Tip From The Top

By Nicholas Hudson

Nick Hudson was born into a Salvationist family in Yorkshire and was taught to play the trombone by his father Barry Hudson. He played with the Sheffield Salvation Army Young People's Band and the City Youth Orchestra and as a boy was a featured soloist on concerts throughout the UK and Europe.

When the family moved to Cheshire Nick was invited to join the Foden's Motor Work Band on Solo Trombone at the age of 15, the youngest principal the band has ever had. During his career with Foden's, now known as the Britannia Building Society Band, he has been a featured soloist at Buckingham Palace and at the National Brass Band Championship's Gala Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He also makes many appearances in Europe and Scandinavia as a soloist and tutor specialising in Brass at their National Schools of Music.

As a partner in his father's advertising agency Nick is able to take time off from his 'day job' to allow him to pursue his second career as a musician. Apart from Ids concerts, broadcasts and recording sessions with the Britannia Building Society Band, he is a leading member of Howard Snell Brass and was chosen to be the featured trombonist on the Boosey and Hawkes CD Sovereign Soloists which highlights the abilities and techniques of top class brass band musicians.

As a northerner who only travels south of the Humber under pressure, I was brought up on a diet of brass bands and Hovis. Consequently, I have some fairly fixed views on what makes a good brass band trombone player. For example, one of the most important factors contributing to successful trombone playing is, in my opinion, breathing.

As fundamental as this may seem - all of us have been doing it since the day we were born! - it is still one of the most neglected aspects of competent brass playing.

We members of the valiant breed of Nanki Poo have our own particular cross to bear. Not only are we called to produce a Wagnerian fortissimo that cuts wood at two hundred paces, we also have to produce pianissimo that is so soft it makes the MD weep!

In brass bands we regularly inflict upon ourselves the masochistic pressures of contesting and on these occasions it is the quiet, sustained passages that cause problems. On the contest platform we are surrounded by an audience of experts, each one sitting on the edge of his seat waiting for you to split that top D or muff that all important entry. All this produces severe mental pressure. Breathing becomes uneven with consequent deterioration of tone, tuning and articulation.

In such a situation, you have to concentrate on keeping your breathing as even and as relaxed as possible.

If you can take in air gradually but fully over at least three bars before an important entry, you will find that not only is the air circulating through the instrument smoothly, but will also help the tense muscles in the diaphragm and upper chest to relax.

In both ensemble and solo work, brass band musicians swear by simple hymn tune playing to help develop good breath control. Sustaining long phrases with an even quality of tone, paying attention to filling the whole instrument from the diaphragm at all times.

It's hard work, but the resulting tone quality and development of stamina is well worth the effort. Not only does constant support from the diaphragm improve overall tone quality but it also helps eliminate 'squeezing' and tightening of the embouchure in the upper register.

So, if you're looking to improve your tone and ease the pressure of performance stress, do what we do in brass bands - put on your cloth cap, take the whippets for a run and breathe in some good north country air!

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