Tip: Professional After-Beats

  In the spirit of Independence Day we're going to take a second to discuss our favorite thing, after-beats. As a horn player, you can't get through a march without them, and for the rest of the band or orchestra, the horns play a vital role by providing this pulse. So what could there possibly be to talk about with them?

  Playing the background rhythm well is extremely important. It's kind of like the horns get added to the percussion section, but yet we can make chords and have a brass sound. This is a unique element and has helped to created the "sound of a march."

  Like everything else you'll play, there's a way to "just do it" and there's a way to really do it right. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind the next time you see a full page of after-beats.

• Think of the notes as pickup-beats. I know I keep calling them after-beats, but as a performer this is not what you should be thinking. Instead, think of them as pickup-beats into the next beat. This way you're always thinking about driving the tempo forward and not stuck reacting to the previous beat.
• Think about the chords. Is the horn section, as a whole, balanced in sound? Are you producing the correct chords with the right balance? This is important to consider because the composer intending on those beats to create certain chords. If the composer just wanted the rhythm, he'd leave it to the snare player.
• Are they all the same length? As an individual player you need to try to get them pretty darn short, but make sure they still have a full sound to them and that it isn't just all tongue. Your note length needs to stay the same note-to-note, but as a section, also remember it has to stay the same player-to-player.
• Make them seem exciting. If you're looking bored and zoning off during the background rhythms then the audience is going to pick up on that vibe too. It may seem weird, but try to think of your part as the coolest in the entire piece and that these pickup-beats are what makes all the melodies sound amazing.

  They are probably a handful more of great things that you can think about while playing a march, and I would love to hear them, but if you keep just these four things in mind while playing you'll be a professional at after-beats in no time!