Topic: Pedagogy - Instrumental Tone
Learning how to produce proper vocal tones is a matter of maturation and what Oren Gould called "learning how it feels to sing." [1] The same is true for brass and wind instrument players.
Most band books devoted their opening pages to exercises that forced students to play sustained tones. [2] John Kinyon’s team told beginners "when you can play the G with a full tone and in a relaxed manner, you are ready to proceed with lesson one," [3] which introduced two new tones, whole notes on the music staff, and marks indicating when to breathe. [4]
Similarly, Howard Rusch told young trumpeters "when you have acquired a ‘feel’ for your instrument and can readily play and recognize the preparatory tones, you are ready for the first group tones." [5] He then associated those tones with the scale, and introduced exercises that held tones for different lengths of time. [6]
Neither method book returned to tone production. One editor included later reminders that were the sort that were easy to ignore: "don’t puff the chin - point it" [7] and "listen and ask yourself - ‘does it sound good?’" [8] Another reminded students to "keep a steady air pressure" on page 19. [9]
For the most part, editors recognized that discussing sound production required language and concepts that were alien to youngsters. Satis Coleman had observed, in a 1922 book widely known in music-education circles, that playing any "breath-blown instrument well, requires breath control which means conscious or unconscious control of the diaphragm, intercostal muscles, and other muscles of the trunk and chest cavity." [10] All the band books I’ve seen mentioned taking in air at the corners of the mouth, rather than storing it in the cheeks, but only one mentioned deep breathing. [11]
Jeffrey Reynolds was more specific in Trumpet for Dummies aimed at adult beginners. Although he knew it was difficult to relax when trying to solve a problem, he told his readers:
"Tension causes tight muscles, so they breathe with less freedom, actually restricting the amount that they can inhale. And they tend to push the air out, instead of letting it go naturally. So, the air passing between the lips is under pressure and inconsistent. The lips respond to the air going through them, and with low-quality air, they vibrate weakly." [12]
The one problem editors did address was the relationship between volume and tone. Arthur Jenson told young musicians to "be careful not to blow too hard or ‘blast" your tones’," [13] while Reynolds told his reachers "don’t play too loudly — think of wind flow not force." [14] He added, "if you play too loudly, your tone will sound forced and you’ll probably play sharp. [15]
Most editors addressed this problem more subtly by delaying their discussions of dynamics, usually until at least the half-way point in their books. A third did not mention them at all, especially in the early years. [16] A couple introduced the musical concept in the 1960s, but such treatments did not become common until the 1970s. [17]
About half who included dynamics mentioned the common sound levels - soft (pianissimo), medium (mezzo forte), and loud (forte) - often in a single comment. A few included the fourth level, medium soft (mezzo piano).
The others began with the common concepts of loud and soft, before mentioning the intermediate levels, usually as part of discussion of changing levels with crescendos and decrescendos. Only two began with the normal mp and mf decibel levels, although that in fact was what most band directors used. [18]
Two of the method books that contained "Kumbaya" were marked medium soft, [19] and one was marked soft. [20] The other two began medium loud, and ended softer. [21] Accent on Achievement used the song as an exercise in decrescendo.
Chris Obst uploaded a video of a young boy just learning to play "Kumbaya." I don’t know if Robby was using the version that began on middle C or the one that started on F, but suspect it was the latter. He had no problems with the first three notes, but had difficulties with the other tones. The facial muscles used in creating a tone, the embouchure, like all muscles, take time to train, and he looked to be younger than the usual beginning trumpet player.
His biggest problem wasn’t knowing how to form the tones, but how much air to expel to produce them. One’s instinct was to blow harder to reach the higher tones like the D above middle C. That causes overtones to dominate, and makes trumpets sound brassy. When those higher tones were introduced one band book advised "higher notes are easier when you use a full air stream," [22] while another told trumpeters to "tighten the sides of your embouchure as you go higher." [23]
For the rest, the best advice came from an Odessa, Texas, secondary school band director. John McEntyre advised aspiring musicians that producing a "characteristic sound" required
"much repetition. Every person learns to play an instrument by the ‘trial and error’ method. One of the essential aspects of success is to ‘try’ enough times to give the method a chance for learning to occur." [24]
Performers
Vocal Soloist: none
Vocal Group: none
Instrumental Soloist: Robby
Instrumental Accompaniment: none
Rhythm Accompaniment: none
Credits
None given
Notes on Lyrics
There were none
Notes on Music
Opening Phrase: 1-3-5
Tempo: moderate
Basic Structure: played melody through once
Notes on Performance
Location: at home
Microphones: none
Clothing: short-sleeved khaki shirt and maroon slacks
Notes on Movement
He stood, but looked down. No music was visible, but it may have been on a low table in front on him.
Audience Perceptions
Chris Obst recognized the boy was just beginning when he wrote: "Robby is getting better."
Other parents were more forthright on Amazon. One warned: "fourth grade band is not for the faint of heart." [25] Another admitted his or her son’s trumpet playing is currently at the level of a dying cow." [26]
Notes on Performers
The man who uploaded the video lived in New Berlin, Wisconsin, where he had three children. [27] Christopher Obst’s grandparents were German Catholics in Milwaukee. His father ran an insurance agency in Brookfield, Wisconsin, which Christopher continued when the older man retired. [28]
Both Christopher and his father were active in Boy Scouts and water sports on Wisconsin lakes. Robby presumably was Christopher’s son, and may have been exposed to trumpet through the older men’s activities.
Availability
YouTube: uploaded by Chris Obst in 14 February 2013.
End Notes
1. Oren Gould. Developing Specialized Programs for Singing in the Elementary School. Macomb: Western Illinois University, 1968. Cited by Marilyn Pflederer Zimmerman. Musical Characteristics of Children. Washington: Music Educators National Conference, 1971. 25.
2. Merry Elizabeth Texter noted, before 1973, "tone production is discussed in only a few books, and it is usually referred to in the context of embouchure and breathing. Position is discussed in several books, and many books have photographs of correct playing position. Few books have full discussion of breathing and tonguing; however, these fundamentals are sometimes briefly referred to on music pages. They are also sometimes discussed on rudiment pages." ("A Historical and Analytical Investigation of the Beginning Band Method Book." PhD dissertation. The Ohio State University, 1975. 130.)
3. John Kinyon, Richard Berg, and George Frederick McKay. The Band-Booster. Book 1. Bb Cornet (Trumpet). New York: Remick Music Corporation, 1960. 5.
4. Kinyon, Booster. 6.
5. Howard W. Rusch. Hal Leonard Elementary Band Method. Bb Cornet or Trumpet. Winona, Minnesota: Hal Leonard Music, 1961. 3.
6. Rusch. 4.
7. Charles S. Peters. Master Method for Band. Bb Cornet-Trumpet. Park Ridge, Illinois: Neil A. Kjos Music Company, 1958. 8.
8. Peters. 19.
9. John Kinyon. Basic Training Course. Book 1. Cornet. New York: Alfred Music Company, 1970. 19.
10. Satis N. Coleman. Creative Music for Children. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, April 1922. 164-165. When one of the children in her experimental school wanted to play trumpet, the group experimented with breathing and turned the ability to sustain a tone into an informal endurance contest. 54.
11. Peters. 3. "Don’t pinch your tones - take a deep breath and blow."
12. Jeffrey Reynolds. Trumpet for Dummies. Mississauga, Canada: John Wiley and Sons Canada, Ltd, 2011. 31.
13. Arthur C. Jenson. Learning Unlimited. Level One. Trumpet/Cornet. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, 1973. 7.
14. Reynolds. 94.
15. Reynolds. 95.
16. Nine of 26 method books did not mention dynamics. For more information on my sources, see the "Note on Samples" in the post for 27 June 2018.
17. The two books from the 1960s that mentioned dynamics were Kinyon, Booster, and Vernon Leidig and Lennie Niehaus. Visual Band Method. Book 1. Bb Trumpet (Cornet). Norwalk, California: Highland Etling Publishing, 1964.
18. Reynolds suggested mezzo forte was "a good place to start when developing a good sound. 95.
19. Band Folio and Yamaha Advantage. Publishing details for band books containing "Kumbaya" were provided in the post for 27 June 2017.
20. Standard of Excellence.
21. Accent on Achievement and the two editions of Essential Elements.
22. Essential Elements, first edition. 20.
23. Kinyon, Basic. 20.
24. J. R. McEntyre and Harry Haines. Rhythm Master. Book 1. Eb Alto/Baritone Saxophone. San Antonio: Southern Music Corporation, 1992. 4. I have the book for alto saxophone, but the advice would have been the same for all instruments. The second author, Haines, was chairman of the music department at West Texas State University in Canyon.
25. Sad Songs and Waltzes Aren’t Selling this Year. Comment posted to Amazon website for Essential Elements 2000, Book 1, B Flat Trumpet Book on 14 February 2017.
26. LL. Comment posted to Amazon website for Standard of Excellence, Book 1, Trumpet on 16 January 2014.
27. "Christopher Obst Agent." American Family Insurance website.
28. Obituary for Robert J. Obst who died 28 May 2017. Bradley Funeral Home, Antigo, Wisconsin, website.
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