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This is how I practice the fake tones (Eb, D, Db, and C) on a straight large bore trombone
Fake tone study
What I think about studying the fake tones is: It is best to put them in a context among normal notes before and after so you can concentrate on doing them with a sound not different from the sound in the normal register. Best is to extend the scales and arpeggios you play regularly downwards. Make the fake tones be a part of the daily routine because it can take some time to learn.
Are they easier on a small bore trombone compared to a large bore trombone?
I don't think they are. This is a large bore trombone, a Bach 42. The mouthpiece is a Karl Hammond 11L, about the size of a Bach 4 (deep). It is not that different from playing them on a small bore.
I also played them on my other large bore trombones with F-valve, and it also worked about the same, so I guess it depends upon if you find the sweet spot. If you do then they are there on all horns.
This is an example of how to make use of the fake tones on a straight small bore trombone
I Whish You A Merry Christmas
A short demo of false notes on a straight King 3B tenor trombone. I'm using a K.Hammond 12ML mouthpiece (Bach 5).
If you are not familiar with the technique for fake tones on a trombone it is a way of playing the low notes you normally would use a trigger for on a trombone without a trigger. Fake tones are played ten times in this video, and with slightly different articulations (glissando, legato & detached).
This is a scale study for a single valve bass trombone practicing several fake tones using the trigger T2 for C and T3 for B.
Scale Study
The real use for fake tones is on a single trigger bass trombone or a large bore tenor with f-valve. The fake tones are used to play the low C and B that otherwise are not present as normal tones on a single trigger trombone.
It is of course possible to pull the f-tuningslide to an E or a flat E instead which is the other method that exist to play those notes on a single valve.
There are two bad things with the E-tuning.
- The first is you then no longer have the trigger F and C within the staff on the first position. Both these notes are very useful in fast passages.
-The second bad thing is that the E-tuning still does not give an in tune B on T6, you have to bend it in tune or you have to use the flat E-tuning instead. With flat E-tuning the C and B are still far out on the slide which can make fast low passages hard to play.
Fake tones for C and B are on T2 and T3 which means they are within reach in most low fast passages.
Here is a short excerpt that shows how fake tones can be used on the single trigger bass to suceed with a phrase that would have been quite impossible with just the normal trigger positions. Even if you use your bE-pull for the B on T6 it would be very hard to go chromaticly from Bb on 1:st to the B on 7:th at this tempo. It is not that difficult if you know the fake tones.
Fake tones on a single valved bass trombone
It is from a big band arrangement. It ends with a fast phrase that is somewhat difficult because it goes fast, low and chromatic. It also use both the low B and C in a chromatic triplet figure. Both those notes are not easy available on a single valve bass. You have to play them as fake tones.
I choose my single valve Bach 50B for this and some would of course argue why not use a double valve bass because on a double valved bass there are no problem to play a low B and C. It is for this reason the double valved bass trombone was invented in the first place.
On the double you can play those two notes without a problem, but it will still be rather difficult in this case because it is a very fast triplet figure and you need to play some notes without trigger and some with one trigger and some with two triggers. It is easier to get the notes but at this tempo the difficulty lyes in more trigger work. You need to be fast with your triggers.
The single valve bass trombone on the other hand has the advantage of being both easier to blow and to hold. If you can learn the fake tones and make use of them in a situation like this then you will have the advantage of using the single valved in the rest of the piece and that is the real advantage.
Besides, in this case I think the phrase is so fast that you will not be able to hear that some of those low notes are faked notes.
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