Brass (Trumpet, French horn, Trombone, Baritone and Tuba)
If your instrument won't work or you can't get any sound out of your instrument, here are some things you can try...
1. Sound is produced on all the brass instruments by a technique called “buzzing”. Sometimes you might forget to buzz and just blow air into the instrument. This does not work. Remember to "buzz". Practice "buzzing" and then try your music again.
2. Trumpets, baritones and tubas have valves. If they are put in wrong, no sound will come out. If you can twist a key around and around, either the key is coming off, or the valve is in wrong. Listen for "the click”. When putting in the valve, move it around until it “clicks” into place.
3. If neither of the above works, there could be another problem. Bring your instrument in to me to check.
You may sometime think "This doesn’t sound at all like a song!” The great thing about brass instruments is that there aren’t many fingerings or slide positions to learn. However, the tricky part is that each of those fingerings/slide positions can produce many notes just by tightening and loosening one’s lips.
If you are struggling to get certain notes out, don’t worry, it gets easier and better with time. Remember, higher doesn’t mean louder. Here’s a rule to keep in mind: to get the higher notes out, tighten your lips and buzz faster; to get the lower notes out, loosen your lips and buzz slower.
If your instrument won't work or you can't get any sound out of your instrument, here are some things you can try...
1. Sound is produced on all the brass instruments by a technique called “buzzing”. Sometimes you might forget to buzz and just blow air into the instrument. This does not work. Remember to "buzz". Practice "buzzing" and then try your music again.
2. Trumpets, baritones and tubas have valves. If they are put in wrong, no sound will come out. If you can twist a key around and around, either the key is coming off, or the valve is in wrong. Listen for "the click”. When putting in the valve, move it around until it “clicks” into place.
3. If neither of the above works, there could be another problem. Bring your instrument in to me to check.
You may sometime think "This doesn’t sound at all like a song!” The great thing about brass instruments is that there aren’t many fingerings or slide positions to learn. However, the tricky part is that each of those fingerings/slide positions can produce many notes just by tightening and loosening one’s lips.
If you are struggling to get certain notes out, don’t worry, it gets easier and better with time. Remember, higher doesn’t mean louder. Here’s a rule to keep in mind: to get the higher notes out, tighten your lips and buzz faster; to get the lower notes out, loosen your lips and buzz slower.