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    Welcome to The Concert Band

    This web site is dedicated to college and secondary school concert and wind bands. It contains information about the various instruments employed, as well as hints about band training (including technique and intonation), conducting, the physical laws the govern sound production, and anything else I think the young musicians who play in these bands might find helpful. Some sections (such as the one on interpretation) are more for band directors than players, of course, but overall I have tried to include something of interest to just about everyone.

    There is also a large section devoted to the activities of the Brass Band Jenderal (BBJ), a Salvation Army band based in Medan, Indonesia. If you are interested in this Band, click here.

    Some of the information on this website has been extracted from my book entitled The Band Director's Handbook: A guide for College and Secondary School Band Directors in Southeast Asia. The book also includes additional chapters on pedagogy and the varying characteristics of different wind band instruments that are not included in this website. It also has a chapter devoted to writing arrangements and transcriptions for wind band. To order a copy of my book, see the publication details below.

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    BBJ stands for Brass Band Jenderal. It means “The General’s Band” in English. The band is based at a Salvation Army Boys home in Medan, Indonesia. Sometimes called “The Medan Band” by foreigners, it was given the name BBJ in 1989 by General Eva Burrows (the Salvation Army’s international leader at the time) when she met band members in Bandung, Indonesia Read about it here.
    This is the section where I intend to post a variety of articles expanding on subjects not discussed in detail on other parts of this website. Click here.

    This website includes several free scores for both wind and brass band that you can download and use with your band. One of my favourites is an arrangement of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus that I wrote for brass band. To take a look as the music, click here. To take a look at the other scores currently available on this website, click here.

     

     

    This book has been written in response to the need for a comprehensive yet affordable guide for wind band directors. It is a practical manual, dealing with the principles of embouchure formation, tone production, and articulation for every major brass and woodwind instrument. Special chapters are also devoted to the fundamentals of conducting and writing transcriptions. In every case, the idea has been to approach the subject matter from the point of view of the non-specialist.

    You can purchase the handbook online

    http://www.mphonline.com.my

    Or From The Amazon.com

     

     

     

    This section discusses some of the basic principles involved in getting beyond the notes and interpreting the music.  Not all of the principles outlined here need to be understood by band members in order to produce a musically pleasing performance. However, the conductor certainly needs to be aware of them if he is to bring out the best in his band! Click here.
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    Design Issues


    Tone Holes
    Construction Materials
    Fingerings 

    Despite the wide range of designs, woodwinds do have some lower level similarities.   Unlike the brasses, for example, all woodwinds make extensive use of their fundamental pitches, with the second partial being used for the middle register.  Other design issues are considered below.


     Tone Holes


    Like brass instruments, the sounds produced by the woodwinds are the result of a vibrating air column inside the instrument.  Unlike the brasses, however, the length of this column is changed, not by using valves to alter the length of the instrument’s tubing, but through the use of strategically positioned tone holes.  These tone holes are placed at the nodes referred to in the section on music and physics.  Basically, these nodes are the places where the standing waves cancel each other out and the longitudinal motion is reversed.  As the fingers uncover the tone holes, the node moves up the instrument to the highest open hole, shortening the vibrating air column and thus raising the pitch. 

     

     


     Construction Materials

    Quality oboes, clarinets and bassoons are made of wood with the straightest grain possible.  Traditionally, the oboe and clarinet have been made of grenadilla wood.  This wood minimizes moisture absorption and is available in large enough quantities to ensure that it does not become too expensive.  Nowadays, however, many student model clarinets are made of resins that do not require the same level of care and maintenance needed to keep wooden instruments in top playing condition. The sound produced by such clarinets, however, is widely believed to be inferior to those made of grenadilla wood. The bassoon, however, is still made of hard maple stained brown (mahogany) or black (ebony).

    Scratches inside the bore can affect intonation and tone.
    Wood as a construction material has several disadvantages.  Older instruments may dry out excessively, producing cracks that ultimately render the instrument unusable.  Scratches inside the bore, resulting from dropping the metal weight of a swab into an oboe or clarinet, can also affect intonation and tone.  Nor is it a good idea to keep woodwind instruments clean by washing or soaking them as one might in the case of the brass. 

    Although originally made of wood, most flutes in common use today are made of metal.  Sterling silver (92.5% pure silver) is the traditional material for top quality flutes.  Most student models, however, are made of nickel silver.  Silver plating is said to produce the best timbre, but is probably not a good choice for secondary schools since it tends to tarnish after a few months.  Nickel plating, on the other hand, is more hardwearing and costs about the same.  As a result, it is more popular. 

    Most piccolos have a conical bore, whereas most flutes are cylindrical.  Wooden piccolos (usually best for concert music) are more sonorous than their metal counterparts and are therefore preferred in orchestral playing.  Metal piccolos, on the other hand, are easier to play and have a more brilliant tone quality.  They are therefore more popular in marching bands.


     


    Fingerings

    Woodwind fingerings have been standardized since the fourteenth century.  Six tone holes, uncovered one at a time, produce a seven-note scale.  All holes covered produce either a C (flutes, oboes and saxophones) or an F (clarinets and bassoons).  Removing the fingers creates a kind of “bell” immediately beneath the last tone hole covered.  Covering holes beneath the open hole tend to make the pitch flat.  Thus, it has become a standard means of lowering pitches that are a little sharp.  Duplicate keys are provided on clarinets and oboes to help players avoid sliding with the same finger from one key to another. Even so, it is sometimes unavoidable. 

    The register key is operated with the left thumb.
    The point between the first and second registers is called “the break”.  To obtain the notes of the second partial, the fundamental frequency is overblown with the aid of an octave or register key that opens a vent near the mouthpiece.  In every case, this register key is operated with the left thumb.  Other holes assist in the production of the chromatic scale. 

    As in the case of the brasses, there are usually a number of alternative fingerings available for any given note.  In general, the preferred fingerings are those which give the best intonation and sound quality.  However, it is also important to take account of other issues, such as comfort and ease of use. In some passages, the standard fingerings may be awkward or even impossible.  It is therefore important to encourage students to think in terms of primary and secondary fingerings. For example, whenever possible, clarinet players should avoid sliding on the low G-sharp, F-sharp, E and F key.  Instead, they should take advantage of the duplicated left-hand keys provided for this purpose.  A similar situation occurs with the oboe in the case of the E-flat, C and F keys.

     


     

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