This article is designed to be read after this one. Please read the first article before you read this one.
Long Tones
The definition of Long Tones are to go up or down the chromatic scale very slowly. At first, it’s two notes per breath slowly.
The first step of Long Tones is to take that fabulous tone that you learned in the first step and extend it down to Middle C. In the second lesson on tone, you don’t go above the B natural in the middle of the staff.
One person once told me that each note should sound like pearls on a necklace. Another person once told me that you should imagine the honey dripping out of the end of your instrument. Whatever analogy works best for you, each note should sound equally great.
Stumbling Blocks
While going down, if you start to lose your best tone, go back up to the better note and play the two notes – the one with good tone and the one where you’re starting to lose the good tone – one at a time, until the second note sounds better.
While going down, if you get a note that sounds better than everything else, go back up. You need to expand that great tone from (usually it’s a G) back up to your B natural. Now your B natural is even more fabulous!
Why?
Why don’t you go up at first? Why only go down to Middle C? The reason you go down first is because you need to create a good base in order to have good tone in all of your registers.
Sometimes when you hear about a person’s tone, the experts talk about overtones and undertones. In order to have good undertones for the higher notes in your range, you need to have good notes at the bottom of your range. We work on undertones first so you don’t sound shrill.
The Book(s)
When I first teach tone, I teach it from this book (affiliate link), Trevor Wye’s Tone Book. We take one exercise at a time, bit by bit, until we’ve gone all the way through the book.
After we learn the Trevor Wye book, we start on this book (affiliate link), De La Sonorite by Moyse. It may be old, but you know what they say – if it ain’t broke…
Other Options
The two books listed above are kind of like eating your vegetables. Not fun, but necessary. There are days that you can’t make yourself do it. Once or twice a week, you can give yourself permission to play something beautiful and simple, instead. If you’re having a hard time practicing in general, take a look at this article.
I love Disney and all things geek, so I like to play along to this Disney book, with the recording, so I know I’m working on intonation. I can pretend I’m James Galway by playing Lord of the Rings with the recording, for the same reason. Of course, there’s always Harry Potter and Star Wars, too (all affiliate links). If pop music is more your jam, those books exist, too.
Depending on why I don’t want to work on tone, sometimes I’ll pull out my hymnal (not an affiliate link) to work on tone, too. One nice thing about using the hymnal is that sometimes when you’re not in the mood to work on the tone books, it’s for a good reason. Playing hymns sometimes turns those things around. Also, if you’re having a bad day, take a look at this article. It might help.
Conclusion
This article isn’t intended to be used instead of having a private teacher. Sometimes it’s nice to see everything all laid out in an article so you can see the hows and the whys. Sometimes it’s nice to see an explanation that’s in someone else’s words. Sometimes it’s just good to have a review.
