Circuit Training: Unit Four - Dexterity and Flexibility

Hello and welcome to circuit training.

Introduction to Unit Four

Let's start unit four with lightness of the tongue and slide coordination. Can you demonstrate tongue positions and moving your slide in time with the rhythm of the music? For this, I'm going to use Figure 1 from Lightness of Tongue to illustrate it.

Importance of Coordination

Tongue and slide coordination is crucial to mastering a difficult passage and developing practice technique.

• Repeated breakdowns cause:
  • Frustration
  • Fatigue
  • Incorrect muscle memory

Many difficult passages present no real challenge to the embouchure and the air support. However, the coordination between the tongue and the slide is essential to achieving good melodic coordination.

Practice Air Trombone

Here, we can actually practice air trombone. In other words, rehearse the tongue and the slide away from the instrument. This saves your lip and certainly makes the next time you play more of a revelation.

Also, be careful that when you use the articulation ta, like in the earlier unit, we don't allow jaw movement. This can be rehearsed while walking or on the bus.

Slide Technique

Here's Figure 2. The importance of slide technique can't be underestimated.

• Playing quickly in the low register, due to the distance involved, is far more difficult.
• Chris, could you play Figure 3?

Before I do this, though, we have to realize that moving from an inner position to an outer position very quickly can cause a whipping effect on the slide. This can easily make the instrument go up and down, which will spoil our melodic level.

• So, try and keep the left hand very steady, taking the vertical weight of the instrument.
• Reserve the right hand only to follow the horizontal plane.

Here's Figure 3.

Flexibility and Multiple Tonguing

This moves us nicely onto flexibility and multiple tonguing. Could you possibly demonstrate now a double tonguing exercise?

Before I do, can I stress the importance of developing a good overlap between single and double tongue? In reality, we often have to make a split-second decision according to the tempo set by an ensemble or conductor.

Having achieved a reliable overlap, we can then increase the tempo with natural ease.

• Notice how still and firm Chris's embouchure is.
• Ensure that your articulation ta does not encourage jaw movement.

Then rehearse two different ways of triple tonguing away from the instrument.

• For example, I find T K T particularly clear for a symphonic fanfare.
• Whereas T K is more suited for an extended passage of triple tonguing, such as in a brass band air, with variations.

As mentioned earlier, especially with multiple tonguing and flexibility, practicing away from the instrument can be very beneficial.

Integration of Techniques

We must now try to integrate double and triple tonguing with legato flexibilities.

Finally, let us combine mental and physical preparation in Peter Gaines' Challenge: Double Dexterity.

Steps to Follow:

• Establish a good pulse.
• Rehearse rhythm, tongue, and slide.
• Identify any awkward passages and practice separately up to 50 times a day to establish reliable muscle memory.

Remember: Don't just practice until you get it right; practice until you can't get it wrong.

Conclusion

In Unit Four, Dexterity and Flexibility, we have looked at aspects of:

• Dexterity
• Coordination
• Synchronization
• Lightness of tonguing
• Multiple tonguing

To consolidate, work through this unit once again. Don't forget that all we have talked about can be found in Circuit Training, Volume 2.