearsal. Even if you are discussing the music with your neighbor, it is disruptive. Do not immediately start talking every time the director cuts off the music. 6. During rehearsal, it is not appropriate to do homework, use your cell phone, listen to your ipod, or do anything that is not directly related to your band class. If you need to study during band, then I will ask you to please play your instrument in math class. Sometimes what the director says to one section will apply to you as well, later in the music. 7. It is not appropriate to make faces across the room at each other during rehearsal. I can t believe I even have to write this one down. 8. Please sit with appropriate posture during rehearsal. Practice the way you will perform. Bad posture is the sign of an immature musician. 9. Chewing gum, eating, or drinking something other than water is not appropriate during rehearsal. 10. Please remove hats and sunglasses during rehearsal. 11. After rehearsal, please return all instruments/music to their appropriate storage areas. 6

7 12. If you ask to be excused from rehearsal due to being sick, expect to be sent to the nurse. If you won t go to the nurse, then you will play. If you go to the nurse and you get sent back to class, you are well enough to play. This is a district music education policy. 13. If sitting out of rehearsal for whatever reason (forgotten instrument, instrument in the repair shop, etc.), you will be expected to complete a written assignment during class time. This will count in your grade. 14. This last one is a personal pet peeve of your directors. Please go to the bathroom before class. If it is a true emergency, we will let you go. Bathroom privileges will be limited if excessive use becomes a problem, so please do not make everyone else suffer because of your poor planning. The WORST thing you can do is ask to go to the bathroom right after eating lunch. There s plenty of time during lunch for you to go. Don t become that person that has to use the bathroom every day during band rehearsal time. Expect the same type of bathroom rules as your other classes. 15. Understand that the directors are very busy, especially at the start of rehearsal. Do not bombard us will all sorts of requests and needs right when rehearsal starts. We have to get class started. Save what you need to ask us about for the end of class if you can. 16. If your instrument breaks during rehearsal, please understand that the director may not be able to fix it until rehearsal ends. We can t stop rehearsal for very long without losing the focus of the class. Most people in our band program aspire to be placed in the Wind Ensemble. If you have issues with the above expectations, it is not likely we will feel comfortable putting you in such a high- level ensemble. 7

8 WRITTEN PITCH VS. CONCERT PITCH Written pitch is the note on your instrument that you are playing. For example, if we say you are playing the written pitch of C on your trumpet, you are playing your C. Concert pitch is the actual pitch that is being sounded. For example, even though you are playing the note C on a trumpet, you are actually playing a concert Bb because Bb is the pitch that s actually sounding. If someone were to walk up to a piano and play a Bb, it would sound like the C on your trumpet. Each instrument s transposition depends on the key it is built in. In band, the instruments fall into four different keys: C, Bb, Eb, and F. C instruments do not have to transpose at all. Concert pitch is your written pitch. The C instruments are piccolo, flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, bass clef euphonium, and tuba. All mallet percussion instruments and timpani also do not have to transpose. Piano and harp don t transpose either. Lucky folks! Bb instruments have to transpose up a whole step. Your written pitch is one whole step above concert pitch. This Bb instruments are clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, and treble clef euphonium. Eb instruments have to transpose down a minor 3 rd or up a major 6 th. The easiest way to do it is to count 3 half steps down from concert pitch. The Eb instruments are alto saxophone and baritone saxophone. F instruments have to transpose up a perfect 5 th. The easiest way to do it is to make a major scale from the concert pitch and figure out the 5 th note of that scale. The F instruments are French Horn and English Horn. On the next page, you will find a chart that will help you learn the transposition for your instrument. Please memorize your transposition so that you do not always have to refer to the chart. You don t have time in band to keep turning to the transposition chart. 8

9 HANDY-DANDY TRANSPOSITION CHART Concert (C B- flat E- flat instruments) Instruments Instruments F Instruments C D A G C#/Db D#/Eb A#/Bb G#/Ab D E B A D#/Eb F C A#/Bb E F#/Gb C#/Db B F G D C F#/Gb G#/Ab D#/Eb C#/Db G A E D G#/Ab A#/Bb F D#/Eb A B F#/Gb E A#/Bb C G F B C#/Db G#/Ab F#/Gb Why does written pitch differ from concert pitch? Historically, many instruments have just come to be manufactured that way over time, so music has been written that way. Whatever the reason, it s your job to know how to transpose from concert pitch to your written pitch, so the director doesn t have to call out every single instrument s individual note in rehearsal. As a side note, there are also a handful of instruments that actually sound in a different octave than their written pitch. Piccolo, for example, sounds an octave higher than written. The reason for this is so that the composer doesn t have to write the entire piccolo part using ledger lines. Bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone all sound an octave lower than they are actually written. 9

10 HOW TO PRACTICE EFFECTIVELY Make sure your practice area is quiet and without interruption. Have everything you need nearby: a metronome, a tuner, a pencil, your music, whatever you need. If possible, try and practice a little bit each day. Even if you don t have lots of time, a quick 20 minute practice session is better than nothing. The time that you played in band class doesn t count because it isn t always focused on what YOU in particular need to work on. For me, I always tried to set aside one hour of practice time, because that never felt rushed. But for the sake of this discussion, let s say you have 30 minutes to practice today. Here s how I would structure it: 5-10 minutes Work on warm- ups. Do some mouthpiece exercises, long tones, lip slurs, or other exercises that are appropriate for your instrument minutes Work on scales, especially those ones that may be giving you trouble. However, don t forget to play the other ones now and then so you can keep them memorized. 10 minutes Choose one or two musical selections that you need work on. Don t try and play parts you already know how to play. Work on problem areas. SLOW THEM DOWN. Use a metronome to keep things steady. In any case, make sure you have a FOCUS to work on. Don t just go at this randomly. Random doesn t make you better. Also, don t try and practice too many things during one session. You won t have enough time to cover that many things and perfect them. 5 minutes Play something you really enjoy. End the practice session with something you think is fun to play. Warm down if necessary. WHAT NOT TO DO: Don t keep playing the same thing over and over again, making the same mistakes. If you can t play it right, slow it down and break it into smaller chunks. The more times you play it wrong, the longer you will have to retrain your brain in order to play it correctly. Don t enter a practice session without a plan. Random practice doesn t usually give good results. Don t ignore the signs from your face that are telling you to stop. If your face is tired, you can only do so much before you end up injuring yourself. Don t let frustration get you down. The reason you are practicing is because you can t play it right. Practicing should be hard, not easy. Don t be afraid to ask your band directors and/or private lesson teacher if you can t figure something out. That s what we are here for! 10

11 HOW TO SIGHT READ I have always thought the true strength of a musician s ability could be measured by how well he/she can sight read. Sight reading is the act of playing a piece of music that you ve never seen before, with little guidance. This is something we will be working on weekly during band classes. There are some festivals where sight reading is a requirement. For example, regional and all- state auditions and the state concert festival all have a sight reading component. Here is a ten- step checklist that you should memorize in order to help you sight read more successfully: 1) Look at the title of the piece, if there is one. Quite often you can tell the stylistic nature of the piece just by knowing what it is called. 2) Look at the tempo. 3) Look at the time signature. Now count quietly in your head that tempo and time signature. 4) Look at the key signature. 5) Look for changes throughout the piece. Does the tempo, time signature, or key signature change anywhere? 6) Look at the dynamics. They are the most commonly left out thing when people are sight reading. 7) Look very closely at the first few measures. Sometimes a nice, solid start is all you need to feel good about what you are doing. 8) Skim over the rest of the piece. Look for accidentals. Look at the road map. Is there a D.S. or D.C. al Fine? Is there a coda? Are there any repeats? 9) Read the very last line of music. You want to end strongly. 10) Be confident. The person listening to you knows you might make a mistake. You might as well do it with a good tone and a confident sound. Confidence is the easiest way to score points in sight reading. We will practice sight reading every week during band classes. You will also be asked to sight read at most auditions you take part in. 11

12 WHAT IS GOOD TONE? Tone is defined as the overall quality of a musical sound. Every instrument in the band has it s own characteristic tone. Characteristic tone is the ideal sound that can be made on an instrument. You can also think of it as, when I play my instrument, does it make a sound that someone would recognize as a characteristic sound for that instrument? Does your flute really produce a typical flute sound when you play it? Does your trumpet really produce a typical trumpet sound when you play it? There are some aspects of tone that apply to every wind instrument. The first and foremost aspect is that of AIR. You can t make a good sound on a wind instrument without some good quality wind! The quality of your airflow will make or break your sound. In general, the air moving through the instrument should move at a constant rate of speed. This will change when doing a crescendo or diminuendo, or maybe for some special effects, but most of the time you should not noticeably speed up or slow down your airflow. Musical tone is generated by air making something vibrate. On a reed instrument, it s the reed that s vibrating. On a brass instrument, it s the lips that are vibrating. On a flute, it s actually the air that s vibrating against itself. You must have the ability to control your air so that the vibrations can be sustained properly to make a characteristic sound on your instrument. Think about what air might look like if you blew it through a regular drinking straw. Because the straw is so narrow, the air can t help but be very focused and move quickly through the straw. Now, think about what air might look like if you just blew it just out into the room, without a straw. The air probably would go everywhere, and certainly wouldn t be very focused. The straw method is what we want you to think about when moving air through your instrument. It needs to be focused, and in general move quickly through the instrument. Fast air DOESN T necessarily mean louder it just means it needs to be efficient enough to allow the vibrations to happen appropriately. The diagram below further illustrates airflow. GOOD QUALITY AIRFLOW POOR QUALITY AIRFLOW 12

13 The air moving through your instrument must also be WARM. How do we create warm air? Try this. Hold your hand in front of your mouth. Blow on your hand as if you were blowing out a candle. You will notice the air is cool, and that your lips are probably puckered a little bit in order to blow the air. Now, open your mouth up a little more, and create a haaah sound with your air, kind of like Darth Vader breathing. You should feel that the air is warm, and the back of your throat should feel wide open. That s the key right there the inside of your mouth should be as open as possible. Think about trying to put a golf ball down your throat. (Please do not really do that!) When playing your instrument, you should have this feeling in the back of your throat as opposed to something that feels tight or tense. A good quality tone is one that is free from any excess noise. Sometimes bad tone is described as airy or fuzzy. This means that we can hear some type of extra air noise that s getting in the way of the actual sound of the instrument. A good tone is sometimes called pure because that s all we want to hear. the sound that the instrument is making. DESCRIPTORS OFTEN USED FOR GOOD TONE: pure, clear, beautiful, warm, dark, characteristic DESCRIPTORS OFTEN USED FOR POOR TONE: airy, fuzzy, edgy, bright, intrusive, uncharacteristic A further analogy could be one using colors. In general, the type of tone we are looking for would be a very deep purple color. The type of tone we don t want would be a neon yellow color. That neon yellow would be great for stopping traffic in a construction zone, but not so great in a band setting where you are trying to blend with other instruments. Sometimes, this airy or fuzzy tone can be caused be the instrument itself. Maybe there is a repair that needs to be made, like a leaky pad, or something like that. In some cases, the instrument itself may be of very poor quality. While this doesn t happen very often, very usually see it with instruments that have been purchased on ebay. Typically, these are mass- produced instruments made in China. In general, you get what you pay for. If you see a trumpet advertised for $100 on ebay, it s probably not a good idea to buy it. No trumpet should cost as little as $100. If you are looking to purchase an instrument, it s a good idea to consult with your band directors so they can guide you towards a reputable brand that is made well and will last many years. Two of the main causes of bad tone are the use of a poor quality mouthpiece or a poor quality reed. Let s address the mouthpiece issue first. Every instrument is sold with a mouthpiece. These are typically mass- produced mouthpieces that are inexpensive to make, and often have inconsistencies and bad 13

14 manufacturing. A poor mouthpiece can make even a professional instrument sound bad. It s like putting bad tires on a really expensive car. Certain brands and types of mouthpieces are often recommended for various instruments because of their proven quality. This is not an inclusive list, but you will be very satisfied with any of the mouthpieces listed below. If you are taking private lessons, your teacher will probably recommend a mouthpiece for you. Please purchase the one recommended by your private teacher if that is the case. RECOMMENDED MOUTHPIECES Clarinet: Vandoren B45 Alto Sax: Selmer C* S- 80 Tenor Sax: Selmer C* S- 80 Bari Sax: Yamaha 5C Bass Clarinet: Vandoren B44 or Charles Bay Trumpet: Bach 3C French Horn: Giardinelli C8 or Holton Farkas MDC Trombone/Euphonium: Bach 6 ½ AL Tuba: Schilke 67 Now, let s address the reed issue. Reeds come in a variety of brands and a variety of thicknesses. Both the brand and the thickness is important. Below is a list of the recommended reeds for each type of instrument. We recommend you AVOID purchasing reeds made by Rico, Rico Royal, or any store brand. They are made poorly and will not last very long. Rico Reserve reeds are fine. RECOMMENDED REEDS Clarinet and Bass Clarinet: Vandoren, Rico Reserve Saxophones: Vandoren, Hemke, Rico Reserve Oboe and Bassoon: The best- case scenario is to use reeds that someone has made especially for you. Many private teachers make reeds, and teach their students to make reeds. Most store- bought double reeds are not very high quality. Your band teachers can put you in touch with someone who makes reeds. You should have three working reeds in your case at any given time. You should NEVER only have one reed available. What happens if it s concert night, and the reed breaks? You have 14

15 to be prepared. You should never use reeds that are moldy, green, chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged. It increases the risk of squeaking and also will give you that airy and fuzzy tone we talked about. Moldy reeds are nasty. You probably wouldn t eat a moldy piece of bread, so why would you put a moldy piece of wood in your mouth? Yuck. You will also find that there are some synthetic reeds on the market. They are made of a type of plastic. While these are very durable, we do not want you to play them. They often make too loud and harsh of a sound for you to blend with the band. How you stop and start your tone is just as important as the tone itself. This is a technique called ARTICULATION. This will be addressed in greater detail in a later chapter. However, unless some type of specific articulation is marked, you should plan on gently starting (what we call the ATTACK) and stopping (what we call the RELEASE) each note that you play. Just as we don t want the tone to be intrusive, we don t want the very start of the tone to be intrusive either. The tone itself should be very constant until the point of release. When you release the note, you should do so just by stopping the airflow. This will make a rounded release rather than a sudden, harsh one. The diagram below further illustrates what we are looking for. AN IDEAL TONE WITH AN APPROPRIATE ATTACK AND RELEASE (notice rounded edges) A TONE WITH AN OVER- ARTICULATED, INTRUSIVE ATTACK A TONE WITH A RELEASE THAT FIZZLES OUT TOO SOON A TONE WITH A SUDDEN, CHOPPED- OFF RELEASE 15

16 VIBRATO Performers at the high school level are expected to start applying vibrato to their sound, if appropriate for their particular instrument. Vibrato is the effect of applying regular, consistent pitch pulsations to a musical tone. This effect is used to add expression to your tone. If you ve ever heard an opera singer, you know what vibrato is. Some instruments use vibrato, and some do not. There are also different methods of producing vibrato. Flute Vibrato is very commonly used when playing the flute. Vibrato on the flute is produced by gently varying the air speed by using your abdominal muscles. Think about saying ha ha ha. Oboe and Bassoon Vibrato is very commonly used when playing the oboe or bassoon. I have found that there is a bit of a divided opinion on exactly how vibrato should be done on double reed instruments. The best advice is to ask your private teacher! If you don t have a private teacher, ask one of your band directors and we will give you some guidance. Clarinet and Bass Clarinet Vibrato is not typically used when playing any type of clarinet. Saxophone Vibrato is very commonly used when playing the saxophone. Vibrato on saxophone is produced by gently changing the pressure on the reed with the lower jaw. Think about saying woo woo woo. On saxophone, it is not recommended to create vibrato by using the stomach or throat muscles. Trumpet/Trombone/Euphonium/Tuba Vibrato is sometimes used in soloistic passages when playing the trumpet, trombone, or tuba. It is used almost all the time when playing euphonium. Vibrato on these brass instruments is produced by gently relaxing the jaw and firming back up again to where you started. It is important to begin the vibrato first by relaxing the jaw, not by firming first, as this will pinch the embouchure. Think about saying woo woo woo. On these brass instruments, it is not recommended to create vibrato by using the stomach muscles or by wiggling the valves. In jazz playing, sometimes trombones wiggle the slide to produce vibrato, but this is not appropriate in classical playing. French Horn Vibrato is not typically used when playing the French horn. 16

17 IMPORTANT ENSEMBLE CONSIDERATIONS Ensemble is a term that is used to describe how well a group of musicians perform with each other so that the overall effect of the whole is greater than the effect of the individual. Every person in the ensemble is responsible for making the adjustments necessary (that s a lot of multi- tasking!) to make the ensemble sound balanced, blended, and in tune. BALANCE VS. BLEND Balance is the term that is used to describe how each section s volume fits into the overall sound of the band. For example, we don t want the trumpets to stick out too much just because they can play loud. We typically use the Pyramid of Sound to describe the type of balance we want to achieve in our bands. Blend is the term that is used to describe how your individual sound fits into your section s sound. For example, we don t want one person in your section to be playing louder or softer than anyone else. We never want to hear an individual s sound over the group s sound unless it is a solo and the composer wants it that way. EQUAL TEMPERAMENT VS. JUST INTONATION Equal Temperament is a tuning system in which every pair of adjacent notes has an equal frequency ratio. Every octave is divided into 12 equal half steps that are all the same distance apart. This system works great for keyboard instruments or other instruments that play by themselves most of the time. It would sound unusual to the listener if a piano player was able to randomly lower or raise their pitches slightly in the middle of a melody. Just Intonation is a tuning system in which small adjustments are made so that intervals and chords played by a group of musicians sound better in tune to the human ear. This is what we are striving for in any ensemble. Just because your concert D is in tune on a tuner, it doesn t mean your concert D is in tune with this rest of the band. That s a hard concept to grasp. It all has to do with physics of sound, and how the combined frequencies of notes work with each other. 17

18 THE PYRAMID OF SOUND Our model for perfect balance is called The Pyramid of Sound. The lower your instrument is in the pyramid, the louder you need to play in order to maintain proper balance within the ensemble s sound. Think of it like a stereo system. If you were to turn the bass all the way down on your stereo, you wouldn t like the sound very much. The lower pitched instruments are what give the band a warm, full- bodied sound. Piccolo Flute 1 st Clarinet 1 st Trumpet 1 st Alto Saxophone Oboe 2 nd and 3 rd Trumpet 2 nd Clarinet French Horn 2 nd Alto Saxophone 3 rd Clarinet Tenor Saxophone Baritone/Euphonium 1 st and 2 nd Trombone Bass Clarinet Baritone Saxophone Bassoon 3 rd Trombone Tuba 18

19 INTONATION Intonation is the word we use when talking about whether or not the band is in tune. When sound is created, it makes sound waves. The speed of the sound waves (also called frequency) is what determines how high or low a pitch is. Faster waves create higher pitches. Slower waves create lower pitches. Before intonation can be mastered, a musician MUST be able to produce a characteristic sound on their instrument. Poor tone quality can very easily cause poor intonation. There is no way to truly tune a sound that has extraneous noise, because the sound waves are not pure sound waves. Here s what a pure sound wave looks like compared to a noisy sound wave. The tuning fork in the picture cannot make extraneous sound. It can only produce a clear musical tone. Look at how smooth the sound wave is. The hammer in the picture can make only noise. Look at how jagged the sound wave is. An instrumental tone with extraneous noise looks something like combination of the two. 19

20 When we tune the band, we calibrate the tuner so that it is set on A=440. That means the A that we use has a rate of 440 hertz (Hz). Hertz is the number of cycles per second that a sound wave makes. If you have your own electronic tuner, you will see that you can calibrate it to 440 as well. Make sure you do this. If you calibrate it to a different number, you will be tuning to the wrong pitch standard. Not every A is the A we want. Numbers higher than 440 will be sharp. Numbers lower than 440 will be flat. Did you know that A=440 has been accepted as the International Standard Tuning Pitch? Now you do. When two instrumentalists are playing the same pitch in unison, but you hear bumps in the sound (also called beats), they are out of tune. This is because the frequency of the notes being played is slightly different between the two players. The diagram below represents sound waves that are in tune vs. sound waves that are out of tune. In the top diagram, you will notice that the waves are moving at the same rate, at the same time. When this happens, you are in tune. In the lower diagram, you can see that the waves are moving at two separate times. This is causing a conflict between the two sound waves, which causes the beats to occur. It s almost as if the two soundwaves are beating each other up because they can t work together. Sound Waves that are IN TUNE Sound Waves that are OUT OF TUNE 20

21 If the beats are moving very slow, that means the two people are very close to being in tune with each other. If the beats are moving very quickly, that means they are not very close to being in tune. When we are tuning the band at the beginning of rehearsal, it is important to get your instrument set up in such a way that you can make minor adjustments to pitch as you play. In most cases, this means that your mouthpiece, headjoint, barrel, or tuning slides will be slightly pulled out. No instrument is built to be played with the mouthpiece, headjoint, barrel or tuning slides pushed all the way in. If this is the only way you can get your sound in tune, it means you are creating an embouchure that has some type of problem. Please remember that just because your tuning note is in tune, it doesn t mean that every other note on your instrument will be in tune. There is no wind instrument that can attain perfect intonation just by pushing the buttons (except maybe trombone, but you would have to hit the EXACT slide position every time for it to be perfectly in tune.) All instruments have notes that are expected to be out of tune. As a musician, it is up to you to learn what these notes are, and how to fix them. You must memorize all of these pitch tendencies in order to respond to them. How do you fix a note that s out of tune? Well, you can t push in or pull out on every single note you play. So, that means you need to make some type of minor adjustment by relaxing or firming your embouchure. Many brass instruments have special slides that are intended to be used to adjust certain notes. Some of them have a 4 th valve for this purpose. You can also use alternate fingerings if there are any available. Sometimes just using a different fingering will produce a sharper or flatter version of a note. If you are flat, that means your instrument is TOO LONG and must be shortened. At the beginning of rehearsal, you can fix this with your mouthpiece, headjoint, barrel, or main tuning slide. In the middle of a piece, you ll have to firm up your embouchure. If you are sharp, that means your instrument is TOO SHORT and must be lengthened. At the beginning of rehearsal, you can fix this with your mouthpiece, headjoint, barrel, or main tuning slide. In the middle of a piece, you ll have to relax your embouchure. If you know you are out of tune, but you just can t tell if you are flat or sharp, no worries. This happens to people all the time. Make a big change in one way or the other. You ll know the answer right away. If you made the wrong choice, the beats will speed up a lot. If you made the right choice, the beats will get really slow or disappear altogether. Over time, you want to develop your skill in being able to tell if you are flat or sharp. The only way to do this is to practice. 21

22 STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR BALANCE, BLEND, AND INTONATION Partially borrowed from Alternative Rehearsal Techniques, by Edward Lisk Our Tuning Procedure One of the most important responsibilities you have in band is to play in tune with other members. The tuning process is based upon the overtone series. Ensemble tuning is established by the fundamental (lowest) pitch played by the principal tuba. The tuba is tuned to the reference pitch or strobe, and all others rely upon their ear to tune and establish beatless octaves with the tuba and unisons within their sections. It is not important to hear whether you are flat or sharp, only that the beats decrease or increase in speed as adjustments are being made to your instrument. The slower the beats, the better in tune you are with your section leader, section, and band. Instruments other than saxophones are tuned first on a CONCERT F. This pitch is not a good pitch for saxophones. Once you play your tuning pitch, you continue to sustain your pitch as other instruments are added into the mix. Instruments are typically tuned in this order: Tuba Bass Clarinet Bassoon Euphonium Trombone French Horn Trumpet Clarinet Oboe Flute Piccolo As instruments are added in, it is important to remember that HIGHER PITCHES MUST NOT OVERPOWER LOWER PITCHES. Any existing beats in the sound must be removed. After the concert F is tuned, then we turn to the saxophones to tune a CONCERT A, which is a much better in tune note for saxophones. Much like the above order, we start with the lowest instrument. Baritone Sax Tenor Sax Alto Sax This creates a chord in the saxophones, but the beats can still be heard very clearly. 22

23 3 Steps to Balance, Blend and Intonation To immediately improve the quality of your band, respond to the following steps: 1. If you hear yourself above all others in your section or band YOU ARE OVERPOWERING OR OVERBLOWING. Make the necessary adjustment in volume. This initiates an auditory response to BALANCE. 2. If you still hear yourself, and you made the volume adjustment YOU ARE PLAYING WITH POOR TONE QUALITY. Make the necessary adjustment with embouchure, breath support, and/or posture. This physical reaction to tone production initiates an auditory response to BLEND. Poor tone quality will not blend with your section or band. 3. If you still hear yourself and you made the adjustment to balance and blend, YOU ARE PLAYING OUT OF TUNE. Adjust the length of your instrument. This last step initiates an auditory response to BEATLESS TUNING. You are now ready to apply the tuning procedures outlined below. 6- Step Beatless Tuning Procedure The principal (first chair) player of a section is responsible for the intonation of the section. Therefore, all principal players are responsible for the intonation of the band and its pitch center. If you are a section player, then your responsibility is to play in tune with your section leader. The steps below will immediately improve the sound and intonation of your band. The designated tuning pitch (either F or A) is played by your section leader. 1. As you play the pitch, listen for the beats (pitches not sounding the same frequency will create wobbles in the sound). Make any adjustments with the barrel, mouthpiece, or slide. Did the beats speed up or slow down? 2. If the beats are faster, you made the wrong move. Change things in the opposite direction. 3. If the beats became slower, you are making the correct move. Continue to adjust in that direction to remove the beats from the sound. 4. If you feel yourself pinching your embouchure to eliminate beats, your instrument is too long. PULL OUT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. 5. If you feel yourself relaxing your embouchure to eliminate beats, your instrument is too short. PUSH IN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. 6. When you and your section play the same pitch, without any necessary embouchure pressure or relaxation, and not able to identify any individual s sound in your section, you and your section are playing IN TUNE with proper BALANCE and BLEND. 23

24 MOUTHPIECE PITCHES FOR WOODWINDS One way you can tell if you are forming your embouchure properly (or if your equipment set- up is functioning properly) is by playing on just your mouthpiece, headjoint, or neck and mouthpiece. The chart below shows the pitches that should sound when you do this. Make sure you are using a tuner while checking this out. These are concert pitches. 24

25 TUNING TENDENCIES As you have found out by doing your Pitch Tendencies Chart, there are no instrument that is truly built in tune, so you constantly must adjust your pitch to make things sound better. Because of the physical aspects of sound waves (which is FAR too much to go into right now), you must also make minor changes on certain intervals above a given root. This is the whole idea of JUST INTONATION. This chart indicates how much a pitch must be adjusted to sound in tune to the listener. INTERVAL ADJUSTMENT (in cents) Unison 0 Minor second Raise Major second Raise 3.91 Minor third Raise Major third Lower Perfect fourth Lower 1.95 Tritone Raise 3.0 Perfect fifth Raise 1.95 Minor sixth Raise Major sixth Lower Minor seventh Lower 3.91 Major seventh Lower Octave 0 Based on this chart, the two most common chords we play, MAJOR and MINOR, need to have huge adjustments on the third of the chord. If you are playing the third of a MAJOR CHORD, you need to lower the third cents. If you are playing the third of a MINOR CHORD, you need to raise the third cents. If you are playing the 7 th of any chord, you are going to have to lower it. This is why it s good to try and figure out what part of the chord you are playing. When you do figure these things out, mark it in your music. 25

26 INTERVALS An interval is the difference in pitch between two notes. We use numbers to identify this distance. Here is an example of how you figure out what number an interval is: In the example below, you have a G and a B. You have to count the lines and spaces in the staff between the two notes, INCLUDING the bottom note and the top note. Therefore, the number for this interval is a 3. The interval would therefore be called a THIRD. Notice that it works the same way in either treble or bass clef. ====== ====== We also use an assortment of different adjectives to further identify the interval we are dealing with. The most common adjectives are MAJOR, MINOR, and PERFECT. Let s say we have the same example as above, but we also have another example where the B is now flat. We can t call both intervals just a third because it does not identify if the note is natural or flat. ====== ====== Here s where you need to have some knowledge of scales. When dealing with intervals, always think of the lowest note as if it were the first note of a major scale. In the example, the lower note is a G. In a G MAJOR scale, would you have a B natural or a B flat? The answer is B natural. Therefore, the interval would be called a MAJOR THIRD because it uses the note found in the major scale. The B flat is a half- step lower than the B natural. Because it is a half- step lower than what is found in the major scale, we will call this interval a MINOR THIRD. There are some intervals that are called PERFECT because they cannot be classified as major or minor. These intervals are the UNISON, the FOURTH, the FIFTH, and the OCTAVE. These notes are the same in the major and minor scale. For example, if your bottom note was C and your top note was G, you would have a PERFECT FIFTH. ====== ====== 26

27 There is one interval that has it s own special name. It is called the TRITONE. Many composers use this interval when they want to create a feeling of unrest or dissonance. The tritone is a half- step higher than a perfect fourth, or a half- step lower than a perfect fifth. See the examples below. ====== ====== The chart below will show you the types of intervals you are responsible for knowing. It shows all of the possible intervals within one octave of a chromatic scale. The chart uses C as the bottom pitch, so if you relate the major intervals to the C Major scale you will see that the top pitches of the major intervals (plus the perfect intervals) creates a C major scale. You can also have intervals of a 9 th, 10 th, 11 th, 12 th, and 13 th. We use this mostly in jazz. You count these the same way as you would the smaller intervals. These intervals just continue the scale upwards, and are essentially just an octave above the other intervals. Therefore, they are called COMPOUND intervals. For example, a 9 th is technically a 2 nd, just an octave higher. So, 9 th s can be major or minor, just like 2 nd s can. A 12 th is technically a 5 th, just an octave higher. So, 12 th s would be perfect. 27

28 The table below shows you intervals in a different way. The table adds a half step for each new interval. If it s easier for you, you could always memorize the number of steps in each interval, though I think it s easier just to count the lines and spaces and compare the interval to the major scale. Tritone You will be responsible for knowing all intervals by number and name. If you also can become familiar with what various intervals sound like, you can better predict what your music will sound like, and you ll also be able to tune better. 28

29 MAJOR SCALES The white piano keys from C to C for a C MAJOR SCALE. These eight notes (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and then C again) divide into two four- note scale segments called TETRACHORDS. The lower tetrachord and the upper tetrachord each follow the MAJOR TETRACHORD pattern: Whole- Whole- half (W- W- h) with a whole step between them. A piece of music that uses the C Major scale for it s melodies and harmonies is said to be in the KEY of C Major. You can make a major scale starting on any note, as long as it follows the major tetrachord pattern as outlined above. Let s look at a different scale. This is a G MAJOR SCALE because the starting and ending note is G. Notice that for this scale, we had to add an accidental to make the correct distance between the notes. In this case, it is an F-sharp. A KEY SIGNATURE indicates the accidentals for the key at the start of each line of music instead of next to each note. Here is the G Major scale using a key signature instead. 29

30 MINOR SCALES There are two ways to create minor scales from major scales. PARALLEL MINOR scales share the same starting note. RELATIVE MINOR scales share the same key signature. There are three different types of minor scales. They are called natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor. To create a parallel natural minor scale from a major scale, lower the THIRD, SIXTH, and SEVENTH note of the major scale by a half- step. Here is an example of parallel scales. To figure out the relative minor scale to any major scale, go down three half- steps and two letter names from the major key signature. Conversely, to figure out the relative major scale to any minor scale, go up three half- steps and two letter names from the minor key signature. Here is an example of relative minor scales. Natural minor scales have no altered notes other than what s in the key signature. To change a natural minor scale into a HARMONIC minor scale, raise the seventh scale degree by a half- step. To change a natural minor scale into a MELODIC minor scale, raise the sixth and seventh scale degrees in the ascending form, and return to the natural minor version in the descending form. Here are examples of all types of minor scales in the key of g minor (notice the key signature has two flats just like it s relative key Bb Major.) 30

31 KEY SIGNATURE CHART 31

32 CIRCLE OF FIFTHS The circle of fifths shows the relationships between the 12 degrees of the chromatic scale. If you progress clockwise around the circle, you will find that you add a sharp for each new key, and the keys are the interval of a FIFTH apart. If you progress counter- clockwise around the circle, you will find that you add a flat for each new key, and the keys are the interval of a FOURTH apart. You will also find that the order of sharps is represented on the circle (F, C, G, D, A, E, B) as well as the order of flats (B, E, A, D, G, C, G). The order of flats is the OPPOSITE of the order of sharps. 32

33 CIRCLE OF FOURTHS The circle of fourths (which is really just the circle of fifths moving counterclockwise) is what we use in band. It shows the V- I relationship between the keys. Above are the major and the minor versions so that you can see the key relationships. In our band exercises with the circle of fourths, you will start on your WRITTEN PITCH transposed from concert pitch. When you travel along the circle, you will notice that the center pitches have a choice of either enharmonic key (for example, Db or C#). You can travel the top way or the bottom way along the circle, depending on if you like sharps or flats better. When you get to the end of the circle, return to the beginning. The circle of fourths we use comes from Ed Lisk s Alternative Rehearsal Techniques. 33

34 CHORDS A chord is any set of three or more notes sounded at the same time. As you can imagine, chords make up the majority of the music we play in band. Therefore, it is very important that we be able to recognize a variety of types of chords, and be able to make the adjustments necessary to play them in tune. TRIADS The two most common chords you will play are MAJOR and MINOR triads. Triads are chords that are made of three notes that are each an interval of a third apart. Major and minor triads can be comprised of the first (also called the ROOT, third, and fifth notes of either the major scale or the minor scale. For example: C MAJOR TRIAD C MINOR TRIAD C E G C Eb G 1 st, 3 rd, and 5 th notes 1 st, 3 rd, and 5 th notes of the C Major scale of the c minor scale Typically, major triads are notated in UPPER CASE. Minor triads are notated in lower case. Therefore, CM would be C Major, while cm would be c minor. There are also two other types of chords that do come up from time to time. They are called AUGMENTED and DIMINISHED. The diminished chord takes a minor chord and lowers the 5 th by another half- step. The augmented chord takes a major chord and raises the 5 th by another half- step. For example: C AUGMENTED TRIAD C DIMINISHED TRIAD C E G# C Eb Gb Major triad with Minor triad with raised 5 th. lowered 5 th. Augmented triads are notated in UPPER CASE and a PLUS SIGN (+). Diminished triads are notated in lower case and a degree sign ( ). Therefore, C+ would be a C Augmented triad, while c would be a c diminished triad. SEVENTH CHORDS We also play a lot of SEVENTH CHORDS. The difference here is that now we add the 7 th note of the scale. There are several types of seventh chords. We will deal with the ones that most often occur in the music we play. 34

35 The easiest 7 th chords to construct are the MAJOR SEVENTH CHORD (Maj 7 ) and the MINOR SEVENTH CHORD (m 7 ). In these chords you just use the first, third, fifth, and seventh note of the major or minor scales. C MAJOR SEVENTH CHORD C E G B Major triad on the bottom with 7 th note of major scale on top. C MINOR SEVENTH CHORD C Eb G Bb Minor triad on the bottom with 7 th note of minor scale on top. A very common 7 th chord is called the DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORD (Dom 7 or sometimes just 7 ). You will probably see this one more often than any others in your music. It is an interesting combination of a major chord with the 7 th note from the minor scale instead. C DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORD C E G Bb Major triad on the bottom with the 7 th note of the minor scale on top. There are a couple other 7 th chords that we see from time to time that are built with diminished triads on the bottom instead. They are called HALF- DIMINISHED ( 7) and FULLY DIMINISHED SEVENTH CHORDS ( 7). C HALF- DIMINISHED SEVENTH CHORD C Eb Gb Bb A diminished triad on the bottom, and the 7 th note of the minor scale on top. C FULLY DIMINISHED SEVENTH CHORD C Eb Gb Bbb (double flat) A diminished triad on the bottom, but the 7 th note of the minor scale on top has been lowered a half step. Become familiar with the abbreviations for the various triads and seventh chords. If you ever read jazz band music, you will see chord symbols similar to these. TRIADS SEVENTH CHORDS CM C Major CMaj 7 C Major Seventh cm c minor cm 7 c minor seventh C+ C Augmented CDom 7 or C 7 C Dominant Seventh C c diminished c 7 C Half- Diminished Seventh c 7 C Fully Diminished Seventh 35

36 CHORD INVERSIONS Triads and 7 th chords can be in ROOT POSITION which means the first note of the scale is on the bottom. They can also be inverted, meaning that any other note of the chord can be on the bottom. Root Position Chords =========== First Inversion Chords (the 3 rd is on the bottom) =========== Second Inversion Chords (the 5 th is on the bottom) =========== Third Inversion Chords (the 7 th is on the bottom) =========== You are not responsible for being able to identify inversions. However, you do need to be able to identify root position triads and seventh chords. 36