by Drs. William Stowman and Mike Harcrow, Messiah University
One of the most attractive techniques possible on a brass instrument is a beautiful, clean slur. The hornist, most frequently reading music written in the third and fourth octaves of the instrument’s harmonic series, often has the obstacle of intervening harmonics to overcome in slurring. In addition, rotor valves are set in a large number of possible arrays, some opening in the direction of the rotor port and some opening toward the airflow—or even a combination of these, depending on the brand and wrap. This has the effect of either smoothly directing (moving with) or slicing (moving against) the airstream; and some fingering patterns, like cross fingerings, seem to amplify the effect so that valve slurs can pop or flare without intentionally-practiced control.
Bumpy slurs, whether overworked, slotted lip slurs or the slurs adversely affected by valve configurations, result in sounds similar to playing a fretted string instrument, like a guitar, while what we all want are fretless slurs such as those which a can be produced on a cello or violin.
The harmonic series is the source of lip slurs, and we find more success with it, particularly its extremes, if we imagine it as horizontal rather than vertical. It is also a scale, the scale of the tube length through which its pitches vibrate; notes outside a harmonic series can only be played using some special mechanism (like a piston or rotor) or technique (like hand stopping on the horn). Blowing through the harmonic series can be imagined as knocking down dominoes so that you blow farther rather than tensing in an ascent or sagging in a descent. (This last concept is also excellent for building range, both higher and lower.)
We encounter lip slurs in virtually every piece of music we perform. The tendency, if one is conscientious, is to develop clean lip slurs; yet these can sometimes still sound distinct, almost tongued. Many players, then, learn to incorporate portamento (a smooth, sliding connection) between slurred notes, especially if the pitches are close together. This must be practiced on both lip and valve slurs in order to learn how to balance technique (how the lips move) and timing (when the lips move): too late and the slur is not smooth but abrupt; too slow and the intended portamento can turn into a glissando (see Robin Hahn’s brief explanation of these as separate and distinct vocal techniques), particularly when slurred intervals are larger. The slurred note which simply materializes from the note of departure is ideal. Within the sound you are playing, that next note is already in the room—existing as an overtone, but also audiated—waiting to be found.
Portamento should also be applied to valve slurs. Just as a trombonist must consider how and when to execute slurs which move with the slide motion vs. those which move against it, those performing on valved instruments must be attentive to these same concerns. Valve movement can, in many cases, add to the smoothness of the slur when, for example, using a longer fingering to slur upward to a note on a shorter fingering or vice versa. (In-tune alternate fingerings may certainly be utilized to enhance portamento, and an alternate fingering can be applied to what would normally be a lip slur as well.) Yet the lips are still engaged in the process; the evidence for this is quickly confirmed when buzzing a passage since the mouthpiece alone is “fretless.”
Portamento, for many players, is easier to accomplish on upward slurs, but it should be practiced on downward slurs as well. “Hard landings” on downward slurs are the equivalent of bumping into arrival notes on upward slurs. Renowned trumpet pedagogue Keith Johnson (1942-2020), known for his do-less-get-more approach to teaching, told students that slurring is simply playing one note and then playing the next without tonguing it.
In fast technical passages, portamento is less of a concern. Smooth, brilliant technique, slurred or otherwise, is much more a matter of energized and intensifying airflow. For lyrical passages, however, any flaw in production may be noticed by the listener. Horn players are notorious for relying on “wa-wa” articulations as a safety or coping mechanism (so much so that many electronic horn sounds have included this unfortunate effect). The portamento should not include this; when well-performed, it cannot, since consistent airflow is required for the connection.
Some practice techniques for developing portamento include [1] slow, deliberate movement between progressively widening slurred intervals, [2] buzzing slurs with no loss of energy on what is in-between notes to eliminate individual note shaping, [3] practicing timing and control in both lip and valve slurs for greater elasticity in lyrical passages, [4] making large intervals more “user-friendly” by seeing them as small ones (trumpeter Allen Vizzutti is a master of this concept), and [5] reversing articulations in practice, i.e. tonguing slurred passages and slurring tongued passages. Additionally, find models to emulate—and not just horn players. Great vocalists and string players can be wonderful sources for study. Last, record yourself regularly and evaluate your progress in creating captivating, singing slurs.
For nearly 20 years, Bill Stowman and Mike Harcrow have been working together leading the Brass Department at Messiah University in south-central Pennsylvania. Sharing their differing backgrounds and concepts has led to a comprehensive yet cohesive approach to brass pedagogy, and a high percentage of their graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees in music and professional playing careers. A highlight of their collaboration was the release of their Brass Department CD Luminosity, which—in addition to some 20th-century brass ensemble standards and the outstanding commissioned title track by James Stephenson—features primarily works of Giovanni Gabrieli. Enjoy this sample track from that recording.
