BANDSMEN’S NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8349, 8 February 1913, Page 10

BANDSMEN’S NOTES.

By Magenta. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS*. "O.R.”—Thanks for contribution. He* ciurocato good wishes. ‘‘,l.WAV.”—Pleased to renew acquaintance. Contribution very acceptable. "T.H.”—Many thanks. Will appear in next notes. DIFFICULTIES PLAYERS MEET. In the "British Bandsman” appears an article by “Jupiter" on the above sudject. and provides interesting reading. I quote the following: —Brass instrumentalists. and in particular cornet plfiytM'Bj find many diiilculuos in tiicix path when journeying up the gradients of Progress Road, at the end of which lays the by-path that leads to the summit of perfection—difficulties that ar* easily surmounted and difficulties that are stubborn and hard to beat down, xet many of tho difficulties are imaginary ones*, or easy to rectify if first of all a few faults are checked—faults often, that players themselves are quite unconscious of until someone comes along and holds the mirror up to them, by pointing out tho errors and faults that go to make difficulties difficult to conquer. Commencing with the mouthpiece, I might state at once that the difficulties some players find in reaching the high notes with any degree of ease, or the lower ones also for matter of that, is on account of the unsuitability of tho mouthpiece- Aud it is astonishing how many players there are the present moment playing on mouthpieces that do not "fit" them. Largo lips require, os a rule, larger mouthpieces (i.e., with a bread flange), and though it may . take them a little longer to form a good embouchure, when it is formed tho 'tons is fuller and richer than the one produced when playing on a thin-rimmed ' mouthpiece. A mistake young aspiring players often make is to got hold of a small, narrow-flanged mouthpiece because of their being able to negotiate tho upper notes fairly easily with such mouthpieces. Tho consequence is that the ton* is puny and thin, and tho tone in ther lower register is simply execrable—without body or resonance. To surmount, Ihe difficulties of "higher and lower" notes, a player should select a mouthpiece of the average make—not too narrow on tho flange—and then make haste —elowly. And, by tho way, if ho finds 1 his upper notes come fairly fluently afte* his course of "training,” and his notes in lower register remain difficult to get. he must choose a mouthpiece a little larger in the boro. If, on tho other hand, his lower notes are good and full and the high ones difficult of access, ho must choose one that is slightly smaller. To find out exactly what does suit him and to set tho foundation for a good reliable embouchure at the same time, . it is advisable to commence with the scale of C major, making every note an adagio semibreve with a crescendo amt deorescendo (from pp. to ft.), taking practices in half-hour to hour spells, and every other day going a not© lower and a note higher,, until lower G and tap C is as full and as easy to play as middle C. OLLA RODIUDA. ' The Miramar Brass Band’s set of Best Aon instruments cost over JC36O. A movement is on foot to form a Catholic brass band in Wellington, the members of which will bo drawn from tho various city parishes. Slow melody contests appear to ho gaining in popularity in. the Old Country. A number of these have just been hold in various counties and drew large entries.; . The Wellington City (late Garrison, Band,, under Lieut. Herd!, supplied tu£ attractive programme of music at th« Wellington Provincial Championship Athletic Meeting last Saturday, on the Basin Reserve. An amusing feature of. the “British Bandsman” is the page devoted to chro- - nicling the doings of the “Bandsman’s Parliament.” Here various matters ©t interest to all bands are discussed and do-, bated on—sometimes seriously, at other times flippantly—and create many a hearty laugh. t Mr Charles Holland, the Veteran drum-' major, writes from Martinborough, Where he took part in a band performance last Saturday night. Twenty-eight years ago ho was in Mastorton and had not since visited Wairarapa until the present occasion. Drum-Major Holland (has led US Dominion bands in that. period, which about constitutes a record. A discussion is going on in a southern journal on “Band Matters and Contests.” Several conductors are suggesting what’ they consider improvements, ©specially w regard to the selections. Sight-reading tests are also advocated. A drum-major also writes with regard to anomalies in judging quickstep competitions, suggesting improvements. The Martinborough Brass Band, which has been in a moribund state for th» last two or three years, has taken a fresh lease of lifo and is meeting with groat . encouragement from tho townspeople. A resident of tho town, Mr Smith, who is himself an ex-bafidsman, a few weeks, age presented the band With a side-drum. Air J. McGuire is bandmaster aiid Mr Madson secretary. Tho profits of street musicians are not always so meagre as might be supposed. A London man who was penniless recently wont on a Sunday afternoon armed with a concertina. Ho played hymns in front of tho Oxford Music Hall for a short time, then started to cross tho road. On tho way over ho was knocked down by a motor’bus and tilled. Over lbs was found in his pocket in small copper coins. His widow said that ho always did this when rent day came round, and invariably came back with sufficient to pay the landlord. On the subject of contest judges Mr G. B -Laidlaw, conductor of the Jiaikorai Band, writes to a contemporary! “Your suggestion regarding lectures by the judge is an excellent ono, and if we are to have a musician of repute from the Old Country to adjudicate at all important contests, that could bo made ono of the conditions on which ho ffi engaged. With all due respect to judges we navo had in the past, 1 tliinfc only musicians who are, or have been, firstclass contesting trainers should be engaged for such an important position, if it woke possible to oiler sufficient inducement to either Mr Rimmer, Mr A. Owen, or Mr W. Halil well, to come out hero what an education it would be for our bauds! Everyone interested in contest work would hail with delight the engagement of one of the above gentlemen, and 1 sincerely tnlst an effort will be made in that direction.” “John Wellington Wells” writes from Christchurch:—“We in the south are in total ignorance of what the Wellington, Auckland and Wanganui bands are doing and the ‘N.Z. Times’ weekly column will supply a long-lelt want. Christchurch is not just now very well off for bands; we have numbers, but not much class. Derry’s last Thursday night showed tiptop form; tile music was a treat to listen to. Wo miss the Garrison very much, but Derry’s band is quite tho best in Christchuixh now. Woolston have not been so good as We used to know them; I think the Dunedin contest did them harm. They have fine material, and only want a really good conductor; they lost a good man in Air Siddail. Stanmore is improving under Air Thom (from Linwood band does not seem to get beyond a certain pitch, but the members are willing and stick together well. The Lyttelton Marine is the fancy band now.”