Reprinted with permission from Tempo, the official magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association.
Citation information:
Berz, William, "It's Time to Re-Visit McBeth," Tempo, 53 no. 2 (May 1999): 24-25.
It's Time to Re-Visit McBeth
by
William Berz
There are but only a very few who have shaped the sound of the modern concert band more than W. Francis McBeth. Many teachers may remember or have learned about some of the famous wind conductors who brought the concert band into the modern era: William Revelli, Mark Hindsley, A. A. Harding, Ray Dvorak, Leonard Falcone, James Neilson, and others. However, no one was able to clarify and describe how to achieve a flattering sound from the band as well as McBeth. He alone was able to put a clearly stated theory into writing, as well as to provide practical solutions. His 1972 text is still the best source for achieving an excellent "band" sound.
I feel that the key element in achieving the best sound from the band is balance; this I learned from McBeth. Achieving good balance will not only create a more beautiful sound, but it will help to solve numerous other problems, most notably improving pitch.
The band is different from the orchestra--an obvious statement. However, many band conductors do not seem to fully appreciate this very apparent fact. Because of the harmonious nature of the string section and the soloistic character of the wind section, orchestral balance is, in many ways, less problematic than with the band. A band is a collection of massed groups of winds, each instrument possessing a unique timbre, and yet the sound must unite to form a collective whole.
Many of our instruments are assigned 3 or 4 different parts. In the orchestra, only the horns and trombones are normally divided into this many sections. The splitting of cornets and trumpets into 3 to 5 different parts, clarinets into 3 or 4 parts, and the like presents a tremendous challenge, especially in school groups where, in many cases, less qualified people may be assigned to lower ranges.
The string family easily falls into the natural vocal divisions of soprano (violin), alto (viola), tenor (cello), and bass (double bass). The band has no such parallel. The instruments in the brass family are undoubtedly more related than the woodwinds, but still quite dissimilar. Band conductors must try to achieve a true "choral" balance where all voices--from bass to soprano--are clearly discerned yet blended together.
This might be one of the key elements to McBeth's theory. The second is that lower notes need to be more present than the higher ones--essentially louder. He describes this as the double-pyramid balance system. Some conductors refer to it as a reverse pyramid, meaning that the lower the sound, the more pronounced the instrument must be.
McBeth's pyramid has become an accepted principle for many band conductors. It illustrates the basic idea that the lower the range of the instrument, the more present (louder) that it needs to be. In practical terms, the flutes and high clarinets need to generally play softer, and the tubas and trombones need to player louder.
The pyramid approach continues within the section as well. For example, in the clarinet section, the third part needs to the most present and the first the least. This might be seen then as a series of pyramids. Each part in the choral model is a mini-pyramid in its own; the lower part in each group needs to be stronger than the higher one. Also, the lower choral part needs to be more pronounced than the higher (more bass, less soprano). This is my adaptation of McBeth's "Christmas Tree" pyramid.
In practice, this theory is often not easily achieved. In many school ensembles, instrumentation makes it almost impossible. Many key instruments (tuba, horn, trombone) are not well represented, and in many cases, they are played by people who do not well trained. Many of the background instruments such as bass clarinet and euphonium are assigned to students who are not well suited to the challenge. In addition, I have heard a number of groups where the baritone saxophone--usually played as loudly as possible--was the only bass instrument in the band; this is not ever successful. High school conductors must work with their middle school and elementary colleagues to encourage young students to study instruments other than flute, saxophone, and percussion. Conversely, those teaching in the lower grades need to be sensitive to instrumentation requirements.
Assignment of parts within a section is especially problematic. The McBeth theory proposes that the lowest part within a given section needs to be the strongest: the third trumpets are more important than the first. Yet, the thirds are usually the least experienced players, often because the part is lower in range and less technically advanced. However, by having the strongest players on the first part, balance problems are aggravated; they simply play much louder. They have the most confidence and almost automatically turn up the volume. I have heard some students say that it is "more fun" to play loudly. These students must understand that while their contribution is important, they must make their sound fit in with the rest of the section, often meaning that they must play softer than what might seem natural. Their reward should come from playing well. In addition, many of the first parts are written in a high tessitura (another obvious fact). Especially with clarinets, this higher range can be pretty unattractive and strident. These soprano instruments must reduce their volume when they play in the extreme high range. I find that the first clarinet section must be constantly reminded of this.
Another solution to section balance is to assign some of the better players to the lower parts. Perhaps the second best player could play second and the third best play third, rather than having all three on the first part. Conductors might then rotate the part assignments so that all students get experience on the first parts. Assigning a different number of players per part can also help to strengthen the lower parts. For example, in a clarinet section having 12 players, I feel it better to split them into the following: 3 on first, 4 on second, and 5 on third.
While many conductors understand McBeth's ideas, I find that a great many people do not adhere to his principles. Re-visiting the pyramid will undoubtedly improve the sound of your band.
Reference
McBeth, W. Francis. (1972). Effective performance of band music. San Antonio, TX: Southern Music Company.