Phrasing
A stupid phrase is better than no phrase! Do something!
There are a million ways to play a musical phrase, just like there are a million ways to read a poem. Each can mean something different; be it subtly or profoundly different. A silly example could be “Let’s eat, Bob” vs. “Let’s eat Bob” (commas are important). A more serious example would be the soliloquy from Hamlet (for a more tongue-in-cheek take). A great deal can be learned from actors. IF you are interested, check out Sonnet 29 and Macbeth’s Soliloquy.
There’s art in the writing – and there’s art in the reading! Music should have punctuation: nouns, verbs, commas, periods, exclamation points, ellipses . . . etc. – and of course . . . dynamics. Don’t play monotonous, flatline, run-on “sentences” – phrase!
Tell a story! Laugh. Weep. Pause. Whisper. Shout! Don’t just recite – PERFORM! In the words of Dorothy DeLay, “You have to hit the audience over the head with your musical ideas.”
In The Rules of the Game, Christopher Leuba wrote, “bad taste is better than no taste.” I agree*. Bad taste can be improved – DO something! Listening to great performances (Singers, too) leads to learning how to phrase. (Also see Steal ‘Em Blind)
*I don’t agree with everything Leuba wrote, but there is a lot of wisdom there (again, Elephants.)
Ralph Sauer’s 2010 masterclass deals with phrasing.
Note Shape/Articulation – Sing!
An important part of phrasing is note shape, or articulation. The end of a note is as important as the beginning. I like to relate trombone articulation to the human voice – to vocalize a passage and create notes shapes to imitate on the trombone. Sing a passage then imitate what you sang the with the trombone.
While we articulate on the trombone with the tongue: “tah, dah,” etc. I like to vocalize with the lips: “pah” and “bah.” I prefer that sound for imitation and I think doing something different physically, i.e., “strange,” ala Arnold Jacobs, is productive.
To digress briefly, we use vowels and consonants as similes and metaphors; they are not exactly the way we play. I use “d” as a softer, more legato, version of “t” with students and it usually works. When we speak, the difference is that “d” is voiced and “t” is not. Vocal cords or lips vibrate after the “t” and during the “d” but they are both “plosive” consonants. Since a series of “d” articulations keeps the vocal folds or lips vibrating, the musical line is uninterrupted – legato. I tell students, “the ‘d’ is as ‘hard’ as the ‘t’ – it’s just a ‘d.’”
For vocalizing* general purpose trombone phrasing, “bomb” is a good syllable. The “b” is clear but not too plosive; the “m” provides just enough separation and sets the lips for the subsequent “b” – or places the release precisely. It is important not to close the lips before the release. For a string of full-value notes, “bomb-bomb-bomb”works. Again, we are just vocalizing a note shape to hear and imitate on the trombone. When we play trombone, we articulate with the tongue.
*(not at all the way we play – physically)
For staccato, an open release combined with a “p” attack (“pah-pah-pah”) works well (more clarity and a little separation) – and “fa-la-la” is nice shape for legato. Sometimes (for example, Stravinsky or “commercial” playing), “tut-tut-tut” works – but don’t make it a habit. Always play with intent.
Here is a nice example of “m” (or “um”) in action: