rass Fast Runs, High Notes, and Mutes, Basic Fare for Euphonium Parts by Masahito Kuroda A second problem with chis excerpt is the intonation. The 6th partial (F4 Et, and Ed) o sen problen itly open the jaw to Lower ayers to use my © ait. O alvin Custer (Hal Ls In the fie moveraent of ite in F by Custav Holst (Boo awkes) there is one of the mase nd trickies of the euphonium This middle sepister solo over the wombone andeee ore ed Un eae) AND MOUTHPIECES, ‘TRUMPETS Nn ee ae aT ees en oo PICCOLO TRUMPETS EDM ———————n TUNING-BELL TRUMPETS SDE ee Ue aes proving intonation and CeCe offer varied tone color. ee Rene BNO stented Precision made for Trumpet, cS CeO eee BT oo Call or write for dealer in your area: SCHILKE MUSIC, INC. Ca Melrose Park, IL 60160 Pierce’ V ruease sno: ' Xrnevimetcatieg G Movtiplececatley 1 —— eerers or Band by Erickson (Bourne) jon problems associated wich pultaneously, the the intonation becomes. The B2 in is excerpt is easily played in tune on 2 fourvalve hom, while on a three | the thirdovalve slide will tion to be in cune and with the third d approximately only in one note in m and the third-valve tuning slide ca be pulled more than normal to make the B ind, and chird 3s more in tune (pushing it bac This tech- by Cliton Williams (Bamhouse), Soe cially tricky the parallel four-valve_instrumeny because the pinky finger presses the fourth valve. A common probl Tike this ts failing to cach valve completely. The best way ;0 work on a run like this is to break of eighth noe touch the bottom a Feel the valves, on to the only when the flow ie hese together as @ ee un, Repeat thi the wh e fourth 1 The shire Po Hl (Ludwig Musi 2 solo in the Young Sailor from Lincoins Perey Grainger Fen companiment of woodwinds playing sextuplet runs. at has to project over @ ent of 2 sailo joyed to see his fia ges and as with sic ing 2 good performance with understanding what the poser wants to express in the write: notes. The discussion of sound projec tion in the Holst suite als articularly diff from below or if ins on the 6th partial note. Sixth partials are it when appr a phrase bea wich the rn pl cented in the mus when playin} ide and px t, and che b we middle va the music whi Feature Your Outstanding Raed Da ee ce PF Handel Cons ‘8 Band Manfredi nd then Mor & Band Granados: Spavish Dane its Contact your ange music retailer Flom!) and... Other Concert Bund works| zy The Sxxopee Shop DO. ston Maro & Qzsheatea Co. teat the-art repr 4819 Main Street - Skokie, Tilinis 60076 Wain St, cere From Agath'sRestatran) | Teo naiapom sf vendor om Professional piccolos from Putot&) + Solid silver keys - never plated Besa need aco u PA b) Dutkart Dhelen Ear PURI eee eran a aT et ev eratncnee cnn creat evraust 89Grsinger (Schon) basa climactic Aen oh opeeerarerintd a It is common for young players to think of an octave jump as very wide, but the key to playing octave jumps is to understand that both notes are technically the same note and they can be played as though they were on the same line instead of thinking that they can be reached only by jumping to a different floor. One of the best jumps is exercise 9 ave and Tenth’ in ‘Arban's Method for Trombone, armanged by Randall, edited by Mantia (Carl Fischer). The lower note should be played with enough velocity for good resonance and be used as a springboard to the top note. The con- cept isnot to work hard to hit the hhigh nore bur to use the airstream to sich for gnc “The leaps in the famous solo line in Chiles Marc by Grainged Erickson (Schirmer) are even more difficult because the euphonium plays in the high register throughout the piece. The common problem here is that players use poor airflow, 2 pinched embouchure, and have excessive body tension. an. ‘A student who has difficulty reach- ing the Bg should play the ‘melody ‘many times an octave lower at a level of at least forte to memorize the exact intervals and ger the body accustomed! to using air freely and then play it as ‘written, Plenty of airshould be wed on the note before the leap ond the tmbouchute should not be pinched on the high Bb Sometimes it helps vo remave body tension in young players if they imag- ine that chey are playing on a smaller, high-pitched euphonium on which the notes above the staff are in the middle register. This way it only takes relaxed playing wich a fascer air seream to play the passage. Festive Overture by Shos. rakovich/Hunsburger (Hal Leonard) hnas very fase runs that are only man- ageable if young euphonium players use alternate fingerings. Throughout the piece the euphoni ums play many fast eighth-note runs with the woodwinds, which is quite common in orchestral transcriptions For imexperienced brass players the third finger 1s generally considerably slower than the fist and second fingers The 2-3 valve combination in the riddle of altemating cecond- and firse-valve fingerings is difficule and the solution isto use the first valve to finger Gb. Playmg Gb4 with the fise valve is not usually recommenced because i tends to be flat, but because iis so shore a note here it passes by tunnoticed. Ic helps to mark the music as a reminder exactly where the two- one pattern begins and ends and where the chromatic scale partesa starts at the end of the excerpt, Euphonian Excerpts from the Stand- ard Band and Orchestra Library by Barbara Payne (Cimarron Music) and the Euphonium Audition Advice websive by David Werden (www.dwerden.cos/ audition/index.hem) are excellen sources of additional information os this subject. Composition Contest ‘The Mezopolizen Wind Symphony for high school and college students from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hamp. shire, and Maine. The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2003, and the winner will be announced by Decem- ber 31, 2003. The main prize is $1,000, and the winning work will be_pre- rmiered by the Metropolitan Wind Sym- phony. (617-796-9990; werw:msw-boston. ‘org/commission{student-2003.hml) Guitar Materials from Carl Fischer Carl Fischer recently released series of three D.VD.s to accompany ‘The Guitar Grimoire, a set of books on theory and harmony by Adam Kadmon published several years ago. Each DV.D. includes material from the corresponding book and has the same title asthe matching book (Seales ‘and Modes, Chords and Voicing, Progressions and Improvisation). Adam Kadmon is also the author of The Guitarist’s Keyboard Progression Book, a new publication that covers the basics of chord theory, voicing, and progres sions. The new Noel Redding Bass ‘Guitar Method is also available. (212- 71-0900, www.carlfischer.com) ‘Latin Percussion Products ‘Armando Perasa Signature Series congas are 30" tall with eribal fire graphics and gold hardware, a tuning wrench, and LP. lug lube. The congas are available in Requinto, Quinto, Conga, and Tumba sizes; and match ing bongos are available. The Gio- vanni Series compact conga has an H-inch head and can be ser on a snare drum stand; ic has a full sound and can produce traditional slaps and bass notes but can aso be muted for quiet practice. ‘The Quad Mount Drum Bracket an be mounted on the L291 triple cong: stand to hold 2 djembe or a fourth conga, Aspire cowbells are available in 436", 534", 674", 8", and 92 sizes, all of which have a large wing screw clamping mechanisin designed for mounting on a drum ser, availble in 54" ond 8 hand-held sizes. The Matador brushed nickel timbales have a black nickel shell, which can withstand cascara playing ‘without scarring and also includes gold hardware, (973-478-6903, wwvelp ‘masic.com) U.S. Army Band Showcase “Twenty igh school marching bands from Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee participated in the’ third annual United Srates Army All-American Bowl, an all-star high schoo! foorball game chat is part of the United States Army Band Showease held in January ‘The invited bands provided entertain- ment before, during, and after the game and took part in the river parade and pep rally, as well as the All ‘American awards banquet judges fom United States Aemy Bands honored studenes with awards for the best hom line, drum line, color gusrd, and drum majors.he euphonium hes always been an im- portant member of concert bands and brass bands. On early band programs, where transcriptions of orchestral works were common, the euphonium served well as the cello of the band. Euphonium players came to expect interesting and challenging parts to play. In playing original band compositions and ar- rangements from the past couple of decades, 1 feequencly see euphonium parts that are less in- teresting and challenging than parts for the other instruments of the band. In some cases the euphonium is absent alsogether. Perhaps because it is not a standard member of the orchestral brass family, some composers are not as familiar with euphonium as they are with the other brass instruments. Characteristics and strengths ‘A large, conical bore gives the euphonium a dark, powerful cone. The instrument can fill a room with beautiful sound, and it is nearly as fluid in technical passages as a cornet or trum- pet. Vibrato is a normal component of the euphonium sound, and can help create a singing quality in lyrical phrases. The rich sound of the euphonium is perhaps best suited to playing melodies and countermelo- dies. Good examples of such use of the instru: ment can be found in almost any Sousa march. El Capitan, for one, demonstrates both melodies and countermelodies scored for euphonium. While euphonium doubles melody throughout most of the march, ic is given a simple but brlli- ant countermelody the second time through the first strain. My favorite example of 2 euphonium solo is in the first movement of Holst’s Second Suite in F for Military Band. The euphonium's inherent ri ness is useful in Broadway medleys 2s well. Ie is often the best choice for playing melodies orig- inally sung by che male lead in the show. A clas- sic example in this style is the song “Some En- chanted Evening” from South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein. No other instrument has such an appropriate color for this solo as euphonium. In many arrangements countermelodies are covered by the horn section. Horns certainly can be effective in some circumstances, but often. euphoniums produce better results. Horns pos- sess a regal quality that is attractive in some contexts, but cuphoniums are a better choice when a singing quality is desired. A 1970 graduate of the University of Iowa, David R Werden is the euphonium soloist with the United States Coast Guard Band. The author of articles and books, he has also published over 30 arrangements for a variety of insinaments and ensembles. Werden isa recitalist and cl cian who hat performed internationally The name tenor tuba well describes one of the euphonium’s roles. When used to carry the up- per octave of the bass line the euphonium Blends easily with the tuba; and in lighter pas- sages, it can carry the bass line alone, The euphonium is also an effective supporting voice useful for doubling cornet or clarinet melodies at the octave. It can add body to the horn, trom- bone, or saxophone sections without necessarily standing out as an extra voice Weaknesses ‘The beautiful sound of the euphonium can be a drawback in some cases. If it is used to double melody throughout an entire piece, the arrange- ment will sound monotonous because of the dominant nature of the euphonium tone. Also, when allocating notes of the chord, each of the three or four trombone parts usually plays a sep- arace note, but che euphoniums are often written in unison. This results in the euphoniums’ chord tone being much stronger than any one of the trombone's notes, which can produce an unbal- anced chord. Usable Range For high school players, a G4 is che top of the normal range, and Bb4 above it is optional for better players. The best playing range is B?2 to Fé; this is usable in almost all contexts. A high school player might become tired playing in the range from C4 upward throughout a piece. The top of the range for a college player is at least Bb4, possibly as high as C5 or C#5. The best melodic range is between Bb2 and Bb4; con- tinuous playing above D4 could be tiring E? is the lowest note possible for many high school players using three-valve instruments. Melodies stare sounding tubby below E¢3 but are cereainly playable down to around Ab2 with no particular difficulty. A good range for bass lines is from E2 up to F3 or G3. ‘At the college level four-valve euphoniums are the rule, so the writing is less restricted, Low range extends down chromatically to Bb1, and most good players can reach Fl. The pedal notes (Chat is, the notes below B1) might sound rather aggressive, but that can be useful for doubling bass trombone pedals in jazz or commercial writ- ing. Bass lines are possible down to C2 because of the fourth valve. Low-range limitations for melodic lines are similar to those described for high school players, due to the nature of the in: Clefs ‘Concert pitch bass clef and B? treble clef are standard for euphonium in this country. Because there are players who are comfcrtable in one or the other but not both, it is wise to supply euphonium parts in both clefs. While tenor and alto clefs are studied by most college players, becewen 186 “rae NsTRUMENTALST: 33reat they are not used for concert band euphonium parts. Treble and bass clefs should never be mixed within the same part. Bass clef is concert pitch, while treble clef is transposed up a major ninth from concert pitch, similar to tenor sax or bass clariner, Mutes Euphonium mutes once were quite rare, but now are seen even in some high school band rooms. Therefore, the entire brass section may now be muted when necessary. The only type of mute commonly used on euphonium or tuba is. the straight mute. The euphonium’s large sound is not particular- ly flattered by 2 mute. Although in ensemble passages this is not a factor, muted euphonium should be used cautiously in solo passages. The is a good choice for support- ing the bassoon section and is also useful for producing light bass The horn section equently uses a full stopped sound, produced either with the right hand seal- ing off most of the airway in the bell or via a special mute. A similar sound also can be pro- duced on euphonium by placing a music folder tightly over the bell. Doing so will raise the called for, a footnote in the score describing the technique might be helpful, because most players are not yet aware of it. Providing a transposed ossia line would also be wise, as most euphoni- um players are not comfortable making halfstep transpositions, Divisi Considering the strength of the euphonium's sound, it is unfortunate that American concert band publicetions often write euphoniums in unison, even though every other brass section is ivisi. in chordal passages, the unison eupho- nium section can contribute to an unbalanced chord because of the strength of its sound. Addi- tionally, unison writing ignores 2 potential of very strong harmony from the euphoniums. Euphoniums frequently double cornet melodies at the octave. When the cornet section is written in harmony, the euphoniums can be divided the same as the first and second cornets. Alternate- ly, one euphonium can double the melady while the second is used on 2 countermelody or a bass, line. ‘When doubling a harmonized trombone sec- tion the euphoniums ordinarily should be di- vided the same as the first and second trom- bones. If the first trombone is already strongly doubled — by the horns, for example — the euphoniums should double the second and thied trombone parts. In the latter case the eupho- nniums create a much stronger harmony. Similar rules apply when euphoniums double horns or ‘Another good use of divisi euphoniums is to extend the harmony of the horn section down- ward, The first euphonium can double the fourth horn and the second euphonium can act as a fifth horn. 1 suggest doubling the fourth horn because this voice is often in an awkward register and may not be as strong as the upper horns Special effects ‘Some sounds that euphoniums can easily pro- duce are largely ignored by writers. Euphonium players are traditionally ambitious and willing to take on any reasonable challenge. Modern band works often ask the horns to produce an upward rip. Euphoniums are just as, capable of this technique, and adding them to the horns can make the difference between a rip that is difficult to hear and one thet is promi- nent, Good rips can be produced between two widely spaced pitches, or may be an unpitched ascending sound. Tubas can also do effective rips, so a large range is available using tubes, euphoniums, and horns. By using the half-valve technique, cuphoniums can play a trombone-like smear. The sound is not as strong as a trombone's gliss, but can easi- ly augment the sound of the trombone section in such a passage. It can also help to smear through pitches that trombones cannot manage because of the limitations inherent in slide smears, Altemetive ensembles Two standard chamber ensembles use eupho- rium: the brass quartet, usually made up of two cornets, horn, and euphonium; and the eupho- nium-tuba quartet, which includes ewo euphoni- tums and two tubas. A few other ensembles use euphonium es well: brass sextet, with two trum- pets, horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba; or the larger euphonium-tuba ensembles. Other possibilities exist as well. A quintet consisting of two trumpets or cornets, horn, euphonium, and tuba makes very workable ensemble. The valved euphonium enables technical passages that are awkward for the slide trombone, and the blend of the lower instruments is better be- cause the euphonium’s conical bore (as opposed to the trombone's cylindrical bore) matches the conical bore of the horn and tuba, ‘The euphonium can be a powerful and com- pelling voice within the concert band. Certainly a composer produces the best ensemble music when he fully understands all the instruments available, and the composer or arranger who uses the euphonium to its fullest advantage will enhance his music. Qo