Wind Instruments, Long Tones and You! How to Practice Long Tones and Why They Are Important

Long Tones are essential if you want to master a wind instrument. They are the quickest way to improve your sound and strengthen your muscles. You may find them boring, but they are a challenge to play correctly. When you play long tones you are working on your embouchure, attacks, releases, pitch, sound, dynamics and endurance. That's a lot to accomplish on one note. Long tones force you to take the music out of the picture and really make you work on listening. I recommend you incorporate long tones into your daily practice for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

To practice long tones face a wall so your sound bounces right back and you can really hear every nuance. Start by taking some long, slow breaths in and out (without your instrument). Then choose a mid range note that is comfortable to play and that speaks well on your instrument. Take a deep breath, form your embouchure, and try to get the best attack that you can at about a mf volume. Hold this note at a steady volume for 8 slow beats. Really listen to the pitch and keep the same volume. Think of the note as a bulls eye and you are trying to keep the sound right in the middle. It helps if you have a tuner so you can check your pitch. If your tuner sounds the note or you have a piano try to match the note. Repeat on notes in your lower register and upper register.

Next, add some dynamics. Try to start as quiet as you can. Really listen to your attack and try to start at pp and crescendo up to ff in the span of 12 beats. If you have a metronome put it on 60 bpm. Take a breath, re-attack at ff and decrescendo to pp in the span of 12 beats. It is difficult to keep the crescendo and decrescendo even while keeping a centered sound and keeping the pitch steady. Many students tend to make their crescendo and decrescendo to fast. Really listen and try to keep everything even and smooth. Repeat playing different notes.

Long tones are not easy, but are worth the practice time each day. You will be surprised at how quickly long tones will make a difference in your sound quality and endurance. To be a great musician you need to put in the practice time and the results will follow.

C A Fox is a musician, teacher and businesswoman. Visit http://www.themusicalfox.com/ for more music resources.

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