Saturday, 24 July 2010
Correctly Using an Electronic Tuner
 The electronic tuner is a practice tool, like buzzing devices, a metronome, and even a mirror. It can have great value if used appropriately. As mentioned before in this thread, it is helpful learning the tendencies of the instrument(s) you play. If you know a particular note is generally flat, for example, you can at least start heading the most likely direction as you seek to tune to the harmonies around you when playing with others. You ear can tell you that your horn has some problem notes, but you can easily be mislead by the timbre of the horn and by our human tendency to get used to the problem notes sounding the way they do. On the older Besson euphoniums I played, for example, the 6th partial was very sharp. The more I tried to pull it down, the more off-center it sounded compared to what the horn would have preferred. The timbre made it sound flat when I bent it down, even though I may not have moved it all the way down to where it should have been. A tuner doesn't care about timbre; it will give you consistent information.
Some players like to use a tuner on their stand during rehearsal, which can also be useful if used with judgment. I have used it off and on. Sometimes you learn more quickly what your tendencies are when playing in different contexts (and at different volumes than you may normally practice). But I found just as much value in knowing what is going on around me. It is useful to know if the trumpets are playing sharp in a passage, for instance. And when I was having trouble finding a comfortable pitch in a chord, I sometimes dropped out to see what else was happening. Often I could see, as the tuner sought to find something to lock onto, that the chord was not in tune regardless of my contribution. Note that it is important to train your ears in as many ways as possible. Playing along with "drone tones" is a valuable tool as well. (Drone pitches are long tones, usually produced electronically, that you use to learn to match pitch and to make intervals sound true.) Euphoniumist Tom Ball put together a set of drones and a helpful booklet, which I offer for free download on my site: Drone Tuning Tones and Booklet We did some experiments in the Coast Guard Band. Two of us would play a major third, each using a tuner and matching absolute pitch. The interval just didn't sound right. One had to stop being "dead right" in order to make the interval sound right. When you practice with a tuner, don't just play one long tone after another. Also include normal practice while letting the tuner run. Take a look at it now and then. You may find you are doing things to the pitch that you did not intend to do just because of the context. Especially try playing a various dynamics. Your control over a pitch, and even your perception of the pitch center, may change as you get louder or softer. A major advantage of a tuner is that it ignores your "habits of hearing" and tells you something based on an absolute standard. If you are used to hearing particular notes sharp or flat, that becomes your standard to some extent. But even without a tuner you can work to avoid that kind of perception. Play a familiar melody up a step, or down an octave. You may learn that intervals sound different because the melody now sits in the midst of different sharp/flat notes. It's a handy "reality check" for your ears. Either a tuner or a metronome can be a useful tool or can become a crutch. Common sense helps a lot, as does a good instructor. Just keep in mind that the goal is making fine music, not playing like a computer! Read more | 0 comments
Posted By Dave Werden at 8:12 PM in Category:Performance Tips
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Tuesday, 6 July 2010
A Double-Duty Euphonium Lap Pillow
Many euphonium players use a pillow of some kind to help them hold up the horn when they are seated while playing. In a pinch one, I even made one from a bath towel, rolled up and tied with dental floss (it works so well I have used it for years while practicing).
Then it dawned on me that I always carry an accessory bag in my case. It holds valve oil, slide grease, slide cream for the trigger slide, extra felts, etc. While at ITEC in Tucson I found a zippered bag that is a little larger than the one I was using. The new bag is large enough to serve as a lap pillow when properly stuffed. So now I keep all my accessories in that bag. I fold a polishing cloth first and put it in the bag so there is a nice center area where I can put the accessories. It makes a very nice sized pillow, and it's only one bulky item to carry in my case. The bag is made of a fabric that has a fake suede finish, so it stays in place without slipping around. And the zipper is nylon so it is not likely to scratch my horn. The bag is available from Hickey's Music, who was the vendor I purchased from at ITEC. The manufacturer is Chonkite, and the product name is the MKP, Accessory Kit Pouch, priced about $15. Just use the link below and search for 12148: http://www.hickeys.com/ Empty Bag, Shown with Typical Contents: 
Packed Bag, Shown Open: 
Packed Bag, Closed: 
Bag In Playing Position: 
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Posted By Dave Werden at 8:57 PM in Category:General Tuba-Euphonium Blog
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Friday, 18 June 2010
New Way to Clean Your Horn
While I was at the ITEC exhibits I had the chance to meet a genuine entrepreneur, Mr. Bill Ricker. Or maybe "inventor" is a better word. He did what clever folks have done all through history: he saw a need and developed a solution to addresses it.
Most of you reading this have probably tried to clean a horn out at some time or other. And some of you have probably wanted to do some horn cleaning while you were traveling. I have cleaned my euphonium at home by putting a garden hose down the bell, "sealing" it with a cloth wrapped around it, and turning on the water. This produces a nice flow through the horn, but it's only practical in warm weather. Winter in Minnesota is no time to use that particular technique. On band tours or run-outs for conferences I have sometimes wanted to clean my horn in a hotel room, but could find no way to do a full rinse. I had to settle for swabbing out the tubes. That works well, but can be time consuming and can dislodge "chunks" that I would like to be able to rinse out. A combination of a swab and a rinse would be ideal.  Along came Mr. Ricker with answer! He has a product to enable easy rinsing for large horns (trombones, euphoniums, tubas) and one for smaller horns (French horn, cornet/trumpet). There are two types in each size. One is made to hook up to a standard hose fitting, such as a garden hose faucet or a utility room faucet with a threaded end. It is shown to the left, and is fitted with a short hose, because in most cases you will be fitting it to the end of a garden hose. The other model (shown below) is made to fit over a tub faucet (or maybe a large sink faucet. The latter version has a much longer hose for manipulating the logistics of a bathroom.
 The idea is simple enough, but works like a charm. I tried the short hose with the threaded end at my outside hose faucet. It produced a powerful rinsing flow in the bore of the horn. And I briefly tried the longer bathtub version on my own tub faucet. It fit really nicely, but my faucet has a shower diverter that can't handle the back pressure. It should work in many hotel tubs, though.
 Here is a spout shape similar to mine. Despite the nearly square profile, the hose fit on and stayed nicely. The problem in this case was the pull up diverter. It is not well sealed internally, so water will spray out around the hole, as indicated in the picture.
In the included instructions, Mr. Ricker describes a thorough cleaning process using his product(s). However, I think it's almost more valuable as a quick between-full-cleaning rinse out. If you rinse the horn regularly it would keep it much cleaner on an ongoing basis. I have sometimes played in dusty conditions and wished I could easily rinse the horn out afterward. This would have done the trick. I would have taken out the main tuning slide (the tubes after that point don't collect much grime), put the hose on the tub faucet, put the fitting in the leadpipe, and run the water for a few seconds. Then I would have blown out the water, dried the horn, and put it to bed. Five or Ten minutes would be enough. He sells them individually, or as both types in one kit. Learn more on the website: QuickHornRinse.com Read more | 0 comments
Posted By Dave Werden at 10:31 PM in Category:General Tuba-Euphonium Blog
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Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Finally! Some Help to Avoid Dry Mouth
I recently returned from a performance at ITEC 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. There were a few logistical problems, not the least of which was that Delta managed to damage my horn's tuning slide. But I borrowed a loaner from Custom Music's display. It's a little like running a foot race in new shoes, but it wasn't too uncomfortable.
However, I really didn't welcome the extra mental stress of performing with a brand-new instrument. A thing like that can make a person nervous! And I still remember a recital I played in Arizona in (I think) 1996. My mouth dried out worse than it ever has and I had trouble getting notes out of the horn. (In case you haven't experienced it, the air in Arizona is pretty dry!) Fortunately, for this trip I tried to plan ahead. I had found some mouth spray that claims to help fight dry mouth, so I figured this was the perfect chance to test it. I used some shortly before my performance and had no trouble whatsoever. But I was only playing in one piece, and had plenty of rest at that, so maybe I would have been OK regardless. Two other performers, James Gourley and Matthew Van Emmerik, were having a bit of discomfort with the dry air. Both of them tried the spray and report that it worked as advertised. Over the years I have spoken to many, many players who experience this trouble. My advice (which is still good, regardless of the spray) is to stay very well hydrated for at least the 24 hours ahead of the performance, get a good rest, and avoid caffeine (which tends to dry one out). In my 1996 performance I tried to do those things, but it was hard to manage all those precautions around the schedule of the event. I'm reasonably confident that this spray would have helped. You might find it at your local drug store. If not, here is a link to get it from Amazon: Read more | 3 comments
Posted By Dave Werden at 5:12 PM in Category:Performance Tips
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Saturday, 5 June 2010
ITEC 2010 - Let's Go Shopping!
Why does one spend the money and take the time to attend an International Tuba-Euphonium Conference? Certainly to hear some wonderful performances and to meet old friends and make new ones. That is reason enough to go for many. But consider the shopping/research opportunities!
There are many posts on my forum about things like:
If you have never attended one of these events, you may have no idea of the opportunities to compare/find/try various items. It is something that is nearly impossible to match any other way. Below is a little tour of the displays. I probably missed a few, but most are represented. Consider the expense the vendors took to get there. Try to estimate how many dollars-worth of instruments and accessories were available to attendees. It is a staggering number, I'm sure. As an aside, when I thought back over about 3 decades of going to these events in the USA, it seems like the most consistent participants (for vendors) have been Custom Music and Miraphone. For those who pay attention, a certain amount of appreciation of those two companies would seem natural. So thanks, folks!
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Posted By Dave Werden at 10:42 PM in Category:General Tuba-Euphonium Blog
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Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Music Should Be Fun - And So Should Arranging
If you are reading this blog, you are probably a musician. And if you are a musician, you probably stay with music (either as a hobby or profession) because you enjoy it, right? It's certainly true for me.
I'm mentally composing an article for a later time about enjoying playing AND practicing music. But for today's post I'd like to focus on the fun of writing/arranging music. I've been writing arrangements since I was in college. And sometime several years after that, my arrangements actually started sounding good. Truth be told, I ALWAYS enjoy arranging. It's a little like doing a puzzle - how do you make a piece for full orchestra sound right when played by a euphonium-tuba quartet? How can I keep the harmonies sounding clear without putting the top parts in the stratosphere? How can I work it out so that every player in the ensemble has an interesting part? And so on. But this past year I have had an especially fine time! For one thing I got back to pencil and paper to do the drafts. It seems less efficient, doesn't it? If I could only draft it using Finale, then I can just tweak it right there. Otherwise I write the whole thing out in pencil (well, "scribble" might be a better word) and then I still have to enter it into Finale. But I find that I think more freely using pencil and paper. I'm not thinking about layouts, formats, etc. - just the notes. It was a nice reminder about how well "old technology" can work. This Fall I set out to do a few arrangements that were even more fun than usual. I chose some "novelty" songs that were written around the turn of the century (the previous one, not the one from just 10 years ago). They were great fun to arrange, and have the potential to be great fun to play, too. First was "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow" by Tabrar. The original song was a tale of a young child who wanted a dog, but whose father would not buy one (maybe you figured that out already). The composer made the melodies fit the lyrics, which are at the end of this post. As with the other songs discussed here, arranging a novelty song like this means one can be a bit more "cute" in the shaping of lines, articulations, etc. I have no doubt, given the imagination of many groups, that some might have a little more "programmatic" fun during performances. Then I wanted to do "Learning McFadden to Waltz" by Carey. Here we have the story of a man who wanted to learn to dance, but who was "blessed" with feet too large to seem dance-able. Look at the lyrics below to get an idea. I decided to guild the lily and write a little more graphic "learning curve" into the arrangement. The first time through the chorus, I wrote the solo tuba waaaaay off the 3/4 beat. But by the final chorus, the tuba solo waltzes easily along with rest of the ensemble. Here is an audio file, which was thrown together quickly but might give you an idea of the piece: Learning McFadden to Waltz Last on this list was "Mosquitoes' Parade" by Whitney. This one has no lyrics, but a very clever melody that works well when set in a ponderous mode. So I renamed it to "Parade of the Giant Mosquitoes" to fit the low brass medium. It is basically a march in 6/8 time with engaging harmonies that help move the verses along. What's next? Stay tuned, because soon I'll have a new arrangement that will be just as much fun, but will be a little more traditional musically. And probably later this summer I'll have a nice new solo/piano piece ready. Below are links to the pieces and the promised lyrics. I hope groups enjoy playing them as much as I enjoyed writing them! Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow Parade of the Giant Mosquitoes Learning McFadden to Waltz Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Bow I love my little cat, I do With soft black silky hair It comes with me each day to school And sits upon the chair When teacher says "why do you bring That little pet of yours?" I tell her that I bring my cat Along with me because Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow! Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow! I've got a little cat And I'm very fond of that But I'd rather have a bow-wow Wow, wow, wow, wow We used to have two tiny dogs Such pretty little dears But daddy sold 'em 'cause they used To bite each other's ears I cried all day, at eight each night Papa sent me to bed When Ma came home and wiped my eyes I cried again and said Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow! Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow! I've got a little cat And I'm very fond of that But I'd rather have a bow-wow Wow, wow, wow, wow I'll be so glad when I get old To do just as I "likes" I'll keep a parrot and at least A half a dozen tykes And when I've got a tiny pet I'll kiss the little thing Then put it in its little cot And on to it I'll sing Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow! Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow! I've got a little cat And I'm very fond of that But I'd rather have a bow-wow Wow, wow, wow, wow Learning McFadden to Waltz Now Terrence McFadden he wanted to waltz But his feet were not gauged that way So he saw a professor and stated his case Said he "Sure I'm willing to pay" The professor looked down in alarm at his feet And he viewed their enormous expanse Then he tacked on a five to his regular price For teaching McFadden to dance Chorus: Oh, one, two, three, balance like me You're quite a dancer but you have your faults Your left foot is lazy, your right foot is crazy But don't be uneasy I'll teach you to waltz He took out McFadden before the whole class And he showed him the steps once or twice But McFadden's big feet got tied up in a knot Sure, he thought he was standing on ice At last he broke loose and struck out with a will Never looking behind or before But his head got so dizzy he fell on his face And chewed half the wax off the floor Chorus When Terrence had practiced the steps once or twice Sure he thought he had put them down fine He went to a girl and he asked her to dance And wheeled her out into the line He walked on her feet and he fractured her toes And said that her movements were false Sure the poor girl went 'round for two weeks on a crutch For learning McFadden to waltz Chorus Read more | 0 comments
Posted By Dave Werden at 8:23 PM in Category:General Tuba-Euphonium Blog
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