The Importance of Marking Your Music. Now that you understand the music and checked for any calls for mutes, the next step is to start rehearsals. Most of the time the director is reasonable and understanding during the first couple scheduled rehearsals and everyone learns their responsibilities for the show.…
These posts are written by: Bruce Chidester
Preparing for a Show Chapter 2 (setting up your practice routine)
Because of the short notice to play this show, my usual routine had to be changed. Usually I will check over the music to find what challenges it might have such as range, endurance, solos, unusual keys, etc. In this case it was and is a straight forward vocal/skit/comedy show…
Preparing for a Show- Chapter 1 (short notice)
Most often a musician is called to perform in a show in Branson at least a month before the first rehearsal, but recently the norm had changed. A new show is in Branson, “which you should go to if you enjoy New York level performers, excellent music and a trip…
Don’s Dictionary of Delirious Dictum
24/7: The time signature of the national anthem of India. Agent: A character how resents performers getting 90% of his salary. Ballet: An art form for people with eating disorders. Bandstand: The area furthest away from an outlet. Big Band: Currently referring to an aggregation of two musicians. Cabaret: A…
Brass Articulation- Triple Tonguing
From the material you have practiced in the preceding post (Double Tonguing) you should have an understanding of the use of multiple articulations. The next level will be using the Tah and Dah attack along with an additional Tah attack. This Tah Tah Kah articulation is called triple tonguing and…
Brass Articulation- Double Tonguing
Double tonguing was developed to increase the speed at which a player could re-articulate a series of notes. From the time of Arban to the performances of Herbert L. Clark the technique was practiced and improved to the point where these musicians were able to accomplish fantastic performances of extremely…
Brass Articulation- The Many Positions of Tah and Dah
To most brass players, the use of Tah and Dah is enough to comprehend but when you have nothing to do at this time of the morning, you need something more than coffee to keep you going and this next material may be beneficial to you. The many syllables based…
Brass Articulation- Why We Use Tah and Dah
It is now 4:26 AM in the morning of Saturday, January 8, 2011 and you are probable asleep in your bed. You may ask, “Why am I sitting at my computer writing this post”? Moments ago, while laying in bed a question flashed through my head “why do we use…
Free Mute Holder!
After checking every mute holder on the market today, I decided I could do better than what was available on line and in the stores. If you need your mutes available in a short amount of time, you may be interested in my solution. I got the music for a…
The Westerlies- Possibly the Best Brass Ensemble….Period!
When choosing these words, I have taken a lot of time to consider my final choice for one benefit of being old is that I have seen and heard many brass ensembles through the years. I have listed below many of the most outstanding brass ensembles and how they stack…