Brass in the Big Band:
Basics That Will Quickly Improve Your Brass Section
Chris Buckholz
University of Northern Iowa
Section Playing Basics







Sound
Balance
Intonation
Articulation
Rhythm
Dynamics
Style
Sound: mental conception

Mental concept of how you want to sound is the most important factor in actually getting
a good sound
◦
◦
◦
◦
Listen to great players on your instrument a lot—both recordings and live
Constantly challenge your students to get the best possible sound. Make that the
focus of the warmup.
Listen to a few seconds of a recording, then play back exactly what the artist did,
including vibrato, sound, dynamics
Record yourself
Sound: concept and air


Sound needs to be “full” with a lot of “core”
◦
◦
“Full”=lots of overtones in the sound (aka “resonance”)
“Core”=lots of fundamental in the sound
Air is the key to a great sound
◦
◦
Air is the motor force that drives the embouchure
The better the embouchure buzzes, the better the horn sounds

Embouchure=instrument or voice
Chris Buckholz: Brass in the Big Band


Page |2
Mouthpiece=microphone
Horn=amplifier
Sound continued


Most (not all) “embouchure problems” are really air problems
◦
Most students don’t take in enough air for their embouchures to buzz efficiently

Embouchures developing around weak air supplies work much harder than they
need to
Filling the lungs with air each breath improves the sound, range and endurance all at
once
Physics of a good brass sound



Embouchure buzzes the correct pitch. Maximum lip tissue vibrates under mouthpiece rim
because thick air column is pushing on lip surface. Air pressure and lip tension are
minimal.
Horn is set to the proper length to resonate on an overtone series for the correct pitch,
through valves or slide.
Horn amplifies note.
Implications



Embouchure is a reflex mechanism that has to buzz correct pitches
◦
Buzz on mouthpiece to refine reflex mechanism
Maximum lip tissue needs to vibrate for best sound
◦
◦
Buzz on embouchure visualizer
Get thick, open column of air up to embouchure
◦Work on breathing: “relaxed suction”
◦Get tongue out of the way
Horn has to be set to the proper length
◦
◦
Slide has to be in position BEFORE note is played
Valve has to be down BEFORE note is played
Chris Buckholz: Brass in the Big Band
Page |3
Balance




Section needs to be balanced in such a way that lead is most prominent voice, but all the
individual parts can be heard clearly as well
Good sounds throughout the section will improve balance
Air quantity largely determines dynamics
◦
◦
Not taking in enough air limits dynamic range, particularly in lower parts
This in turn affects balance
Intonation affects balance
Working on balance

Spend some time with a decibel meter with students individually and as a section
◦
◦
◦
Determine what seems like a reasonable decibel level for piano, forte, etc. on the
section level
Then do that on the individual level, so that the student knows how loud to play in
the section for a given dynamic
Dynamics are relative, but this will give a good starting point and help students to
hear what it’s like when the section is balanced
Intonation


Intonation affects perception of sound quality and balance
◦
Good intonation is crucial to a great ensemble sound
Air quantity affects intonation
◦
◦
◦
Small quantity of air in the lungs tends to make the pitch go sharp, because
embouchure has to close down to function with weak, pressurized air
Weak players often have to pull their tuning slides very far out to play in tune.
Good trombone players often have to cut their tuning slides, because their
embouchures are open enough to play flat.
Working on intonation

Practice with tuning drones
◦
Play slow scales, both major and minor, and work to get rid of beats
Chris Buckholz: Brass in the Big Band

◦
Page |4
Know intonation corrections for each interval
Practice with tuner
◦
◦
Play the note first while looking away from tuner. When the note is locked in, look at
the tuner.
Play notes around the tuning pitch, then land on the tuning pitch

Especially important for trombonists
Articulation



Tonguing has to be much harder, more percussive and the short notes much shorter than
in classical playing
◦
Failing to do this robs the music of its rhythmic momentum
Many brass figures are punches that function as an auxiliary percussion instrument
Tongue is generally more in the way of the airstream than in classical playing
◦
Tongue on upper teeth for jazz playing. Tonguing on the lips is a serious problem!
Tongue on hard palate for classical playing.
Articulation continued

Ends of notes are just as important as the start of notes
◦
◦
Any non-legato note is cut off with a tongue stop



Can be short: “dat”
Can be long: “daaaaaaaaaaaaaaat”
Doesn’t have to be a hard stop, but needs to cut the note off cleanly so that it has a
definite finish rhythmically
Good bands start notes together. Great bands end notes together.
Rhythm

Brass players have to articulate correctly, take in a lot of air, and have good internal
metronomes so that they don’t drag down the ensemble’s time
◦

Weak articulations, notes that start late and bad senses of time all create dragging
brass sections
Count Basie band of 1960s: most of the time, right on top of the beat.
Chris Buckholz: Brass in the Big Band
◦
◦

Page |5
Sometimes get behind the beat for effect
Bands sometimes try to play “behind the beat” to imitate the Basie band, but this is a
misconception
Great ensembles swing hard! Work on swing feel with eighth notes on one pitch
Dynamics

Loud playing is easy to do with brass instruments. Soft playing with a good sound and
intonation is trickier.
◦

Dynamics in a jazz ensemble tend to be mf-f, but the pp-p end of the spectrum should
be worked on, especially with the brass section
Again, air determines dynamics.
◦
◦
◦
You can’t play loud on one breath for very long, particularly if that breath is shallow
Don’t let quantity of air dictate how loud or soft you can play
Don’t let the desire to play a long phrase in one breath interfere with dynamics or
sound quality
Style



What is “style”?
◦
Encompasses sound, articulation, dynamics, note lengths, vibrato, rhythm, scoops,
bends
Lead players largely convey style to the rest of the ensemble
◦
Inner parts should use less stylistic inflection than lead parts
Vibrato is the most important stylistic element in the brass section
◦
Use of vibrato varies widely over time



Hand/slide vibrato common until 1960s
Jaw vibrato mostly used after 1960, important in bebop era
Vibrato used sparingly after 1970s
Style continued

The constant, wide vibrato used in non-unison parts in 1930s-1950s big band music is
important to convey that style
Chris Buckholz: Brass in the Big Band
◦
◦
Page |6
The way you play an Ellington composition stylistically is vastly different than the
way you play a Maria Schneider composition
Students have to be taught these differences and the techniques involved in order to
play older styles convincingly
Summary

Creating a great big band brass section requires work in many areas: sound, intonation,
balance, articulation, rhythm, dynamics and style
◦
These aspects can only be dealt with once the music can be played technically

Work on familiar music to refine basic skills
Recommended Recordings
Count Basie
Live at the Sands (before Frank)
Sinatra at the Sands
The Complete Live Roulette Recordings
The Complete Roulette Studio Recordings
Duke Ellington
Never No Lament (The Blanton Webster Band)
Maynard Ferguson
The Complete Roulette Recordings
Woody Herman
Blue Flame
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis
Stan Kenton
Buddy Rich
Maria Schneider
Frank Sinatra
Big Band Live at The Concord
Thundering Herd
Complete Solid State Recordings (1966-1970)
New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm
The Holman and Russo Charts
Cuban Fire
Big Swing Face
Swingin’ New Big Band
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
They’re all amazing!
Songs for Swinging Lovers
Reprise
Reprise
Mosaic
Mosaic
BMG
Mosaic
LRC Jazz
Classics
Concord
Fantasy
Mosaic
Capitol
Mosaic
Capitol
Pacific Jazz
Pacific Jazz
Pacific Jazz
Capitol