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Review: Ask the Pros

PUBLISHED: August 2, 2008, Bruce Hembd

Since last November the International Horn Society (IHS) has engaged a new area within their general forum called “Ask the Pros.” For each two-month period, a leading professional offers advice, insight and information based on members’ questions. The “pros” so far have included Frank Lloyd, Frøydis Ree Wekre, Gregory Hustis and Dale Clevenger. It is [...]

Transposition Tricks: Bass Clef

PUBLISHED: July 20, 2008, Bruce Hembd

An old trick for reading concert-pitch bass clef. Many times at freelance gigs, I am expected to play at sight all sorts of music – including trombone, trumpet, viola and piano parts. Over the course of my 20-something-year career, I have figured out a few tricks that work like a charm for me. In “Sometimes [...]

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Tips, Transposition

Exercise: Pitch Benders

PUBLISHED: July 11, 2008, Bruce Hembd

Blurring the lines. As children we are told to “stay between the lines” – whether it is playing with crayons in coloring books or when instructed to follow rules and boundaries. When it comes to music however, sometimes it is a good thing to stretch these boundaries. Practicing extreme techniques can make performing regular tasks [...]

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PDF, Tips

Using a Video Recorder For Practice Sessions

PUBLISHED: July 3, 2008, Bruce Hembd

An Addendum to “Physician Heal Thyself” The tutelage received from your private teacher is only as good as your application during practice. A few years ago I started this blog with a series of posts – “Physician Heal Thyself” – related to this. As noted in this series, the tuner, metronome and recording device are [...]

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Tips

The Art of Practice, Part I: An Overview

PUBLISHED: June 16, 2008, Bruce Hembd

The basics of the basics. An integral part of the daily practice ritual for any musician is calisthenics – the process of building physical and mental strength and flexibility though the concentrated study of the basics. This process is given many different names and terms including the “warm-up,” routine, exercises or daily ritual. Rather than [...]

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Tips

Exercise for Till Eulenspiegel: Till the Cows Come Home

PUBLISHED: June 10, 2008, Bruce Hembd

An exercise for Till Eulenspiegel > Download Till Exercise PDF On practically every “high horn” audition – and even on some low horn auditions – the opening solo from Richard Strauss’ tone poem Till Eulenspiegel will be asked. For any aspiring orchestral player, this excerpt must be known backwards and forwards. Taking this literally, I [...]

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Excerpts, Orchestra, PDF, Tips

Exercise PDF: Buddha Lee

PUBLISHED: June 1, 2008, Bruce Hembd

A supercalifragilisticexpialidocious flexibility exercise. > Download the PDF Years ago when I was a student at Arizona State University, Tom Bacon showed me this superb flexibility exercise. In group practice sessions, he came up with the name “Buddha Lee” because when playing the exercise it aurally sounds like “buddah-lee-buddah-lee-buddah-lee,” and the name stuck. I am [...]

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PDF, Tips
John Ericson & Bruce Hembd
on the French horn, brass related topics, and the field of classical music.