Ohio Music Education Association
2008 Professional Development Conference
Cincinnati Convention Center: Room 205
February 7, 2008
6:15PM
Teaching Beginning and Intermediate Brass Players:
Strategies, Methods and Materials for Successful Instruction
Presented by: Alan Siebert and Timothy Smith
The following information has been compiled to aid in the instruction of young brass players.
There is no doubt that brass players at the undergraduate and graduate levels have achieved a
certain degree of competence on their instrument. However, this does not always translate into
the ability to teach young students. Many great players forget the obstacles they had to
overcome on their journey to proficiency.
The approach to teaching inexperienced players is not the same as teaching advanced players.
The primary characteristics of a good teacher are patience and persistence. Being patient with
young players and persistently searching out new strategies, materials and methods will
undoubtedly yield success in teaching young players.
There is no definitive way to teach or method to use that works for every teacher or student. The
strategies, methods and materials presented here are what have worked for us over many years as
a private studio teachers and public school instrumental music teachers.
Screening Beginners
The first step in beginning instruction is guiding potential music students to an instrument that is
best suited to their physical characteristics. This must be done with the desires of the student in
mind. Qualifications for beginning instruction on brass instruments are:
1) Desire to be successful
2) Normal dental or facial characteristics; avoid teardrop lip, extreme overbite or
under-bite and irregular front tooth formations
3) Exceptional hearing skills (horn and trombone)
Physical size of the student should NOT be a consideration for young brass players as long as
they can manage the instrument. It is more important to have the right equipment for the
students you have (i.e. ½ size tubas).
A common misconception is that students with braces cannot be successful playing brass
instruments. While braces can be problematic, they do not have to impede progress. This topic
will be discussed in more detail under Materials: Braces Remedies.
Before the Instrument Arrives
There are several things you can do to help beginning brass players be successful before they get
their instruments. You should start very early teaching them to breath properly for brass playing.
You should also teach them to buzz on the mouthpiece and to match pitch.
Breathing
The process of breathing should be presented in simple terms that young students can
understand. Have students breathe with one hand on their side so they can feel the expansion
when they breathe deep. After they have experienced this expansion correct breathing should
begin to occur. Remind them to stay RELAXED and LET the air FLOW with no interruptions
or restrictions. The process of breathing as related to brass playing is concerned with producing
the necessary quantity of wind to produce and sustain a characteristic tone on the instrument.
There are many books, articles, etc. with breathing exercises in them. As a teacher you should
seek out these materials and use those you believe to be best for your students.
Buzzing
After students are moving more air with greater ease you should start having them buzz on
mouthpieces. It is important that they are able to get a high, middle and low buzz. After they
can sustain a high, middle and low buzz have them slide from one to the other. Of course, before
you can have them buzz you must teach them the proper embouchure as discussed later in this
document.
Ear Training
You can start ear training before students get their instruments as well. This can be done will
doing the buzzing exercises. Simply have a student buzz a steady pitch and have the other
students match the pitch. If a student is matching have students identify which pitch is higher
and which is lower. All of these will be working to train the ear and increase listening skills.
Flow Studies
A good way to reinforce good tone, breathing, and ear training is the use of flow studies. Flow
studies are scales or melodic lines that move primarily stepwise. The "flow" refers both to the
physical flow of the air and the musical flow of the line.
When the Instrument Arrives
The first thing to do when the instrument arrives is to show the student how to assemble the
instrument. To assemble the trumpet, horn, baritone and tuba you should pick up the instrument
and then the mouthpiece. Place the mouthpiece in the receptor and twist it gently clockwise. To
assemble the trombone, pick up the slide section with your right hand. Hold it so the tallest side
is closest to your body and the mouthpiece receptor is away from your body. Pick up the bell
section with the left hand and hold it so the bell is to your left side and the slide receptor is to the
right. Place the slide receptor over the tall side of the slide section and tighten the nut to secure
the slide to the bell. Pick up the mouthpiece and place it in the mouthpiece receptor twisting it
gently clockwise.
When teaching posture it is most important that the student is in an upright and relaxed position.
This applies to both sitting and standing postures. When sitting, the back should be away from
the back of the chair so as not to restrict breathing. The arms should be relaxed and away from
the body. One of the largest mistakes of posture is allowing the student to play with their elbows
touching their sides. For the tuba, the use of a tuba support will greatly aid in the ability of the
student to relax. There are many tuba rests on the market. You should look at several to decide
which is best for your student.
Buzzing and Making a Sound
If you have done the breathing and buzzing before the instrument arrived, making a sound will
not be difficult. Have the student buzz the mouthpiece again and then transfer the same buzz on
to the instrument. I will teach the first five notes by showing them the fingerings for concert F,
Eb, D, C, Bb and having them play the notes descending. You can then make up short songs
using only these five notes. The key in this process is to make it easy as early as possible. As
students are playing with ease in one register you should then move the good sound to other
registers.
You should have students listen to the top artists on their prospective instruments. Students
cannot be expected to produce a characteristic sound if they do not know what their instrument
should sound like. Here are a few recommendations:
Trumpet
Philip Smith
Wynton Marsalis
Clifford Brown
Ray Mase
Euphonium
Kevin Thompson
Brian Bowman
Raymond Young
Fred Dart
Horn
Dale Clevenger
Philip Farkas
Dennis Brain
Alan Civil
Trombone
Christian Lindberg
JJ Johnson
Kai Winding
Joseph Alessi
Tuba
Sam Pilafian
Roger Bobo
Harvey Phillips
Daniel Perantoni
A great resource for video and sound files is YouTube on the internet. Here are some
suggestions for YouTube listening and watching:
Trumpet
Hakan Hardenberger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7VELg1UFIk&NR=1
Maurice Andre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8kUPC0PcYA&feature=related
Alison Balsom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W7bGzi9G2k
Wynton Marsalis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJkD-H1szwk&feature=related
Sergei Nakariakov
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe3T-U-m8hU
Horn
Siegfried Long Call
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_MkMdlfl8Hg
Dennis Brain playing Beethoven Sonata (two parts)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=68tuMge6Fio (part 1)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KYXe3nNdQrw&feature=related (part 2)
Schumann Konzertstucke
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C4dtVsYoNjY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iE_J6qZwew8&feature=related
Horns of Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics
http://youtube.com/watch?v=__vrWsx8Gao
Trombone
Frank Rosolino, Jazz legend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z816-Iiqz1Q&feature=related
Massimo Larosa, Cleveland Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI-axBojpCU
Christian Lindberg, soloist, plays Faure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AayhNdGrd1E
“Two Sides of the Slide” Joe Alessi and Wycliffe Gordon demonstrate
two sides of the instrument and coach Julliard students. First ever master
class presented by “Jazz at Lincoln Center.”
http://www.veotag.com/jalc/player.aspx?pid=%7B8B1FEB61-9CF94AC7-AADA-6EC70C58ED65%7D
Euphonium and Tuba
Øystein Baadsvick Fnugg Blue, Live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMyrhilkdo
John Sass, "Meltdown", Live at the Sibelius Hall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGuL4jSYbuw
Canadian Brass: Kamen Quintet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWxtdfPTLGI
German Brass, Toccata and Fugue in D minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OemfKahzxk
James Gourlay, Tuba and Michel Bequet, Trombone/ Morricone melodies
during Teacher Concert of Big Brass Fest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1o-SRI5WF8
There are many great brass players that your students should be listening to. Unfortunately,
there are also a lot of artists easily available that do not have a great sound. Ask students
frequently who they are listening to so you can be sure they are not modeling a bad sound.
Embouchure
The following descriptions are general guidelines. Specific embouchures will be determined by
facial and dental structure, and other factors.
 Trumpet
– Mouthpiece centered on
aperture
– Mouthpiece equal top lip and
bottom lip
– Chin firm and flat, Jaw
slightly forward
– Corners firm, push toward
center
– Lips slightly forward
– Oral cavity open, Teeth apart
 Horn
– Mouthpiece centered on
aperture
– Mouthpiece 2/3 on top lip,
1/3 on bottom lip
– Chin firm and flat, Jaw
slightly forward
– Corners firm, push toward
center
– Lips slightly pursed/puckered
– Oral cavity open
– Lips moist
 Trombone and Euphonium
– Mouthpiece centered on
aperture
– Mouthpiece equal top lip and
bottom lip
– Jaw comfortably down and
slightly forward
– Corners firm
– Lips form a slight cushion
– Oral cavity open
– Lips moist
 Tuba
– Lips gently touching and
slightly forward
– Jaw low and relaxed
– Tongue low and flat
– Throat very open and relaxed
– Chin relaxed
– Lips slightly forward
– Corners firm and slightly
forward
Lesson Structure
All of the early lessons should begin and end with a brief review of the fundamentals. Being
diligent about these concepts will save the student a lot of work later in their career. Each of
these early lessons should be primarily concerned with producing a good tone at all times. This
will require some creativity on the part of the teacher to avoid boredom. In these early lessons I
will begin to devise a plan to develop reading skills, technique, range, flexibility and articulation.
Every lesson should have a review of old material and an introduction of new material based on
the needs of the student. It is also important in these early lessons that the teacher play along
with the student frequently so the student has a good musical model to match.
Evaluation
Evaluation is something that is often overlooked in the private studio. Students should be
evaluated in every lesson. The method of evaluation will differ depending on many factors
(learning styles, concepts, etc). It is important to keep the evaluation consistent with instruction.
Evaluation can be assigning a grade or just making some comments. Keep good written records
of evaluations and share them with students and parents periodically. Evaluate the process more
than the immediate results. Often a student will produce a satisfactory result using the wrong
procedure. If this is rewarded then the student will continue to practice incorrectly and could
have problems later.
Teaching Strategies
Teach concepts and not "notes and rhythms". The concepts should not be perfected or refined
during the lesson or class time. Concepts are presented and checked for understanding and then
checked for progress in subsequent lessons. For example, during the first lesson teach students
the concept of breathing as related to brass playing. Give them some exercises to help physically
train the body and then check for understanding by having them demonstrate the exercises. In
subsequent lessons have them demonstrate this with and without the instrument and see if they
are remaining consistent with the concept as they are playing. In addition, have students create
their own breathing exercise that will train the body in the same manner as the exercises
presented in earlier lessons.
After you have covered the very rudimentary concepts such as assembling the instrument,
holding position, posture and breathing as related to brass playing you should get them making a
sound as soon as possible. This cannot be stressed enough. Students will not make a better
sound if they listen to you talk for most of the lesson. Most of the lesson should be modeling
and call and response. Remember, people were making music long before they were writing
notes and rhythm.
It is important to know the learning style of your students. For example, sarcasm plays a big role
in some people's teaching. However, you will often have students who do not respond well to
sarcasm so you must adjust to fit their learning style. In any lesson you want to follow a basic
structure; review old material, present new material, review new concepts and end with duets or
music of the student's choice. In the course of a lesson you may need other strategies as well.
Mental imagery, analogies and modeling are common strategies that many people use.
Mental Imagery. Encourage students to have a mental picture of what the music is depicting
before they play. With young students it is often difficult to get the music out of the notes and
rhythms on the page. Mental imagery is one of the most successful methods to achieve this goal.
A good cross-curricular activity is to have students write lyrics to etudes or write a story to tell
what the music is depicting.
Analogy. Arguably the single most used tool is analogy. It is not very difficult to come up with
an analogy for almost everything. The goal of a teacher is to help students make connections
between abstract concepts and real life events. For example, starting the air slowly or timidly is
like walking to the edge of a swimming pool and putting your toe in to test the water instead of
diving right in with the confidence that the water is fine. Encourage students to make up their
own analogies for various concepts. This forces them to really think about the concept in
different ways.
Modeling. A lot of imitation should be used when teaching young players. It is okay (some
would say preferable) to have students playing short songs before they can read the notes on the
page. This gets the students playing sooner than teaching them all of the basics of reading music
before they can play anything. This is not to say that reading music is not important; it is vital to
the success of the modern musician. Get students playing first then later have them look at the
same thing written down to see what they have done. This "sound first versus sight first" idea
has been debated for many years with convincing arguments from both sides. By getting
students playing first they will generally be more motivated and satisfied when they begin.
Problem Solving
It is important to be able to quickly identify problems and have solutions ready to aid the student.
Many of the same problems plague nearly all beginning brass students to a degree at some point
in their development. Listed below are six of the more common problems encountered by
beginning and intermediate brass students. ("A Complete Guide to Brass", Scott Whitener,
1990, Schirmer Books, p.118-119)
Restricted or interrupted breath. This refers to both inhalation and exhalation. Students have a
tendency to try to control the air instead of simply letting it flow freely in and out of their lungs
and through the instrument. In the process of inhalation students will sometimes close the throat
or mouth and get a vacuum sound. Another tendency is to hold the breath at the top of the
inhalation. This allows tension to set in and makes the body have to work to exhale the air. In
the exhalation process students will often try to hold the air in or close the throat or oral cavity
and cause the air to be restricted. The process of inhalation-exhalation should be thought of as
one circular motion. Have students breathe in as full as they can get and then hold their breath.
Then have them relax and experience the air falling out of their body. This can also be done by
exhaling all the air you can and relaxing to feel the air fall back in the body. Once they have felt
the sensation of effortless breathing encourage them to breathe like that always. Also, have
students think of filling from the belt to the shoulders. While it is important to take a full breath
before playing be careful not to breathe so full that tension is created. Encourage students to take
a full and relaxed breath.
Excessive Pressure. Although there is no such thing as no-pressure playing, young students
should be encouraged to use as little pressure as possible. Have students relax the grip they have
on the instrument to release the pressure on the embouchure.
Incorrect Mouthpiece Placement. This is often where young players problems begin, especially
in a class setting. Specific placement will be determined by facial and dental structure but
should be as close as possible to the descriptions in the "Embouchure" section of this handout.
Stretched or Tight Embouchure. This is caused by smiling or frowning when forming the
embouchure. Have students pull the corners to the center of the mouth, into the teeth when
forming the embouchure. Sometimes asking students to pucker their lips will achieve the correct
position as well. This will create firm corners and a supple middle, something between and
stretch and a pucker. Another habit that can cause the embouchure to stretch is puffing the
checks. Keep a close eye for this habit and stop it early in the students training.
Rigid Jaw or Tongue. This is caused by any number of conditions. The one encountered most is
the clenching of the teeth which tightens the jaw. The teeth should always be apart when playing
any brass instrument. A relaxed tongue and jaw are vital to tone production, flexibility and
range.
Impedance at the mouthpiece. Occasionally there will be a problem that does not fit into any of
the other categories. This means simply that there is something happening at the mouthpiece that
is preventing the student from producing a good sound. It could be that the embouchure is too
tight to buzz or the aperture is too large to produce the proper air pressure to produce a sound.
Whatever the case, if you have students begin the word "moe" to form the embouchure this will
create the correct tension. If the aperture is too large have the student say a soft "pooh" as they
exhale. This will close the aperture and get the buzz started. Persistent research on the part of
the teacher is necessary to solve many of the problems in this category.
Materials
Visual Aids
These are devices that give students a visual representation of abstract concepts. A tuner visually
represents accurate pitch, a sound level meter visually represents volume, and a metronome with
a light visually represents time. These tools should be used early and often.
Breathing Aids
There are a number of breathing aids on the market. The easiest one to use with young students
is a breathing tube. This is a piece of ¾" PVC pipe cut 4"-6" long. Have students place one end
between their teeth to drop the jaw and open the throat while doing breathing exercises. Other
devices that are helpful:
Voldyne
The Voldyne® is an inexpensive medical device that can give an approximate
vital lung capacity reading up to five liters. There are two chambers--the larger
[right] is to measure the air volume and the smaller [left] for air pressure.
Breath Builder
The Breath Builder is a device used to feel the sensation of inhaling and exhaling.
It is a tube of plastic [at least six inches tall] with a ping-pong ball inside. The
bottom is sealed and the top has three holes drilled to vary the resistance.
Inspiron
The incentive spirometer, or Inspiron [Inspirx®] is a device used in hospitals to
give respiratory patients a visual demonstration of how much air they can inhale.
While the instrument was designed for inhalation, if it is turned upside down, it
can also be used for exhalation. There is a gauge to measure resistance, with the
most open position providing the most resistance.
Air Bags
Using a five or six liter rubber bag, inhalation and exhalation can be practiced.
Since the same air is breathed, carbon dioxide, rather than oxygen, is transferred
avoiding hyperventilation. The bag gives a visually known quantity of air.
Peak Flow Meters
These are commonly used by asthmatics as an exercising device. It requires a
flow of 60-880 liters per minute. Great for use with players low flow rate
instruments to develop the skills of exhaling great quantities of air in a short
period of time, a skill needed for playing in the low range.
Buzz Aids
The importance of being able to play exercises on the mouthpiece alone cannot be stressed
enough. The BERP helps to focus the embouchure and avoid over adjusting for skips. The
BERP also helps develop ear training and the fact that it is attached to the trumpet helps
coordinate tongue, fingers and embouchure adjustments just like playing the trumpet. Buzz rims
or visualizers help students focus their buzz and get a more pure sound. The Asper mouthpiece
visualizer is an actual mouthpiece with part of the cup removed. This will help students focus
their air stream through the trumpet.
Braces Remedies
Dealing with the issues surrounding braces can be very frustrating for both the student and the
teacher. Braces do not have to impede progress in trumpet playing. The most frequent
complaint when students get braces is that the braces hurt. There are many products on the
market that can help. Wax is what most orthodontists give students. There are several problems
with wax. It often takes students a long time to get the wax on and off and it leaves residue
behind that the students are picking out of their braces all day. The other problem is that it does
not hold its shape when it gets warm. A better solution is the Morgan Bumper. It is a thin, soft
C-shaped piece of PVC. You simply cut the appropriate length of tubing and fit the open side
over the brackets on the braces. It protects the lips without adding a lot of extra material for the
lips to cover. You can order this online at www.Morgan-Bumper.com. There are other produces
available such as BraceGard, BraceEze, and the ODP Inc Lip Protectors. While these things can
be successful nothing is as successful as using nothing and just playing more frequently to
reform the embouchure.
Equipment
Helping students chose a quality instrument can be challenging for many teachers. Many
teachers know everything about the latest developments in technology for advanced players but
cannot name one good beginning make or model. Some basic characteristics to look for in a
good beginning instrument are:






Sturdy construction
Smaller bore,
Sturdy case
Monel valves
Single Horn and Trombone
Smaller size (tuba especially)
Recommended instruments:
Trumpet
Beginning
Yamaha YTR 2335
Bach 300 Series
Holton T 602
Getzen 390
Advanced
Bach, Stradivarius 180 series
Schilke B1 - B7 series, S-22, S-32
Yamaha 6000 and 8000 series
Trombone
Beginning
Yamaha YSL 354
Bach TB 200
Bundy 1523
Advanced
Yamaha YSL 8820 Xeno
Bach 42 (42B)
Conn 8H (88H)
Benge 190 (190F)
Horn
Yamaha
Holton
Conn
Baritone
Yamaha YEP 211
Bach 1566
Conn 141, 151
King 625, 627
Euphonium
Yamaha YEP 321, 621, 641
Willson 2704, 2901
Besson 967, 968
Hirsbrunner
Tuba
Small
Yamaha YBB 103
Besson 797
Medium
Conn 5J, 12J
Full Sized
Mirafone 1864U
Besson 997
Yamaha YBB 301
Meinl-Weston Model 20
YHR 322, 314, 567, 667, 668
Farkas 179, 180, 181
8D, 8DR, 10D, 10DR
Recommended mouthpieces
There are many manufacturers of mouthpieces with many different numbering systems. A private
lessons teacher should be consulted before chosing a mouthpiece. Some recommendations are
Conn 5N, 5W, 7N, 7W
Trumpet
Bach 7C, 5C, 3C
Yamaha 30C4, 31D4
Schilke 11, 12, 14A4
Yamaha 11C4, 15, 16C4
Tuba
Bach, Conn or Yamaha 18
Conn-Helleberg 1205
Horn
Holton Farkas MDC, DC
Trombone
Bach 12C, 11C, 7C, 6 1/2AL, 5G, 5GS,
3G, 2G, 1G
Schilke 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 51B, 51D,
52D, 52E2, 57, 58, 59, 60
Baritone/Euphonium
Bach 11, 7, 6 1/2AL
Schilke 46D-48, 50, 51, 51D
Denis Wick 6AL, 5AL, 4 1/2AL, 4AL
Written Resources
There are literally hundreds of written resources to aid in the development of young brass
players. When you consider the myriad of method books, etude books and technique books for
each instrument plus all of the educationally focused repertoire, band methods, and “peak
performance” books on the market today, there are obviously too many to list in this handout.
There are three general “teaching brass” books that have extensive repertoire lists and
bibliographies in them where you can get all of the written resources you would need. These are
not the only three books with these resources. It is every educator’s responsibility to continue to
search out new sources for information and new music to enable students to reach their goals.
The following three books are an excellent start:
Bachelder, Dan and Hunt, Norman. Guide to Teaching Brass. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2002
Bailey, Wayne et al. Teaching Brass: A resource Manual. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2008
Whitener, Scott. A Complete Guide to Brass: Instruments and Pedagogy. 3rd ed. New York:
Schirmer Books, 2006
Another great resource is professional journals. It is important to read articles with the latest
research and technological information. A few journals to consider are:
Canadian Musician
Crescendo and Jazz Music
Flute Talk
ITA Journal
ITG Journal
Medical Problems of Performing Artists
Music Educator Journal
Opera News
Teaching Music
The Horn Call
The Instrumentalist
TUBA Journal
Windplayer