Results
Below are the results from both the interview and survey I sent out. During the interviews that I conducted I would sometime vary the questions asked as sometimes it became clear to me that the answer to one question would also reveal an answer to another. Therefore I would leave out that question. My questions are shown in bold with the answers in italics.
Answers to Interviews
Graham Lee, Ex principal trombone Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, Professor of Trombone Trinity College of Music. Interviewed May 10th 2016
How would you define the issue?
-It’s just a hesitation before the note.
Has it always been this way for you or did it start at a certain point? Which point in your career did it start?
-I never had it as a student. It only came about after my problems with focal dystonia. After I had been a professional for 20 years.
Do you think your problems were more technical issues or psychological doubts?
- If so which technical and psychological issues?
-I don’t it is that technical. The breakdown of your internal rhythm and pulse may be considered technical. I think it is mainly to do with confidence. Not caring what others around think about you and not worrying what will happen if it’s not perfect. You should just play.
In what situations do you find that your stutter occurs?
-It only happened to me when I had to play on my own on demand in front of a group. To my students for example. It would never happen in an ensemble or somewhere there was a clear beat. Never in my own personal practice
Which ways do you think helped you best to overcome your stutter?
I still have problems. It’snot as bad as it was. I just used a metronome and foot tapping. Anything to help me feel more confident about playing.
To what extent have you overcome these problems?
-Werethere any particular exercises that helped you?
-Still have the occasional setback. Especially if I have done a lot of playing and my embouchure hurts.
How long did it take you to fix these problems?
-I’m still doing it. It’s not fixed
Did you seek professional help or did you overcome this on your own?
-No, I knew what was the problem and what to do to fix it. I just needed to do it.
Are there certain techniques you find that lead to this?
-No, It could occur in any part of my playing. High, low, soft, loud ect.
Any anecdotes you wish to share?
-No, it’s very personal to me. I don't like to think about it toomuch as if I over think it itmakes it worse.
Do you think it has a relationships with a speech impediments?
-Yes I can imagine it is a very similar feeling to a speech impediment. I don't think it has the same causes though. I don't know anything about speech impediments.
Pete Saunders, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and professor of Trombone Royal Conservatoire of the Hague. Interviewed 16th June 2016
How would you define the issue?
-For me the issue is with timing, not being able to feel like I my ear and tongue and timing wereco-ordinated enough.
Has it always been this way for you or did it start at a certain point? Which point in your career did it start?
-Much later on. I had no problems with this at the beginning of my career. It wasn't until I had been playing for around 10 years in the orchestra. It was after I had to start playing Alto trombone.
Do you think your problems were more technicalissues or psychological doubts?
- If so which technical and psychological issues?
-For me it was definitely technique, however it was technique I was unaware of. Due to the different resistance of the Alto and Tenor trombone I felt like my body didn't know what to expect and started to doubt myself rather than just playing.
In what situations do you find that your stutter occurs?
-It would only be when I had to define the point of playing myself. With a conductor or a metronome it was never aproblem.
Which ways do you think helped you best to overcome your stutter?
-To start with I practised a lot with a metronome so I knew exactly where I had to play and get that feeling of relaxed inhalation and immediate exhalation. I then would sub-divide to make the point as clear as possible. I would then try to re-create this feeling when playing without the click and imagine the timing in my head.
How long did it take you to fix these problems?
-Extremely gradually. For over a year it felt very strange but gradually felt easy to play the proper way without thinking about it and do it more naturally.
Do you still occasionally suffer from a setback?
-Almost never. I am 99% over it. Only if I am particularly nervous. If it does I know how to stop it and go back to the fixed correct way.
Did you seek professional help or did you overcome this on your own?
-I did all of this completely on my own. I had never heard of this before. I didn't know anyone at that time that I could go to. It wasn't until I was playing with a colleague around 5 years later that I found out that he had suffered from this too. I didn't talk about it much as itwas very personal and I didn't want to admit a weakness.
What publications did you read?
-None, there wasn't anything written about it then.
Do you think it has a relationships with a speech impediments?
-I have no experience with speech impediments. I can imagine the feeling of when it happens is similar and it may also have something to do with timing and co-ordination but I am not sure.
Anton van Houten, 2nd Trombone in Het Ballet Orkest and Trombonist of Ensemble Klang. Interviewed 3rd January 2017
How would you define the stutter issue?
-I have never thought about how to define it. I don’t think it is really one issue, more a combination of different technical problems. It is also something that maybe all brass players go through at some point in their life. Even if it is in different forms. “In my experience It’s like something that gets in the way of what you are doing”
Has it always been this way for you or did it start at a certain point? Which point in your career did it start and did it affect your career?
-For me this is a difficult question. I am a very reflective person. For me there is no “this way”. I analyse a lot and when I would be thinking toomuch or over-focusing it would affect me. This was especially when I started at conservatoire.
Do you think your problems were more technicaltechnique issues or psychological doubts?
-That’s hard to answer. I think it can lead both from a poor technique or being afraid of the note. I think that is is a mixture of both. However everyone is different.
In what situations do you find that your stutter occurs?
-For me it would always be in a stressful situation like an audition or where you have to play a solo.
As you would over-think or over-focus the stutter therefore creating tension and worry. The best thing is not to think about it. I prefer to focus more on the positive elements
Which ways do you think helped you best to overcome your stutter?
-For me it was a widevariety of things. I am a very reflective person and used very practical techniques. I needed to become very aware of what I did. For example analysing every part of my body would work. Really trying not to over-do things as this can lead to tension. Trying to make breathing out a reaction not an action. It needs to beautomatic. Focus on this. Take away all unnecessary thoughtand let the body do itsnatural thing and breath out. Don't push the air with the tongue.
Do you still occasionally suffer from a setback?
-Yes, only when I am not entirely focused or relaxed. If I focus on the negative over the positive then it can affect me. I don't believe in a stutter. There is no such thing really. It is just a mis-timingof different things that can lead to self doubt. All you need to do is relax and blow. Your body should do this automatically.
Did you seek professional help or did you overcome this on your own?
-If so was this from a musician musical or a psychologicalstandpoint.
-I spoke to Brandt and Jan kagarice about the breathing however I figured a lot out for myself. That’s very important as everyone is different and it affects every brass player at some point and how you deal with it is very personal. You just need to work out a good system that fits you.
What publications did you read?
-Dave ViningFlow,
Roel Avonds, Bass Trombonist Royal Flemish Orchestra. Interviewed 19th February 2017
How would you define the stutter issue?
I would describe it as having a lot of tension in your throat and at the back of your tongue. That is how it felt for me. It felt like my tongue was getting thicker and was completely blocking off my air supply.
Has it always been this way for you or did it start at a certain point? Which point in your career did it start and did it affect your career?
It actually started for me at the point I decided I wanted to become a better musician and professional trombone player. I would practice so hard and think about every detail so much that it was starting to lead to a stutter effect. It got a lot worse when I switched from tenor trombone to bass trombone. I had the job in the orchestra and when playing under stress, quietly for example it was a problem for me. Before this I had no problem. I cold just pick up the instrument and play. I also strongly believe that as the brass instruments get bigger the more this is an issue. A lot of tuba players also suffer from this and for me it was a lot worse when I switched instrument and mouthpiece.
Do you think your problems were more technicalissues or psychological doubts?
- If so which technical and psychological issues?
For me I think it is more psychological. I didn't really have a problem with technique but as my teacher at the time was getting me to do a lot of breathing exercises and making me very aware about what my throat was doing. When I began to focus on this so much the problems really started then. It was all to do with me overthinking things.
In what situations do you find that your stutter occurs?
For me it is only really in the very stressful situations that this is an issue. Playing quietly on demand for example would be a big challenge.
Which ways do you think helped you best to overcome your stutter?
-What mental stance did you take on this to help?
For me I tried to be very mindful of what I was doing. I would also practice a lot without the tongue. I used to say to myself that the tongue is not important. It is all about the air. Once you get the air right the tongue will be very automatic. You only need to use a very small part of it if you even use it at all.
How long did it take you to fix these problems?
It took me a while. I cant really say when it started. But I really felt I was ok when I won a job in the orchestra. The routine that this gave me helped me instantly.
Do you still occasionally suffer from a setback?
Yes. I don’t suffer form this anymore really. I do sometimes feel a setback coming, however now I have the knowledge and tools to deal with it. So if Ido get a setbackI can instantly fix it. There are a lot more times I play whenI don't have the problem than when I do.
Did you seek professional help or did you overcome this on your own?
-If so was this from a musicalor a psychologicalstandpoint.
No I did this really all on own
What publications did you read?
I would research the internet. However most of what I found was about the focus on the lips which is not really what causes the problem at all.
Do you think it has a relationships with a speech impediments?
No. It doesn’t. It is all about the timing of the air and tongue. It may appear to look like that to a non-brass player but this is struggling to start the note not repeating the the start of the note like a speech stutter.
Ben van Dijk, Bass Trombonist Rotterdam Philharmonic, Professor of Trombone Amsterdam Conservatoire and International soloist. Interviewed 1st March 2017.
How would you define the stutter issue?
You can compare it a lot to someone who can not pronounce the beginning of a word well. I would breath in and a split second before I want to start something happens and it does not come. I am completely blocked. So, it is a blockage from starting the note.
Has it always been this way for you or did it start at a certain point? Which point in your career did it start and did it affect your career?
It started when I was 17. I had been playing for two years when at one point it just came about that I could not begin the note. It was very frustrating. I have had It all my career in one way or another.
Do you think your problems were more technicalissues or psychological doubts?
- If so which technical and psychological issues?
I think a bit of both. For me now, I think it is more psychological and all to do with how I think about it. However I believe it all started due to a poorer technique when I was younger and still learning. From this I think that I would over think things, so even when I had a much better technique the problem was still there as I would still have the psychological doubts.
In what situations do you find that your stutter occurs?
I find that it occurs in my study room. It would also happen in certain situations where I would be asked to play a note, if there was no strict pulse given to me then I would find I would really find it hard to play without the stutter. I had a few problems with certain passages in the orchestra due to the lack of pulse, however playing in a big bandwould never be an issue as there was always a very strict tempo for me to follow.
Which ways do you think helped you best to overcome your stutter?
-What mental stance did you take on this to help?
One of the biggest helps for me is to take away the tongue, I would play using tongueless attacks a lot. It was something I practiced a lot and made it my specialty. This helps me produce the tone exactly when I want to. The second big thing is to focus on timing. This is extremely important. This is not timing at the last moment. I would give myself a lot of bars in tempo leading up to when I have to play. I would then divide the time more and more as I got closer to the point of play. This combined with the breath attacks arethe best ways I have to over come these issues.
To what extent have you overcome these problems?
-Was there any particular exercises that helped you?
I still have these problems. I believe that for people who have suffered from this it never really goes away. However, what you do to overcome them is find your own personal tricks and tools to help you produce the tone when you want it in the different situations that you struggle with. For me the greatest exercises are to develop the air attack,. Oncethat is very secure then if the tongue is really needed it is much easier to add in.
Do you still occasionally suffer from a setback?
Yes, especially when I have time off from playing, it seems to really be more present. Thissituation is when I really have to use all my tricks and knowledge to conquer it.
Did you seek professional help or did you overcome this on your own?
-If so was this from a musical or a psychological standpoint.
I mostly overcame this on my own. Back when I was a student I studied with Jeff Reynolds. He did not have much knowledge of it, however he could identify the problem and what I was doing. More recently I have been to see Kristian Steenstrup.a Danish Trumpet player who is an extremely influential brass teacher and clinician.
What publications did you read?
I did not read any when I was first encountering these issues as there was nothing at all written about it. I have read more things as time hasgone on. For example the flow books. However these problems are very personal and it is all about finding what works for the individual.
What I found from the varied interviews.
Conducting these interviews has helped me a great deal in the past few months. I am now able to have a much greater understanding of the different causes and effects to do with these problems. I am also well on my way to fixing my own issues, learning a lot of new techniques on how to deal with it.
All of the interviews I have conducted have been very insightful, however due to the very personal nature of these problems some have helped my own problems more than others. For me, the first step towards helping myself was identifying the cause. From the very first question that I asked, “how would you define the stutter”, I received some very interesting feedback. In the opinion of Anton van Houten, there is no such thing as a stutter problem. It is just a mis-timing of the air and tongue. This produces the stutter effect. With this in mind, I analysed my playing and problems once more and it really seemed to make a lot of sense. But how did this start for me? Looking back at the state I was in at the start of my research compared to the current state of my condition, I have come to a possible conclusion on how this all started for myself. Comparing my own experiences to that of the people I have interviewed I think that a likely cause to this problem is due to overthinking something that is very natural. I had a very similar experience to Roel Avonds too. Once I decided that I needed to work more on my basic technique, I began to practice only that. This is where my problems began. I would concentrate on such small details and want to make every detail so perfect that I would beginto have this stutter effect. It started very gradually, however I did nothing about it, therefore soon I was not able to play in the correct way, as this habit of stopping the air before the attack had became something I could not stop.
I found some very similar ways tohow the group of people I interviewed tried toalleviate their problems. The most common way of doing this isto really secure a good pulse. This is as most peoples’ problems do not occur when a conductor is present, or you are playing in a large group. This links in with the theory that there is no stutter and it is just a mis-timing. Especially as this would be helped by the use of a metronome to give you the pulse. However I personally found that the technique of using a metronome to give you a definite pulse can only get you so far. What helped me is what they would use along side the metronome to really help time the air and tongue. This is to do with how the air was taken and released. I noticed this after experimenting with various techniques suggested to me. I was far more likely to mis-time my breathing if the inhalation of breath was very tense and restricted. I would also be struggling if my body was tense. Once I began to relax I seemed to be able to concentrate on the exhalation more. This brings me to a very interestingpoint brought to me again from my interview with Anton van Houten. He taught me that the most important thing to concentrate on is the exhalation. If the exhalation is relaxed and in time with the music playing and exhaling directly on the beat would result in the tongue coming automatically. He told me a phrase that has been the most important phrase to contribute to my research and help my own problems. “The tongue is a reaction not an action”. This is fantastically put. I do not need to tell myself to use my tongue. In fact the more I do that, the more likely I am to have problems. The tongue will be used automatically if the air is exhaled on the beat in a relaxed way.
A technique largely used and made aware to me by several of the people I interviewed is to practice without the tongue to start with. Once I got used to not using the tongue and blowing out on time, the reaction of using the tongue would be a lot easier. This added with the occasional use of the metronome has seemed to really improve my issues.
Now I have gone a long way in improving my own problems I am also very interested in why this is happening to so many players. One interesting theory from Roel Avonds is down to the shape and size of the instrument. Both Roel and Pete Saunders had problems after they had switched to a different size instrument. Roel had difficulties whenhemoved from tenor to bass trombone and Pete from tenor to alton. This may be a coincidence but I believe that as it has so much to do with blowing out. the different feeling of the new instrument can put you off and lead to the mis-timing of the air and tongue. If I were to do more on this research in the future I would like to look more into this as I am aware of a lot of tuba players with these problems as they change instruments a lot.
Useful Exercises
Below are some of the useful exercises that I have been introduced too. These have been the basis of alleviating my own problems. I have been playing these a lot and have really noticed the difference. Hover over the pdf’s and videos to see the exercise and myself playing them.
Charlie Vernon - A Singing Approach to the Trombone4. This is a fantastic book for bass trombonists. I was recommended by Anton van Houten to try exercise 6. I would play this entire exercise without the use of the tongue. Playing this without the tongue is very difficult. Not using the tongue forces you tomake the sound just using the air. If this is done exactly on the beat your body gets so used to the exhalation that the addition if the tongue is avery easy and natural thing to do. Especially interesting is the use of this exercise in the pedal register. I have never had a problem with a stutter in this register, because to produce the tone in the low octave is extremely difficult with just the air. Therefore I have always used a little bit of articulation without any hesitation. So when playing this exercise with the use of the tongue, I can imagine the way my body feels when playing these lower register notes and apply the same feeling for the higher octave where the stutter is more an issue for me.
Carmine Caruso - 6 note exercise5.This is very similar to the Vernon exercise however is done in a slightly different way. While playing a series of ascending chromatic tones each note would be played three times. The first note would be produced with just the air. The second two would be with tongue. All the time whileplaying this I would keep a very clear pulse by tapping my foot. Two taps per note. The important thing in the exercise is that when resting between notes, not to change or take the embouchureaway form the mouthpiece. Keeping it fixed all through this will make it feel more familiar. I found this part of the exercise helped me the most. Here it is demonstrated by Horn Player and leading brass clinician Julie Landsman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGgOhVms-Zk6 here is a link to her explaining the exercise in more detail.
Ben van Dijk - Ben’s Basic’s7. This exercise, like the others, begins with producing the tone with the air, no tongue. However this one differs as it adds in different articulations in quick succession over a moving line. On the same note, first a air attack is used, followed by a tongued attack and then repeated over on the same note finishing in a long time, it is then spread over all ranges of the instrument. This is useful for building up the feeling of the air attack immediately followed by the tongue. After a while of doing this I found it easy to do with just the tongue and no air attack preceding it.
4. Vernon A Singing Approach to the Trombone (page 4)
5. http://www.daveballou.com/lessons/the_basic_caruso.pdf 04/03/2017
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGgOhVms-Zk (01/02/2017)
7. Ben’s Basics (page 23)
Results from emailed survey
Unfortunately I got a smaller response to my survey of various students from around the country than I intended. Of the 45 emails I sent out I only got 11 replies which is around a 25% response. However I will do what I can to draw some conclusions from what I did eventually get back.
The group I emailed werethe conservatory trombone students from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Den Haag. The idea behind this was to try and establish what level of understanding there was to these problems and to see if there wereany fellow students that werein the same situation as myself. I kept most of the questions as closed questions limiting their answers to a simple yes or no. I did this so I can look at the data I received and show some basic statistics. Below is arethe results I have collected. Below I have listed the the closed questions that I asked followed by the results.
Have you ever heard of the Brass players’ Stutter?
Yes - 9
No - 2
Have you ever experienced a stutter in your own playing?
Yes - 2
No - 9
Do you know someone who struggles with this but, do not have any personal issues with it yourself?
Yes - 7
No - 4
Do you believe that this is a technicalissue or just phycological? or both?
Technique - 1
Phycological - 0
Both - 10
Have you ever seen or read any other literature or other publications on this subject?
Yes - 0
No - 11
Do you think that this is limited to trombone or have you seen other instrumentalists with similar problems?
Only Trombone - 9
Others - 2
If you have had this, have you found a solution?
If so can you describe how you came to this.
Of the 2 people that had experienced a stutter in theirown playing neither of them had found a conclusive solution.
Although the results I gathered from the email survey can not provide me with strong statistical patterns, this being due to the lack of response I received, I am sure that some of the statistics I collected have some use. This being because they are consistent with the replies I had from some of the interview questions. For example, the strong response I had to the question, Do you believe that this is a technical issue or just phycological? or both?. In my interviews it was also a very common response that they believed it starts with a slight technical difficulty which then is made worse by the phycological doubts of this issue. I also learnt that the majority of the students are aware that these problems exist even though a lot smaller number have personally suffered from it. It is a very common pattern that although players are conscious of the problem, whether they suffer from it or not, that they have never read anything about it or seen it mentioned in any trombone related books. This is surprising as the more people I talk to about this research and problems I find out about more and more people having struggled with it. From what I have done with this survey and interviews I have discovered a lot more professionals and student trombone players with the problems that I could not include into my results and research. If I wereto be able to do more on this in the future I would like to be able to spread my survey a lot further.
