BMO´s Articles

August 11, 2010

Musicians and Performance Anxiety

Filed under: Thoughts from Musicians — bb @ 07:21

By Kevin Sinclair,

Have you ever faced your time to shine, and felt overcome with an intense hesitation or worry about an upcoming performance? As the time nears for you to address your audience, do you suffer from sweaty palms? Is there a lump in your throat? Do you experience tremors, tension, stuttering, upset stomach or loss of focus? All of these symptoms are a sign that you may suffer from performance anxiety, which is a common problem that requires a little mental rewiring to get you on the right track.

Music performance anxiety develops from the thoughts, feelings and habits of a musician. The level of anxiety that one has will affect a musician’s desire to perform, as well as their ability. In order to deliver a high-quality performance, a musician must overcome the mental obstacles that create a barrier between wanting to perform and actually completing the act. When you feel anxious, pressure begins to build up that makes it impossible to pick up an instrument or sing a song.

Main Types of Performance Anxiety

There are three main kinds of performance anxiety that musicians encounter. The first occurs before a performance date is even mentioned. Fear of rejection or self-doubt regarding their abilities may hinder a musicians attempt to arrange a showing of their talents. The anxiety sometimes mounts to the point where a musician never feels they are truly ready to perform in front of others.

The second type of anxiety occurs during an actual performance. Gripped by fear of what the audience thinks of them, a musician’s body might tremble. Sweat may form on their forehead, nose, neck or hands. These bodily reactions may also impact the way an instrument is played. Voices become tight or locked, emitting cracked, flat or quivering notes. The anxiety of a musician might be so high that they may actually self-sabotage their performance without even knowing it.

Anxious musicians often become quite distracted by the slightest movement or noise during a performance. They might take this opportunity to blame their inability to complete their set because of outside interruptions. This is just an excuse. Within themselves, they do not feel completely adequate to continue their performance. Musicians with performance anxiety often exhibit poor concentration, as well as loss of focus.

After a performance, the anxiety madness continues, which is seen through a harsh, unforgiving critique of their presentation. The musician will nit-pick every aspect of their set and despite positive encouragement and comments, they will continue to downplay and dismantle their ability.

Tips On Managing Performance Anxiety

When it comes to getting over the hump of performance anxiety, there are numerous ways to combat the fears and doubt that come with presentation. Below are five aspects of performing that a musician suffering from anxiety should take into consideration:

1) Self-Assessment

When you get to know the ins and outs of yourself as an individual, as well as a musician, you are inching your way towards overcoming performance anxiety. Knowing what makes you tick both inside and outside musical circles will help you to better deal with the problems you face before, during and after a performance. A musician should analyze their performance goals, personal capabilities and limitations.

Musicians should also know that everyone has to start somewhere with infinite room for improvement. It is quite important for a musician to perform to the best of their abilities, as well as learn from mistakes and peer criticism.

2) Exposure: Baby Steps

Musicians should take the opportunity to gradually expose themselves to varying levels of performing. One moment a full-length mirror becomes a suitable audience, while the next could be a crowd of five friends. Testing low, medium and high levels of stressful performance situations will help musicians slowly overcome the issues faced in regards to performing. Additional suggestions include practice performances in an empty theater, dress rehearsals with friends and taping acts, then viewing them with family and friends.

3) Preparation

In anything that we do, preparation is an important component for achieving success. A good performance is one that has been thought out, thoroughly visualized and played over and over again in the mind. Once the mental preparation is complete, the physical part of the process involves sufficient practice and specific rehearsing for the particular venue you may perform at. Before a performance, a musician should enter this moment with a clear head. Meditation, yoga and other muscle relaxation techniques can create the right state of mind.

4) During a Performance

Every musician at some point in their lives will feel the flutter of butterflies before, during or after a performance. This is a normal occurrence that just takes some longer to get over. When it comes to the audience, you shouldn’t focus on blocking them out, but instead embrace them as support. If you go into a performance thinking that no one likes you or during a presentation focus on scowling faces, you will surely surrender to your flight or fight performance anxiety tactics.

Try to put anxiety in the backseat and attempt to stay calm. If you make a mistake, such as tickle the wrong piano keys, simply move on and do not dwell on small imperfections that pale in comparison to the overall scheme of things. Sometimes, if you don’t wear your disappointment or errors on your face, the audience is less apt to remember or care about mistakes. Breathing techniques will also come in handy once you get into the thick of performing and feel a touch of anxiety.

5) After the Performance

After each performance, take the time to assess yourself before relying on the approval or criticism of others. No one but you truly knows all of the hard work and preparation that went into your performance. Take the time to give yourself a mental pat on the back. Next, combine outside comments with your gut feeling to decide on what you can do next time. Regardless if you had the performance of your life or tanked on your first break, there are always aspects of your musical craft that you can still shape and mold for the future.

Kevin is the publisher and editor of musicianhome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

Musicians Injuries: Discover The Chiropractic Advantage (Avoid Repetitive Strain Injury For Good!)

Filed under: Articles — bb @ 07:20

By Jean Littman,

Ouch! Does it seem like every note you play on your guitar or musical instrument results in pain? Maybe it’s a nagging ache in your neck and shoulder. Perhaps you’ve had long rehearsals for that important gig or recital, and now you notice severe pain and loss of strength in your elbow and wrist. Or maybe you are trying to cope with hands that are increasingly numb and clumsy. Well it’s all part of being a serious musician, right? You’ve got to keep practicing – too much depends on it! Sound familiar?

Guitarists and instrumental musicians are a special risk group for repetitive strain injuries, with sizable percentages of them developing physical problems directly related to playing their instruments. In fact, “RSI” or repetitive strain injury in musicians was around centuries before the term was recently coined for computer injuries. Incorrect posture, overuse, stress, insufficient rest, excessive force and incorrect ergonomic technique all contribute to chronic pain and injuries that spell the end to careers. For many musicians, repetitive strain injuries are more feared than stage fright or an unresponsive audience. If they are also heavy computer users (my category of experience!), their risks are further compounded.

Doctors and therapists have long known that musicians are notoriously hard to convince that playing should be reduced or stopped to allow time for injuries to heal. Many guitarists and musicians are afraid to find out they might have a severe injury, and much prefer the head-in-sand approach of ignoring the pain and pushing on. This is a disastrous policy for a musician – if it hurts, it should be checked out!

As a systems accountant consulting to small business, I spend most hours of my working in front of a computer. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in several serious repetitive strain injuries over the years. In similar fashion to the approach of many guitarists and musicians, I spent a long time trying to “ignore the pain and push on”. It is only in recent years that I have discovered the optimum program for managing the injuries and avoiding future repeats, with regular chiropractic care well and truly established at number one on my list of priorities.

WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?

Meaning “done by hand”, chiropractic is a method of restoring good health through adjustments of the spine. The basic chiropractic premise is that the spine and nervous system control the body completely. Any interference to nerve function by spine misalignments can therefore result in poor organ function, resulting in any number of seemingly unrelated diseases and ailments. Chiropractors generally subscribe to the theory that technically, they don’t ‘cure’ anybody, but simply help the body to heal itself.

In the past, chiropractors traditionally had trouble gaining the respect of medical doctors. Although basic philosophical differences between medicine and chiropractic still exist, chiropractic care is now considered mainstream and is routinely recommended by members of the medical profession.

WHAT TREATMENT DO CHIROPRACTORS GIVE?

Ever wondered what happens at the chiropractor? Perhaps you’ve heard they’re just “bonecrackers, not doctors!”. Not so.

In the US and many other countries, the educational program for chiropractors includes training in the basic medical sciences, including anatomy with human dissection, physiology, and biochemistry. Thorough training is also obtained in differential diagnosis, radiology and therapeutic techniques. This means, a doctor of chiropractic can both diagnose and treat patients. (This separates them from non-physician status providers, like physical therapists.)

As with all healthcare practitioners, chiropractors follow a standard routine to secure the information needed for diagnosis and treatment. When the source of pain involves musculoskeletal structures, chiropractors manually manipulate or adjust the spinal column. This typically requires the chiropractor to bend and twist the patient into various positions, which may cause some patients (myself included!) to tense up. Other more gentle methods, such as the activator method, deliver a high-speed, gentle, thrust to the vertebrae via a small rubber tip.

Atlas orthogonal chiropractors focus on the atlas bone (the first bone that the spinal cord passes through). Using x-rays and precision measuring equipment, the atlas bone is gently realigned without using manipulation techniques. I can personally vouch for this chiropractic specialty, which worked like magic on the most recent and severe of my repetitive neck injuries.

Many chiropractors also use water, light, massage, ultrasound, electric, and heat therapy and may apply supports such as straps, taping and braces. They may also counsel patients about wellness concepts such as nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes, and stress management, but do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery. Some chiropractors also specialise in orthopedics, sports and musician injuries, neurology, nutrition, internal disorders, and/or diagnostic imaging.

HOW CAN MUSICIANS BENEFIT FROM CHIROPRACTIC CARE?

The benefits of chiropractic care for guitarists and musicians are widespread and numerous. Chiropractors can help with relief of specific pain being experienced at the moment, or as part of an overall wellness program, which also includes exercise, proper nutrition and rest. Many musicians understand that the position they assume while playing stresses their body, and are seeking to offset this stress and prevent further problems from developing.

Chiropractors evaluate and analyse the spine with an understanding of physics and how gravity and distorted postures can stress areas of the spine, ribs, neck, shoulders and hips. Specific adjustments are used to offset these distortions.

Chiropractors who specialise in helping musicians repetitive injury problems usually examine the musician patient and the instrument together. By thoroughly analysing their patient’s posture, movement patterns and range of motion with the instrument, the chiropractor can detect areas of dysfunction in and around the spine. They also make recommendations as to what guitarists can do, both while playing and before and after playing, to keep the stress from returning. They teach their musician clients exercises to offset the repetitive stress placed on certain joints while playing a particular instrument.

Chiropractic care is reportedly simple, yet it is profound in its ability to help the body regain and maintain its health. Bob Birch, Elton John’s bass player and background vocalist said his chiropractor showed him pictures and told him “muscle stuff” that no other doctors ever did. Certain things that he had wrong with him, like the extensive pain in the left shoulder blade that shot up the side of his head (which other doctors pooh-poohed) were explained and put right with chiropractic adjustments.

Make no mistake about it, regular chiropractic care for guitarists and musicians is the way to go. If you play and instrument, and want to avoid repetitive strain injuries for good, go find a musician-friendly chiropractor now!. Scores of famous musicians agree with me!

Jean Littman is co-owner of the popular guitar resource site, GuitaroJam.com Learn the essential keys to musicians’ health and injury prevention. Subscribe to your free newsletter by visiting: http://www.guitarojam.com

Sheet Music – Its Purpose and Uses

Filed under: Sheet Music — bb @ 07:19

By Victor Epand,

What is sheet music? Is it a magical piece of writing that only musicians can read and that allow them to play their instruments like experts? No, sheet music is just a form of musical notation, be it written by hand or printed. Normally sheet music is like its other printed kin in that it is usually found printed on paper. Before paper was a readily available medium parchment was the medium of choice. Now in the computer age “sheet” music is also readily available online as well. One of the reasons that sheet music is called “sheet” is so that it can easily be differentiated from standard music which is a presentation.

When used in everyday language the term sheet music simply refers to a printed piece of music whether it be intended for use on a show, an album, or for a movie. Another rather generic name for sheet music is score. There are several different of sheet music which can be used in many different ways. Whether it is meant to act as a means to perform a piece of music or is just a record of this music sheet music is not meant to actually replace the performance itself. It is merely intended to be used as a way to help study the music itself so that it can be performed to its utmost.

By doing so musicians can elicit responses from their audiences that would never have been possible had the piece been played straight through. By studying the different sketches and notes that a composer has created before the finished product can help one to understand the creative process that the composer was going through. Some of the notes that may be used for this are the many proofs as well as any marks left behind on printed scores.

There are some special skills that are necessary for reading sheet music. This is the ability to read musical notation. While it is not so for all people to be able to do so the majority must still be able to read thusly. Those who do not have to depend on reading sheet music have the ability to learn a piece of music just by listening to it. This is usually called “playing by ear.” There are very few people who can do this however.

The ability to read and play a piece of sheet music the first time through is called sight reading. This ability is expected of skilled musicians as well as serious beginners who will be playing both classical and contemporary music. There are a few very talented individuals who have the ability to look at a piece of written music and hear all the parts played out in their head. This can be a very handy skill for musicians that are aspiring to write their own pieces.

Sheet music is normally carried to all performances by classical musicians. With so many different movements and key changes it could get extremely difficult trying to memorize a whole symphony. Solo performances however are usually right the opposite. The musician following this route will often memorize the pieces they will be playing. Another form of use would be jazz players. They will often have a basic piece of sheet music. This might indicate chord changes and melodies but will still be able to improvise the piece.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music uses, guitar tabs.

How to Find Free Piano Sheet Music

Filed under: Piano Sheet Music — bb @ 07:18

By Elise Moreau,

Let’s face it… finding musical piano sheets can be a drag. We are fortunate to live in an age where we have access to virtually millions of sources of information, right at our fingertips. Ahh yes, the Internet. All you have to do is go to your favorite search engine, type in the title and composer of your piece, press “Search,” and voila! Results in less than a second.

Now, finding some specific pieces can be harder than others. And unfortunately, it’s not always going to be free either. Before the Internet, people had to actually go to a music store and BUY all their sheet music! Today, we don’t even have to leave our home to get free sheets, and we can print them in just minutes to our home printers. How convenient!

Before the Internet, it was difficult to find free resources. You basically had to know someone who already had those pieces, so you could borrow or photocopy those sheets. Today, there are many options to find sheet music… absolutely free of charge.

Take Advantage of Search Engines

This is the most basic way to find free pieces. Just go to your favorite search engine, type in the title and composer of your selected piece, press search, and see what comes up. You can even search for more arbitrary keywords like, “free piano sheet music,” “free piano sheets,” or “free sheet music.” When you use an Internet resource such as Google, you will basically receive search results with a mixture of purchase options or free options that you can choose from in your search results.

Search Blogs

Over the years that I have personally searched for free pieces, I have found blogs to be one of the best resources ever. There are a lot of regular people just like you and me, who create music blogs on Blogspot or WordPress or whatever free blog software, and they will either compose their own arrangements or upload pieces to their blog, absolutely free for download to share with the world.

Public Domain Resources

If you are searching for sheet music that has been composed very long ago by composers who have long been dead (like Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, etc.), you can most likely access this sheet music completely for free because the copyright licenses on these works have expired. In general, as soon as something is written, drawn, painted, composed, and so on, it is automatically copyrighted by the creator. However, anything that has been composed before 1922 is in the public domain. That’s why it’s much easier to find very old, classical sheets on the Internet than it is to find more modern, popular sheet music. Popular sheet music is copyright protected, and therefore MUCH harder to find on the Internet without directly purchasing it.

Search Popular Piano Websites

Some of the most popular piano resource websites include 8notes.com, PianoWorld,com, and GMajorMusicTheory.org. These are great websites for searching for all kinds of free piano sheet music.

I Still Can’t Find It!

Now, if you’ve tried all of the above and STILL can’t find your favorite piano piece… it may be virtually impossible to find it for free on the Internet. I experience this all the time, most likely because I am looking for a very advanced, popular, or relatively new piano piece.

Sheet Music Plus

Sheet Music Plus has the world’s largest selection of instrumental sheets. Sometimes, if you cannot find your music for free, it’s worth paying for it. This website offers individual songs for prices as low as less than $5.00. This is definitely a small investment for receiving authentic piano sheets. You can download it right away to your home computer and print it out straight away. You can also buy full piano books by different musicians/composers, books focused on technical work, or books catered to different genres.

Virtual Sheet Music

Virtual Sheet Music is another option if you are willing to pay for. Basically, you pay a flat fee of $37.75 per year and you are granted access to unlimited free music sheets (for several different instruments, not just including piano). If you downloaded five or six pieces, it would be worth the fee. But with their membership fee, you can download hundreds of pieces, as often and as much as you desire! One of the best things about this website is that they are dedicated to providing very high quality music sheets. The scores won’t be visibly photocopied, they won’t have splotches everywhere, and they won’t be too small to read. You are guaranteed to receive the highest quality of sheet musical notation when you sign up for their membership.

Believe me, I have spent YEARS searching for piano music, and I know that these resources are well worthwhile. If you are interested in receiving free sheet music, visit my website to sign up to receive over 250 pieces of free piano sheets!

Elise Moreau is an accomplished conservatory piano player who has been playing the piano for over 15 years. Sign up to receive over 250 pieces of free piano sheet music, a free piano eBook, and a free subscription to be updated on the newest and most popular piano sheet music pieces!

Printable Sheet Music – History and Evolution

Filed under: Sheet Music — bb @ 07:14

By Kenny Adeleke,

Printable sheet music has come a long way from being written on parchments to Internet software that is easily accessible to perform many functions. The aim of this article is to give a brief introduction and history of its evolution.

Most people who are not in the music industry might not know what printable sheet music is. To explain it in layman terms, it is like a piece of literary writing whereby the writer gives distinct, nitty-gritty details of how the work was done – Like a literary masterpiece,written in common accepted language.But the writer weaves the so called common language in a way that it becomes a gem, a uniqueness. Let us say now the writer gives the blueprint of his composition for anyone willing to do the exact same or variation to proceed with or without condition.In this case, anybody that can read and is lettered in the genre will be able to reproduce the masterpiece.

The only difference is that the former(literary) is mostly written, while the latter (music) is either audio,visual, or the two combined (audio-visual). That is why in music,because of the uniqueness of each composition or masterpiece,anybody that wants to reproduce this same piece live must look at the printable sheet music or notation.

In other words,it  is musical notation written with hand or printed.Nowadays,however,musicians can reproduce any piece of music by simply hearing it (audio), and maybe watching it simultaneously and repeatedly. Hence to distinguish between the two ”printable sheet”  music” is used, printable to show that it could be printed just like a book,pamphlet,booklet,hand-out.

Just as an illiterate can’t read a piece of writing, so also cannot a person who is unlettered in reading music notation be able to make sense of it.

It is however interesting to know that composing music does not necessarily require sheet music literacy. Musicians like John Stanley in the 18Th century and composer and lyricist Lionel Bart are good examples. Most Nigerian,especially Yoruba musicians also fall into this category. This latter musicians don´t even study music, save some local instruments before breaking into limelight.

What is the use of printable sheet music then if composers and musicians can do without it? Instrumentalists and lyricists of classical tradition need the scores or sheet music to reproduce the exact music or its variations. Also the notes have made it possible the preservation of  a tradition copied and inherited by this present generation.If not for this, most of the earlier music would have been lost.

Brief Historical Background

We owe the the beginning of printable sheet music to the scribes of the Medieval European monasteries. They wrote music on parchments. These have become valuable collectibles that run into thousands of dollars.With the invention of printing press, Johann Gutenberg lead in the development of printing sheet music.

By 1800,it has become a booming industry in Europe and America as firms started printing both popular and serious music. We should remember that this was also the period of Industrial Revolution and the coming of the Middle Class.This class in particular also had time for leisure and income to purchase musical instruments for their homes(mainly pianos). They could also hire teachers to teach them and their children.

Printing the sheet music was done with the writer,(in this case the musician or the person having the rights to the music) entering into legal binding with the firm. This legality involves, what rights an individual has on the printed sheet music and the royalty to be paid.The American music of today- be it jazz, blues, country, spiritual owes its growth and preservation to both the virtuoso composers and the publishers of sheet music.

Influx of people from Germany during world War 1 because of Hitler´s torture and annihilation crusade forced many notable composers out of Germany.Some of them were Bela Bartok, Arnold Schoenberg, and Igor Stravinsky among others. This brought a boom to music in Europe.

The popularity became more widely spread with the invention of phonograph and the radio,further accelerated by Television after World War II. This not only made easy accessibility possible, but as well cascaded printable sheet music price.

The information age has made printable sheet music available everywhere. Even though most don´t care since they can download any music free from the net. Yet in the same Internet there are affiliate programs specifically for printable sheet music. No need knowing the composer of a music before the sheet is made available.There are computer tools that reproduce the sheet music for you just by playing the tunes.

Especially notable are sites for music students, helping them learn music through the readily available sheet music of any kinds and sorts. Playing instruments are also included in the nutty-gritty of the computerized sheet music- How the instruments are held,tuned,pressed, etc. For anybody willing the world of music indeed is an oyster of opportunity.

Without face to face tutorials, people are now learning music through ingenious inventions of some tools. Why not take a look?

Get to a resource that will help you with writing sheet music and singing in no time.

http://hubpages.com/hub/LearnToSing

Download Sheet Music From the Internet

Filed under: Download Music — bb @ 07:13

By Jim Whitesell

Even though some in the music industry have thought the popularity of sheet music has declined in recent years, it seems that downloadable sheet music is becoming more and more popular due to the web. Collecting sheet music is something that anyone can enjoy, as it is very useful for any musician. Sheet music is an important tool for accurately preserving scores and musical information laid down by an artist 5, 50, or 500 years ago. Reading sheet music is both an art and a way of expressing ideas and emotions.

In its simplest form, sheet music could be defined as printed music in musical notation. It is a low tech and efficient way to store musical knowledge. While reading sheet music is a wonderful way to broaden your own musical horizon, it’s ease of use and universality makes it well suited for beginners and pros alike. Whether you’re just beginning to play an instrument, starting your own band or you’re part of a working band, professionally written sheet music can be a vital part of your success.

The advent of the world-wide web may completely change the way sheet music is distributed. Many online sheet music stores offer traditionally printed sheet music or CDs and DVDs. (Printed sheet music is produced as single sheets, folded sheets, pamphlets, paperback or hardback volumes) It is becoming more popular to download sheet music after purchase. Downloadable online sheet music is often presented in a format which allows it to be easily downloaded and printed and is a big hit with musicians worldwide.

Sheet music is generally less expensive in the United States than it is elsewhere, so musicians worldwide are buying more and more sheet music from companies in the US. Buying a CD full of sheet music makes international purchasing even more attractive since sheet music sold on CD or DVD is only about 1/15th the cost per page of printed music on average.

There are also many places where you can download free sheet music. However, most free sheet music will be older, since it will be public domain. A piece will be published no later than 1928 to be considered public domain.

Most musicians enjoy building their library of sheet music, and since fewer and fewer traditional music stores offer sheet music, musicians have embraced the world wide web as their primary source. Musicians of all skill levels can find most any sheet music with a visit to their favorite online sheet music stores.

Jim Whitesell is a writer and has been developing websites for over a decade. He enjoys getting piano sheet music online and playing free popular piano sheet music

Tuba Lessons

Filed under: Brass Music Instruments — bb @ 07:11

By Jimmy Plant

When I was 6 years old, I started taking tuba lessons. Not by choice of course.

My parents had read an article about some super-baby who joined college at the age of 6 and at the age of 7 became a renowned astrophysicist. They figured that ol’ junior could use some mental development as well. They probably went a little overboard. First they got me a language tutor, then a chess instructor and then they even started to play Mozart during dinner time! Finally came the tuba lessons.

At first it was fun. The instrument was almost as big as I was, and I loved blasting into it until I fell from the chair unconscious. But my tuba instructor didn’t take kindly to my random noises. He held tuba playing to be a sacred art, one worthy of the utmost respect.

Every Saturday morning he would come to my house with a bundle of papers – sheet music and scales that he would make me practice endlessly. Before I began, he would pull out an old hourglass, give me a stern look, and then tip it over. If I made too many mistakes in a row, he would grunt and start the hourglass again from the beginning. It was torture. One Saturday, I had to play hot cross buns for two straight hours!

My mind grew numb over time and I only wanted to escape. One day, I asked to be excused to empty my spit valve and tried to think of a plan. There was no way I was going back in to face that hourglass. But what could be done?

I could rush my teacher, ram the tuba over his head and then make my escape, but the sound of this violence would probably get my parents’ attention…

Just then, I noticed my teacher’s Lamborghini Diablo sitting in the driveway. (Evidently Tuba instructors are raking it in.)The car had just had an amazing new cold air intake system put in and it was ready to race. No time to hesitate, I told myself. It’s now or never.

I threw my tuba aside and jumped into the car.

The engine roared, and suddenly I was off, tearing down the street at 150 mph. I couldn’t really see over the wheel to where I was going but that didn’t matter-speed was the most important thing at that point. I slowed down later, driving over people’s lawns and making my way toward the coast. I felt great.

As I headed toward the ocean, I had to drive along the edges of some cliffs, and that’s where I got into trouble. While trying to make a fast turn, I lost control and the car spun off the road and over a cliff. I fell a thousand feet into a ravine and the car exploded into an enormous fireball. Luckily, the force of the blast ejected me from the car and flung me back up to the top of the ravine where I lay unscathed.

I made the 11pm news. The authorities described me as a ‘precocious miscreant’. I told the cops that my teacher asked me to destroy the car for insurance purposes. They promptly arrested him and gave him a life sentence. Problem solved!

Sure, my parents yelled at me for a couple of hours, but I think they were secretly proud that I had been called ‘precocious’.

The Bass of the Band The Tuba

Filed under: Brass Music Instruments — bb @ 07:10

By Victor Epand

The tuba is best known as a member of the brass family, though it is also known as a wind instrument and an aerophone. It is a rather new instrument as it only first appeared in the mid 1800s. It has the lowest pitch of all the brass instruments and like other brass instruments is played by blowing directly into the mouthpiece through closed lips. This creates the vibration needed to make the sound. What also makes this instrument unique is that there is a record with the exact date that the creators of the instrument granted a patent for it. Apparently, the instrument was first recognized as the tuba on the 12th of September in 1835.

The tuba comes in a few different variations. Firstly, there are different tubas that have different pitches, including F, E-flat, CC and BB-flat. To create the different pitches, the size of the tuba also differs, with the F tuba being the smallest with a total of 12 feet of tubing and the BB-flat tuba being the largest with a total of 18 feet of tubing.

The tubing of the tuba is wrapped so that the musician can easily hold it and play it and the tubing slowly increases in diameter as it goes from the mouthpiece to the end of it, which is called the bell. There are also different models that use either piston or rotary valves. There is much debate in which type of valves is the better one to use, but there is still no real proof to which one is actually the better type of valves to use. Not all tubas are limited to three valves. In fact, tubas can any number of valves from three to six in total, though there have apparently been some exceptions. The least expensive tubas are the ones that only have three valves and they go up in expense with the more valves they have. Each valve is responsible for lowering the pitch that the tuba creates.

The tuba may not be as popular as some other instruments, but it is one that appears to attract a decent amount of interest. As mentioned before, many will take it up for use in marching bands and school bands. While it can be an expensive instrument when purchased new, the three valve tuba is also one of the more affordable instruments. It is also a little easier to learn than others, thought the instrument is a little more complex than some other brass instruments.

It is often available to students in schools because the instruments, especially when used, are relatively affordable and the sheet music is fairly easy and inexpensive to purchase. In fact, many schools are lucky enough to have people donate these kinds of instruments to them, because the people that used to own the instruments believe that music is something that young people should have the opportunity to learn an instrument. This instrument is also easy to find at pawn shops or used instrument stores for anyone who wishes to try learning the instrument.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used tuba CDs, autographed tuba CDs, and used tubas.

Birth and Development of the French Horn

Filed under: Brass Music Instruments — bb @ 07:09

By Dianna Joseph

If you ask someone to think of a musical instrument, most likely the french horn is not the first instrument that comes to mind. Yet, it is quite an interesting, beautiful, and exceptional looking instrument. It brings with it a mysterious quality that projects a mellow and subdued sound to any orchestra, marching band, concert band, or even a brass ensemble.

It is quite intriguing actually, to look at the historical underpinnings of the french horn. Looking back at its birth and development brings to light how it acquired its sound and unique features. It also explains why even today it is not the most popular instrument in any type of musical group.

The most primitive form of the french horn was the megaphone. It was made from a hollow branch or cane and the player sang, spoke, or made vocal noises into it to produce a harsh sound to frighten away evil spirits. The megaphone evolved into the early trumpet which could produce only one or two notes and made a terrifying sound. This trumpet was used at circumcisions, funerals, and sunset rites.

It was not until the Renaissance period, about 1550, that an instrument was developed which bears the most resemblance to the present day french horn. This was the close-coiled helical horn, established in Central Europe. About one hundred years later, the parent of the french horn was constructed in the form of a thin conical tube with two or more circular coils.

There is no evidence that the french horn was used for purely musical purposes with other instruments prior to the eighteenth century, only for hunting in France, Germany, and Italy. Its introduction in Germany by Graf Franz Anton von Sporck in 1681 and its inclusion in a German orchestra score in 1705 helped it to gain a position in the musical world. In England, however, it was used mainly in the form of an entertaining duet in the gardens or along the river versus attaining the prestigious right to be in an orchestra. France continued to restrict its use to the chase for hunting until 1735.

To play the french horn during the early 1700’s, musicians would point the widely flared bell upwards like a bugle horn. The length of the tubing varied according to the pitch needed, so a separate horn was needed for every key change. This problem was solved by the crook system, developed in 1715, which consisted of various lengths of tube rings fitting into the end of the mouthpiece socket. It allowed the player to use any key.

An important technique came into fruition when Anton Joseph Hampel of Germany was testing out various mutes in 1750. He discovered that he could progressively lower the pitch by pushing a cotton pad or his hand into the bell further and further, called “stopping”. This hand-horn technique required that the horn be held horizontally and is still used today. Hampel then redesigned it with the crooks in the center of the hoop versus near the mouthpiece. However, just like the unpleasant sound of the original horn, there was still a disparity between tone and power of the open and stopped notes.

The best innovation for the french horn came when two German musicians invented the valve in 1815. Voila! Crooks no longer needed to be changed as the descending spring valves lowered the pitch. The last notable invention for the french horn was in 1899 when the double F/Bb french horn was first sold.

Over one hundred years later, no significant alterations or additions have been necessary. Materials may have changed somewhat, but spring valves are still used as well as the hand-horn technique to attain a perfect mellow timbre and keep the natural roughness of tone in check. The french horn has continued to maintain its musical status all over the world.

This author is a saxophonist, novice pianist, and novice guitarist. In addition, she is an occupational therapist who works with a host of disabilities utilizing sensory integration and neurodevelopmental therapy in combination with music and a variety of other techniques to assist these persons in achieving the highest level of function and quality of life possible. For more information on purchasing professionally crafted and reasonably priced woodwind instruments, brass musical instruments, and symphony orchestra instruments (string instruments), please visit my website at http://www.musiciansdreamstore.com

August 5, 2010

Trombone Music – Six Important Pieces For Trombone

Filed under: Sheet Music — bb @ 14:56

There are so many excellent and important pieces of trombone music, people who are interested in this wonderful instrument have a wide variety of compositions and recordings from which to choose. In order to really gain an understanding of and appreciation for the instrument, there are some cornerstone works that everyone should be familiar with. While some of these pieces will be above the skill level of some beginning players, they provide stellar examples of what the trombone is capable of and the best of the best in trombone music. My list is not intended to be exhaustive, and certainly other people would no doubt select different works, but these are some of my favorites.

*Melodious Etudes for Trombone (Bordogni/Rochut) – My first selection is not so much a piece, but a collection of etudes and vocalises. The importance of the Rochut books can almost not be overstated. They are how most of us really learned legato playing, endurance, musicality, and pitch. The Rochut books are transcriptions of the vocalises of Marco Bordogni and are among some of the most beautiful melodies ever written. While the Rochut books have no piano accompaniment, some newer release include piano accompaniments that are suitable for solo or recital performance.

*Blue Bells of Scotland (Pryor) – Any serious trombone student must know a little about the life and work of Arthur Pryor. Pryor was trombone soloist with the Sousa band between 1893 and 1903 and later became the leader of his own band. His compositions employ virtuosic variations on beautiful melodies, of which Blue Bells of Scotland is arguably the most famous. Even for those of us whose technical abilities prohibit a good performance of the piece, Blue Bells is a tune that everyone should know.

*Requiem (Mozart) – The trombone solo in “Tuba Mirum” from Mozart’s Requiem is one of the most beautiful and moving in all of the literature. This orchestral excerpt shows up on more auditions than any other. A challenge to the player’s control and legato style, this beautiful melody in the 2nd trombone part is a joy to play and to listen to.

*Sonata for Trombone (Hindemith) – This demanding work has become part of the core repertoire for trombone. Modern and bold, the Hindemith is a must-tackle piece for all serious students of the instrument. Accompanied by a phenomenally difficult piano part, this work is challenging and rewarding for both performer and audience.

*Getting Sentimental Over You (Bassman) – To be a well-rounded trombone enthusiast, one must learn something about jazz and big band trombone music. While myriad pieces and recordings exist in the jazz idiom, one of the classics is Tommy Dorsey playing Getting Sentimental. Few have matched the exceptional range and silky smooth tone with which Tommy played. This is one for everyone to be familiar with.

*”Just a Closer Walk” (Gillis) – If you play much trombone, you will eventually come across this classic New Orleans funeral-style brass quintet. Beginning as a dirge, the tempo picks up then continues to build as the piece progresses. The centerpiece of the tune is a really fun tailgate trombone solo. It is a great piece that most trombonists end up playing regularly. Learn it. Know it. Memorize it.

Trombone music is very diverse, and this list is just a starting place for exploration. The repertoire includes hundreds of other sonatas, orchestral excerpts, and jazz solos. Get to know the music of this really unique instrument.

 
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