1. Memorial University School of Music
Music 3222: Brass Techniques I
Course Syllabus-Winter 2016
Instructor: Brian A. Lew
Email: brilew09@gmail.com or bal368@mun.ca
Class Location: MU 1034
Office: M1003
Phone: 864-4826
Class Time: Friday 3:00-3:50
Course Description
Practical study, in a class setting, of the fundamental elements of brass instruments and performance.
Each student will study two instruments throughout the semester.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Demonstrate competence in the fundamentals of brass performance
- Provide solutions for performance problems on your instruments
- Clearly explain how brass instruments work and how to properly maintain them
Required Materials
Standard of Excellence is available at the MUN Bookstore.
Book 1: for BOTH of your instruments
Book 2: for your second instrument (optional)
Office Hours
I am more than happy to meet with each of you at a mutually agreed upon time for any
additional help that you need. Please email me to make any arrangements.
Practicing
Everyone should be practicing, at minimum, once per day and in small practice sessions,
especially for beginners. For beginners, practicing in smaller sessions will give your lips
enough time to relax and slowly build up the proper muscles to play the instrument. During
your practice time it is YOUR responsibility to learn all necessary fingerings/slide positions
for your instrument. If you need extra assistance please contactme for extra help.
Attendance and Grading Policy
Due to the short and condensed nature of this class I recommend that every effort be made
to attend class. You will only have 5-6 classes on each instrument. A missed class is
equivalent to roughly 20% of lost instruction on your instrument. Your week-to-week
preparation and progress will be factored into your final grade. It is your responsibility to
make up any missed work due to absence.

2. Assignments will due no later than 11:59pm by the date listed in the syllabus. Throughout
the semester you will have five grace days for late work that can be used on any
assignment(s), except your midterm. They can be used on one assignment or a combination
of assignments. I advise that you do not wait until the last minute, especially for recorded
assignments, to submit your work.
Weekly Assignments
Recorded Assignments
Each class will focus on a different topic in brass playing and will be paired with exercises
from the Standard of Excellence book. You will record the assigned exercises and submit
them by the following Friday night at 11:59pm. Since you are recording yourself you can
record as many times as necessary until you feel comfortable with the end result. Most
laptops are equipped with a microphone and cell phone use is acceptable. However, higher
quality recorders are recommended if possible. Please talk to me privately if you do not have
access to appropriate technology. If you use your laptop to record, I highly recommend
using Audacity. It is a free program that can be downloaded online for all laptops.
Online Blog
Throughout this semester we will be creating a brass blog. There will be one entry per week,
which will reflect on the past week’s practicing, and how you approached the content and
goals for that week. Blog assignments will be due on Sundays by 11:59pm. Each blog will be
submitted a week (technically, 9 days) after the original lecture to allow you to reflect on
your recorded assignments and what worked and did not work for you throughout the week.
Exams
Your Midterm Exam will take place as a recorded assignment due on Friday February 12th
.
You may not use your grace days for your Midterm Exam. The Final Exam will take place in a short
one-on-one playing session with me. These will take place at a mutually agreeable time
during the exam period
Grading Breakdown
Recorded Assignments 35%
Blog 15%
2 Fingering Chart Quizzes 10% (5% each)
Transposition Quiz 10%
Midterm 15%
Final Exam 15%
Course Outline
Jan. 8: Introduction
-Syllabus
-Instrument sign-out
-Introduction to the mouthpiece
Jan. 15: Basics and Tone Production
-Posture and positioning
-Transposition
-First notes!

3. Jan. 22: Harmonic Series and Tonguing
-Understanding the harmonic series
-Introduction to articulation
Jan. 29: Articulation
-Tongued vs. slurred vs. legato tonguing
-Fingerings/Slide Positions Quiz
Feb. 5: Articulation 2.0 and Dynamics
-Round table discussion
-Midterm due next week
Feb. 12: New Instrument Day!
-Return instruments/sign out new instrument
-New notes on new instruments
--Transposition Quiz
Feb. 19: Basics 2.0
-Commonalities and relationships between instruments
-Posture and positioning
-First notes
*Feb. 26: Mid Semester Break-NO CLASS
-Ski
-Practice
-Build a snowman
March 4: Intonation, Flexibility, Range
-Common intonation problems
-Troubleshooting intonation
-Exercises to increase flexibility and range
March 11: Accessories, Equipment, and Performers
-Mutes
-Models of horns
-Extended techniques
-Important performers
-Fingerings/Slide Positions Quiz
March 18: Round Table Teaching Lab
-Practice “grading” and working with a student
-Teaching in a classroom setting and its challenges
*March 25: Good Friday-NO CLASS
April 1: History of Brass Instruments
-Historical perspective on brass instruments

4. April 6: Final Review
-Come with any and all questions
-Bring specific musical examples to help with a deficiency