Tone is made up of a few different elements. First of all, timbre. The instrumentation in your ensemble will affect your overall tone. I think that this concept is often overlooked. This normally shouldn't limit what you can play, but some arranging may be necessary. A certain collection of instruments may not sound the same in a low register or up in their high range.
Another element to tone has to do with color and light. Terms we use to describe these concepts are bright, dark, mellow, bold, heavy, light, and sometimes actual colors can help a group to envision their sound. Physically, these concepts have to do with air speed, breath support, embouchure and other factors, but I think that generally saying something like, "let's try for a warmer sound at the B section" might be enough to actually get that sound from your ensemble.
Intonation is another element that is not separate from tone. If a band has a unified tone but does not play in tune, no one will hear their beautiful sound. Intonation is another issue that be literally be addressed, but I prefer to train students to listen and tune on their own, instead of me doing it for them each day. If they can learn to use their ear independently, they will begin to listen to others in the group and will become more conscious of blend and intonation. If they can begin to do this on their own, they are straight on a path to becoming great musicians!
Other things to consider:
ReplyDelete1-Good tone is an indication that a player is using good technique
2-Composers assume that instrumentalists are using characteristic tone when they compose, so to properly realize a composition, we need to have characteristic tone
3-Tone is an important aspect of ensemble playing that is judged at festival. Not only does it have its own category, but it applies to intonation and musicality as well.
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