Ed Castro's Blog

As a music educator, I always find great joy in engaging with young inquzitive brass players and delving into the intricacies of their craft. In a recent conversations with these developing musicians, we explored several essential aspects of their journey, including breathing techniques, warm-up routines, sight-reading pitfalls, the importance of practicing etudes, and the art of articulation. Here, are some of the notes shared from that discussion.

“Common Performance Issues” 

Breathing 

• Breathe deeply 
• Breathe often 
• Play on the top 2/3 of the breath 
• Mark every breath in your music 

Warm Up 

• Use a metronome and tuner as often as possible
• Move in time and in tune 
• If available watch yourself in a mirror 
• Know what you are trying to accomplish in every exercise 

Sight Reading (Common Errors) 

• Observe the key signature (especially the last flat or sharp of the signature) 
• Uneven pulse, often doubled or halved 
• Tempo is too fast 
• Use the first and third valve slides 
• Do not bypass rests 

Scales

• Keep an even pulse 
• Move the tempo ahead when comfortable 
• Keep the articulation even 
• Center the sound 
• Use the first and third valve slides 

Etudes 

• Breathe deep and often 
• Release the mouthpiece pressure (during breaths/rests)  
• Keep an even pulse 
• Create musical shape 
• Maintain quality throughout 

Articulation 

• Keep style/length of notes consistent throughout 
• Define the end/length of each note 
• Play the last note of a slur full value (do not clip)

Reaffirmed the significance of fundamental skills can lay a solid foundation for any young brass player starting their musical journey.