This “Progressive Balancing in Staccato-Advanced Progressive Technical Exercises for Bass and Contrabass Tuba” is entirely dedicated to the study of the staccato.
This essay is indeed composed by a first part in a major tonality and a second part in a minor tonality, which are in turn divided into a regular and reverse mode. This, first of all, gives the brass instrument players (may they be professionals or students), the possibility to increase their speed, their precision in the technique and in the staccato, developing, by a gradual balancing of the embouchure, the attacks, the staccato, the octaves, the register, the control, the embouchure, the accuracy and the speed in the technique.
I suggest to start at a comfortable metronome speed (75-80), to then gradually increase till the maximum reachable speed, in order to accelerate these advanced technical exercises.
I abstain on purpose from proposing instructions as regards the dynamics of performance, because in this case they do not play a significant role, in contrast to what usually occurs in music and scores. I suggest, however, to face the exercises of this essay with some dynamics that can go from “mf” (mezzoforte) up to “f” (forte), or from “mp” (mezzo piano) up to a considerable“mf” (mezzo forte).
I leave the player completely free to choose the type of staccato. I suggest howeverto change it day by day, for example by employing a simple staccato the first day, a double staccato the day after, and a triple one the third day, going back to a simple staccato and so on. Besides, one may choose to play, every other day, major and minor tonalities, or one day only theregular mode and the next day the reverse one, all at the complete discretion of the player.
Finally, as regards Books 2, 3, and 4, they will clearly have to be performed by employing the double and triple staccatos, which are the designated choices for them.
Angelo Piazzini
