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clovenhoof81 New Member
Joined: 21 Jul 2022 Posts: 10 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:15 pm Post subject: Recommendation for syllables C4 thru C5 |
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I'm practicing the octave range C4 thru C5, twelve semitones. I saw an image from search engine that instructed to use syllables toh for C4 thru F#4, tay for G4 thru B4, and tee for C5 and higher. Is this correct? Should syllable tay be replaced with tah? Are there any decent instructional links online? Thanks |
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JayKosta Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Dec 2018 Posts: 3276 Location: Endwell NY USA
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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The purpose of the syllables is to assist in positioning the lips, jaw, tongue, etc. into a good position for the desired notes. They are not some type of 'magic incantation'.
And it's likely that the author chose the syllables that the author found to be most helpful for the author - or perhaps for a large percentage of the author's students. _________________ Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'. |
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Mike Prestage Heavyweight Member
Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 714 Location: Hereford, UK
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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I have a few thoughts that would address this question directly but they'd take a while to put in to words. Before I do, I'm wondering if you saw my PM?
Mike |
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clovenhoof81 New Member
Joined: 21 Jul 2022 Posts: 10 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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Mike Prestage wrote: | I have a few thoughts that would address this question directly but they'd take a while to put in to words. Before I do, I'm wondering if you saw my PM?
Mike |
Yes, I saw your video and watched about 30 minutes of it. I'm working on playing a complete octave and memorizing notes and fingering |
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Mike Prestage Heavyweight Member
Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 714 Location: Hereford, UK
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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That's good to know, thanks. I don't personally teach the approach you're asking about but, if you want to explore it, you're much more likely to get good results if you use the different syllables as general pointers towards what producing higher and lower notes feels like. If they don't seem to be helping you to get things working, don't worry about it - there's no reason why they necessarily should. Also, FWIW, the particular syllables you mentioned aren't the only ones in use in brass teaching - for example Claude Gordon's approach uses two basic syllables, taw and tee (or aw and ee when slurring).
Though I very much doubt this is what the author intended, the instructions you found seem to imply that there's a pronounced shift in how the notes are produced between F#4 and G4, and between B4 and C5. Regardless of whether or not you're making syllable-style changes of tongue posture when changing pitch, the physical feel for producing the pitch should change incrementally for each note up or down the chromatic scale. If there are any sudden shifts, some notes are going to sound much better than others.
When practicing scales, always remember to keep your ears wide open - the consistency of tone, volume and intonation from note to note will tell you how well things are developing. Remember that C#4 and D4 are inherently awkward though so don't get too distracted by the pitch of those at this stage unless you've started learning to use the third valve slide.
Mike |
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