LentheLessons
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David Lesson 2 - Particulars (Measures 60-83) Here we begin building on our grand opening. Your entrance at measure 60 should have the same grandeur as your initial entrance, and is extended here to encompass four bars. Give it all of the drama and heroics that you can muster. Now allow me to illuminate a concept using your first note here, the g above the bass clef staff:
This note is commonly played in a slightly raised 2nd position. That is because as the 6th overtone (or 7th partial or harmonic) in that position it is very flat. We trombonists can adjust that, and we learn early on to bring it in at least an inch, sometimes more. The same issue exists in third position with our g-flat. Now, while we may have corrected the intonation discrepancy by adjusting the position, the tone of this 6th overtone is still simply not as solid or brilliant as most other notes. For a more detailed discourse on the phenomenon, check out Tone of Intonation in my master class hand out. What you basically need to do here is not just play it in tune, but give the tone some brilliance and vibrancy that is lacks, some pizzazz, some zip - so that it is as exciting a note as your very first e-flat was. If you don't address the tone of this 6th overtone, it will always sound dull and lifeless. Moving on, measures 64-67 also hark back to your opening passage, and we pondered different ways to turn this phrase on lesson one. Make sure that you have direction, flow and sweep in your playing here. Listen as this student plays the phrase, I play it, and he plays it back again. Plays it once, hears it once - and gets it! If only teaching were always that easy! But I hope you get my point. In measure 68 an unmistakable development starts. You may find it effective to drop down a nuance in dynamic with the pick-ups to measure 68 before you start your crescendo build. The best way to make a good crescendo is not to start too loudly. It is also a good theatrical technique: The best way to get everyone's attention is to drop your voice! The culmination of this crescendo is in measures 72 & 73, with the g-flat major flourish. These two bars can be taken somewhat freely, even quasi-cadenza like. They should make a bold statement, but must also be in tune! This is good place to practice our drone technique again. Listen as this young student and I take turns holding the reference pitch while the other tunes the arpeggio: Tuning to a drone Now to conclude this opening section - or first scene, measures 76-82. A concept that I find important in this context is: Don't let the tongue squash the tone and air column! Musically speaking, make sure there is plenty of tone even in the short notes. Give special care to the dotted 8ths in this respect. We want clear, precise articulation - even accents and marcato at times, but don't let the tongue get squash the tone! For a detailed description of this phenomenon, check the Barat Picky critique page and the Master Class Handout. Further pitfalls in this passage:
Drone again
Now - put it all back together, and you should have a grand exit! Grand exit Finally, know that you are making a musical handoff as you complete this run into measure 83. You have to give your pianist (or orchestra) an active, musical handoff that enables them to run with the beautiful cantilena theme that we will look at in lesson three. Lesson three - Cantilena
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