Practice Tools
I thought I would share some of my favorite practice tools. Most of these tools are rather basic, and every student should have (and use) these basic tools. Some of these tools may be new to you, so read on and I will tell you what they are, where to find them and most importantly, how to use them.
Metronome
Surely, every musician is aware of the metronome. Using a metronome is essential for developing rudimentary time. I have many metronomes that I use, but I tend to use the DB-90 more often than not for the fact that it not only keeps time, but has many subdivision options as well as a tone generator for practicing intonation.
Mouthpiece
Every brass musician has probably been told about the benefits of practicing on the mouthpiece, so I wont rehash that here. Mouthpiece buzzing has come under fire recently, but I am a firm believer in buzzing the mouthpiece. Personally, I buzz the mouthpiece for a fairly extended time during my warm-up. Buzzing the mouthpiece is great for ensuring that you are actually producing the pitches at the lips that you are trying to produce on the instrument. Once one becomes as comfortable playing the mouthpiece as they do the trombone, then the function of mouthpiece buzzing becomes primarily an air motivator.
Tuner (not pictured)
I feel that a tuner has limited uses when trying to judge your intonation relative to a tonal center. For instance, if you were playing the opening fanfare from Tuba Mirum the D’s would register as flat with a tuner, but because of that notes function harmonically it should be lowered. However, I do use a tuner to make sure that the instrument is in tune and to check my pitch center. Additionally, I will use the tuner when playing long tones which do not imply any kind of harmonic function such as those found in The Brass Gym. When using a tuner, establish your pitch and try to evaluate where you think the pitch center is, then glance at your tuner to judge whether or not you were correct. Staring at the tuner the entire time you play teaches you to evaluate pitch with your eyes instead of your ear, which has little use in a performance setting.
JoRal Shortcut
The “shortcut” is picture on the bottom, second from the right. It is a very basic tool that consits of several inches of brass tubing connected to a copper bell. The shortcut produces a feel that is very similar to that of the instrument. I feel that buzzing the mouthpiece alone is great at the beginning of my warm-up, but the different sensations can sometimes cause a bit of confusion in my chops if I use the mouthpiece alone later in my practice day. Therefore, to keep the feel of buzzing as similar as possible to the instrument I use the Shortcut. You can reproduce this tool rather cheaply by purchasing a 1-inch diameter piece of plastic tubing (such as a garden hose) and playing with the length until you find a feel similar to the instrument. Ralph Sauer suggests a piece of tubing roughly 9 inches in length with a hole drilled about one inch below the shank of the mouthpiece. This hole can be uncovered/covered when you experience a “break” in the pitches that the tubing will support.
Incentive Spirometer
Some teachers advocate the spirometer for breathing, but I personally dont feel like it works well in that application. However, the included tubing is perfect for inserting the mouthpiece. When turned upside-down, the ball in the spirometer will acsend when air passes through the device. I periodically use the spirometer with the mouthpiece to ensure that the air at the attack of a note is of sufficient speed. When articulating using the insterted mouthpiece, the ball should immediately jump to the top of the device.
Breathing Tube
My breathing tube is fairly large in diameter, but even a 1-inch diameter piece of tubing will work just fine. If I ever feel like my breathing is laborious I will pull out the tube and breath in and out a few times to establish relaxed breathing. You can make one very easily by purchasing some PVC pipe and cutting it several inches long. The tube pictured was made with a shaft saver for golf clubs.
Recording Device
Recording yourself is an invaluable device. I usually use a Zoom H4, run into my computer. It is preferable to use a recording device that records with sufficient sound quality. Avoid voice/memo recorders as these devices do not have mics that record an accurate trombone sound. Additionally, many voice recorders contain an auto gain which raises the levels of soft passages and lowers the level of loud passages. This leaves you unable to judge dynamics. I really like the Zoom H4 and H2. These devices can be fairly expensive, but the investment pays for itself over and over again.
UltraBreathe
The UltraBreathe is a breathing device endorsed by euphonium soloist Steven Meade. The device consists of a plastic mouthpiece attached to PVC pipe that allows you to adjust the amount of resistance on the inhale. This tool is not an essential, but is a neat tool to have. The Ultrabreathe can be found at www.justforbrass.com
Mouthpiece Rim/Rim Visualizer
I just recently started using a rim visualizer and I wish I had started sooner! I feel that the assessments I can make using the rim visualizer are greater than buzzing he mouthpiece alone.
Practice Mute
I dont use a practice mute often, but it can be good for students who are not used to playing with a full sound. Trying to get a full sound using the practice mute can really open up the sound on the open horn. It is also useful when traveling.
Video Recorder
Few people probably every video record themselves playing, but it can be a valuable tool when evaluating your physical efficiency on the instrument. Often, how we think we look when we play is very different from how we actually look. Video recording yourself playing can make you aware of how your posture affects your playing and also enables you to find inefficiency in the slide technique. Additionally, many festivals/competitions are requiring video audition tapes now.
These are just a few of the tools I use. Stay tuned, as shortly I will be recording video clips of some of the practice techniques I use.