Recent Episodes
French horn problems and solutions become much easier to teach when the educator identifies the cause before prescribing a correction. A cracked note, airy tone, unstable pitch, or weak low register may come from the student’s ear, air stream, embouchure, articulation, hand position, posture, or the instrument itself. Because several causes can create the same […]
Bassoon Problems and Solutions for Music Educators Bassoon problems can be challenging to diagnose, especially for band directors who do not teach the instrument every day. An unresponsive note, weak tone, growl, squeak, or crack may come from the reed, air support, embouchure, fingering, special-key technique, moisture, or the instrument itself. In this episode of […]
Saxophone problems can be difficult to diagnose because the sound a teacher hears may result from several interacting factors, including instrument setup, reed and mouthpiece condition, embouchure, voicing, air support, finger placement, or mechanical adjustment. In this episode, we examine 10 common saxophone problems and practical ways music educators can isolate the likely cause, test […]