Routine during a tour.

[vialvest]

Hello!

What do you all do when you're on a tour or in another city (living in a hotel) and don't have time to do a full routine?

[mcgovnor]

Find a conference room in the hotel, the front desk will help you..take a pillow or two and make a sort of box out of them to play into. I used to use my case as a sort of holder for the pillows. Work out an hour routine to cover what you need before you go to the venue of the gig. Arrive there early and take care of whatever else you need. It's a huge adjustment at first, for sure.

[Billy B]

In warm weather find a place outdoors. I met some pretty interesting people hanging out at the dumpsters behind the LAX Motel 6.

Go to the venue with the set up crew.

Get the bus driver to let you hang out in the bus.

Lunch/dinner stops stay on the bus and practice.

In town for more than a day, find the nearest college or music stores will usually rent or give you a room to blow.
_________________
Bill Bergren

[foothillsbrass]

Turn the TV up louder than you are, nobody complains about a loud TV. More seriously, I've had good luck if I play music that people enjoy hearing. Playing a good popular melody is as good a flow study as anything else.

[trpthrld]

I've done:

- in my room
- in a stairwell
- in a conference room
- in the gym/spa (early before anyone else came in)
- in the laundry room
- in the indoor pool area
- in the outdoor pool area

When I was on tours with The Dallas Brass, John Tesh, & Michael Crawford, we all had keys to the tour bus. I'd sometimes get up early and do routine in the bus.

I'd also sometimes forego the lunch stop & do it in the bus while everyone else was grazing.
_________________
Tim Wendt

www.trumpetherald.com/marketplace.php?task=detail&id=146827&s=The-Best-Trumpet-Lead-Pipe-Swab-EVER--

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPWAJqghk24&feature=youtu.be

[EricM224]

All the suggestions here so far are great! I'd also say develop a "road routine"! What you know YOU need to cover for yourself, and whatever it is you're playing that night. There were many times where we'd be on the bus from 6:30am-4pm, have a sound check at 5pm and a show at 7:30pm on some of the bway shows I've toured with.

I developed a 35 minute "routine" that made me feel and I hope sound good But at the end of the day, you just have to know that you can make the trumpet work when you need it too. I learned very quickly that I had allowed the routine to be a crutch for me to feel secure, but after five tours I can say that I know how to get this thing fired up quickly. And remember this... you're paid to play the gig, not the routine. So keep those chops fresh!

That's my best advice. If you have time to get in the whole routine on the road, you're lucky. But in most cases you won't, so invest in a great practice mute and become resourceful at scoping out the good places to blow before your gig.
_________________
Bach Trumpet Artist - Clinician
Assistant Professor of Trumpet
University of Louisiana at Monroe
www.ericsiereveldmusic.com

[oxleyk]

Get a copy of Rich Willey's Warm-Up Magic. It covers many aspects of playing and you can make it as easy or as advanced as you need.

Kent