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Lip Slur Melodies A melodic approach to building tone and technique with lip slurs
© 2013, Brad Edwards, All rights reserved
What is a Lip Slur Melody y? Mo ost trombo onists use lip slurs in i their daaily routin nes. Thesse exercisses help with w embo ouchure co ontrol and d strength h. By rem moving thee tonguee from thee equation n, players are forced d to rely o on their aiir to genera ate the notes. Tro ombonistss, becausee of the slide, must llearn legaato tonguiing to avoid glisses. g However, H some s of th he time, itt is possib ble to chan nge notes using a natural lip slur. This T happ pens when n the two n notes are in differeent partialls of the overtone o series. Heere’s an exxample of a little melod dy that can n be playeed entirelyy with natu ural slurss:
A feew years ago, a I pub blished ano other boo ok, Lip Slu urs (Ensem mble Publiccations) to o add som me variety to t the daiily “lip slu ur diet.” I finished that bo ook with 20 2 lip slurr melodiess. Over th he years, II’ve receivved wondeerful feedb back abou ut that boo ok, includ ding requeests that I write more of o these lip slur meelodies. Weell, here yo ou go! Th his book ha as over 13 30 pages o of melodiees and duets relying r ex xclusively on the na atural slurrs of a trom mbone. T They are design ned for thee common n F-attach hment ten nor trombo one, altho ough one section n is meant exclusiv vely for thee double-vvalve basss trombon ne. Theey progresss from ea asy to quitte challen nging. Enjjoy!
Table of Contents: Part 1: Getting Started ..................................................................... 1 Easier tunes that introduce the concept of lip slur melodies. Methodically introduces common alternate positions and trigger notes.
Part 2: Moving Along...................................................................... 10 The challenge gradually increases as does the harmonic variety.
Part 3: Soaring Higher.................................................................... 19 Helps to build the high range by gradually introducing higher “target notes” starting with high G and extending up to C. Tenor clef makes an appearance!
Part 4: Plunging Lower .................................................................. 33 Explores lower notes, especially those in the trigger range from F down to C. A few pedal notes are thrown in.
Part 5: Raising the Bar ................................................................... 45 Mastery of these pieces will help you develop mastery over your instrument. Start them slowly and work them up.
Part 6: Soaring Even Higher .......................................................... 60 Picks up where Part 3 left off, starting with high D-flat and sailing all the way up to high F. Take your time building up to these notes.
Part 7: Plunging Even Lower ......................................................... 68 Intended for the double-valve bass trombone but brave tenors are welcome to give it a shot. Ranges all the way down to a double pedal C-flat. Don’t pass out!
Part 8: Taking a Bow ...................................................................... 76 Eight “finishing” etudes that require virtuoso technique to polish. Nail these and you can definitely take a bow!
Part 9: Playing Together ................................................................ 85 34 duets starting off fairly easy and ranging all the way to “What was this guy thinking?”
1
p Slur Melodies M s Lip Parrt 1: Gettting Sta arted On tromb bone, our leegato playin ng can invo olve a mixtu ure of legato o tonguing and natural n slurrs. Naturall slurs occurr between aany two nottes with a n natural break k in the oveertone seriees. Heree are some examples: e As you ch hange pitch hes, it isn’t necessary n tto use the to ongue sincee these notess jump betw ween partia als of the ov vertone seriies. There iis a school o of thought that one should d legato tong gue every note n for the sake of con nsistency bu ut many fine players p emp ploy natura al lip slurs to t avoid breeaking the aair stream iin legato musiic.
This example reequires som me legato tonguing:
But, even n here, it is possible to o employ so ome naturall slurs (at th he spots mark ked with a tilde t (~) sym mbol. Tips s for Impr rovement:: • Keeep your airr stream steeady and m move the slid de preciselyy. Masterin ng th hese pieces will w greatlyy improve yo our slide sp peed and acccuracy. • Keeep your em mbouchure corners steeady. The ccenter of th he em mbouchure should be more m relaxeed so it can n vibrate. T The corners sh hould be firm (no air pockets) p witth minimal movementt. • Keeep the thro oat relaxed and the airrway open. Listen to tthe sound o of yo our breath. If you hearr a high gassping sound d when breathing in, yo our throat may m be too tense. t The breath sho ould make a soft, low so ound. • Liisten carefu ully to pitch h. Especiallly when you u begin to u use alternate po ositions and d trigger no otes, it is eaasy to mispllace the slid de. This willl also hurt you ur tone. As a tromboniist, you can n never stop p listening fo or pitch!
Part 1: Getting Started Moderato 1.1
Moderato 1.2
Allegretto 1.3
2
7
Introducing Some Useful Alternate Positions 4
Allegretto
Remember that, like the E-flat next to it, this note is on the 6th partial (or "F partial") of the overtone series. That partial is usually sharp. Listen carefully and correct as needed. simile 4
1.13
Moderato
simile
4
1.14 1
4
1
rit.
1
4
a tempo
4
1
10
p Slur Melodies M s Lip Parrt 2: Mo oving Allong Now it’s time to add d some com mplexity to tthese melod dies. Remeember, it t legato tongue within n any slur. You will prrobably wan nt to use isn’t necessary to somee articulatio on at the beeginning of a slur, how wever. Tips s for Impr rovement:: • Watch W out fo or tension – Tension iss the enemyy. We often do not no otice how teense we aree as we work k to masterr tougher m material. • Acccurate slid de – As thesse melodiess get more ccomplex, it is all too ea asy to play with w a slopp py, inaccuraate slide. B Be very preccise in yourr sliide placemeent! • Prractice slow wly – Most people p don’’t slow thin ngs down en nough and do on’t invest enough e pra actice time p playing thin ngs slowly. Be patientt! Here’s an exa ample from m the upcom ming section n:
Bee sure to sp pend enough h time work king out thaat 16th notee passage wiith some slo ow practicee. Perhaps something like this:
Sllow practiciing is your “secret “ weaapon” to efffortless playying! •
Pllay with dirrection – Most musicall lines havee a feeling o of motion to owards or aw way from a “target notte.” Just ass you would d avoid drrinking from m stagnant water, you should avo oid stagnan nt notes. Here’s an exa ample:
Be surre to play th hat sustaineed C with a feeling of d direction to o th th he following g 8 notes. This isn’t q quite the saame as a creescendo butt it certainly sh houldn’t bee a diminue ndo.
12
Moderato 2.3 4
1
V
4
Moderato
4
1
2.4 cresc.
rit.
cresc. 4
cresc.
4
1
a tempo
Expect to start seeing some harmonic "curve balls" every now and then. This next one floats between C major and C minor.
17
4
Andante
4 3
2.11 5 3
cresc. 5
3
V
3
Allegro scherzando 2.12
5
6
19
Lip Slur Melodies Part 3: Soaring Higher Now it’s time to build up to some higher notes. This next section methodically works to higher and higher target notes starting with G and ending with C. Each target high note has two pages of material devoted to it. Patient work with these etudes will help you build strength in the high range. Don’t be discouraged if your high range doesn’t develop as quickly as this book progresses. These etudes should supplement other strategies for building high range.
Tips for Improvement: • • •
•
•
• •
Stay relaxed – Many brass players tense up too much for high notes. This is especially true in two areas: the throat and mouthpiece pressure. Tension is the enemy. Use fast air – High notes require cooler, faster air under greater pressure. Notice your oral cavity and embouchure – For low notes, think of the “ah” vowel. For higher notes, an “ee” might help. For most players, rolling in the lower lip slightly also helps. This causes the air stream to point down. Keep those embouchure corners firm! Avoid turning the corners up into a “smile” for higher notes. For most players, this weakens the tone by spreading the upper lip too thin. Glisses are helpful – Play a glissando in from a long position to a shorter one. Like this:
Patience is helpful – In fact, patience is critical. It takes as long as it takes! Work at it a little bit each day. However, if you’re tired, give your lips some time to rest. This allows the muscles to rebuild and strengthen. Low notes are helpful – There’s an old saying, “The low supports the high.” Learning to play low notes with easy warm air seems to pay off in helping the high range. Yes, slurring to these notes is harder – Tonguing the notes may help them come out but slurring to them will provide greater benefit in building embouchure strength.
21
Part 3: Soaring Higher Extending up to G Occasionally, you will see longer slurs suggested with a dotted line.
Singing fully 3.1
rit.
a tempo
Cantabile
1
3.2
4
4
cresc.
25
Extending to A Andante con moto
( 4)
1
4
3
3.7
3
3
3 3
3
cresc.
3
3
3
3
3
3
Flowing (in 6) 3.8 4
rit.
con moto
4
5
3
rit.
a tempo
33
Lip p Slur Melodie M es Parrt 4: Pllunging g Lower It’s impo ortant to ballance all those high no otes with so ome rich, daark low notess. In fact, I have alwayys found th hat a good lo ow range heelps my hig gh range.
Tips s for Imp proveme ent: •
• • •
•
Slow,, Warm Air – Have you u ever used d your breatth to fog up p a window?? Remeember how you took a deep breatth and used d slow, warm m air? Havve you ever e blown air a across a jug to mak ke it vibratee? If a jug isn’t handy, you might m want to use a strraight mutee. Same ideea: slow air will yield more vibration than t fast airr. Low notees usually ssound betteer if you blow this way. Open n Up – Open n your oral cavity by m moving awaay from an ““ee” sound and to owards an “aw” sound d. Notice ho ow your ton ngue dropss down. Alsso, separrate your teeth a bit mo ore. Roll Out O – I find d my low no otes come o out better iff I allow myy lower lip to roll out a bit. Th his naturallyy causes th he air stream m to angle u upwards more. Moutthpiece posiition? – As you roll ou ut your loweer lip and o open up you ur teeth,, you may find fi that you ur mouthpiiece moves down sligh htly and even tilts up a biit more. Ass long as thiis improvess your soun nd and can be do one within a slur it sho ould be fine . Don’tt Force – With W low nottes, you’re rreally searcching for thaat “sweet spot” in partnersship with yo our instrum ment. Don’t try to playy too loudlyy at firsst. Seek ressonance! Just in i case you need a quicck refresherr on the F-aattachmentt slide positiions, here’ss a guide:
I tunee my F-atta achment so the 1st posiition C is in n tune. Thiss causes thee triggeer to be a litttle flat. Otthers tune tto the F insttead.
34
Part 4: Plunging Lower Unhurried
4th ...
6th ... 2
5
V
V
4.1
7
3
V 6
3
6
Noble
6
5
V
V
4.2
( 3)
cresc. 6
6
6
38
From here on, you will often see a valve marking without a slide position indicated.
Somber
V
6
4.6
V
6
6
2
2nd time..ritard
5
V
6
3
Fine
2
Fine 6
Waltz (in three)
(1)
2
5
6
Accurate slide!
V
5
5
5
V
rit.
6
D.C. al Fine
5 6
45
Lip p Slur Melodie M es Parrt 5: Ra aising the t Barr I know what w you’re thinking, “I’m bored w with all thesse easier piieces. Give me something I can sink my m teeth into.” Fear no ot, things w will get trick kier.
Tips s for Imp proveme ent: • •
Slow it down n! : Yes, this actually works. w Do iit. Really R hear the t intervalls: There arre some uneexpected paatterns in h here. If you u sttruggle with h somethin ng, isolate th he trouble sspot and maake sure yo ou really hear h the inteervals at wo ork. Here’s an example: e Th here isn’t a clear tonall center in tthis pattern n. It uses a “p position seq quence” insstead. If yo ou “decode”” the accidentals, you w will find a seeries of min nor triads in n inversion n…
Keep p that slide accurate: As A you playy through th hese “position sequencces” it’s easyy to losse slide acccuracy.
50
( 4)
Unhurried 5.5
4
5
V
cresc.
5
V
Agitato
rit.
4
4
2
5th ...
5th ...
4
4
57
Allegro con fuoco 4
4
5
5.12
5
2
4
4
1
5
4
Fine
4
dim.
Flowing 3
3
V
3
3
3
3
3
D.C. al Fine
3 3
3
3
3 3
60
Lip p Slur Melodie M es Parrt 6: So oaring Even E Higher H Build ding a stron ng high rang ge takes pa atience. Wo ork at it steaadily. Doin ng a little att a tim me, for a lon ng time, yiellds nice ressults.
Tips s for Imp proveme ent: • •
Watch ou ut for moutthpiece presssure! Push hing in thatt mouthpiecce cuts off the blood d flow. No blood b mean ns no oxygeen for thosee muscles. Y You’ll get tired soo oner and, ov ver time, ru un the risk o of injury. Keep tho ose corners firm: Allow wing the mo outh cornerrs to turn up p spreads the uppeer lip thin. It I may work k at first bu ut won’t payy off in the llong run.
Thee etudes in this section n build up gradually. g Y You will seee section tittles like, “Exteending to G.” G The etudes in this little l sectio on work up tto the G bu ut no higherr. If you u struggle with w a new “target note,” give it tiime, work o on some oth her sectionss of the book. Glissandos can n be helpfu ul to help yo ou build up your high rrange. Try a sequencee of gliisses from 6th to 1st. Something S like l this:
Notee: at times you y will see treble clef in this secttion. When n the notes g get this hig gh, it ma akes sense to t use treble. (I decideed to avoid our friend,, Mr. Alto C Clef.)
61
Part 6: Soaring Even Higher Extending to D-flat (C-sharp) Relaxed and lyrical 6.1
4
4
3
cresc. rit.
dim.
Joyfully 6.2
( 4)
4
1
4
66
Extending to E Mournful waltz 6.9
Fine
Hopefully
4th ...
D.C. al Fine rit.
Relaxed 6.10
cresc. 4
68
Lip p Slur Melodie M es Parrt 7: Plu unging g Even Lower Thiss section was created with w the do ouble-valve bass tromb bone in min nd. Becausee of diffferent valv ve configura ations and tuning t syst ems, few m markings aree included. Teno or tromboniists are wellcome to tryy these but they will fin nd some intervals thatt aren’t natural sllurs on a sin ngle-valve tenor. t
Tips s for Imp proveme ent: •
Don’t forrce the air: Lower notees require sllower, warm mer air. Yo ou can’t force theese notes. Iff you hear an a advanceed player plaaying loud low notes, you migh ht mistaken nly assume that, t becau use of the lo oud dynamiic, they are being forrceful with the t air. You u would be surprised aat how littlee effort it takes to produce p a big b sound.
•
Listen ca arefully to pitch: p The extreme e ran nges can eassily go out o of tune. Sometim mes we are so s proud of popping ou ut these low w notes with h a big sound th hat we disreegard the in ntonation. P Play things up an octavve and listen carrefully to th he intervals. Here’s an examplee: The first line shows a note sequ uence from m one of the etudes. The T second line is that same sequ uence up an n octave. If pitch is unclear, start in tha at upper octtave and reaally lock in the intervaals. This wiill help yourr ear when playing in the t lower o octave.
71
Plodding steadily 7.4
cresc. 4
Dancing gracefully 7.5
4
73
Light and playful 7.8 cresc.
Flowing 7.9
76
Lip p Slur Melodie M es Parrt 8: Ta aking a Bow Theese last eigh ht pieces prrovide a greeater challeenge. Howeever, they aren’t impo ossibly diffiicult. The musical m stattement shou uld always be more im mportant than the techniccal challeng ge. With pa atient practtice, they caan be masteered. Once you can c nail theem, take a bow. b You’vee really acccomplished something g!
Tips s for Imp proveme ent: •
Work theem up over time: Pick one piece aand live witth it for a w while. Patiently y work on sm mall section ns, repeatin ng them slo owly until th hey are more com mfortable.
•
Use patieent repetitio on: Recent research h as delved in nto the bod dy’s ability to add layers of myeelin insulatiion to nervees. As a seq quence is p practiced, the myelin is added d and thus skill becomees more auttomation. T Think abou ut typing, teexting or so ome newer form of datta entry. Att first one m moves slowly an nd somewhat clumsilyy. With repeetition (thee adding of myelin), th he body learrns to rapid dly execute actions thaat previouslly seemed im mpossible. All it takees is time and a patient repetition.
•
Watch ou ut for tensio on: It is a natural n hum man reaction n to tense u up when faced witth a challen nging task. As you tack kle these piieces, don’t allow excessivee tension to o creep into your playin ng. Pause ffrequently aand take a few deep p breaths, alllowing the tension to leave your body. Believee me, it is alll too easy for f tension tto sneak in “under thee radar.” In n other wo ords, many of o us play with w higher tension levvels than wee realize. Become more m awaree of this ten nsion and fiind ways to o approach ttougher material in a relaxed d manner. It may be h harder at firrst, but it w will pay great div vidends in th he future. Here iss a little rela axing sequeence you can n play if yo ou find yourrself becoming too tense…
79
Flowing
5
8.3
4
5th ...
( V)
2
5
5
cresc. 1 5
Fine
5
dim. 6
5
5
4
5
5
cresc. 5
D.C. al Fine 5
5
80
Driving 8.4
Fine
dim.
cadenza
accel.
accel. 5
5
5
5
5
rit.
5
D.C. al Fine
85
Lip p Slur Melodie M es Parrt 9: Pllaying Togeth T her As I was writiing this boo ok, I was su urprised at tthe level of interest shown in the fact that t it woulld contain duets. d Som me people co ontacted mee because th hey had heard d I was writting “some kind of dueet book.” G Given this aapparent levvel of interrest, I wanteed to make sure that I didn’t shorrtchange peeople in thee duet depa artment. To o that end, here h are 30 0 duets rangging from fa fairly easy to o rather difficcult. Enjoy!
Tips s for Imp proveme ent: •
•
•
Have Fun n: Sometim mes we get so s caught up p in “workiing” to be a better player th hat we lose sight s of wha at made us fall in lovee with musicc in the firsst place. Whether W thro ough these duets or th hough otherr material, ffind time each day y to simply enjoy e playin ng your insttrument! Listen to o each otherr: Some peo ople put on blinders ass they play. Don’t justt be two in ndividuals playing p indeependent n notes at morre or less th he same time. Bleend your so ounds into one o finishe d product. Be very aw ware of yourr partner and a listen fo or the nuan nces in theirr playing! O Open up yo our ears. Tune, tun ne, tune: Most M of the cadences c in n this sectio on use octavves or third ds. Make surre these nottes “lock in n” to each otther. If you u hear “beatts” of discord between b two o notes, tryy that spot aagain and see if you caan line things up p. Rememb ber that, esp pecially witth 3rds and d 6ths, smalll adjustmeents away frrom “in tun ne with the tuner” can really imprrove the interval. Electronicc tuners usee equal temp perament, a comprom mise system m in which all keys aree the same but b none arre ideally in n tune. Tho ose small adjustmeents, so easy on a trom mbone slidee, can return n intervals tto their natural state s of puree ratios. Heere’s an exaample:
In this example, th he top voicee will need to lower th he E of the laast measure by 14/100 of a half step s (also known k as 14 4 cents) in o order achievve the puree m third (if ( the botto om note is iin tune!). W What makess 5:4 ratio of a real major this trick kier on the trombone t iss that this E is usuallyy sharp to beegin with. You migh ht be surpriised just ho ow much yo ou need to llower this n note for it to o lock into place. Here’s a simple wayy to rememb ber the mosst common n adjustmen nts: Majo or 3rds and d 6ths - top p note dow wn a bit Min nor 3rds an nd 6ths - to op note up p a bit Here’s an n even shorrter version n: Major r down, m minor up
86
Part 9: Playing Together Singing fully
9.1
Flowing
cresc.
9.2
cresc.
4
93
4
Joyfully
4
V
9.10
6
1 V
(V)
V
Fine
5
2
cresc.
cresc.
D.C. al Fine
105
Forlorn
9.18
dim.
dim.
con moto
3
3
3
3
3
V
rit. 3
rit.
6th ...
119
Allegro vivo
9.27 5
4
5th ...
3
dim.
cresc. 3
5th ... 3
cresc.
3
3
3
dim. 3
V
5
5
V
5
4
dim.
4
cresc. V
V
dim. 3rd ...
5
cresc. 4
cresc.
cresc.
120
4
5
4
dim.
cresc. 3
cresc.
3
3
3
dim. 3
5
5 3
5 3
4
1
4
1
V
cresc. cresc.
V
5 3
3
cresc.
cresc. 5
1
V
