Falls Doits and Scoops
Falls, Doits, and Scoops
What it is: A family of pitch-bending effects that decorate the start or end of a note. Standard vocabulary in jazz, big-band, and pop brass writing. They're not random — each effect has a specific shape and a specific notation.
What it sounds like: Vocal, swung, alive. The difference between "trumpet plays note" and "trumpet plays note with attitude."
The Glossary
| Effect | Shape | Notation | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Note → drop in pitch (uncontrolled) | Diagonal squiggle ↘ from notehead | Note ends with a downward smear, ~M3–P5 |
| Doit | Note → rise in pitch | Diagonal squiggle ↗ from notehead | Note ends with an upward smear |
| Scoop | Below pitch → up to note | Curved squiggle ↗ leading into notehead | Attack starts under and rises to pitch |
| Plop / Drop | Above pitch → down to note | Curved squiggle ↘ leading into notehead | Attack starts above and falls to pitch |
| Rip | Fast ascending run into a high note | Wavy line + grace notes | Glissando-like rip up to a target |
| Shake | Rapid lip trill to upper partial | Wavy horizontal line above note | Trumpet "shake" — wide vibrato-like effect |
When to use it: Big-band brass charts, jazz solos, R&B horn sections. Falls and doits at phrase ends; scoops and plops at phrase starts. Rips for climactic high-note arrivals. Shakes for sustained climaxes.
Tip: Brass players read these out of the corner of their eye. Don't write a fall on a note shorter than an eighth — there's no time for it. Falls and doits work best on quarter notes or longer.
Watch — Effects in Action
Direct demonstration of how to execute a fall and a doit on trumpet. Get the sound in your ear before you write it.
The shake — wide vibrato-like effect, the climactic big-band high-note tool. Lead trumpet players use this constantly.
Focused video on the doit specifically — the rapid upward gliss away from a target note.
Real-time arranging of a four-trumpet section, including how falls / doits / shakes get distributed across the section in a chart. Watch how a single composer's choice cascades into four players' parts.
See also: Brass Techniques, Mutes, Brass Glissando, Brass Quintet Instruments