BRASSBAND MASTERCLASS

DAILY WORK-OUT
1. Breathing (5’)
2. Whistling (2’)
3. Buzzing (8’)
4. Embouchure (10’)
5. Instrument warm-up (15’)
6. Technical development
7. Sound-Style-Phrasing (Hymn+March)

________________________________________________________________________

1. Breathing (5’)
1.1 Natural breathing: through nose (diaphragm)
1.2 Breathe-in: yawn
1.3 Breathe-out: sigh
Through reverse mouthpiece:
1.4 breathe in, hold breath, sip 10 times, hold 3’, breath out
1.5 breathe in, hold breath, sip 10 times, hold 5’, breath out
1.6 breathe in, hold breath, sip 10 times, hold 10’, breath out
This enhances a bigger lung capacity

2. Whistling (2’)
Breathing control and support:
2.1 breathe-in (yawn), whistle, end on sss...to keep the support: 3X
2.2 balloon: between lips and teeth, blow in one breath: 3X
NO bold cheeks, embouchure position like whistling
Airflow:
2.3 Whistle and move jaw forward: tone descends (chin=stretched!): airflow goes up
2.4 Whistle up: airflow goes down

3. Buzzing (8’)
Embouchure position:
• Chin = stretched (like whistling)
• Lips around the teeth (forming a pillow, without plies)
• Mouth corners fixed (pointing down)
3.1 Long tones: whistle and bring lips together until buzz: 10X (full breaths)
3.2 Descend tone: by moving the jaw forward: 3X, keep the lowest tone as long you
can
3.3 Ascend tone: by giving more tension with the mouth corners (as biting, think
Mmm) 3X, keep the highest tone as long you can

4. Embouchure (mouthpiece) (10’)

4.1 Put the mouthpiece on the LOWER LIP and bring to the UPPER LIP

4.2 Blow air through the mouthpiece and bring the lips together until they vibrate,
hold a soft tone as long as possible, 3X
BRING MOUTH CORNERS INTO THE MOUTHPIECE!
CHIN=STRETCHED!
THINK: blowing out a candlelight, or giving a kiss
Nick Ost page 4
 4.3 Start like ex.4.2, then PIVOTATE mouthpiece DOWNWARDS, keeping the
support on the LOWER LIP, gradually increase the tension in the mouth corners and
buzz the same tone.

4.4 DESCENDING: Advance the JAW, pushing the mouthpiece UPWARDS with the
lower lip (teeth), UPPER LIP glides UPWARDS, tone DESCENDS. 3X
AIRFLOW: ASCENDS

4.5 Crescendo: move the JAW forward, creating more opening but increasing the
LIP TENSION to keep the same TONE (frequency). 3X

4.6 Diminuendo: like 4.2, but blow a lot of air, PIVOTATE mouthpiece
DOWNWARDS as you make the diminuendo. SUPPORT on the LOWER LIP, use
BELLY PRESSURE (ABS). 3X

4.7 ASCENDING: Start like 4.2, then create more LIP TENSION (think Mmmm or
bite), UPPER LIP goes DOWNWARDS in the mouthpiece, PIVOTATING
DOWNWARDS to keep the SUPPORT on the LOWER LIP. Mouth corners INTO the
mouthpiece!
Keep the highest tone as long as you can. 3X
AIRFLOW DESCENDS

STACCATO: tongue interrupts airflow, DOESN’T STOP IT!

Start SLOW and accelerate as fast as you can, keeping the airflow!
4.8: DDDD (5,5,13)
4.9: GGGG
4.10 DGDD, accent on G
4.11 DGDG, accent on G
4.12 DGD, accent on G (4,4, 10)
4.13 DDG, accent on G
ALSO with a balloon on the mouthpiece

5. Instrument warm-up
VIBRATO:
- LOW = SLOW, HIGH = FAST
- SOFT = SMALL, LOUD = BIG
5.1 LONG TONES: 1 breath crescendo, 1 breath diminuendo (c’-c” chromatic)
Breathing, embouchure (lip tension), support (belly pressure)

5.2 HARMONICS: AIRFLOW

5.2.1: DOWNWARDS: AIRFLOW ASCENDS
5.2.2: UPWARDS: AIRFLOW DESCENDS
-> DAILY WARMING UP 1, 2
6. Technical development
ARTICULATIONS:
- Single tonguing
- Slur: 2 on 1
- Double/single tonguing (DGDD) or Triple (DGD)
- Slur 1 on 2
- Double tonguing (DGDG) or Triple (DDG)
- RHYTMS
6.1: Scales (Major, Minor, MODI, Gypsy, Mixed, Whole tone, Octotonic)
Nick Ost page 4
 6.2: Chromatic
6.3: ARBAN, QUINQUE, VIZUTTI,...

7. Sound-Style-Phrasing
HYMNS: play all in quarter notes:
7.1: one bar pp and diminuendo, one bar ff and crescendo
7.2: start pp, one bar crescendo to ff, one bar diminuendo to pp
7.3: start pp, two bars crescendo to ff, two bars diminuendo to pp
7.4: one beat ff (tenuto), one beat pp (staccato)
7.5: Fp: first beat ff, subito pp and diminuendo until the 3th beat, then crescendo to
ff; ffpp dim., cresc. ffpp dim., cresc.,...
7.6: short staccato notes: vary the tempo

MARCHES:
SOUND:
7.7: starting and ending notes
7.8: Dynamics
STYLE:
7.9: take out rhythms
7.10: Articulations
PHRASING (tension-release)

Nick Ost page 4