MoKeefus Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Due to time constraints I find I only have an hour or a little more to practice each day. By the time I finish long tones and flexibilities, it leaves me little time for working on the music I should be practicing and mechanics. Does anyone have an efficient practice routine to help me not just maintain but improve on my limited ability? I was thinking of alternating tone days followed by mechanics days. The bottom line is, I need to get better but an hour a day is not hacking the mission! thanx, spadlead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 What do you play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brassguymike Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Okay let's see... where to start? First off, what's your goal? What are you practicing for? Fun? Next season? Band? Recital? Why are you practicing long tones? Is it simply a "warm-up" to couple your mind and tissues? Or do you practice long tones to work on your sound? How long do you practice long tones? What about your flexibility exercises? Warm-up or working on increasing your flexibility? How long? It's great that you have a practice routine that includes this maintenance work. Now we have to find a balance between maintenance work and whatever music you need to be working on. Perhaps you could switch days that you do each of the maintenance exercises. Basically it all depends on your goals. If you have a recital that you're working towards, then you can't spend 75% of your practice time on maintenance. However if you're just working on maintaining/increasing your chops for next summer, then you have plenty of time to work on maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoKeefus Posted September 1, 2003 Author Share Posted September 1, 2003 I play soprano/mellophone and I'm getting ready for next season. I just can't seem to find much more than 60 - 80 minutes a day. I started up again about a year ago. Before that I hadn't played since I marched in the 70's. I never learned how to read music so I'm kind of starting from scratch. I've been working on it for about a year now but I feel I've hit a plateu (sp ?). I can play basic songs but it takes me a while to work the music out. I've been taking some lessons but I believe I'll be better when I get used to being around other G horns. I haven't reached panic mode yet but I feel I'm not progressing as fast as I should. I feel I need to start alternating days between quality of tone and mechanics. I just don't know if that will develop bad habits. My goals are to be good enough to march next season in a starting position (3rd sop or 2nd Mello) and progress up the food chain each following season. thanx, spadlead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brassguymike Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Run down to your local music store and find some beginning trumpet method books. There are tons of good ones out there. The salesman should be able to help you pick out a good one they have in stock. In there you'll find a lot of good exercises and simple tunes. Beginning books are meant for those that are learning to read music, so your reading ability shouldn't be a problem. You need to work on tone quality every time you touch your horn. However you don't have to do long tone exercises every time. Just be thinking of a great sound and work on producing that great sound every time you play. Being around other horns may not necessarily help you. It may mask your problems and create a false sense of security. Playing by yourself will force you to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bssop97 Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 I'm gona go with BrassguyMike. A good elementry book is the Rubank Elementry Method for truumpet..... Go thru that than just go to the harder books in the series, I also belived it had a lesson plan in them. Also there are little things you can do in your "wasted time"..... Buzz a mouthpiece in your car or even lip buzz without it. Pencil exercise, if you want to know it I'll PM it to you. Shannon Jeffreys Blue Stars 97,99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mafields627 Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 If long tones and flexibilities are taking up most of your hour, then you are doing too much of them. A warm up shouldn't take any more than around 15 minutes. After that, it's just more practice. When you work on your long tones and flexibilities, work in some on the mouthpiece...that helps a lot. Also, don't spend too much time in the low register. You will blow your aperture open and that will make your upper notes more difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bssop97 Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 Also, don't spend too much time in the low register. You will blow your aperture open and that will make your upper notes more difficult. Ok, I got a different school of thought on this..... Low and SOFT is actually very good at helping closing your aperture. Low and loud is a different story. I do Clarke #1 every day a pppp from low f# up to staff G...... If I don't do it, my upper register is #### for the rest of the day. I'm not a pedal tone person at all (don't even play them) but I firmly belive in low register playing as long as it is very soft. Shannon Jeffreys Blue Stars 97,99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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