False-note exercises on tuba
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:09 am
False notes come up from time to time, often as substitutes for valved notes. In the trumpet and trombone world they are used as tools in embouchure development. Until fairly recently I used them the same way on low conical brasses. The latest thread on the topic made me write down my exercises, which I always did out of the head.
The introduction says:
False-note exercises for tuba
(‘Trumpet fingerings’)
On trombone my main reference on false notes was one of Claude Gordon’s book (Daily Trumpet Routines). With trombone (and trumpet) the false note used is a fifth above the open 1st partial. Plus the privileged equivalents of these two notes in two lower octaves.
Without entering discussions about acoustics and their underlying mathematic theories the main false note on low conical brasses appears being a fourth above the open 1st partial. Plus the privileged equivalents of these two notes in one lower octave.
Some tuba players use fingered privileged notes to fill the gap between the open 1st partial and the lowest fingered derivate of the 2nd partial, if they play instruments with 3 valves only. My approach to the false notes has been different, as I mainly have used them for warm-up routines. They demand very open and loose, yet well controlled, functions of embouchure and breathing apparatus. My work with this extreme low range has been of the type outlined in the following music pages, however a series of disclaimers are necessary:
The notation is in ‘trumpet fingerings’ to avoid making dedicated versions for each pitch of low brasses. The fingering indications hint toward a 4-valve instrument, yet the players of instruments with a different number of valves will find relevant fingering substitutions.
I mostly have done these exercises on my Conn 26K and 28K Eb sousaphones, but also a bit on my F and Eb compensating tubas. Hardly ever on my basses in CC or BBb.
I never did all of the exercises in the same session, as they exhaust the breathing apparatus very soon. Main problem for me was about the lungs getting very dry.
As my fairly recent hernia was without pain, I cannot link its cause directly to doing these exercises. Yet I will take no responsibility whatsoever for the potentially damaging effects of doing these exercises. I haven’t started doing these exercises after undergoing hernia surgery.
Still I found it relevant setting up this systematic approach to false notes on low conical brasses. Use it, if you know what you are doing, or get the support of a competent teacher.
Korsør - September 19th - 2012
The high resolution .pdf version may be downloaded from my Yahoo-based project of making free music available:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Yo ... or%20tuba/
Klaus
The introduction says:
False-note exercises for tuba
(‘Trumpet fingerings’)
On trombone my main reference on false notes was one of Claude Gordon’s book (Daily Trumpet Routines). With trombone (and trumpet) the false note used is a fifth above the open 1st partial. Plus the privileged equivalents of these two notes in two lower octaves.
Without entering discussions about acoustics and their underlying mathematic theories the main false note on low conical brasses appears being a fourth above the open 1st partial. Plus the privileged equivalents of these two notes in one lower octave.
Some tuba players use fingered privileged notes to fill the gap between the open 1st partial and the lowest fingered derivate of the 2nd partial, if they play instruments with 3 valves only. My approach to the false notes has been different, as I mainly have used them for warm-up routines. They demand very open and loose, yet well controlled, functions of embouchure and breathing apparatus. My work with this extreme low range has been of the type outlined in the following music pages, however a series of disclaimers are necessary:
The notation is in ‘trumpet fingerings’ to avoid making dedicated versions for each pitch of low brasses. The fingering indications hint toward a 4-valve instrument, yet the players of instruments with a different number of valves will find relevant fingering substitutions.
I mostly have done these exercises on my Conn 26K and 28K Eb sousaphones, but also a bit on my F and Eb compensating tubas. Hardly ever on my basses in CC or BBb.
I never did all of the exercises in the same session, as they exhaust the breathing apparatus very soon. Main problem for me was about the lungs getting very dry.
As my fairly recent hernia was without pain, I cannot link its cause directly to doing these exercises. Yet I will take no responsibility whatsoever for the potentially damaging effects of doing these exercises. I haven’t started doing these exercises after undergoing hernia surgery.
Still I found it relevant setting up this systematic approach to false notes on low conical brasses. Use it, if you know what you are doing, or get the support of a competent teacher.
Korsør - September 19th - 2012
The high resolution .pdf version may be downloaded from my Yahoo-based project of making free music available:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Yo ... or%20tuba/
Klaus
On some horns, the open false tone is often the most unreliable and can be all over the place, pitch wise. On those horns, the false tones seem to get better the more valves you put down. Of course, there are the horns (probably including the 26K previously mentioned) where the false tones are as solid and reliable as any other note on the instrument.