There is nothing more exciting than hearing a drum corp or marching band with a big, full rich brass sound that resonates in our soul.  I can remember watching the Star of Indiana rehearse when I was young and the sound of the brass wrapped around me like a warm coat. I was hooked on THAT sound.

How do we produce impeccable brass section sounds at the high school level?

It obviously starts with the training and the right decisions being made during the concert season. But, lets say care has been taken in this area and we are ready to improve our brass sound for the upcoming marching season.

Here are 6 things that I do when working with brass sections to get that “wrap around warmth.” Again, this is assuming proper brass training, private lessons, and correct decision making has been made prior to the marching season beginning.

1. Begin with Breathing

Training students in the fundamentals of correct relaxed breathing and tone production to create resonance and projection are paramount to the overall brass sound. The key word is RELAXED. Breathe like a pendulum, the same back and the same forward.

2. Discover the Center

Help the student musicians understand how to discover the core center of the characteristic tone. I like to have the students all say “ah” and sing a pitch with that syllable.  Then I will have them close their mouths and hum the same pitch.  We then discuss which one “resonates” more and why? The students begin to hear the core “buzz” that is at the center of the “ah” syllable. I will have all students play at a F volume with a breath attack, staying relaxed. It is easier to hear the core buzz at bigger volumes.  We then take that sound and bring it down in volume, after the “buzz” is realized. The center is where the resonance, projection and color lives.

3. I + B = V

Intonation + Balance = Volume.  So many brass sections just play loud.  I do not use the word loud.  We say full, big, resonant, in tune, balanced.  High School brass players only have a certain limit to the volume they can produce.  Most are not playing with a 100% characterstic tone, so when they try to force a bad sound it hurts the overall volume of the section. Instead, focus on playing in tune and balanced to create more volume all while staying relaxed.  Oh, and be very mindful of how many people are in your brass section.  20 cannot sound like 70.  Be realistic with your volume expectations.

4. Understand Intonation

Thorough education on the fundamental issues involved with intonation and the tendencies of notes and chords.  Students must understand how the tuning changes depending on what note of the chord they play.  They need to understand the valve or slide tendencies of their instrument.  They need to know their own tendencies as a player. For example, do they play flat or sharp in the upper register? Do they play in tune in the middle register? Please do not tune every person with a tuner on one note! There is so much more to each persons individuality in tuning than the old one note tuning.

5. Understand Balance

Helping the section understand and acheive a balanced/cohesive sound. This balance needs to be realized within each section as well as within the larger brass section. It always seems like trumpets take over a brass section. Most bands let their first trumpets go crazy and hang out above the entire band. Think of the 1st trumpets as the sprinkles on the cupcake.  A few sprinkles are just perfect, but a bucket of sprinkles would ruin the cupcake.  A balanced trumpet section might look like this depending on how large your section is and how competent your musicians are. If you have 20 trumpets and 3 parts.  1-3 on first part (they should not all play 1st at the same time) 7 on 2nd part and 10 on 3rd part.  We really just need to feel the 1st trumpet part most of the time, not really hear it. Other issues are getting a beautiful middle sound from the mellos, and helping the lower trumpets understand how they can help bring that sound out instead of taking over it.  Help students learn how to crawl into each others sound and create a homogenous brass sound. There is so much more to discuss, but this is a beginning. Understanding balance, making correct arranging decisions (a whole other discussion), and making correct choices on part assignments are a good start.

6. How to articulate

Very detailed instruction on the fundamentals and techniques involved in performing different articulation styles. What is the difference between an accent and a marcato, and how do we achieve projection and a clear front to these articulations. Spend many sessions in a very detailed rehearsal playing legato, staccato, accent, marcato and sostenuto articulations and focusing on the front, middle and ending to each note.  Keep the focus on staying relaxed and work different dymnamic levels.

If we create the most competent  and knowledgable students and have them be the best versions of themselves, success will be realized.

Interested in work with your brass section? I am available for Music advising and brass education.

What are your thoughts about brass in marching band?