The system here is named after the work of August Escoffier, a French chef who created the brigade system for modern restaurant and hotel kitchens. It is a simple system and it works. Players need to know when to lead and when to follow and this system allows them to learn and put it into play.
The Brigade System
The purpose of the System is to get all of the musicians focused on the task at hand while applying the techniques that create great music. It gives their minds direction when they would normally wander. It can be taught quickly. It is appropriate for middle school and older.
Players need to be taught how to play cleanly, balanced and in tune. They can only do this if they know who to match and whom to play cleanly, balanced and in tune with.
Section players balance and tune to the principal of the section
If the principal trumpet is playing then the other trumpet players listen to them and copy their dynamics, phrase shape, pitch, style, tone color, etc.
The other principals listen to the principal trumpet. The principals also need to know if they have the tune and should project above the orchestra, or if they should back off and have their section blend with the rest of the orchestra. Any player who has a solo line may ask the whole section to pipe down when they are playing.
If the principals can’t see the principal trumpet, then make them move. If the members of a section can’t see their principal make them move. Or course this not always possible during a full rehearsal but it is worth the effort if it is possible, and it should be done at all times during sectionals.
Active playing vs. passive playing
Make sure the players are playing actively.
Developing your section
When working with a brass section conduct as little as possible. Do not begin by counting out loud. I have the section leader simply take a breath in tempo then play. There will be resistance at first but you will find the section will learn to do this easily and it greatly improves ensemble. Have them practice starting without a conductor. Have them do it until it is really together a few times in a row. Five minutes of focus on this will make them a far better ensemble.
Stop frequently and ask questions
If you stop frequently and ask, ‘who has the lead line’ or ‘how is the balance right now between the trombones and trumpets’ you are going to make the players think and work to get it right. If you wait until the end of the piece you are giving permission for the players to be passive while playing it through. If you stop and demand that they pay attention then their minds will be driven to pay attention and they will pay attention while they play the whole piece.
Demand that they learn to read music
So much music is taught by rote these days. Christmas music is passed out in September. End of the school year music is passed out in January. Youth symphonies give out their year’s worth of music during the summer but don’t hold the players accountable for knowing it at the first rehearsal. Many students learn to play by copying the person next to them.
There are high school brass sections where the average experience is 4 or 5 years but players don’t know the names of notes or the fingerings. One student who had piano lessons for 8 years and played in school bands for 4 years when he started taking lesson did not know what a key signature was, the note names or what kind of rests there were. When asked how his piano teacher put up with it and he said she just showed him where to put his fingers on the keys and how to play. Hopefully they weren’t paying much for those lessons.
If you are too busy to instruct individuals, give them written assignments or send them to good teachers. If they are not fluent in reading music, your section will only sound good with many rote rehearsals.
Everyone must know how to conduct
If your players don’t know what beat pattern is being used how can they start and stop cleanly?
1) Have them practice a prep beat with the other players playing. Do it on a regular basis until they are all breathing and starting together cleanly.
2) Teach them 2.4 first, then 3/4 then 4/4.
Teach them to count
They must be held accountable for not counting or subdividing or miscounting rests. Players need to be given the tools to learn. Teach them to count on their fingers, or use verbal games or whatever tools you use. But be insistent that they apply them and be responsible.
Young brass players have trouble counting long rests. It’s difficult for them to focus on something so simple. Add the negative feedback when they don’t enter properly and they are set up to fail. Instead of being negative demand that they use a system. If they fail to come in, go back and play the same section and make them practice counting the rests. Don’t give them cues to listen for unless it’s in addition to making them count.
When to be positive, when to be negative
The brass player’s experience is often one of neglect except when problems arise. In an orchestra the brass may only get comments from the conductor when they fail to enter or miss notes. You have to teach them how to count long rests and to subdivide, then you must demand that they do both. You also must recognize when they are doing a good job and congratulate them frequently.
Some leaders scream and cajole. That’s ok as long as there are instructions. If they are not trying then I give you license to chastise harshly. But most of the time when leaders yell at their kids the kids do not have the tools to do what the leader wants.
Being demanding does not mean yelling or berating them. Simply demand that they do what you have taught them. Many leaders ask the group to do something then gives up after one try. Two minutes of boredom fixing an issue is nothing compared with a lifetime of good playing. The more you demand of kids the more they will succeed and will appreciate the success.
How you can help them play their best
• Make sure your players are warmed up before rehearsal. One of the biggest differences between amateur and professional groups is what happens 15 minutes before rehearsal. Amateurs sit around and talk. Pros warm up seriously and take some last minute shots at the tricky parts.
Don’t have them play a warm up rehearsal. Why would you do that to them? I have seen youth symphonies warm up by playing through entire Shostakovitch symphonies. Come on! The same conductor who did this called me later to ask why the brass was screechy at the end.
Professional orchestras usually have rules written into the contract describing how soon before a concert you can have a rehearsal. It’s to insure a good concert. Do the same for your students! If you are nervous about them all being there or want to go over a couple of places in the music it can be constructive but if they haven’t learned the music by the day of the concert what good are you doing by running through the whole thing?
• Don’t line up your brass section all across the back of the orchestra. They should be in a section, like woodwinds and strings. They will be more likely to play together and to come in correctly if they are seated in a section.
• It is critical that the players be taught to recognize perfect intervals and how to tune them. Without strong intonation across the group the section will sound thin, the players will tire quickly and the soloists will miss more notes. Perfect intervals on brass instruments have magical qualities when done right, grating qualities when done poorly.
• Some people feel strongly that you must tune to the lowest voice in the section (mainly tuba players!) but this is rarely how it works in the professional world. In the pro world if you are playing second and turn to the first player and say ‘you are out of tune and need to follow me’ there is a chance you will get fired or not called back.
In a community, school or youth orchestra setting, do you really want your sections to tune to the weakest player?
Demand that they act professionally
Demand that they be on time. For performances they should look sharp. It’s show biz! A loose atmosphere is fine and we brass players like to joke around but there’s a difference between a loose atmosphere and sloppy standards.
Shined shoes, clean shirts and combed hair are part of our professional deportment. Teach it to your players at a young age and they will feel professional when they play.
The Brigade System
The purpose of the System is to get all of the musicians focused on the task at hand while applying the techniques that create great music. It gives their minds direction when they would normally wander. It can be taught quickly. It is appropriate for middle school and older.
Players need to be taught how to play cleanly, balanced and in tune. They can only do this if they know who to match and whom to play cleanly, balanced and in tune with.
Section players balance and tune to the principal of the section
If the principal trumpet is playing then the other trumpet players listen to them and copy their dynamics, phrase shape, pitch, style, tone color, etc.
The other principals listen to the principal trumpet. The principals also need to know if they have the tune and should project above the orchestra, or if they should back off and have their section blend with the rest of the orchestra. Any player who has a solo line may ask the whole section to pipe down when they are playing.
If the principals can’t see the principal trumpet, then make them move. If the members of a section can’t see their principal make them move. Or course this not always possible during a full rehearsal but it is worth the effort if it is possible, and it should be done at all times during sectionals.
Active playing vs. passive playing
Make sure the players are playing actively.
Developing your section
When working with a brass section conduct as little as possible. Do not begin by counting out loud. I have the section leader simply take a breath in tempo then play. There will be resistance at first but you will find the section will learn to do this easily and it greatly improves ensemble. Have them practice starting without a conductor. Have them do it until it is really together a few times in a row. Five minutes of focus on this will make them a far better ensemble.
Stop frequently and ask questions
If you stop frequently and ask, ‘who has the lead line’ or ‘how is the balance right now between the trombones and trumpets’ you are going to make the players think and work to get it right. If you wait until the end of the piece you are giving permission for the players to be passive while playing it through. If you stop and demand that they pay attention then their minds will be driven to pay attention and they will pay attention while they play the whole piece.
Demand that they learn to read music
So much music is taught by rote these days. Christmas music is passed out in September. End of the school year music is passed out in January. Youth symphonies give out their year’s worth of music during the summer but don’t hold the players accountable for knowing it at the first rehearsal. Many students learn to play by copying the person next to them.
There are high school brass sections where the average experience is 4 or 5 years but players don’t know the names of notes or the fingerings. One student who had piano lessons for 8 years and played in school bands for 4 years when he started taking lesson did not know what a key signature was, the note names or what kind of rests there were. When asked how his piano teacher put up with it and he said she just showed him where to put his fingers on the keys and how to play. Hopefully they weren’t paying much for those lessons.
If you are too busy to instruct individuals, give them written assignments or send them to good teachers. If they are not fluent in reading music, your section will only sound good with many rote rehearsals.
Everyone must know how to conduct
If your players don’t know what beat pattern is being used how can they start and stop cleanly?
1) Have them practice a prep beat with the other players playing. Do it on a regular basis until they are all breathing and starting together cleanly.
2) Teach them 2.4 first, then 3/4 then 4/4.
Teach them to count
They must be held accountable for not counting or subdividing or miscounting rests. Players need to be given the tools to learn. Teach them to count on their fingers, or use verbal games or whatever tools you use. But be insistent that they apply them and be responsible.
Young brass players have trouble counting long rests. It’s difficult for them to focus on something so simple. Add the negative feedback when they don’t enter properly and they are set up to fail. Instead of being negative demand that they use a system. If they fail to come in, go back and play the same section and make them practice counting the rests. Don’t give them cues to listen for unless it’s in addition to making them count.
When to be positive, when to be negative
The brass player’s experience is often one of neglect except when problems arise. In an orchestra the brass may only get comments from the conductor when they fail to enter or miss notes. You have to teach them how to count long rests and to subdivide, then you must demand that they do both. You also must recognize when they are doing a good job and congratulate them frequently.
Some leaders scream and cajole. That’s ok as long as there are instructions. If they are not trying then I give you license to chastise harshly. But most of the time when leaders yell at their kids the kids do not have the tools to do what the leader wants.
Being demanding does not mean yelling or berating them. Simply demand that they do what you have taught them. Many leaders ask the group to do something then gives up after one try. Two minutes of boredom fixing an issue is nothing compared with a lifetime of good playing. The more you demand of kids the more they will succeed and will appreciate the success.
How you can help them play their best
• Make sure your players are warmed up before rehearsal. One of the biggest differences between amateur and professional groups is what happens 15 minutes before rehearsal. Amateurs sit around and talk. Pros warm up seriously and take some last minute shots at the tricky parts.
Don’t have them play a warm up rehearsal. Why would you do that to them? I have seen youth symphonies warm up by playing through entire Shostakovitch symphonies. Come on! The same conductor who did this called me later to ask why the brass was screechy at the end.
Professional orchestras usually have rules written into the contract describing how soon before a concert you can have a rehearsal. It’s to insure a good concert. Do the same for your students! If you are nervous about them all being there or want to go over a couple of places in the music it can be constructive but if they haven’t learned the music by the day of the concert what good are you doing by running through the whole thing?
• Don’t line up your brass section all across the back of the orchestra. They should be in a section, like woodwinds and strings. They will be more likely to play together and to come in correctly if they are seated in a section.
• It is critical that the players be taught to recognize perfect intervals and how to tune them. Without strong intonation across the group the section will sound thin, the players will tire quickly and the soloists will miss more notes. Perfect intervals on brass instruments have magical qualities when done right, grating qualities when done poorly.
• Some people feel strongly that you must tune to the lowest voice in the section (mainly tuba players!) but this is rarely how it works in the professional world. In the pro world if you are playing second and turn to the first player and say ‘you are out of tune and need to follow me’ there is a chance you will get fired or not called back.
In a community, school or youth orchestra setting, do you really want your sections to tune to the weakest player?
Demand that they act professionally
Demand that they be on time. For performances they should look sharp. It’s show biz! A loose atmosphere is fine and we brass players like to joke around but there’s a difference between a loose atmosphere and sloppy standards.
Shined shoes, clean shirts and combed hair are part of our professional deportment. Teach it to your players at a young age and they will feel professional when they play.
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