Help with endurance/range

[Martybucs]

You may want to check out xtremebrass.com for some effective etudes.

One thing I didn't see mentioned before: be careful not to overwork your chops in the interest of building them up. If you punish the muscles and bruise them they will take a considerable time to repair. Don't forget to rest during practice, lean forward and buzz very slowly (w/o the mouthpiece) to repenish the blood supply to the effected muscles. This will help you last longer.

Best advice so far. Range building is dangerous if not done with care.

[rai-mello]

To add on to her question, I am wondering about building endurance. Sometimes I can't keep playing. And I know this is about endurance, not busting my chops. SO yeah, anyway to build endurance?

[Martybucs]

To add on to her question, I am wondering about building endurance. Sometimes I can't keep playing. And I know this is about endurance, not busting my chops. SO yeah, anyway to build endurance?

What kind of endurance problems are you having?

Making it through a song?

Making it through a show?

The obvious answer is to practice playing until you, "feel the burn", like any other muscle, endurance building exercise. Stop and rest before you start using a lot of pressure or excess straining. Your body will take the lactic acid buildup that causes, "the burn" as a cue to build more muscle for the job at hand. (does not happen instantly) over time your endurance will increase.

The most important way to maximize your playing enjoyment and the sound of the line is to know your limits and pace yourself according to your abilities. Build your range and endurance at home and practice.

If you can't play at the dynamic levels called for and finish the song or show like everyone else, play at the level you can and have to in order to finish the song or show.

It takes years and years and you'll never be satisfied with your range or endurance - it's a trumpet thing.

In my little circle of trumpet playing friends, almost all of them say they would kill to have my range and endurance, but most of them play perfectly well. I'm always trying to play longer and higher.

Just be careful, I have friends that have seriously injured their chops to the point they can't play anymore.

And try experimenting with pacing yourself, while you build range and endurance. Pacing yourself is often ignored. The exercises and practice are a given. However, if you know your limits, you can contribute musically to the whole ensemble for the entire show.

[rai-mello]

What kind of endurance problems are you having?

Making it through a song?

Making it through a show?

Making it through practice. I go to the Fusion Core rehearsals cause they are conveniently located. Always during ensemble, or even during sectionals, I can't last through the music. However, in Raiders, I can last. I'm thinking it has to do with the amount I play or something. I'm not sure. There are few rests in the music for both. I believe there's a bit less in Fusion. Does that help a bit?

[CroWnSoPrAnO]

Theres really only one way to build endurance. Practice, Practice Practice. It's going to take time....But i swear...It works!

[iwannamarchcorps]

I haev a queston to how do i played hiyer on my horn lol.

so far i go liek this were i titen up and blow but its not working lol sugjestons?

[Martybucs]

Making it through practice. I go to the Fusion Core rehearsals cause they are conveniently located. Always during ensemble, or even during sectionals, I can't last through the music. However, in Raiders, I can last. I'm thinking it has to do with the amount I play or something. I'm not sure. There are few rests in the music for both. I believe there's a bit less in Fusion. Does that help a bit?

Endurance takes time, persistence, and hard work. It comes little by little, but it will definitely be yours someday. Having said that, you'll always want more.

I think you should pace yourself during rehearsals so that you can make it through to the end. Relax a little and don't play as if the total sound of the hornline depended on you. The heroes that can play the loudest usually stick out and actually hurt the ensemble.

Learn what tires you the most and work on that in practice and when performing keep those things in mind so that you can pace yourself to the end. If playing loud tires you the most, back off, even a little may help.

Think about it. You know what you need to know to get better. In playing take those things and apply common sense and you'll last the entire show and probably sound better than most.

[Martybucs]

There are many players that are tired of this topic. There are many more inexperienced players eager to learn.

Sometimes the same info gets put into each related thread over and over again.

The person asking the question wants a quick fix - there is none.

The person asking the question wants knowledge - there is plenty here and not much BS. Most posters are experienced and knowledgeable and willing to help.

The person asking the question needs encouragement as much as anything else. Try to be patient and help them if you can.

The brass player, particularly high brass, needs a lot of encouragement, patience, knowledge, and options, (because everyone does it a little different)

The person asking the question doesn't need to be made fun of or told that their question is kicking a dead horse or words to that effect.

[flashofthunder]

Also, if you play a lot in one day, put something on your lips before you go to bed, such as chapstick. It relaxes your lips and helps to repair any damage done. Just make sure that whatever you put on doesn't contain camphor. Camphor breaks down muscle which you'll need for brass playing.

After a long day of playing, I like to break open a vitamin E capsule and smear it on my lips before I go to bed.

A professional tubist I know has put vaseline on his lips every night for the past 25 years. He's the one who got me started.

I find that it feels good, and when I wake up my lips are fresh and kissably soft! If I don't use anything after a very long day of playing, then when I wake up my lips may be a little raw.

[melligene]

There is no Magic....there is no Secret Formula....... IMO....been playing a Horn since age 11. It's all about desire and has been said....practice, practice, practice, and when you're done doing that...........PRACTICE some more.......