In part 1, we established two major things about tuning; that it is by definition a comparison, and that having a consistent quality of tone is important before tuning. Now we can use those ideas to clarify some other areas of tuning and provide a guide to address some common problems.
Tuning is one of the few areas of music that is binary; something is in tune or it is not. However, even though most everyone would agree with this statement, the subject of tuning and its pedagogy get surprisingly muddled especially within the world of marching band. While there are still many ways to address tuning, keeping in mind the following concepts will help guide you to success and diagnose problems you may encounter.
In the last 10 years the quantity of mute options has exploded in a way few brass accessories have. This makes a simple Amazon or online search a little more interesting than it used to! Your next step might have been to read a couple product descriptions, but that is where it gets really strange! "Where did all these mutes come from, and what does it all mean?" We can help. Use these product description red flags to separate out the quality from the imposters.
You have your aluminum straight with 3 different bottom options (brass, copper, and aluminum), your synthetic mute... why do you need a wooden mute? Like a painter with a palette of glorious colors, as brass players we need an arsenal of options that bring us glorious sound in all different colors. Enter the wooden mute.
Founding member of Bella Tromba and Denis Wick artist Jo Harris has a wide and varied career as a professional trumpet performer in the UK. Use these tips to enjoy effortless mute performance and always be prepared for your next gig.
Do you wish you accomplished more in your practice sessions? Do you struggle with having fatigued or beat-up chops? Do you even know what you should be doing to reach the next level? If you would like to learn some ideas borrowed from fitness that will help you with these questions, read on!
In honor of his 92nd birthday, we wanted to share some things that you might not have known about Denis Wick. We all recognize Denis Wick as the creator of some of the world's finest mouthpieces and mutes for brass musicians. But did you know...
Meet Denis Wick euphonium artist Sebastian Rozo. Learn about how Sebastian started his euphonium career, how he chose euphonium, his favorite gear, and more in this Get to Know interview.
The polls are in - here are the Denis Wick Tips Community top picks for summer movies to motivate you!
If you're suffering from a lack of motivation to pick up your horn and practice technique this summer, we suggest popping some popcorn and watching one of these movies to give you the push you need to get back to the practice room!
Meet Denis Wick bass trombone artist, and founding member of trombone quartet Slide Action, Josh Cirtina. Learn about what instrument Josh started his career playing, and how he got to bass trombone, his favorite gear, and more in this Get to Know interview.