7 Golden Rules For Better Brass Playing

7 Golden Rules for
Better Brass Playing

By
Marcus Reynolds
www.brasslessons4u.com
© 2017 Marcus Reynolds All rights reserved

A message from Marcus
The secret to performing any complex task

well, is to master the fundamentals behind it,
so that they become second nature to you.
This is as true in music as in other walks of
life.
I have dedicated a large part of my life to
helping others master these fundamentals and
I want to share just a little of that here with you
now.
These are my 7 Golden Rules for Better
Brass Playing and are intended to help you
master the basics behind playing any brass
instrument.
Following these recommendations should give
you a solid foundation on which you can
improve your brass playing and help you to
achieve your musical potential.
Best Regards
Marcus Reynolds
1
Warm Up and Warm Down
Every Time You Play
An athlete knows that for peak performance you must warm up properly.
As a brass player you use your diaphragm and abdominal muscles, as well
as facial muscles and tongue, and these all need to warm up to work
properly.
Warm up by playing sustained notes in the lower register to begin with and
move up the registers as you warm up.
After playing or practising you should always remember to warm down and
finish with playing sustained notes in the lower register.
If you warm up properly you will find your stamina improves.

2
Warm Up and Warm Down
Every Time You Play
Playing any musical instrument relies on so called 'muscle memory', the
co-ordinated movements of musical note production that becomes second
nature to the player through repeatedly practising them.
Practising for 1 hour, 7 days a week is much better than practising for 7
hours, 1 day a week.
Regular practice will help keep your fingers and tongue co-ordinated.
Always have a concept in your head about you want to sound (tone, feel,
phrasing etc.). and concentrate on reproducing these. Recording yourself,
as you practice, is useful way to check that you are achieving your desired
sound. This doesn't have to be very hi-tech, a voice recording app on a
smart phone, tablet or a laptop will let you capture the important
components of your playing.
Organise your practice session to make sure you practice effectively and
you may find it helps to make a list with timings of the exercises you need
to practice e.g.
• Scales and arpeggios: 5 minutes.
• Ascending and Descending Breathing: 5 minutes
• Long tones: 5 minutes
• Transposition and sight reading: 5 minutes
• Excerpts: 10 minutes
• Solo pieces: 20 minutes
• Studies: 10 minutes
• Improvising over changes: 10 minutes
• Multiple tonguing: Flexibility: 2 minutes
• Slurs: 5 minutes
BREATHING
In order to perform you need to learn to breathe with the lungs as fully as
possible.
Stand upright with your arms held loosely at your side and plant your feet
roughly shoulder-width apart .
With your knees slightly bent exhale fully and hold that position for 5
seconds, then inhale and feel the rush of air as you breathe in to fill the
void and as the air comes in resist the temptation to over lift the shoulders
(though some rising of the shoulders will occur when you first try this
exercise) .
Repeat this exercise for 6 repetitions.
On returning to your instrument repeat the above and then play, you
should be able to immediately feel more tonal support and this will add to
your sonority as you will be able to perform without having to worry
constantly that there might not be enough breath to complete the phrase.
By regularly practising breathing as described you will find you are able to
play longer phrases and also hold your long tones for extended periods.
Don't just practice - Perform.
SIGHT READING
There is only one way to improve your sight reading, and that is to keep
practising it regularly.
However if you suffer from dyslexia or dyscalculia you may find this a
struggle.
I am slightly dyscalculic and to counter this I taught myself a method that I
call the ONE ONE CLUB where every note has a definite place i.e. either
on the down-beat or the up- beat.
Many of my students have been taught this to great effect.
The book that helped my sight reading more than any other is called
Modern Reading Text in 4/4: For All Instruments by Bellson and Breines.
This is a great book as all the exercises are gently progressive, and
because of this, you will grasp rhythms very quickly.
There is a companion volume called Odd Time Reading Text: For All
Instruments by the same authors.
You can order these books from your music store, orchestral mini-series
of classical works, and if you follow the score as you listen to a
performance this will also help to train your ear.
EXCERPTS.
Many auditions for an orchestra or band is determined by the candidates
performing a series of excerpts before a panel of judges.
Research these excerpt selections and start building them into your
practice regime.
To increase your chances of selection, and to improve your playing,
start performing these various pieces and record yourself playing them.
Get used to using a metronome and set the tempo slow.
This ensures that you play less wrong notes so the muscle memory
won't have to be re-learned.
Look to eliminate as many faults as possible or else these will “Ghost “
back to you through the process of becoming familiar with your selected
piece.
Play the difficult sections even more slowly and your muscle memory will
lock the intervals in.
I also suggest to my students to play the phrase on one note so you can
get a better flow then the next note etc.
This familiarizes you with the valve and slide positions.
The result of this is when you put the phrase together you will
maintain a flow that will add to the musical picture .
STUDIES.
The trouble I have found over the many years of teaching students of
varying standards, is that they repeatedly practice the same piece of
music, aiming for perfection.
This may sound like a good idea, but my suggestion to achieve a better
result, would be to experiment with something different and slightly more
challenging. By adopting this method you will return to the original piece
more refreshed.
If you are starting to discover jazz on your instrument seek out Jamey
Aebersold’s jazz training series. Aebersold’s collection of books and
studies is probably the most significant collection of study books that has
spawned more Jazz players than any other format the world over.
DOUBLE TONGUEING
Many players have possibly only experienced single tonguing as in Tu.
Tu is just one of the two syllables required to form the double tonguing
engine. The other syllable is Ku and comes from the back of the throat.
I get my students to do 10- 20 back of the throat Ku’s and then check the
balance of the Tu and Ku. As the Ku is sounded from the back of the
throat it takes quite a bit of practise to produce an even balance between
the two syllables.
In the beginning working on this Tu Ku Tu Ku Tu Ku is quite laborious and
early results will more often produce a strong Tu and a weak Ku. This will
eventually even out.
When you start to hear a more even balance between the two syllables try
buzzing on the mouthpiece.
To really get the muscles to activate the Ku - play a whole piece just using
Ku.
The thing to remember here is to not get despondent as the double
tonguing will improve with time.
Spend some time on this and it will serve you well.
Let me also introduce you to a wonderful device I discovered at the
International Trumpet Guild Columbus. It’s called the Saccator and it
immediately helps you hear the balance and strength between the 'TU'
and the 'KU'.
Tu and Ku are not the only syllables you can also try Du and Gu and
alternate between the two sets of syllables.
i.e. A bar of Tu Ku and a bar of Du Gu. Experiment with both sets of
syllables.
FLEXIBILITY
Here's a couple of tips I encourage my students to try, when using Chas
Collins "Lip Flexibilities."
Page 9 of the Advanced Lip Flexibilities .
Buzz the first 2 bars 6 times,

Rest and roll your lips for 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds.
Play first 2 bars.
Buzz bars 3 and 4 6 times
Rest and roll your lips for 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds.
Play bars 3 and 4.
This might seem very laborious, but trust me the results will be
tremendous.
Please note I have allowed a rest period for every etude - this is so
important.
After completing the above 4 staves, turn to Page 17 and:
Buzz the 11th and 12th notes the F and the D without moving 6 times -
slowly
You will soon ache. This ache is the result of duress from the
muscles calling for more blood and oxygen.
Follow the resting time of 10 seconds.
Return to Page 9 and see how easy the notes are.
If the lips feel resistance check the gap between teeth. If they are closed
you will not enjoy the resonance the exercise should have provided.
(I really hope this helps and gives you an insight in to how detailed and
focused my coaching is.)
3
RESTING IS AN IMPORTANT
PART OF PRACTICING
Most tuition books on brass instrument playing will tell you that 'you should
rest as long as you play'.
It's good advice as it gives your muscles and lips some recovery time.
So don't rush your practice and build in some rest periods.
This needn't be 'dead' time as you can try 'visualisation' or visual motor
behavioural rehearsal (VMBR) to give it it's full title.
Whilst you are resting your 'chops' read through the music you have just
played, or are about to play.
Practise fingerings, rhythms etc. BUT IN YOUR MIND'S EYE ONLY.
See yourself playing in your mind’s eye, focusing on the same things are
when you practice for real.
VMBR is used by many top sportsmen and women to hone particular
movements or techniques they require.
Rugby goal-kickers, bobsleigh pilots and racing car drivers all use VMBR
techniques and if it works for them it can work for you too.
4
USE AS LITTLE MOUTHPIECE
PRESSURE AS POSSIBLE
Your fundamental tone is produced by the vibration of your lips, therefore
they have to be able vibrate freely.
Also the muscles you are using to create your embouchure require oxygen
and energy which is supplied by blood vessels.
Too much pressure both crushes the embouchure muscles and cuts off
the blood supply to them.
Excessive pressure damages tone quality, flexibility and range.
Use only enough pressure to make a good join between your embouchure
and instrument.
By encouraging a good “floating” jaw position, the

STRATOS Embouchure Training System
reduces the need for mouthpiece pressure.
5
KEEP THE JUNCTION BETWEEN
YOUR MOUTH AND
MOUTHPIECE STIL
Only two things should move when you play, air and your tongue.
I am not talking about controlled pivoting your instrument, but unintentional
movement up and down or laterally.
You can think of it like a joint in a water pipe, a loose joint will leak and
cause problems.
Likewise if your jaw or instrument are not steady this movement will result
in low or uneven air pressure which in turn affects your sound.
You can check this by playing in front of a mirror or getting a friend or
family member to record a video of your playing.
By re- enforcing the correct relationship between your embouchure
and instrument and helping to keep it steady the
STRATOS Embouchure Training System
enables player to improve quality of tone, as well as increasing both
range and power by ensuring this joint is good and steady.
6
ADOPT A GOOD POSTURE
Brass instrument uses vibrating air to produce the sound.

A good upright “tall” posture will aid the free flow of air from the lungs
through the windpipe, past the lips and into the instrument.
You will find taking a deep breathe is easier and that the throat is opened
slightly helping with resonance.
7
Rember that good sound
production starts with a good
embouchure.
A brass instrument is mainly an amplifier to make the you sound produce
heard.
To help sound production blow as though cooling a spoonful of soup or
making a candle flame flicker, keeping the aperture between your teeth
slightly open so air can pass easily over them.
Your lips should be together but free to vibrate and buzz.
Remember that a number of tiny changes to your embouchure can have
huge effects.
This theory of many minute adjustments having a huge effect was a
guiding principle in the development of the STRATOS Embouchure
Training System.
This is why I prefer to talk about embouchure re-aligment or adjustment
rather than changing or re-building an embouchure.
You are probably much closer to a good solid embouchure than you think.
When your embouchure is functioning well, this will translate into good
tonal quality, better sound production, improved range and you will find
that you can practice and play for longer - in short you will be able to play
your instrument better.
Great playing starts with a good embouchure.
About Marcus
Marcus Reynolds, creator of the unique STRATOS Embouchure System,

has been a professional brass player and teacher since his musical
training at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall.
He gained teaching experience tutoring for Surrey County Council and at
numerous private schools for over 12 years, whilst developing his
reputation as a professional performer on the trombone.
His career included stints on-board the QE2, with West End shows such
as ‘Chicago’ and numerous Radio and TV sessions, playing with the very
best players in the UK.
Following a serious stage accident that led to major re-constructive
surgery, he had to battle to learn to play again.
This struggle gave him insights about the brass embouchure that he used
to develop the STRATOS system.
The development and refinement of STRATOS took nearly 3 years but
has resulted in a system that is used successfully by hundreds of
brass players world-wide to improve their embouchure and playing.
Marcus uses his knowledge and experience to help his students, who
range from beginners to seasoned professionals.
He continues to play regularly and is a Rath Trombones signed artiste.
In between playing and teaching, Marcus now gives lectures and clinics
on his approach to the embouchure and brass playing.
He has talked at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama for the
British Trombone Society, and also for Warwick County Music Service.
He is also in demand as a writer and has produced articles covering all
aspects of the brass embouchure, which have been published in The
Brass Herald, Brass Band World and by The British Trombone Society.
Marcus can be contacted via phone: +44 7815 5046 619 or email:
marcus@marcusreynolds.com

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What are the 7 Golden Rules for Better Brass Playing?

Why is it important to warm up and warm down when playing brass instruments?

7 Golden Rules for

Better Brass Playing

© 2017 Marcus Reynolds All rights reserved

The secret to performing any complex task

If you warm up properly you will find your stamina improves.

Buzz the first 2 bars 6 times,

By encouraging a good “floating” jaw position, the

Brass instrument uses vibrating air to produce the sound.

Marcus Reynolds, creator of the unique STRATOS Embouchure System,

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