Schlossberg Exercises

lincolnjazz · Regular Member Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 74 Location: NC

I have been doing some Schlossbergs as part of the Bill Adam Daily Routine that my teacher gave me. What is the point of the Schlossbergs? I would like to know what I am trying to fix by working on them. Thanks for the help.

Billy B · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:12 am Post subject:

You are developing a consistent sound. I don't like the word "fix". It implies that something is wrong. Always listen for the good stuff and ignore the bad. You have a teacher listening for you. Don't try to analyze what your teacher is doing for/to you. You will not understand until you have mastered it.

PH · Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 5:44 am Post subject:

Mr. Adam uses these studies to develop different aspects of your playing and approaches these studies in many different ways for different people. They can be played at different volumes, with different kinds of attacks, at different tempos, with varying tone concepts, etc. How they are to be played is totally dependant on what you need at a specific point in your development.

A good teacher will know what you need to work on at any given stage and will demonstrate how YOU are supposed to practice these studies this week. As your playing changes their demonstration should also change.

Listen to how your teacher plays in your lessons and model your approach on that.

senea · Veteran Member Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 131

I just had a lesson on Schlossbergs this week. My teacher keeps emphasizing the importance of loose air throughout the exercises. If you keep this in your mind, two things will happen - a) you'll miss more notes at first because you're not forcing things to work and b) your body learns how to automate it without your interference. He also says that whistling and trumpet playing are very similar - it is very easy to overblow it.

An even more curious thing that he said a couple of weeks ago was about my long tones at the beginning of the routine. If you start them with loose air then your flexibility is going to be and sound easier. So I have been recording routine with him (and everyone else for that matter)(speaking of which Pat...)

I do not have first hand experience with any of this because I have just only recently understood the concept of loose air, but all I have right now is the faith that I will learn to play beautifully if I think of a sound that is free and loose.... not to be confused with thinking to make my sound free and loose.

It also helps to hear people doing what you have questions about.

sooner_trumpet · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:32 am Post subject:

I do the Schlossbergs everyday during my warm-up and I feel that they really help me with my air and flow, but primarily what I am taught to think about with whatever I am doing is my sound and always striving for a dark, rich, full sound.