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Connecting pedal register
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:59 pm
by Bassbonechandler
I'm looking for some tips on connecting my pedal register to the rest of my range. A good example of a challenge for me is the das rheingold excerpt, specifically the pedal A flat to F in the third to last measure.
Thanks!
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:19 pm
by BGuttman
Lip slurs into and out of the pedal register. F-Bb pedal-F, E-A pedal-E, Eb-Ab pedal-Eb, etc.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:42 pm
by baileyman
Lots of standard advice:
- drop your jaw
pout your lips
Let me add one:
- move your tongue to the rear like a piston. Not down, but back.
To explore this, do two partial flexies on 1st and 2nd partials focusing on the tongue driving the pitch change. (And remember whatever exercise seems to be working for you, also do it exactly upside down. Funny how that gets weird.). Add 3 2 1 partials for more interest.
Now, it will not be only the tongue that makes things go. In a mirror you would likely see all kinds of muscles tagging along, and breath, and abs, and other stuff. But the tongue seems to be the one you can concentrate on and just let the rest grab on.
I suggest if you're interested in making things pop at volume, work on that part second. Just get it working first.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:38 am
by GBP
Do scales the full range of your horn. Use different patterns and articulations.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 2:18 pm
by Carolus
I have found that etudes in the "Low tuba etudes" book by Phil Snedecor do the trick. Slurs obviously work too, but the etudes will challenge you to make music in the pedal register.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 8:04 pm
by hsparks1
baileyman wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:42 pm
Lots of standard advice:
- drop your jaw
pout your lips
Let me add one:
- move your tongue to the rear like a piston. Not down, but back.
To explore this, do two partial flexies on 1st and 2nd partials focusing on the tongue driving the pitch change. (And remember whatever exercise seems to be working for you, also do it exactly upside down. Funny how that gets weird.). Add 3 2 1 partials for more interest.
Now, it will not be only the tongue that makes things go. In a mirror you would likely see all kinds of muscles tagging along, and breath, and abs, and other stuff. But the tongue seems to be the one you can concentrate on and just let the rest grab on.
I suggest if you're interested in making things pop at volume, work on that part second. Just get it working first.
Thanks for this advice! Very useful.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:56 pm
by harrisonreed
A lot of it for me had to do with minimizing shifts between partials, and a huge part of that was finding a mouthpiece that was efficient and the right size for my face. I bet you'd find that you'd barely need to shift at all between pedal Bb and Bb an octave higher on a bass mouthpiece. Then you could ask yourself why that might be.
Also, yes. The tongue controls the register.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 7:43 am
by GabrielRice
I'd have to work with you in person to help most effectively, but generally speaking, you probably need to look at how the slurs connect above the pedal register. If you slur down from F-Bb in the staff, do your corners stay engaged, or is there a hitch or interruption of some kind? How about Bb-lowEb with both notes on the F valve (as a lip slur)? Are you able to do these slurs with the air support engaged all the way through? Or do you need to let up the air for the notes to change?
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 9:42 am
by bigbandbone
"Let's Play Bass Tombone" by George Roberts will get you there. Somebody posted a PDF of the whole book a little while ago here. I'm sure a search will find it. Helped me immensely!
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 5:19 pm
by tbonesullivan
I'm currently having to expand my pedal register, as I now have some more "modern" bass trombone parts, that actually call for isolated pedal F notes. Previously i'd only been playing orchestral bass trombone, which in many ways is barely bass trombone. I've gotta print out that George Roberts book. I need loud pedal range for a "Mr Grinch" arrangement in a month.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 5:43 pm
by bigbandbone
tbonesullivan wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 5:19 pm
I'm currently having to expand my pedal register, as I now have some more "modern" bass trombone parts, that actually call for isolated pedal F notes. Previously i'd only been playing orchestral bass trombone, which in many ways is barely bass trombone. I've gotta print out that George Roberts book. I need loud pedal range for a "Mr Grinch" arrangement in a month.
Since working all the way through the GR book I've got a solid pedal F. And since I'm playing a single rotor 72H I've become very confident with the E pull. Also feeling good about ghosting low C & B when they are passing tones. Good luck!
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 8:28 am
by tbonesullivan
bigbandbone wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 5:43 pmSince working all the way through the GR book I've got a solid pedal F. And since I'm playing a single rotor 72H I've become very confident with the E pull. Also feeling good about ghosting low C & B when they are passing tones. Good luck!
Thanks!!! It's an arrangement of some Christmas toons by Julie Giroux.
Last song, Christmas Toons. about 4:30. It's the on the staff D right to pedal G SPLAT that is just so hard... currently. It really calls for that modern film score bass trombone pedal tone blast.
Re: Connecting pedal register
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:58 pm
by Backbone
bigbandbone wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 9:42 am
"Let's Play Bass Tombone" by George Roberts will get you there. Somebody posted a PDF of the whole book a little while ago here. I'm sure a search will find it. Helped me immensely!
Here is the thread:
https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9765