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Drills without instruction...



 
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screamertrumpet
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2002 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry administrator, I couldn't wait to start this post... please add to it
The one thing that makes me mad about trumpet playing are peers who take the Stamp warmup after I'm done playing it and massacre it. They don't even have a Stamp teacher and they play it awefully bad and they miss the point of the exercise.
If you ever get the Stamp book without a teacher, take his main saying into effect: "Think up when descending and down when ascending to hold the notes in their proper place."
Let's take Basic warmup #3.
Take this exercise slow, about 75 or 80bpm. Keep the metronome going in your brain and don't lose track of time. GET A GOOD FIRST NOTE AND DON'T SCOOP INTO IT! I can't stress this enough. Breathe in time with the tongue in place and release it like a pistol trigger. Be sure you keep the air relaxed when you first breathe in. THE MOMENT YOU CLOSE OFF YOUR THROAT BEFORE YOU'VE TONGUED THE FIRST NOTE, YOU'RE DEAD, as my teacher would have put it.
Notice the stair step? That means don't gradually move to the note but "snap" to it. Don't think the note until your "internal metronome" tells you to.
Think the note C in-the-staff through the first one. Just put the valves down but think the note C "air-wise". Click the notes in. Don't try to go to a note early. This is why I stress the "internal" metronome. Finger the pedals like you normally would and finger pedal c 1-2-3 if open doesn't respond.
When ascending on the last number of exercises, think the pedal note of that exercise. Never think up. Try playing the last number of exercises with a tuner and tune you last note. If you're right in tune, you did it right.
Warmup 4a:
All that applied to #3 applies to 4a and 4b as well.
Think c through the first one the whole way down and don't stop your air, EVER. Observe the dynamics as well. (Start loud and decrescendo for the first, then start soft and crescendo for the second when and keep alternating).
Warmup 4b:
Really stress the "think down" part now.
Never think the last "high" note at the end of the exercise. If you're doing the exercise right, your notes should be right in tune.
In the last exercise, you can bend the last g to an f#. What that does is it lets you know if your chops are too "tight". If the bent g comes out nicely then you're doing it correctly. That, and the high C shouldn't be a problem.
That's all for now.
Thanks for listening!
Trevor
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_Don Herman
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2002 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, Trevor (or whomever wishes to step in), are the instructions in the Stamp book and nobody (hardly anybody) reads them; does the Poper book help explain the right way to do Stamp; or, do we need explainations via this forum?

Tnx! - Don (ever curious)

p.s. I have bought the books, just ain't had time to read 'em yet. Too busy trying to catch Quadruple C, I guess (a true exercise in futility, if not simple hopelessness ) At any rate, the answer might help others decide which books to get.
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"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley
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dbacon
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2002 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DB

Last edited by dbacon on Mon Jun 20, 2022 6:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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screamertrumpet
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2002 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Don,
Yeah, I understand. I think Quad C is a heavyweight member now .
Actually, I believe that Stamp does write some explanation of the exercises, but they're extremely watered down. The Poper guide is EXCELLENT if you don't have a Stamp disciple around to take from.
I believe that Stamp only leaves the reader with a couple of things in his book: one of which is the famous "go up, think down, go down think up" thing. The Poper guide explains pretty much everthing in the book.
Back when I bought my book, my teacher said that Stamp was VERY disappointed with the quality of how it was published and written. It's a shame he died before he had a chance to re-write it.
Please ask if you have any more questions.
Trevor
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Emb_Enh
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2002 12:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

...the POPER book is ESSENTIAL IMO but pricey....

Roddy o-iii<O
I could'nt make head nor tail of Stamp without it....it sat on the shelf ..til I bought POPER.
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"E M B O U C H U R E___E N H A N C E M E N T"
BOOK 1 also... BOOK 2 + demo CD


[Self Analysis and Diagnostic Trumpet Method]
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trumpetherald
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2002 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, glad to see this started up.

There's a couple of main points I'd make about the buzzing, something that is not clear from the Stamp book.

1) Everyone skips the text (which is somewhat cryptic but essential) and immediately begins the #3 (Basic Warm-up) or #6 (the scalar drill). This can be a real mistake.

The text and exercises on page 3 are essential 'foundation' material for #3 & #6. Someone who has never done Stamp before is better served by spending a week or two at least with page 3. The free-buzzing seems to be a very individual thing - some people love it and others detest it because it makes the embouchure flat and tight. (By the way, Bobby Shew used to advocate free buzzing while using the fingers as a surrogate mouthpiece, placing the the thumb and index finger where the mouthpiece rim normally rests. This alleviates some of the tension problems.)

However, the simple do re me fa sol exercise at the bottom of page 3 is the real place to start. It's not necessary or even desirable to start with the long warm-ups until the bottom of page 3 is easy and played with the correct sound on the mouthpiece.

2) The sound produced on the mouthpiece is very important. Don't strive to 'focus' the sound or remove the airy quality of the buzz. In fact, it's essential that the buzz be relaxed and have some air in the quality. I think this is one of the biggest mistakes made when beginning the Stamp drills.

If one strives to focus the mouthpiece buzz and make it as pure as possible, the result nearly always is tension when playing the instrument. Keep the buzz relaxed and free! Don't allow yourself to compress and 'focus' the sound. There should be some air in the sound, particularly in the middle register. When you pick up the horn and play, the airy quality will be replaced by a relaxed and open sound.

At first, 5-10 minutes buzzing is plenty. Don't overdo it. In the words of Tom Stevens: "It's just a warmup!" Don't make too big a deal of it and move on to your regular playing without dwelling on the buzzing too long.

More to follow, time permitting!

Editor
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_Don Herman
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2002 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks people -- the fog is lifting! I'll keep checking in (and, putting in my gadfly bit).
Gott'a go read the books! - Don
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"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley
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ggoodknight
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 30, 2002 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2002-03-16 11:08, trumpetherald wrote:
SNIP
The free-buzzing seems to be a very individual thing - some people love it and others detest it because it makes the embouchure flat and tight. SNIP


I hated free buzzing to begin with because it was so hard to relax the chops just in the right spots to get the flexibility that Jimmy was trying to promote. I think the result for me was just the opposite of flat and tight. Flexible and relaxed fits, and when the free buzzing worked well, mouthpiece buzzing worked well, and when that was relaxed, centering and sound production on the horn was about right.
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trickg
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PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2002 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought I would toss another one in when it comes to hearing people absolutely butcher a great exercise.

I have heard Clarke's 2nd study butchered more times than I care to think about, usually done in the keys of F and G. When done properly, at a reasonable tempo and with good focus, it's a great exercise to get the scales under your fingers and will do wonders for your articulation and time.

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[ This Message was edited by: trickg on 2002-05-01 08:34 ]
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Trptbenge
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PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2002 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree that the Roy Poper book is essential. Also, when you practice an exercise you need to have a goal of what you are trying to accomplish. If you mindlessly go through exercises you won't accomplish anywhere close to what you could if you had a specific goal in mind.
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HighQ
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 17, 2002 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Where can I get the book from Roy Poper you're talking about. Would love to read it, hoping for a few answers. Is it available at onlinestores?
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HighQ
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 17, 2002 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Already found an online store and bought the book. Hope it will teach me a thing or two....
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mcstock
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brass Bulletin published a series of articles on Stamp and how to play the exercises byJean-Christopher Werner. Here are the citations:

"James Stamp: Master of Listening," by Jean-Christopher Werner. Brass Bulletin, no. 100, 1997, pages 59-65.
"James Stamp: Master of Listening, Part 2," Brass Bulletin no. 101,1998, pages 135-141.
"How to Play the Warm-ups of James Stamp, Part 1," by Jean-Christopher Werner. Brass Bulletin, no. 102, 1998, pages 64-70.
"How to Play the Warm-ups of James Stamp, Part 2," by Jean-Christopher Werner. Brass Bulletin, no. 103, 1998, pages 80-85.
"How to Play the Warm-ups of James Stamp, Part 3," by Jean-Christopher Werner. Brass Bulletin, no. 104, 1998, pages 102-106.
"How to Play the Warm-ups of James Stamp, Part 4," by Jean-Christopher Werner. Brass Bulletin, no. 105, 1999, pages 114-118.
"How to Play the Warm-ups of James Stamp, Part 5," by Jean-Christopher Werner. Brass Bulletin, no. 106, 1999.
"How to Play the Warm-ups of James Stamp, Part 6," by Jean-Christopher Werner. Brass Bulletin, no. 107, 1999, pages 28-32.

If you can't find them locally, try asking for them on Interlibrary Loan, should take a couple of weeks to get photocopies.

Happy Holidays,
Matt
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HighQ
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since a couple of days I've got both the Wiener and Poper books. They're both very interesting and clarify a lot of the Stamp book. The Wiener book gives also a couple of good extra exercises, that didn't make the book. I've been trying the James Thompson book for a couple of weeks, but put it aside and picked up the Stamp again. Instantly I began feeling, sounding and playing better. Not that the Thompson book isn't any good, on the contrairy, I think it helped me a lot playing and buzzing the Stamp exercisie better and easier.
More players out there who use Thompson and Stamp together, or Stamp and other approaches (Gordon etc.)?

Greetings from Amsterdam, Jerry.
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ScottA
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 25, 2003 4:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also use the Thompson book to occassionally break up the Stamp routine. But more often I will just alternate between the Stamp routines 3A, 3B and 3C. If I am short on time I will also use just the Adam pipe to get the chops going. It seems that some folks don't think the two are compatable but I find benifits from both.

The information in the Poper, Wiener and Thompson books on the sound of the buzz is quite helpful. I have seen many players attack the mouthpiece and get a searing sound that resembles one of those model airplane engines. Likewise I have heard players pickup a leadpipe only and emit a sound that only a dog would want to hear. Way too forcefull. The proper approach on both the mouthpiece (one of the books calls it a "Fluffy" sound", I think)and leadpipe can work wonders for most all players. IMHO.

Scott
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