Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:41 am Post subject:
PhxHorn wrote:
Why not just set up your cell phone and do it again today?
Because I developed my range up to the G above Double High C ten years ago. It's a strength issue - to get there back in 2005 I practiced the Systematic Approach exercises pretty much every day for nearly a year. When I stopped doing the range building (and maintaining) exercises consistently, my range eventually dropped to where I had a full power G above High C and could usually reach Double High C when I did on occasion practice the range exercises. I only recently restarted regularly practicing the S.A. material after the hernia surgery I had this past summer. When I started up again after the surgery around the end of July I could consistently reach a good F# (above High C). Now I'm playing full power A's and I reach Double C on most days. I'm happy with my progress.
But if you really want to see and hear a video, maybe just to see what I look like, here's one I recorded just 9 days after my hernia surgery (it was originally posted in my "The Hernia Report" thread here on the TH this past June 22nd):
Hello all! My name is Robert and I'm one of John's students. Today, I enjoyed a lesson with him and we were working on Clarke's Maid of the Mist.
PhxHorn wrote:
Why not just set up your cell phone and do it again today?
I wasn't screen capturing the Skype lesson, But: I can attest that when he ran through the Coda section for me, at the end he landed on the F on top of the staff, went up the F major scale up to High F, and up it again to Double High F and held it for a couple seconds. He then told me about this thread and here I am, more than happy to spread the knowledge of that nice little moment. Will I be doing that little two octave extension of the last note when I perform it? No, someday possibly, but he did and it was neat.
So, there you have it. Anyways, have a good day!
-Robert
If you need proof that he didn't just make this account to say this, my joined date should show that I've been viewing the site for a while (It was actually so long since I logged into this that I had to reset it lol).
I don't know much about John Mohan. I've heard him only on Youtube and liked what I heard. He may have strong opinions and that's his right. I do feel like some here enjoy knocking him. The one thing I do know is John plays the horn for a living. Just wondering how many of his critics can say the same thing?
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8914 Location: Orange County, CA
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 3:06 pm Post subject:
You know what they say, you can always tell a Claude Gordon student...but you can't tell him much. _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:13 pm Post subject:
peanuts56 wrote:
I don't know much about John Mohan. I've heard him only on Youtube and liked what I heard. He may have strong opinions and that's his right. I do feel like some here enjoy knocking him. The one thing I do know is John plays the horn for a living. Just wondering how many of his critics can say the same thing?
Thanks for the support. Actually, there are a few around here who do play for a living and are among my harsher critics. Mike Sailors for instance. It's good though - I probably need a little ego-check once in a while.
StupidBrassObsession wrote:
Pfft, Hernia surgery? There can be no excuse for not wailing Double Cs 12 hours a day.
I know. I'll try to put in 14 hours of DHC's a day in the future to make up for my transgression.
StupidBrassObsession wrote:
I thought Hernia surgery normally meant 2-4+ weeks of no playing?
I actually took it pretty easy and let pain be my guide. With the exception of a few notes (including the ones in that video), I took several weeks completely off and then when I returned to practice I took it real easy at first. Just practiced low to middle range stuff at a quiet volume.
razeontherock wrote:
Good to see you recovering nicely, John!
Thanks! Good to be recovering nicely!
cheiden wrote:
You know what they say, you can always tell a Claude Gordon student...but you can't tell him much.
Sure you can. But if it's true he'll already know it.
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8914 Location: Orange County, CA
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 8:19 pm Post subject:
John Mohan wrote:
cheiden wrote:
You know what they say, you can always tell a Claude Gordon student...but you can't tell him much.
Sure you can. But if it's true he'll already know it.
Actually this particular quip really resonates with me. When I came back after a 10-year hiatus I found myself at a local community college with a collect of trumpet players of varying degrees of quality. I was a struggling self-taught player and I was desperate to find a teacher. I asked several of the standout players who they studied with and was stunned to learn that they all studied with the same teacher who was a notable CG alumnus. That's when I learned that it was actually true that you could always tell and Claude Gordon student, but also a CG student's students! _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart
I had a lesson with John 4 days after his surgery and he was blowing and nailing G,s , A,s and B,s above high C w/o a problem. Maybe a little guarding but they were solid and beautiful.
I'm a Nurse and told him coughing and deep breathing 3-4 times a day guarding with a pillow would ward off pneumonia.
As you can see from my writing up top, he has his own way of coughing and deep breathing.
He's lucky his wife wasn't home.
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 9:22 pm Post subject:
mark61 wrote:
I had a lesson with John 4 days after his surgery and he was blowing and nailing G,s , A,s and B,s above high C w/o a problem. Maybe a little guarding but they were solid and beautiful.
I'm a Nurse and told him coughing and deep breathing 3-4 times a day guarding with a pillow would ward off pneumonia.
As you can see from my writing up top, he has his own way of coughing and deep breathing.
He's lucky his wife wasn't home.
He's a funny guy
Mark
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
For all I know my wife monitors this website!
Oh, hi Sweetheart. Mark was just kidding. It wouldn't be a lie to say that it's perhaps possible that what was not necessarily described here never happened...
You know what they say, you can always tell a Claude Gordon student...but you can't tell him much.
Sure you can. But if it's true he'll already know it.
Actually this particular quip really resonates with me. When I came back after a 10-year hiatus I found myself at a local community college with a collect of trumpet players of varying degrees of quality. I was a struggling self-taught player and I was desperate to find a teacher. I asked several of the standout players who they studied with and was stunned to learn that they all studied with the same teacher who was a notable CG alumnus. That's when I learned that it was actually true that you could always tell and Claude Gordon student, but also a CG student's students!
The interesting thing is when you ask some of the advanced CG students what sort of stuff they were doing after studying with Claude for a while. I remember Eric Bolvin mentioned that Claude had him doing the whole Clarke book everyday at one point... Apparently it doesn't take long once you have it 'up to speed'...
It seems like most students were gradually worked towards being able to consistently practice 8+ hours a day. I've heard a Claude and a few other guys like Maurice Andre, Bud Herseth and Doc Serverinsen described as "Workhorse" players, meaning they would consistently put in huge amounts of practice. I guess when you're doing 8 hours and everyone else is stopping at 3 hours, that difference adds up quite significantly as the years go by!
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 8:03 am Post subject:
StupidBrassObsession wrote:
cheiden wrote:
John Mohan wrote:
cheiden wrote:
You know what they say, you can always tell a Claude Gordon student...but you can't tell him much.
Sure you can. But if it's true he'll already know it.
Actually this particular quip really resonates with me. When I came back after a 10-year hiatus I found myself at a local community college with a collect of trumpet players of varying degrees of quality. I was a struggling self-taught player and I was desperate to find a teacher. I asked several of the standout players who they studied with and was stunned to learn that they all studied with the same teacher who was a notable CG alumnus. That's when I learned that it was actually true that you could always tell and Claude Gordon student, but also a CG student's students!
The interesting thing is when you ask some of the advanced CG students what sort of stuff they were doing after studying with Claude for a while. I remember Eric Bolvin mentioned that Claude had him doing the whole Clarke book everyday at one point... Apparently it doesn't take long once you have it 'up to speed'...
It seems like most students were gradually worked towards being able to consistently practice 8+ hours a day. I've heard a Claude and a few other guys like Maurice Andre, Bud Herseth and Doc Serverinsen described as "Workhorse" players, meaning they would consistently put in huge amounts of practice. I guess when you're doing 8 hours and everyone else is stopping at 3 hours, that difference adds up quite significantly as the years go by!
You pretty much nailed it. Back in the day, the "workhorse" nickname came from the fact that the top studio orchestra players like Claude would spend all day in recording sessions, and then often do live radio broadcasts or big band gigs at night. They made plenty of money, but they earned it.
And I too remember with amusement when some of my Lesson Plans from Claude had "Clarke 1 - 7" as the first routine of the day and "Clarke 8" as the second, with more to follow. Those routines (which Claude built me up to over a period of about 4 years) are the reason I didn't crash and burn when I got my first circus job.
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 11:27 am Post subject:
Okay, truth be told the "epic journey" kind of fizzled. In completing four classes this semester (Calculus 1, Anatomy & Physiology 1, Human Growth and Development 1, and Human Nutrition) I only managed to practice my exact routine as first assigned by Claude for about a month so. But on the bright side, I'm pretty sure I'll have straight A's when the grades are posted on Monday!
And while I didn't "stick to the program" in terms of my practice, I didn't totally stop practicing, either. I usually play back and forth with students during both Skype and Live lessons, and except when studying for Mid-Terms and Finals, I did manage to practice at least part of my routine most days.
I found out about a month ago I'll be doing The Producers next Spring and Summer. And according to other accounts I've read here on the TH, it's a pretty heavy show and even has a scale run up to High C which is marked "Opt. 8va" in the part. Yes, an optional Double High C in a musical. "Optional"? Not "optional" in my world. So, I had about four months (three months remaining) to boost my everyday full power range by about half an octave. In light of that goal, I've switched my routine around and I'm doing Parts One and Two of Systematic Approach Lesson Two as my first routine every day (meaning about 5 or 6 days a week, as I'm still kind of busy with other distractions and lessons). I do it first, because I find that when making it the first routine of the day, I'm fresher and able to get higher in the Part Two section, and also, from a pragmatic point of view, on days when I don't get through my whole routine, at least I get that workout I need to build up my blowing muscles through the "hold the last note until empty and longer with an attempted crescendo" pedal note arpeggios in the Part One exercises.
It's working. When I started this approach a month ago, I was getting up to a full power F#, a nearly full power G, and pretty quiet little G#'s and A's, and occasionally a Double Bb. Fast forward four weeks, and my strength has built up to the point that I am getting full power A's, good sounding Bb's, and (quiet) Double High B's every day for the past week, and for the past two days in a row I've gotten the DHC. It's not loud, but it's got a good sound, and it'll only grow as I continue to build the muscle strength needed in my blowing muscles. (I've already got the "knack" or "feel" of these notes from past experience - it's just the strength part that goes away for me when I don't' do the work out required, sort of like the way Cinderella's horses turn back into little mice at midnight).
After at least an hour of resting time, I then run Irons Groups, starting with Group Five and running through as far as Group Twelve, time permitting. Then, again, time permitting, after at least an hour of resting, I run a Clarke Study, single tongued up as high as is comfortable. Most days I do Clarke #1, and on some days, I'll do Clarke #2 instead. I also do the respective Etude, single-tongued with a repeat, and when doing it, I go as far as possible in one breath.
Will post back with any changes in the routine, and results as time goes on.
Joined: 03 Dec 2001 Posts: 2681 Location: Queens and upstate, NY
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:13 pm Post subject:
Quote:
But on the bright side, I'm pretty sure I'll have straight A's
Thank God John! I mean, no offense, but everyone on the TH knows your A's have always been sharp. _________________ Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
Trumpets: THE LYNNZHORN!!/Stomvi Forte pocket
Flugel: Manchester Brass Pro Model
Www.LexSamu.com
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 2:44 pm Post subject:
ljazztrm wrote:
Quote:
But on the bright side, I'm pretty sure I'll have straight A's
Thank God John! I mean, no offense, but everyone on the TH knows your A's have always been sharp.
Good one!!!!
My finals grades were three A's and one B by the way. Ironically the B was in my easiest class, Nutrition. I got A's on every exam and assignment, but I was late a lot (first class of the day and I'm NOT a morning person). She grades on attendance and promptness. Oh well...
Just ordered a couple as a Christmas present to myself - of course if you don’t like cats, you may be out of luck! _________________ Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
Trumpets: THE LYNNZHORN!!/Stomvi Forte pocket
Flugel: Manchester Brass Pro Model
Www.LexSamu.com
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:01 am Post subject:
Ha! My wife is more the cat person than me (though I love the little critters, too) and she would love that mug. I think it's going to be a late Christmas present.
As for the coffee idea, not coincidentally, here I am three minutes before my first Skype lesson of the day, drinking my first cup of fresh ground, fresh brewed Starbucks Caffe Verona. I'd use the timer, but my carafe is a thermos-type (no heating element under it) and it needs boiling water in it for about 10 minutes or else that first cup is not the optimum temperature. I'm a little OCD about my coffee. I even have a particular smaller spoon I use to stir it, so as not to cool it too much when the cold spoon goes into the cup.
Joined: 03 Dec 2001 Posts: 2681 Location: Queens and upstate, NY
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 6:20 am Post subject:
_________________ Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
Trumpets: THE LYNNZHORN!!/Stomvi Forte pocket
Flugel: Manchester Brass Pro Model
Www.LexSamu.com
Joined: 03 Dec 2001 Posts: 2681 Location: Queens and upstate, NY
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:57 am Post subject:
No pic dude! Just a '?' _________________ Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
Trumpets: THE LYNNZHORN!!/Stomvi Forte pocket
Flugel: Manchester Brass Pro Model
Www.LexSamu.com
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