CHARACTERISTIC TONE PRODUCTION
F. LEWIS JONES
Revisions and Updates by Bobby Keating
For ASBDA Workshop “Do You Hear What I Hear”
Essentially, characteristic tone quality serves as the basis of all musical performance. Attempting to achieve an acceptable level of
musical performance without acceptable characteristic tone quality is like attempting to create a chocolate cake without using chocolate as an
ingredient. Therefore, as a potential musician, no effort is more important than mastering the instrument in terms of producing the musical
sound (tone) it is built to produce.
Because of their importance, a separate discussion could be held to review the four basic elements of a musical tone (pitch, duration,
intensity, timbre), but for the current discussion I will limit my remarks to the processes by which good characteristic tone quality can be
achieved, I would recommend, however, that a study be made of these elements and of the overtone, or harmonic series that exists in nature
and upon which so much depends, including instrument construction, tone quality (timbre), intonation and harmony. It is a fascinating
phenomenon with which every musician needs to be familiar.
A. CONCEPTS
How would you describe the taste of a peach to a person who had never tasted one? It would be virtually impossible except to
compare it to another fruit, but even that would be inaccurate and incomplete. The only sure way for a person to develop a concept of
the taste of a peach is to taste one! Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
How would you describe a clarinet tone to one who has never heard a clarinet sound before? Or trumpet? Or oboe? Or flute? Again,
any attempt to explain would be inaccurate and incomplete. Yet time and time again students may be urged to perform with good
tone quality on his/her instrument without ever having heard good tone quality. This is a deplorable situation which can be easily
remedied. Find recordings of superb musicians. These recordings are everywhere. YouTube is full of great examples for your students.
These recordings can be played before and after class so you can still get your full rehearsal time.
In addition, with a little extra effort, live performers can be engaged to perform for or with your band. Every student should hear a
concert by an advanced musician or musical group. Use college students if you live near a university. Bring in your friends, or former
students.
B.
EQUIPMENT
1. Instruments
Before acceptable tone quality can be achieved, the student must have an acceptable musical instrument – not necessarily an
expensive one, but one that is serviceable or plays well. We have all heard of ISO’s (Instrument Shaped Objects) before and you
should know to stay far away from them. Proper instrument care is essential for all instruments! It must be taught and constantly
emphasized so that faulty equipment does not impede the progress of a student. Seek out advise from your fellow band directors
for brand names that they recommend. They will give you a true evaluation of the instrument brands out there that work and
sound best.
2. Mouthpieces
Mismatching mouthpieces with instruments probably obstructs the achievement of good tone quality much more than is realized.
On reed instruments the problem is compounded by also needing to match the reed with the mouthpiece, and the mouthpiece
with the instrument. Directors and students should spend whatever time is necessary to learn the correct matching of
instruments/mouthpieces/reeds. Saxophone mouthpieces are a real challenge for most band directors that don’t play it. If this is
the case for you, please find a good sax player to explain the differences in tone quality. There are some really good “cross over”
mouthpieces that can be used for both concert and jazz band, but please do not have that “jazz” sound in a “concert” setting if
possible. With brass players it is a little bit easier to match a mouthpiece to the student. Generally, the larger mouthpieces get a
fuller tone but are more difficult to play in the upper register and can cause endurance problems for your young players as well.
The trick is to find that perfect match for the student, their tone, and their range. Usually, the stronger they get with their
embouchure the bigger and deeper the mouthpiece can be. Depending on the genre, some players (and teachers) like a brighter
sound. This can be a simple mouthpiece change. For instance, jazz band compared to concert band sound. Most professionals
change mouthpieces to accommodate the style of music being played at the time. Rim size changes are usually not recommended,
but the cup depth can be changed with very little adjustments. Shallow cups generally tend to be easier to play in upper register,
but have a brighter tone quality to them which may not sound great in your concert band.
Here are the mouthpieces I use with my middle school band students;
Clarinet
Vandoren B45, or Dolce
Saxophone
Rousseau 4R, Selmer C* - (Meyer 5M for Jazz players)
Trumpet
French Horn
Trombone
Tuba
C.
D.
Bach 7C at first (or whatever is in the case), then switch to Bach 3C
Bach 7 to start (or something smaller like Bach 11) Switch to Farkas MDC later if desired
Bach 6 ½ AL, 12C
Bach 18 or 24AW, then switch to a Conn Helleberg
POSTURE
A performer’s posture while playing is sometimes a neglected fundamental which makes an enormous difference in his or her ability to
produce a characteristic tone quality. Good posture promotes physical readiness and mental alertness, two very important traits for
musicians. Usually, the best posture is present while standing, so effort should be made while seated to emulate that upright position
as much as possible. Generally, good posture while playing consists of the following;
1. Both feet on the floor with one placed slightly ahead of the other so that the person could stand up quickly without having to shift
the feet.
2. The body (above the hips) should be in essentially the same position as it would be while standing.
3. Move in the chair so that only 6 to 8 inches of the front of the chair is occupied.
4. Try to think of balancing the spine as one would balance an upright board in the palm of your hand, using as little energy as
possible to stay in that position.
5. Keep the head in such a position that the throat will be open and the flow of air will not be obstructed.
AIR
Obviously, in any discussion concerning wind instruments, there must be an emphasis placed on the use of the air and this is especially
necessary when dealing with characteristic tone production. Wind instrument performance without the required volume and intensity
of air flow is next to impossible - like trying to play a string instrument with no strings or with rubber bands instead of strings.
Below and the components of the process of using proper air control; THIS IS THE AIR YOU CONTROL
1. Inhalation
Based on the experience of evaluating/adjudicating at MPA’s, I believe that this is probably the most overlooked of all of the
component fundamentals, and yet the most essential because without a sufficient supply of air on hand, not enough air can be
used to produce the proper tone, control the instruments pitch, or sustain and complete a musical phrase. Some visible means of
determining the amount of air being inhaled must be used since otherwise it will depend on how much the thinks her or she is
inhaling. Simple devices can help you measure the amount of air the student is inhaling. Take a plastic bag, such as a newspaper
wrapper, using a rubber band to attach it to a ¾ inch PVC pipe 4-5 inches in length. Have the student fill the bag with air using as
many breaths that it takes, then try to breath in as much of the air from the bag as possible in one inhalation attempt. This will
help you measure how much air your student is taking in with one breath. Using breathing techniques easily found on YouTube,
you can help the students increase the amount of air they inhale.
2. Diaphragm
We tend to talk about the use of muscles, but seldom do we understand what it is and exactly how it is used in the tone
production process. Specific knowledge and practical application are vital if adequate control of a wind instrument is ever to be
established. Identifying the muscle used for good air control is very simple. Have the student while sitting down put knees
together and bend over to touch their toes. Taking a big breath will make their “core” push against the thighs. This is the
diaphragm muscle working!!! Developing good breath control is not complicated, (even though it is often presented in a confusing
manner). Good breath support can easily be developed by following these simple procedures:
Open the mouth and throat like a “yawn”, take a deep breath without making too much of a sound (because sound comes from a
closed throat).
Then blow the air out with the same openness of the throat. Do this without the instrument, then with the mouthpiece alone, and
finally with the instrument attached, using the same column of air for all three.
3. Expulsion/Exhalation
So often we speak of blowing air into the instrument, but I believe that a better concept is to think of blowing air, or wind through
the instrument. In this way we are trying to get the air to affect the entire length of the instruments tubing, not just the portion
nearest to the mouthpiece, thus making it possible to obtain the necessary tone production.