Horn is such a versatile instrument, thus the concept of characteristic tone is actually quite situationally dependent. But for our purposes as teachers, horn sound should be really round, warm, open and resonant. I talk to my students about what the sound would look like, and often think of it as a giant bubble that comes out of the bell and then sweeps out into the room, growing to fill up all of the space.

Characteristic Tone on Horn

Selecting horn players and switching from another instrument to horn 

I believe the most important factor in successfully switching to any instrument is that the student likes the sound of the instrument and really wants to play it. If real desire is there, anyone can figure an instrument out and teachers can guide their path. For horn in particular, there will be challenges—many unique. Different from other instruments is how the partials lay on the instrument and the need to maneuver across both the F and Bb harmonic series. Students have to be willing to play some wrong notes as they work to gain pitch confidence and discern intervals. It can help if a student is fairly laid back, ok with the belief that they will not be perfect all the time, and accept that mistakes are opportunities to learn.

Selecting Horn Players

Switch students to horn alongside a buddy 

For new horn players, it’s especially awesome to have a buddy. Pairs are great when learning horn, as it gives you someone to lean on and helps create a safety net. It’s great to learn alongside an experienced player, but that is not needed. It’s just helpful to have someone to go through the process with, and it helps take off some of the individual pressure.

Switching to Horn: Buddy System

Posture is very important in developing the best tone on horn. You HAVE to bring the instrument to you! I help students get set up in a relaxed position to avoid tension and muscle strain. If they are on the smaller side, it may be helpful to place a block or book under their right foot, or to put a rolled up towel on the chair beside their leg on which to rest the horn bell. You can also experiment with sitting on the corner of a chair, rather than straight on. There are lots of options on how to set up, but the starting point is that students have to get set up in a way that enables the horn to come to them and allows them to stay relaxed. 

While I do like starting students on double horns when possible, single horns are great options for students who cannot comfortably support the horn due to the weight or size of the instrument or the student’s size, particularly torso length. And while hand position in the bell is so important, it really does not need to be a non-negotiable from the start. Teachers just need to keep visually assessing students to make sure they are set up on equipment that allows them to stay tension-free and will help them experience success rather than make it harder – i.e. left hand grip width, weight of horn, tightness or openness of instrument wrap. Teachers need to figure out what individual students are ready for, make accommodations as needed, and then adjust and refine placements and grip as they grow.

Horn Player Posture

Habits 

One of the big habits to keep checking in on with horn students is their right hand position. Students can get laxed on this while teachers assume they are all set. It’s important to keep peeking into the bell or asking students to show their hand position outside of the bell to check for the proper shape. And for this, assess needs for adjustment and refinement as they grow. If they are smaller when they start playing and cannot demonstrate a correct right hand position while maintaining a relaxed posture, keep watching them and assess when the right time to add the proper hand position is. The back of their fingers must be against the bell, with a slight curve at the palm of the hand. Also, it’s important that students push slides all the way in when they put their instruments away, and pull the slides out when they play. They can forget these important steps when unpacking and packing up quickly.  

Right Hand Position

Horn Embouchure 

Where embouchures are concerned, my general belief is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, this is something important to address when starting students or switching students. I focus on a mouthpiece placement that is ⅔ top lip and ⅓ bottom lip. I often find it easier to switch flute or clarinet students to horn, rather than brass students. Woodwind students are more of a blank slate embouchure-wise, while most brass players are likely used to a ½-½ mouthpiece placement that they will need to adjust (unless they fall into the “if it ain’t broke” category!) Using mirrors to help students see placement is so useful, as are mouthpiece visualizers. The roundness of the mouthpiece rim should connect across the bow of the top lips, not sit in the lip.

Horn Embouchure

Common Performance Errors 

Fingering charts for horn players are COMPLICATED! I think teachers really do need to offer more guidance here to help students “decode” fingerings. Most fingering charts show two fingerings, one for F horn and one for Bb horn. Without guidance, students often just pick a fingering – and not always the one that is best in tune, part of the easiest fingering patterns, or that provides the best tone and most resonance. Teachers can highlight the appropriate fingerings in a chart or provide them with a “no choices” fingering chart for their instrument. 

Simplifying Horn Fingering Charts

As I mentioned earlier, slides do need to be pulled out. Too often students think the instrument is play-ready when it comes out of the case, but they need to be told to pull the slides out. For horn, pulling slides out approximately a pinky width is a good start.

Bell placement is another big issue for horn players. While this was referenced earlier, it is important that bells are not held off of legs before students are physically able to hold the horn weight, as this may create tension in arms, back, shoulders, and sometimes an arch in the back. The most important bell issue in any set-up is that the bell is pointed out and away from the body (not turned in and pointed directly into the player’s body.) You want the sound to come out of the bell into the space around the player, and the right hand should guide the sound behind you. When you listen to students play individually, you can often tell if their hand is in the bell too far (uncentered sounds) or if the bell is pointed directly into the body (muffled sounds), so listen regularly! 

Supporting young horn players

I absolutely love the “horn only” pages in method books. It’s so helpful for students to have options, as some find it easier to play in mid-high ranges, while others prefer mid-low ranges. Drawing on the concept of the “horn only” exercises, rewriting parts to help students access their most secure, confident, and comfortable range is a great way to help them grow. In an effort to meet the students where they are range-wise, I often give horn players the trumpet parts in unison exercises, and then rewrite alto and/or tenor saxophone parts so the horns have buddies to play in unison with. Helping horns more regularly access their preferred range helps students focus on mastering all the fundamental parts of playing before they are asked to play in other growing ranges outside of their comfort zone. It allows the setting of a solid foundation that focuses on air and relaxation and eliminates pinching and tension.   

Along these lines, it is so helpful to guide students to audiate pitches and discern patterns. Is that next note higher or lower? Is it a lot higher or a lot lower? Maybe it’s only a step? I use “home base” (C-E-G-E-C) as the foundation for pitch target practice because they are generally comfortable pitches for all players and the intervals have an even-ness about them that is missing if you start too low or too high. In this way, students can use “home base” to find their first pitch before they play, and combine that skill with their pattern knowledge to set a great course for pitch accuracy. 

Audiation

I am a big proponent of modeling for students. I keep almost every instrument at my teaching station so I can quickly pick it up and play. It’s important that teachers understand what students are dealing with on each of their instruments, and building skills to model helps the teacher know what is behind a particular issue and how to correct it. It’s also vital that students listen to professionals play on their instrument. Teachers can provide a playlist or students can search to create their own. Students need a concept in their head of what that sound should sound like, and we want them to aim high toward a great pro sound! Students can more easily replicate characteristic tone when it is the sound they hear in their head. Play music for them and encourage them to attend live performances. 

Modeling and Listening

MakeMusic Cloud resources  

Scale patterns are great tools to help horn students develop their pitch skills. When patterns are present, it is easier to know if you are correct or incorrect. Also playing songs that you know is key, since, again, you can tell if you are correct or incorrect. Sing or buzz songs even without playing them on the horn so that you have the freedom to focus on the sound and the musicality of the tune. I encourage young horn players to seek out music to songs they know and love, use the MakeMusic Cloud first pitch tool so they can hear the starting note and match it before they begin, and have a great time developing their ear and playing skills while playing songs they love!  

MakeMusic Cloud Tuner Demo

MakeMusic Cloud Pitch Reference Tool

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1. Before you hold the sticks

If possible, you can have the students play basic rhythms (half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes) with their hands on their lap or on hand drums, practicing those essential note values as well as learning how to alternate between the hands. This will give them one less thing to think about when they are holding sticks and in front of a pad or drum for the first time.

Pre-Playing Skills for Snare Drum

2. Fulcrum position and hand/wrist placement

You want the fulcrum (rotational point of the stick in relation to the fingers) to be about one third of the way up the stick, leaving about 2 inches sticking out of the bottom of the hand, give or take. If you have a Vic Firth stick, I like for the student’s thumb to be placed on the flag insignia. The main part of the fulcrum involves three fingers – the thumb, the pointer finger, and the middle finger. The ring and pinky fingers should still be on the stick, but are mainly used for support and not for the fulcrum. The stick should be coming out the side of the hand near the bottom of the pinky finger – NOT in the center of the hand. The student’s wrists should be facing flat towards the ground, but not raised up or lowered to create tension on the wrist. There should be a natural curvature from the forearm to the wrist that goes straight to the stick. 

Fulcrum and Hand Position

3. Tension level of the fingers

The fingers should NOT be tense when holding the stick. This actually affects the tone coming out of the drum as well. If the fingers are too tight, then the drum will sound ‘choked’ and won’t have a full sound. This also can cause pain in the student’s fingers. Many times, this is caused by the student only using the thumb and pointer finger for the fulcrum and feeling like they have to hold on as hard as they can lest the stick fall out of their hand. Quite the opposite is true—you should be holding loosely enough to where the stick is gripped, but could be pulled out of the hand with a little bit of force. This will open up the sound of the stick as well as the sound of the drum.

4. Playing position on the drum

You want the sticks to be about one inch above the rim of the drum as it’s crossing over. For normal playing, you want to strike the drum just north of the center. It is important to emphasize that both sticks should be hitting the same spot on the drum; if the student has their sticks on different parts of the drum, then they will be creating two different, uneven sounds. Only introduce playing towards the edge when you introduce softer dynamics (halfway to the front edge for mezzo-piano, about 1/2 inch from the edge for piano and below). My suggestion: get them playing in the normal playing position for some time before introducing the dynamic zoning changes.

Playing Position on Snare Drum

5. Drum placement and height on the stand

The drum should be set on the stand with the snare wire pointed directly away from the student – think vertically, towards the student and band director. This way there will be proper snare response at all dynamic levels. Do NOT have the snare wire horizontal to the student. This will cause a difference in snare response at different dynamics when zoning. The height of the drum should be between the waist and belly button, depending on the arm length of the student. The arms should be bent at the elbow and the forearm pointed slightly down towards the drum. It is very important to teach students to adjust the height of the drum for their specific size. Beginning students are many different heights, and it is not a one size fits all approach.

Drum Placement

6. Basic strokes

There are four basic strokes the student needs to become acquainted with at the beginning – Full, Down, Tap, Up. They are as follows:

1. 1. Full: The student starts with the stick up about 9 inches, drops to the head with a quick velocity, and brings the stick back up with the same quick velocity to the original position. This is a loud stroke.
   2. Down: The stick starts up about 9 inches again, and again with a quick velocity, but this time they use the wrist to stop the stick about one inch above the drum head after striking it. This is also a loud stroke, but sets the student up for playing softer strokes.
   3. Tap: The stick starts about one to two inches above the drum head, has a quick velocity, and returns to the same spot just barely above the head. This is a soft stroke.
   4. Up: The stick starts about one to two inches above the drum head, has a quick velocity, but returns back to the higher position of 9 inches above the head. This is also a soft stroke.
   5. Once the student is familiar with these four stroke types, they can play them together in the order of Full-Down-Tap-Up, repeating.

Four Different Snare Drum Stroke Types

7. Pad playing versus actual drum playing

Most band directors are understandably hesitant to let ALL their percussionists play on snare drums at the same time, especially in larger programs. It is completely acceptable to have some or most of them play on a pad at any given moment when beginning. However, the band director needs to be cognizant of how hard the student is playing on the pad. It’s VERY easy to overplay on a pad since it creates a very small amount of sound compared to a snare drum. Young students will want to try to match the volume of a pad to a snare drum, and once they get on the snare drum, they are playing far too loud. Make sure that they use the same velocity that they would use on a drum while playing on a pad to keep consistent sounds throughout the section.

Pad Playing vs. Drum Playing

With these steps, you should be in great shape to get your beginning percussionists started on snare drum! The biggest thing to teach them is patience. Since they can create a characteristic tone quicker than their wind counterparts, they will want to go off to the races and play as many notes as possible. But with proper technique and repetition, their sound quality will improve vastly and they will be set up to conquer more advanced patterns and techniques in the future.

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We all know that the vibrations of the reed against the mouthpiece create the sound on clarinet. Therefore, it follows that anything that stifles the reed’s ability to vibrate will negatively impact sound quality. Thus, everything that we do with the physical set up must maximize the reed’s ability to vibrate. 

Characteristic Clarinet Tone

Fundamentals

It is crucial on clarinet, like all other wind instruments, to teach posture and breathing first, and without the instrument. I utilize words such as natural, balanced, and tension-free in my instruction of posture. When teaching breathing, it’s vital that the inhale is full and relaxed, allowing for expansion around the middle of the body. The exhale consists of a fast, focused, and directional air stream with cold air moving straight forward. As we know, if the posture and air stream are not correct, we will be fighting an uphill battle toward our goal of beautiful tone. 

Embouchure

The clarinet embouchure must be built, so it’s important to teach it in steps. As students are first learning, and throughout their early training, provide frequent verbal prompts and feedback, utilize mirrors, and check your students individually whenever you can. 

I teach clarinet embouchure in three phases with each new phase introduced as the student is ready to handle additional challenge and information. Skipping steps here often results in students who play with a stuffy sound or whose pitch is significantly flat. 

Phase 1: Embouchure Basics

Below you will find the kid-friendly language I use with students to build their embouchures as well as additional explanation for the teacher. 

1.  Pretend you are putting Chapstick on your bottom lip. 

This creates the traditional clarinet embouchure shape that we look for as the lower jaw and teeth move forward to flatten the bottom lip. The lower lip is not a “cushion” and we do not “roll” the bottom lip over the teeth, despite these being common instructions seen in beginning method books. 

Clarinet Embouchure: Bottom Lip

2. Feel for the valley in your chin.

The “valley” is the concave shape of the chin that results from the lower jaw and teeth pressing against the lip. When the “valley” does not exist, this means the student has pulled too much lip into their mouth and/or they have positioned their lower jaw incorrectly which causes the chin to bunch, resulting in the mouthpiece being unsupported.

3. Mark your “spot.” 

If you hold the clarinet mouthpiece sideways up to the light, you can see that the reed does not touch the mouthpiece at the tip. However, as you travel down, there comes a point around ¾ of an inch from the top where the reed and mouthpiece facing are flush. The “spot” is the location where the reed and mouthpiece come together. 

4. Place the reed on your bottom lip at “the spot.”

The spot is also where the mouthpiece should be placed on the lower lip. When students know the location of the spot, they know just how far the mouthpiece needs to be placed in the mouth. 

Mark Your Spot: How Much Mouthpiece to Take In

5. Place your top teeth on the mouthpiece. 

This is the number one error I see in young clarinetists regarding embouchure setup. Some students will attempt to hold the mouthpiece with the lips, rather than anchor it under the top teeth. Perform the “wiggle test” to check for this error by holding onto the bottom of the mouthpiece or barrel and gently wiggling the mouthpiece back and forth. If you are able to wiggle the mouthpiece, the top teeth are not in place. 

Clarinet Embouchure: Top Teeth

6. Hug your lips around the mouthpiece. 

The lips should close around the mouthpiece like a drawstring bag, forming a seal so that the air does not leak out the sides. 

Phase 2: Next Level Embouchure

Once students are consistently demonstrating the basics, begin introducing the following:

• The top teeth and the right thumb support the clarinet, not the lips. Help students accomplish this by having them gently push up with their right thumb (on the thumb rest, if using the entire instrument) toward the top teeth. 

• The mouthpiece should be anchored under the top teeth. If the bottom lip is pushing up to support the mouthpiece, or the reed is pushing down against the bottom lip, then the reed cannot vibrate fully and the sound will be stuffy. 

• The angle of the clarinet is around 35 degrees. An incorrect angle will cause issues with pitch. 

Clarinet Anchor Points (Removing Pressure from the Reed)

Phase 3: Embouchure: Voicing

Voicing refers to the shape and size of the oral cavity, and is controlled by the position of the tongue. To demonstrate voicing to your students, have them whistle a high note and a low note while noticing the change in tongue position. The clarinet has the highest voicing of all woodwinds. The tongue should be arched high near the roof of the mouth as if you are saying “ee,” or hissing like a cat. Voicing errors cause our clarinet students to play flat. You can check voicing by having the students play on mouthpiece and barrel only. The resulting pitch, if voicing is correct, will be a slightly sharp Concert F#.

Clarinet Voicing

Teach Concepts on the Small Instrument

I’m a firm believer in simplifying new skills as they are taught. By teaching all embouchure concepts (even more advanced ones) on the mouthpiece and barrel only, we give students the ability to focus only on embouchure without having to worry about other elements of playing. 

Clarinet Hand Position

Coda

Getting your clarinet students’ embouchures set up in a way that allows strong vibrations of the reed is the basis for developing a vibrant clarinet sound. In my beginning band instruction, we spend at least a semester starting each class with mouthpiece and barrel playing. This is a great way to develop, reinforce, and solidify the fundamental skills necessary for playing. 

Best wishes for many years of successful students!

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As a teacher, one of the hardest concepts to get across to a percussion student is that it takes time and practice to be able to play these instruments correctly.  Because each of these instruments has its own unique set of techniques, true mastery will only be accomplished through the practice of each individual instrument. 

Trap Tables

While a trap table is not a percussion instrument, its value to a percussion section cannot be underestimated.  Most of the instruments mentioned in this article cannot be played properly without the aid of a trap table.  Using the table will decrease, if not eliminate, extraneous noise that can occur when picking up or laying down accessory percussion instruments.  

Never lay any percussion instrument or mallets on the floor!  The less movement the performer has to make, the better.  If the performer has to bend over to pick up an instrument off the floor, it’s easy to lose sight of the conductor and lose their place in the music.  Using a trap table helps to keep the instruments and mallets looking clean and professional. 

Bass Drum

For general playing, tilt the stand slightly to the performer’s left.  The performer plays with the mallet in the right hand and controls the sustain of the note with the left hand.  The bass mallet grip is the same as matched grip: make sure all fingers are curled around the stick and the thumb is placed along the side.  The performer should position himself behind the drum, so that he/she plays with the flat part of the mallet.  This allows the performer to be in a position to muffle the resonating head along with the batter head.  Students often play while standing beside the batter head, facing the drum.  In this position it is difficult for the performer to see the conductor while playing, and the sound will suffer because of the angle of the mallet striking the head.  

Because of the resonance of the concert bass drum, the performer will need to control the length of the notes, so that the ringing of the head does not muddy the sound of the entire ensemble. Since the bass drum is such a resonant instrument, it does allow for expressive phrasing and varied articulation in the playing.  You can change the articulation of the drum by changing the placement of the muffling hand on the drum (edge or toward the center) and by changing how much of the hand is used (fingertips or entire hand).   

Hand/Crash Cymbals

The cymbal strap is held similar to gripping a timpani mallet, French grip. The thumb and first joint of the index finger should form a fulcrum, with the thumb on top and the strap in between.  The strap should be held close to the cymbal bell between the thumb and the first finger, with the remaining fingers wrapping around the strap.  Holding the cymbal close to the bell will help with the control of the cymbal and keep it from flopping around. Pads are not recommended for cymbals in a concert setting because they may dampen the sound of the cymbal.  If you choose to use pads, select the ones made out of thin leather.

Avoid using the grip that is commonly used in marching band where the hands go through the straps, this will dampen the cymbals, thus affecting the sound.  In the concert setting, where there is only one cymbal player, more resonance from the cymbals is needed.  The marching grip is also not conducive to quick changes, where players are moving from one instrument to another. 

Please understand that there is more than one way to perform an acceptable cymbal crash. REMEMBER, what is important is the quality of the sound from the crash.

The crash technique I use is often referred to as the flam technique, because the edge of the cymbals do not hit at the same time.  The bottom edge hits first and rolls quickly through to the top edge.  Students can practice this technique with their hands in front of their body in a V-formation:  the palms hit first, then quickly roll through to the finger tips with a nice fluid follow-through.  

The crash is performed by standing on both feet, approximately a shoulder’s width apart, with one foot slightly forward.  Hold the cymbals at a slight angle, with the right cymbal on top for right-handed players, and the opposite for left-handed players.  Often times young students will play the cymbals too far apart, with too much motion. This will cause the crash to be late within the context of the music.  

When the flam technique is applied to the cymbals, the grace note should be quick and undetectable.  A good cymbal crash must have a good attack, without an air pocket and a good sustain after the attack.  A good sustain can be achieved by continuing the follow-through and holding the cymbals parallel to the floor, this allows more of the cymbal sound to get to the audience. The sound of the cymbal comes off the edge because the vibrations move from the bell out toward the edge.  This is similar to throwing a rock in a pool of water and watching the waves move outward.   

A cymbal cradle or trap table is an invaluable tool when playing hand cymbals.  This gives the cymbal player a place to lay the cymbals other than the floor when not in use.  There is nothing more uncomfortable than holding a pair of cymbals during a musical selection with a long period of rest.  A cradle or trap table may be placed between the performer and the conductor, allowing the performer to keep his/her eyes on the conductor. 

Suspended Cymbal

When playing a roll on the suspended cymbal use a single stroke roll.  The student will also want to use yarn mallets, unless the instructions in the music ask for a different implement such as snare drumsticks or triangle beaters.  Several manufacturers make mallets especially for playing suspended cymbals.  If using marimba mallets, use mallets that are medium to medium-soft.  Place the mallets on the outer edges of the cymbal opposite one another: at 3 and 9 o’clock, approximately 2 inches from the edge.  This hand position allows the cymbal to vibrate quickly and gets the best sound.  Be sure the stand is adjusted to a comfortable height so the cymbal will not be hit accidentally with the shaft of the mallets producing unwanted sounds.  Never play the cymbal with timpani mallets because they usually don’t have the weight needed to produce a good characteristic sound and it will destroy the felt on the mallets.  This was often called for in older compositions before the marimba was a common instrument in the percussion section and marimba mallets were not readily available.  

Because of the cymbal sustain, you don’t need to move your hands very fast for a good sounding roll.  Moving the hands too fast will actually dampen the resonance of the cymbal.  Always listen, trying to produce a nice sustained sound with no attack sound from the mallets.

Tambourine

For concert use, you definitely want a tambourine with a head mounted on it so you can perform the various techniques required in a concert ensemble, such as thumb and finger rolls.  

For most playing, the tambourine should be held with the weaker hand out in front of the body at a 45-degree angle. Hold the tambourine by the frame, fingers wrapped around the frame with the thumb on top for support.  Play with the firm fingertips of the stronger hand a couple of inches from the outer edge.  The performer can change the angle of the tambourine for different articulations, more horizontal for a dryer sound (short jingle sound) and more vertical for a wetter sound (long jingle sound).   

Triangle

The triangle should be held in the weaker of the two hands.  Hold the hand out in front of you, just as you would reach out to turn a doorknob.  Rest the back of the clip-on top of the thumb and the front of the clip on the middle finger, while placing the first finger on top of the clip to help stabilize it.  The ring finger and pinky are now available to aid in muffling the triangle, if needed.

When placing the triangle in the clip, always make sure that the closed side is facing the hand that will be striking it.  Have the closed side of the triangle facing the right, if the right hand will be holding the beater.  The two main areas used to strike the triangle will be the closed side and the bottom.  The closed side produces a purer tone while the bottom produces more overtones.  You will normally want to play on the bottom to produce more overtones.  When playing on the side, the purer tone could actually clash with some of the pitches that are being played in the winds or strings.  The angle at which the beater strikes the triangle can also affect the sound.  A perpendicular strike will create a purer tone, while striking at a 45-degree angle will produce more overtones.  

Always hold the triangle up in front of you to aid in projection of the sound to the audience.   When holding the triangle up, position your body so the conductor is in the same sight line as the triangle and the music.  Once the triangle is struck, continue to hold it up for the entire duration of the sustaining sound.  Often players will strike the triangle and immediately drop it down creating a type of Doppler effect for the audience.

Woodblock

When playing the woodblock use a rubber keyboard mallet that is softer than the wood. A rubber mallet will get the fullest sound from the woodblock and will not damage the instrument. Keep in mind that a smaller block may need a harder mallet than a larger woodblock.  Using a drumstick produces a thin sound and the small hard bead of the drumstick can dent the top of the block.  Eventually the block will start to splinter because of the indentions.  The plastic blocks can be played with a drumstick without worry.  There are manufacturers that make mallets specifically for woodblocks.  These mallets are sold in pairs, sound great on the blocks and won’t damage them.

Whenever possible hold the woodblock at chest level in one hand, and play it with the other.  This helps the sound to project over the band and gets the block up so the audience can see it.  When holding it up, point the opening in the block towards the audience for better projection.  Experiment with different playing areas on the block until you find the “sweet spot”.  This is the area on the block where you get the most resonance.  This spot will usually be toward the center of the block. 

If the rhythms are too complex to play with one hand, set the block down and use two hands with identical mallets.  Use a trap table that is padded or a sturdy music stand with a black hand towel over it.  Making sure the table is lightly padded will eliminate extraneous sounds when playing.

Each of these instruments could be a complete article by itself, but hopefully the information above will get you and your students started in the right direction.  When played correctly all of these instruments can enhance the overall sound of your ensemble tremendously.  Remember to talk to your percussionist about their sound the same as you would a wind player.  

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A good reed can make a “mediocre” to “not so strong” player sound beautiful. A bad reed can make an exceptional player sound awful. Individual players need different things from a reed. On the market you’ll see reeds sold as soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard, and hard—that’s not the best way to “measure a reed”. Think of reeds in percentages of control to freedom: control = resistance and freedom = vibration. Generally, you want a little more resistance than vibration. The reed’s job is to vibrate and the player’s job is to make the reed vibrate. A beginner, for example, may need a reed that is 60% resistance to 40% vibration. Once they get their playing and embouchure working for them, they will likely get to the point where they need a bit more resistance that they can blow against (perhaps 70% resistance to 30% vibration). 

The difference between a “hard” reed and a “resistant” reed is that hard doesn’t vibrate. Hard reeds don’t vibrate well, so they encourage players to bite down on the reed, collapse their embouchure, and lose the need to maintain proper air pressure when making sound. 

Ideally, students should play on hand-made reeds. Look for an individual reed maker, teacher, or trusted store around you. Randomly ordering reeds is not advised—instead of the reed doing with the student needs, the student ends up doing what the reed needs, which is not ideal. If you are not in a situation where an individual can make reeds for your students, try a trusted reed maker (please not Amazon!). Bocal Majority sells reeds from vetted reed makers and categorizes them from beginner to pro. Machine made reeds are not consistent and not recommended. No matter where you source your reeds, do your research and select a source you trust!

Free resource: Oboe Reed Issues – click here to download

Habits to Avoid and Quick Fixes

Beginners

As you start to go into the upper register, beginners will inadvertently scoot their reed too far in their mouth. Remind them that the heart of the reed stays anchored on the bottom lip to avoid this common issue.

Oboe Tone

Oboe Embouchure

Typically, whenever you add something new the first thing to go is the “air pressure.” Remind students consistently and to maintain their great air all the time, and especially when they are focusing on something new.

Oboe Air

Tuning

Oboes are great at playing out of tune. Playing in tune is a learned skill! Be sure to teach tuning skills with visual tools, and with lots of listening practice. 

Oboe Tuning

Learning personal pitch tendencies is essential and can be practiced with deliberate moments of looking towards and away from the tuner while adjusting.

Helping Students Understand Personal Pitch Tendencies

Vibrato

Do not move the jaw to create vibrato—this just closes and opens the tip of the reed and impacts intonation. Students can self-monitor whether or not their jaw is moving on their own by placing a hand on their jaw while playing a left hand note. Oboe vibrato is air-oriented and should not simply be even, rhythmic pulsing. When it is added to notes, add it in odd numbered groupings. Adding vibrato maintains integrity to the pitch center! 

Oboe Vibrato

Dynamics 

When students can consistently produce a solid and strong tone, dynamic contrast can be addressed. Try this: begin with just the reed using soft air and slowly add air pressure (not air) until the reed speaks and then sustain it. This is piano when added to the oboe. On the oboe, start on half hole D and do the same thing: soft air, add pressure only until the D speaks, and then maintain it. Adding air and air pressure will create a crescendo, maintaining air pressure and diminishing the air volume creates a decrescendo. 

Dynamics on Oboe

These exercises for vibrato, tuning, pitch tendency awareness, and dynamics can be used with players of all levels to reinforce and practice these important fundamental skills!

Recommended Oboe and English Horn Repertoire  

Beginner Oboe:

• Haydn – Andantino
• Bach – Menuet
• Buttstedt – Aria
• Purcell – Menuet
• Grieg – Morning Mood from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
• Dvorak – Largo
• Borodin – Polovetsian Dance
• Mozart – Menuet K. 164
• Tschaikovsky – Swan Lake

Intermediate Oboe:

• Handel – Concerto Grosso No. 8 in B-flat (all movements, an advanced beginner could ply the 4th mvt.)
• Bach – Sinfonia
• Telemann – Sonata in a minor (all movements)
• Marcello – Largo e Allegretto (both)
• Handel – Sonata No. 1 (mvt. 1,mvt. 2)
• Handel – Sonata No. 2 (mvt. 1, mvt. 2) 
• Handel – Sonata No. 3 (mvt 1,2)
• Albinoni – Concerto Op. 9 No. 2 (transitional from inter to adv)
• Telemann – Concerto in f minor (all mvts.)

Advanced Oboe:

• Mozart – Concerto in C (all movements)
• C. Saint-Saens – Sonata Op. 166 (all movements, but ESPECIALLY the 2nd mvt.)
• Haydn – Concerto for Oboe (all movements)
• Cimarosa – Concerto for Oboe (lst and 2nd mvts.)
• Marcello – Concerto in c minor (all movements)
• Boni – Sonata in G (1st and 2nd mvts.)
• Eichner – Concerto for Oboe (all mvts)
• Grovlez – Sarabande et Allegro (both)
• Paladilhe – Concertante
• R. Vaughn Williams – Oboe Concerto (all especially 1st mvt.)

Beginner English Horn:

By the time a student plays English horn, they are a more intermediate/advanced player.

Intermediate English Horn:

• Satie – Gymnopedie No. 2
• Granados – Intermezzo
• C. Saint-Saens – The Swan from The Carnival of Animals
• Mozart – Adagio K. 580A
• Telemann – Sonata (all mvts.)
• Advanced English Horn:
• Marcello – Concerto in c minor (all mvts.)
• Borodin – Notturno
• Faure – Sicilienne
• Sibelius – The Swan of Tuonela
• Donizetti – Concertino in G major

Method Books:

• Beginner: Rubank Elementary Method for Oboe
• Intermediate: Gekeler – Method Book Two
• Advanced:
  • Ferling – 48 Famous Studies for Oboe
  • Barrett – Grand Studies for Oboe
  • Ferling – Eighteen Studies (Opus 12)

*All method books will work for English Horn

Moving Beyond Technique and Fundamentals to the Art of Performing

Fundamentals, technique, attention to reeds or equipment, and lists of appropriate repertoire are all important pieces to the puzzle for oboists (or any musician!). Learning and practicing the art of performing requires all of the elements above and adds in a new skillset that includes dealing with stress. Moving beyond the technical to the mental space can be a challenge, but with supportive guidance and a few pro-tips even the youngest performers can find success!  

Stress is a feeling of emotional and/or physical tension. It can come from any event that makes you feel frustrated or nervous. Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. Your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones. These hormones make your brain more alert, cause your muscles to tense, and increase your pulse. Stress affects all of us. As musicians, stress in performance is a prevalent issue.

A student who loves to play will not mind putting in the hours of practice required for an exceptional performance. They owe themselves their best effort every time they play. In striving for their best effort, they learn the importance of adequate preparation, mental focus/discipline, and goal setting. In essence, they learn what it takes to succeed. They start to build confidence in themselves and in their abilities. If they establish very clear expectations in their minds, they will learn to be as consistently correct in their playing as is possible. 

Students who demand excellence in their playing will learn to play the necessary mental games to become physically relaxed and therefore successful in stressful situations. Students must discover and understand the things that will keep them calm and in control of a situation. There are as many different relaxation techniques as there are individuals.

By using the relaxation techniques that are most comfortable to them, students will gain control of their situation. Then they must never relinquish that control. They must learn to shut out all sources of distraction such as judges, audiences, peers, etc. They must learn to focus into themselves. They must always think about “how” they are to play. They must create an atmosphere in which to play that closely resembles their home. They will learn to create a comfort zone that is free of stress. This comfort zone allows them to always relax and do their best. 

If they want to know their greatest source of strength, they should go look into a mirror. They possess minds with no limitations. The notes before them on the page are merely ink blots with no brains. We breathe life into them. Therefore, when we have the opportunity to share a part of ourselves with an audience, we should never be afraid of that opportunity. We should be excited by the chance to give an excellent performance of something we have worked very hard to achieve. Above all, students learn to believe in themselves and in their abilities. They learn that the ability to attain excellence lies within themselves.

I believe that handling stress is a learned process. I feel this process should start when the student is a beginner and be nurtured throughout their career. The best way to deal with performance stress is thorough preparation.

“Excellence can be attained if you … CARE more than others think is wise … RISK more than others think is safe … DREAM more than others think is practical … EXPECT more than others think is possible.” Success is only around the corner if you are headed in that direction.

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Height, Velocity, Mass

Instrument Care

1. “Not a table!!!” I have a sign on our timpani covers to discourage students from placing belongings on the drums.

2. Use a towel/wipe to keep the heads clean from dust and clear out anything that may collect between the head and rim.

Maintain Good Tone by Properly Caring for your Timpani

3. When moving the drums, instruct students to move by holding the side struts rather than the rim. Moving from the rim can push the head off center and impact the tuning. Also press the toe of the pedal down when moving to apply tension to the head to make it less likely that the head could move off center.

4. Keep the heads in range to allow the pedal to move properly. If the pedal heel snaps down, the tension on the head is too low. If the pedal toe snaps down, the tension on the head is too high.

Timpani Head Alignment

Theory/Ear Training

1. Timpani parts are written in bass clef so make sure students understand how to read bass clef. This is a common source of confusion for young percussionists.

2. Understanding the lowest pitch and ranges of the drums will help students understand which drums to play the notes on and knowing how high or low on the drum the pitch will be can help in tuning. The drums have a practical range of a 5^th and some typical lowest pitches for the drums to be tuned to are: 32” (C/D), 29” (F), 26” (Bb), 23” (D/Eb).

Timpani Ranges

3. Work with students to understand intervals. Using songs such as “Here Comes the Bride” for Perfect 4^th or the NBC theme song for Perfect 5^th can help. You can find guides with more current songs as well simply by searching online or have students find their own examples from songs that they like.

4. Matching pitch is always a challenge for students. I try to combat this by having them sing pitches as they play on keyboard instruments from the very beginning. They may not know why I am asking them to sing the pitches as they play, but it pays off when they begin to play timpani.

Tuning Timpani

Technique

1. Whether to use French grip (thumb facing up) or German grip (thumb facing to the side) is often debated. I personally teach German grip to begin with because that grip and stroke is also used for snare drum, mallet percussion, and many other percussion instruments and makes for an easier transfer. The stick should be placed between the thumb and first finger, with the back fingers wrapped around the stick. The grip should be relaxed to allow the weight of the stick to be the primary source of the sound.

Timpani Grip

2. For the stroke, the stick should start in the up position and return to the up position using a legato, or rebound, stroke. Students should not play down-strokes (where the stick is stopped after striking the head) as this can cause a quick bend in the pitch and harsh tone from the head.

Timpani Stroke

3. Sit or stand? Students can use a stool, or stand, when playing timpani. The primary purpose of a stool is to allow freedom of movement from the feet for tuning changes, which beginning timpani students will not typically need to worry about. For most beginning students, standing behind the drums works just fine.

A Trap Table Is Essential

4. Playing rolls. The purpose of rolls on any percussion instrument is to create a sustained sound as opposed to the rhythmic sounds typically associated with percussion instruments. To play quality rolls on timpani, students should make sure they are playing with a relaxed grip and stroke, even spacing between the notes played on each hand, and find a roll speed that sounds more like a sustain than a rhythm. To find the roll’s speed, have the students start by playing a slow open rhythm (8^th notes) and gradually speed up until it sounds more like a sustain than a rhythm. Assuming they keep their grip and stroke relaxed, they should be able to identify a “window” where it sounds like a sustain. If they get too fast, it begins to sound like a rhythm again as the strokes come so quickly they cancel out the sustain of the previous stroke.

Where to Strike the Timpani

Providing students with some information regarding the care of the instruments, music theory, ear training, and proper technique will hopefully lead to more confidence and excitement for playing timpani. 

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As a band director whose primary instrument is trumpet, there were a lot of things that I took for granted when I started teaching low brass as a young teacher. Yes, brass is brass. However, not all brass is the same. Oftentimes, we underestimate the importance of both, and the pedagogy associated with each instrument.

While tone can vary from person to person, both the euphonium and tuba should have a resonant and warm tone quality. I have been blessed to work with some pretty amazing euphonium and tuba players and teachers over the years. I know my tuba teacher would say that often, too much stress is put on playing with an “open” sound, when really the goal is simply resonance.

Characteristic Tone

To achieve the tone quality that is resonant, the first step is to ensure that students have the correct fundamental set up to make that possible. With both, posture and the angle of the instrument is of the utmost importance. This has to be monitored. As students grow, this has to be adjusted. When you have Euphonium students who are taller, they will need to hold the instrument off their lap or use a cushion or rolled towel to keep it elevated. Some Tuba students might need to use a Tuba stand, move the instrument up and down on their legs or even position it on the chair. 

Euphonium Height and Angle

The breath is crucial. Breathing to play an instrument is not like breathing in life. However, getting students to have an airstream that is of a sigh, or air that is free moving, will yield better results. No matter what instrument you teach, all students should have a relaxed and natural body.

Tuba Airstream (“Sigh Airstream”)

With euphonium, the embouchure should be so that the mouthpiece doesn’t sit too low on the embouchure or push too hard into the upper lip. I have learned from some pretty smart teachers that students are most successful when the mouthpiece placement is placed higher than center, allowing for a somewhat downward airstream for all but the lowest notes. The oral cavity should be comfortably round and open. However, students can try to open too much causing tension and fuzziness to creep into the tone quality. 

Euphonium Mouthpiece Placement

Euphonium Oral Cavity

In regards to tuba, mouthpiece placement can vary from student to student, but should generally be in the middle or slightly below. The aperture should be tall in the center, with the corners reinforced on the sides. Like with all brass, the chin should be flat and the lips should be flat against the teeth. The inside of the mouth should be open. Like with euphonium, students can try to open too much causing tension and fuzziness to creep into the tone quality. 

Tuba Embouchure

 Tuba Mouthpiece Placement

From my experience, I have learned that most of the time, there is a misconception about how the sound is actually produced, given clarity, and maintained on both of these instruments. Students often confuse playing with a big, resonant sound by creating a tight, pinched buzz. Yes, if you squeeze, the buzz will be loud. However, the tone quality will not be correct and it will not project. A free buzz should be airy, supported with a calm and relaxed column of air. High pitched sounds come from the teeth or lips being too close together or from creating friction too far inside the lips.

Tone and Production Effort

Keep It Simple: Natural Faces and Air

The mirror is the best teacher. I say that constantly in my band hall. I am also a firm believer that demonstrating fundamental skills for young musicians is key, but the importance of teaching students how to think and listen critically, by utilizing practice “tools” like recording themselves, and a regular practice routine are critical ways to reinforce and maintain growth within developing tone quality. Hearing kids play individually is a critical tool used to check in and monitor the development of tone. While some believe there is not enough time to do this, you really do not have time not to hear them.

Demonstration and Teaching Critical Listening

To maintain and grow the players, students need to find the ideal spacing between their lips to allow the air to create a characteristic vibration. It should sound steady and strong but without fuzz or extra noise. My euphonium teacher absolutely loves using pedal tones and lip/pitch bends to help students find a more open spacing between the lips. 

In closing, there are a few non-negotiables of playing the instrument that I think are monumental in the success of the student. Remember, the face and the corners should be natural. Never let the posture be compromised when a student is playing any instrument, and monitor their angles as they grow. Mouthpiece placement should be adjusted based on the space between the student’s top lip and nose, as well as how their natural face sits. Feet placement, hand position (playing on the fingerprints of the hand) and articulation are all necessary non-negotiables to monitor for the overall student success on the instrument.

Remember, your students (and yourself) only grow from failure, and failing is proof that one is trying!

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Approaching flute tone early on, even on just the headjoint, will not only create more vibrant, clear sounds from your section but helps with projection and tuning. Flute is one of the easiest instruments to focus on tone but is often misunderstood by directors with no personal flute experience.

Mirrors correct so many problems. Since headjoint placement is often the culprit, students should either provide their own locker mirror or have access to a class set of mirrors as they learn how to play flute. If we can teach them what to look for in the mirror, students can self-correct their own embouchure and set up problems without a teacher individually checking every student every day. Partners are another helpful way to help catch set up problems before students struggle with sound production.

Mirrors Help Students Diagnose Problems

Air on hand is the most effective way I have found to start any student on flute. I have the kids use their right index finger as their “fake flute”, setting up just like they would their headjoint. This gives us the opportunity to talk about and learn the proper embouchure before they can ever make a mistake. I show them what my embouchure looks like on “fake flute” so they have a general idea of what to expect in their own mirror. Initially I have my kids start with their lips completely closed and allow the air to form their natural embouchure. Knowing where the embouchure wants to form shows us where we need to set the headjoint. While the right hand creates the “fake flute,” we put our left hand in front of our face to practice using the correct air speed, size, and temperature. A lot of flute students have the completely wrong idea of what “flute” air is. Air should be firm, cold, fast, and no bigger than the size of a quarter on the center of their hand. Often I find it helpful to have the kids hold up their hand so that *I* can blow on their hand and let them feel what proper flute air feels like. This is also a great opportunity to go ahead and teach articulation off the real flute. 

Another skill we approach with air on hand is basic air direction (a concept that becomes wildly important later). I teach the kids to put the inside knuckle of their middle finger on the tip of their nose and then pull it about 6 inches away from their face. Without moving their head or hand we learn to “paint” our hand with our air stream, moving it from the wrist up to the fingers and back down. This teaches them the jaw flexibility required to pay flute across all octaves. At this point in time, painting the hand is all we do with this skill. 

Air Direction

Once the kids can form the proper embouchure and are using the correct flute air, we can move to headjoint. This is when mirrors become a daily fixture on their music stands. I start my kids on open headjoint (no right hand over the end of the headjoint) to learn placement and initial tone production. While I define headjoint placement as putting the tone hole directly under the nose with the back edge of the hole on the edge of the bottom lip, this is just a basic guideline and not the rule. More importantly than aligning the tone hole with the nose is centering the fog. When they blow across the headjoint you’ll see a line of fog. The fog needs to be fully centered on the tone hole and no wider. Fog should only ever be as wide as the tone hole or skinnier. Wider fog creates a fuzzy tone. If the headjoint is lined up under the nose but the fog is off centered, the student will need to learn to place the headjoint in a spot in which the tone hole “catches” the fog. 

When looking in the mirror half of the tone hole should be visible. More than half will either create a really fuzzy, weak tone, or no sound at all. Less than half creates a covered, dull sound. 

Once we are making basic sounds—good or bad—we start refining the tone we want to achieve. Flute is the brass instrument of the woodwinds: it is an air directional instrument. As flute changes pitch and octave, the direction we aim our airstream changes as well. While working on open headjoint the air stream should be aimed slightly below straightforward to achieve a full, vibrant sound. If the airstream is too high, your students will either make no sound or have a fuzzy, fluffy, hollow sound. If the airstream is too low they will get that same covered, dull sound they made when covering too much of the tone hole. If you have a student with an overbite severe enough to automatically aim the airstream down, they will have to commit to bringing the jaw forward to correct the issue. For all students, this is a good time to revisit painting the hand with our air to remind them how to aim the airstream. You can walk around and feel each student’s airstream, but more often I have my students pair up and while one partner plays the other feels where the air is aimed. We review on a daily basis which headjoint set ups create which tones so that the kids are learning to evaluate and diagnose problems. If they can’t articulate what creates a bad tone, they can’t fix it.

Even at this very early point, we start using tuners. We’re still only on open headjoint playing one pitch, but there is a specific pitch they should achieve if the headjoint and airstream are correct. On open headjoint I want the kids to aim between the range of a perfectly in-tune A up through 15 cents flat. Students can either have their own tuner hooked up to their headjoint or you can drone a pitch for them to match. If you drone, I would perhaps split the difference and drone a slightly flat A. Once they match this pitch with the set up looking good, your flutes will already be using and learning what a full, clear flute tone sounds like. Don’t forget to check the tuning cork on each of your students’ headjoint before working with a tuner. 

The next step is to close the headjoint with our right hand. Closed headjoints can play two partials: a low A and a high E. Closed headjoint is not worth your time until students are making a characteristic sound on open headjoint. To achieve the two partials flute players have to do two things. For the low A, air has to be shifted lower into the tone hole. For the high E, air has to be pointed more straight forward. I take my kids back to air on hand and practice aiming at our wrist specifically and then the center of the hand. We practice this shift of air direction on “fake flute,” feeling the air hit those locations. Pneumo-Pro headjoints are perfect for kids that need a visualization of where their air is actually going. For this kind of work, I take off the top and bottom pinwheels and only have them aim for the middle two. Once they can shift their air correctly on command between those two pinwheels, I put them back on headjoint, usually with marked improvement. 

The aperture also changes for these two partials, just like a brass instrument. For the low A we allow the aperture to open slightly to a small oval while the high E should be a small circle. Using “fake flute” to practice this aperture change, we can feel the air stream change sizes as well as temperatures. Using the mirror, there should be a visible change in the size and shape of the aperture. Blowing on your hand (or a partner’s), there should be an obvious difference in size and temperature of air. When the aperture does not change, this is when your flutes are forced to overblow the high octaves (sharp above the staff) or struggling with low notes.

Advancing Air Direction and Aperture Changes

Working with our tuners, I want our low A to read between in-tune A and 15 cents sharp. Anything sharper means the air needs to be aimed lower into the tone hole still. A note about low notes in general on flute: if your flutes have to use a weak slow air stream to play in the low range, their air is aimed too high. Slow air or less air is NEVER a requirement for low notes. When the air is aimed correctly, low notes should still use a firm, fast airstream creating that big, resonant sound low flute should be. For our high E we aim for an in-tune E for the high note. If the tuner reads sharper, they are more than likely overblowing, a symptom of not changing the size of the aperture appropriately. 

Focusing on tone and tuning on headjoint (even with older students) pays back dividends on the whole flute. The headjoint is far less forgiving than the flute itself, so when your students (or you) can successfully achieve a characteristic sound on headjoint, the flute is going to be clearer, more resonant, and better in tune. 

Quick Fix: Octave Work

Moving to the whole flute, I spend a lot of time working on octave exercises using B-flat, A, G, and F, reinforcing everything we learned on headjoint. The air placement for each of these gets lower and lower as we move down the flute like a continuous wheel of air direction. Low A is placed lower than B-flat, low G is placed lower than low A, and so on. 

Learning to manipulate the headjoint and then transferring those skills to the octave drills on the full flute is the number one way we can grow the tone of our flute players. 

Final short diagnoses:

• Fuzzy – aperture too big OR too much hole showing OR fog not centered OR air aimed too high
• Dull – too much hole covered
• Weak/soft/flat low notes – air aimed too high OR air stream not firm
• Flat low notes – see above
• Aggressive/loud/sharp high notes – aperture didn’t shrink requiring overblowing

Hand Position, Posture, and Vibrato  

Right Thumb Position

Posture for Flute Players

Vibrato

Check out Encanto in the MakeMusic Cloud Music Catalog!

More Helpful Resources 

• Count Me In by Brian Balmages and Darcy Vogt Williams (available in MakeMusic Cloud)
• Teaching Rhythm Logically 
• After Sectionals Podcast

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The adage that the saxophone is the easiest instrument to play poorly is always on my mind at the start of the school year. As saxophone is my principal instrument, I try not to take offense to this outdated saying. Instead, I prefer to believe that the quote refers to how easily the saxophone can respond with certain mouthpiece and reed combinations.  With the proper instruction, equipment, and encouragement, your beginning band saxophonists can reach their potential and be a positive for your program.

Mouthpiece Options

The saxophone is perfectly at home in both the classical and jazz worlds. Mouthpieces made for classical playing offer darker sounds, while mouthpieces for jazz tend to be louder and brighter. For our concert band needs, I do not recommend any mouthpiece that is made for jazz.  

Of course, costs are ever rising for great saxophone equipment.  If your school’s socio-demographic precludes students owning a good mouthpiece, consider having a school-owned set of good mouthpieces that are issued to the students.  The Yamaha models listed below will work but the other models listed (especially the AL3) are the way to go if at all possible.

Recommended brands:

Reeds

Encourage your students to INVEST in great reeds.  Make sure your saxophone parents understand this is an on-going expense PRIOR to them selecting saxophone as their child’s instrument.  

My students started on a Vandoren AL3 Mouthpiece and Vandoren 2.5 Traditional (blue box) reed.  Most students moved to a 3-strength reed early into the second semester.  This set-up offered just the right amount of resistance and enabled them to start out making a great, characteristic sound.  If your students start on a softer reed of inferior quality, it will be easier to produce a tone, but it will not be characteristic. If they start on harder reeds, many will produce thin or blasty tones because their young embouchures are not ready to handle the extra reed strength. After the students have spent time playing with thin or blasty tones, it will be much more difficult to teach them how to play with a more characteristic sound.  Save yourself the headache and start with good reeds and mouthpieces from the beginning.

Reed Brands: Vandoren Blue Box Traditional Cut 2.5; Vandoren V21 2 or 2.5, D’Addario Reserve 2.5.

Embouchure 

1. The top teeth rest on the top of the mouthpiece, directly above where the reed first touches the side rails of the mouthpiece.  (This spot can be located by placing an index card in between the reed and mouthpiece).  Too much mouthpiece = blasty, honky sounds; too little=thin, non-resonant sounds.
2. Roll a small portion of the lower lip over the bottom teeth. (Think putting on ChapStick in the winter) This creates a cushion that touches the reed.  Do not roll too much lower lip in or the chin will bunch.
3. The upper lip rests on the mouthpiece without curling under or being placed under the top teeth.
4. Move the corners of the lips toward the mouthpiece to create a seal around it. 
5. Avoid pressure from the jaw with biting. Pressure should be horizontal towards the mouthpiece, not vertical from the teeth and chin. 

When your students start making their first sounds, spend lots of time on the “tiny saxophone.”  This is the mouthpiece, reed, ligature, and neck only.  Play lots of “I play, then you play” games.  Have the students echo you and focus on looking at your embouchure as you do this.  The name of the game here is modeling.  By not having the entire instrument to worry about, you will be better able to evaluate how their embouchures are developing.  

It is also helpful to have the students use a mirror while doing this embouchure/tiny saxophone work.  Seeing is believing. 

Teach the students that occasionally they must “vacuum” the reed.  When you hear spitty, gurgling sounds in the tone, it usually means that there is excess moisture on the back of the reed that must be cleared.  Show the students how to quickly inhale to vacuum this off.  Older, dead reeds sometimes hold more water and it is a sign that it is time for a new reed.  Teach your students that good saxophone tone does not sound like someone is frying bacon!

Articulation 

It is very difficult to separate embouchure work from articulation work.  If you desire that your saxophone section play with great sounds, poor articulation skills can destroy a great saxophone tone in a heartbeat.  Do not delay introducing articulation or students may not ever embrace it. 

The shape of the oral cavity is important when prepping the students for articulation.  Get students to close their eyes and really think about how the inside of their mouth, throat, and tongue feel.  Ask them to silently form an “aw” syllable (allow lips to part) like they are yawning.  Ask them if they feel how this lifts the middle of the tongue.  Now that they are sensing their oral cavity you are ready to talk about articulation.

 Things to remember:

1. Move only the tip of the tongue, not the entire tongue. 
2. While many directors are still comfortable with using a “t” syllable for tonguing, this can cause a small blast of air at the front of the note, making the articulation sound too heavy.  Try using a “dah” syllable to avoid this.  
3.  Remind the students that the tongue interrupts the air rather than stopping the air. The air never stops.
4. Start with the tongue against the reed and while blowing air, pull the tongue away from the reed to start the tone.

Horn Carriage/Posture

Awkward beginning band middle schoolers can really struggle with the neckstrap when first learning to assemble and play their instrument.  I always required my students to pass the “neckstrap test” prior to moving on to making their first sounds. Be sure they can tighten and loosen the strap into the correct position so that the mouthpiece enters the embouchure slightly below the horizontal position.  Whether your alto students play in the middle or to the side, you cannot form a good embouchure if the neckstrap is not adjusted to proper playing position.

Another posture concept that impacts breathing and tone is body alignment.  Be sure that the students are sitting tall with “head, shoulders, knees, and toes” all in alignment.  This will allow the mouthpiece to enter the embouchure correctly and free up the breathing apparatus for full inhalation and exhalation. 

Exercises and Pieces for Beginning Saxophonists

Vogt Williams, Darcy and Balmages, Brian (2023).  Count Me In.  FJH.
These charts are the perfect way to learn how to count while you work tone production on your “tiny saxophone.”

Williams, Richard and King, Jeff.  Foundations for Superior Performance. Kjos. 1997. Exercises 1a–1c and 2a–2c
After your students have learned the first 5 notes of concert B-flat scale you are ready for them to dive into the exercises in front of the book.  Exercises 1a–1c and 2a–2c are perfect warm-ups when the students are ready.

Curd, Tim.  14 Easy Duets. Published by the composer.
It is so important for beginning saxophonists to get excited about solo and ensemble/chamber music.  This set of very easy duets will motivate the students to practice while they learn these duets based on folksongs and patriotic music of Americana.

Ostling, Acton and Weber, Fred. Student Instrumental Course-Duets for Alto Saxophone Students Level 1. Alfred. 2000.
The Belwin Student Instrumental Course is for individual instruction and class instruction of like instruments.  This collection of well-arranged beginning band classic melodies is perfect for growing your students’ interests in small group performance.

References:

• Teal, L. (1963). The Art of Saxophone Playing. Alfred Music. 
• Richtmeyer, D. (2021). The Richtmeyer Method for Saxophone Mastery, Vol 1 (Vol. 1). Presser. 

Best wishes to everyone as you impart the true potential of the saxophone with great teaching of fundamentals!

Explore the NEW Sound Innovations Extras for concert band and strings in MakeMusic Cloud and you’ll find hundreds of excellent supplemental exercises that will reinforce the concepts you are teaching alongside exciting movie soundtrack accompaniments. 

Learn about Power Up!

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We have been using MakeMusic Cloud (formerly SmartMusic) for a number of years now and one of our favorite applications is the impact of providing students with accompaniment tracks for their solos that can be adjusted for the performance speed of each individual performer. 

One of our annual student goals is a successful solo performance for our district solo festival each spring. The ability to practice with an accompaniment track on a daily basis is a game changer for students as they prepare. This unique opportunity allows students to develop awareness of how the solo and accompaniment parts fit and function with each other.

Leading a Title I band program, like at Lewisville HS, can present a number of financial obstacles as we attempt to provide our students with the very best musical experiences possible. MakeMusic Cloud allows every student in our program to have access to music at their level with the ability to practice and perform as a complete work with full piano accompaniment. 

Further Details:

• All band students play a solo at our district Solo Contest
• 40% of our current students participate in private lessons
  • Private lesson teachers assist in the selection of solos for their students. Ensemble directors work with remaining 60% of students to choose a solo from MakeMusic Cloud
  • The majority of students in private lessons will perform with a live accompanist for contest
  • The majority of students working exclusively with an ensemble director will perform with the MakeMusic Cloud accompaniment for contest

Selecting Solos:

• As we work together with individual students to make a solo selection we are:
  • Prioritizing each student’s preference to style (dance-like vs. song-like)—we are looking for instant buy-in 
  • Finding the ability of each solo to continue to push the performer to develop the next layer of musicianship skills
  • Guide students to solos that we know past students have enjoyed and grown through performance
• Students in the top two bands choose their solo from Concert and Contest Collection, edited by H. Voxman.
• Students in the third band choose their solo from the Spooky Solos collection, published by MakeMusic, Inc. (available for string students as well).
  • Fan favorites from this collection include:
    • “I’m So Happy I’m a Ghost (A Tragic Tango)” by Fred Flowerday
    • “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas, arr. Mark F. Adler
    • “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg, arr. Mark F. Adler
    • “Jacque’s Unfortunate Boat Ride” by Gustav Mahler, arr. F.M. Bunbury

How We Practice with MakeMusic Cloud:

• Students are able to access MakeMusic Cloud on their Chromebooks, laptops, tablets, or iPads.
• Students initially practice with the MakeMusic Cloud accompaniment, embedded metronome, and solo track. As we approach the performance, students gradually turn down the metronome and solo voice volume until they are ready to perform with the accompaniment only.
• In January and February, any ensemble staff member who is not directing the class is pulling students for a weekly 10-minute lesson on the solo during class time. These lessons are aimed to provide students with insight on how to practice more effectively by using the solo as the vehicle. In a setting with only one director, students can sign up for solo help time slots before/after school, during lunch, during tutoring time, etc.

Performance Opportunities

• Students perform at the solo contest with a school laptop connected to a speaker for their accompaniment 
• Assisted Living Homes
• Studio Recital
• Outstanding students can be selected to perform their solo at the spring concert

The end goal is giving all students the ability to perform a complete solo work and feel great about the process no matter what their financial situation. Taking the time to continually work on individual skills and performance pays dividends to the ensemble as a whole.

MakeMusic Cloud allows us to provide 100% of our students with a fantastic solo performance opportunity! 

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Alicia DeSoto serves as Associate Director of Bands at Lewisville High School in Lewisville, Texas. Mrs. DeSoto earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas, and her Master of Music in Music Education degree from Southern Methodist University. She is an active guest clinician, lecturer, and adjudicator and has professional affiliations with the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association. She currently serves as the TMEA Region 2 Vice President. Current projects include the Musical Mastery Beginner Band series with Asa Burk, Kathy Johnson, Chris Meredith, and Dominic Talanca. As the chief editor for Musical Mastery, Mrs. DeSoto has enjoyed the opportunity to compile an instrument-specific beginner curriculum to share with thousands of students throughout the country.

Chris Meredith is currently the Director of Bands at Lewisville High School in Lewisville, Texas. Prior to his position at Lewisville, Mr. Meredith served as Director of Bands at Shadow Ridge Middle School in Flower Mound, Texas for thirteen years. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas and a Graduate Degree in Music Education from Southern Methodist University. Meredith is an active adjudicator, author, guest clinician, and lecturer, and is honored to have professional affiliations with Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and Phi Beta Mu. Current projects include the Musical Mastery educational band series with Asa Burk, Alicia DeSoto, Kathy Johnson, and Dominic Talanca. 

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