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2009-2010 All-State Comments

Senior Division Etude: Bordogni/Rochut Melodious Etudes #55

Quick… What key is this in? If you said, “E-flat major” you’re wrong!

Yes, the key signature has three flats but look at all those accidentals. In truth, it starts in E-flat minor and then moves to the relative key of G-flat major. Why is this important? Because, in those keys, I predict that most trombonists auditioning this year are going to play this etude badly out of tune.

Say hello to your new friend: 5th position. It lives out there somewhere in the swamps beyond your bell. Your first job is to figure out exactly where it is. I suggest you should play a slow glissando out from 1st position to 5th. Use your ear and a tuner and figure out where to place your slide. Can you hear when it is out of tune? As you slide down, listen carefully to your sound quality. Keep it full and centered.

Playing all those G-flats in 5th will present some interesting slide position choices. When playing legato, it is often a good idea to keep half steps in the same partial of the overtone series. For example, in m. 3, it makes a lot more sense to play the D-naturals in 4th than in 1st . However, G-flat is trickier. I will often choose to play the F in 6th position to make the legato smoother. However, you may have trouble reaching 6th position. By “trouble” I mean not playing that position consistently in tune. Most young players don’t really know where 6th position is! They often play it very sharp.

So, you have a choice: play F’s in 6th for good legato (but intonation might be worse) or play them in 1st for good intonation (but legato might be worse). Ultimately I can’t tell you what to do but I do suggest this:
(1) For longer notes (like the half note F in m.2), bring the slide into 1st
(2) For quick passing tones (like the 16th note F in m. 14), go out to 6th position.

Whatever you choose, MARK IN THOSE SLIDE POSITIONS.

This etude has only two dynamic marks. That has always been one of my frustrations when the Bordogni/Rochut book is used for auditions. Should you add your own dynamics? Well, that really depends on the judge and, of course, you can’t ask him/her in advance. I think it is always better to play musically so I suggest that you do add some dynamics. Try this out…

A few last comments:

  1. Play the long notes with direction. Don’t just let them sit there.
  2. If you have been working on your lip slurs, you don’t have to tongue everything (esp. in mm. 9 and 13).
  3. Be careful with your rhythm in leaving long notes. Be particularly careful not to start the runs too early in mm. 16 and 17. I caught myself doing this when I was recording this etude.
  4. Remember that, on most trombones, the 6th partial of the overtone series is sharp and the 7th partial is flat. You’ll need to move your slide just a little to fix these problems. For example, the high E-flat in m.3 needs to be played in lowered third position. The high G-flat (eg. in m. 9 and especially m. 19) will naturally be low. Play these notes in a raised third position.

In the coming months I plan to post some exercises to help you prepare this audition etude.