greasing the groove

[john4860]

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/09/bro-do-you-even-grease-the-groove/598837/

This article is interesting and presents a different way of looking at gaining strength and or precision in trumpet playing.

John

[JayKosta]

For muscle strength training - pain and injury is bad, discomfort and soreness is OK.
Muscles get stronger by growing during rest. Exercise is what 'influences' the muscle to become stronger during rest.

For precision movement activities - practice doing it correctly, and stop when you can no longer do so.

Jay
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[blbaumgarn]

I am agreeing with JayKosta here. I ended up going back to college after about a 4 year layoff and played college football instead of music. The same principles apply in building or toning the body as they do a musical instrument. When you "apply the overload principle" it doesn't mean you put a pack with 80 lbs of rocks on your back and try to hike 50 miles the second day of training It is the same with the instrument. Good principles, JayKosta
_________________
"There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush

[abontrumpet]

Greasing the groove is an incredibly important idea for trumpet playing in building efficiency and functional "strength" on the trumpet.

It's not necessarily the secret to getting ripped or getting swole, but it is a great way, as the article writes, to improve pull up reps, pushup reps, et al. (essentially high rep low weight exercises). You're firing those neurological pathways often without getting fatigued.

Trumpet is a highly neurological activity. It's more about the connection between brain and body. Practicing trumpet often without going fatigue is going to build more efficiency quicker than playing tired with bad form. This is the new way of thinking that we see from people like Tom Hooten in his philosophy of practice.

In this case, JayKosta agrees with the article and I think bibaumgarn thinks that JayKosta is saying something different than the article. The big difference with "greasing the groove" and most "bro-knowledge" is that GTG is suggesting not going to failure for high rep improvement. This trend/study is actually part of the "bro-knowledge" world as we see in strength training programs like 5-3-1 and upper body philosophy in general.

I highly suggest reading this article and trying to integrate it in some way in your practice.

[spitvalve]

I remember a clinic with Don Jacoby where he said "if your tiniest little fingernail gets tired, put the horn down and rest."
_________________
Bryan Fields
----------------
1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

[deleted_user_02066fd]

I recall reading somewhere that Maynard had a similar tactic. He would leave his horn out when he was home. Any time he walked into that particular room he would grab the horn and practice ten minutes. It may not sound like much but over the course of a day it adds up.

[abontrumpet]

Another angle to the same concept of greasing the groove. He talks about the fallacy of the "no pain no gain" approach to fitness. Most of us will go out there and "work hard" because we think it is creating meaningful progress where the facts show that most endurance athletes spend the VAST majority of their time in relatively easy exertion states.

I think trumpet playing shares more in common with endurance training than weightlifting. In the video we see that cyclist spend the majority of their time (85%) at around 191W and 65% of their max heart rate. That's something that a reasonably fit person could do. But in races they might sustain 300W for 5 hours or 450W up a mountain pass (which is insane). It's clear that they are creating meaningful adaptation by spending the majority of their time in their "easy/green" zone with only a few hours of very taxing work a week.

As trumpeters that's like greasing the groove. Sustainable practice that leaves you in a state where you can keep your form great day after day and doesn't leave you fatigued. Occasionally put in some taxing loud, high but not a lot. Everyday doesn't need to be exhausting to get better and efficiency, power, and success may come from playing easier more often.


Link

[epoustoufle]

Just to keep it real on this thread - if you are playing in a mechanically bad way, no amount of practice however slow is going to get you past the eventual limitations of your mechanics.

Like a weight lifter who's relying on his joints or a runner doing heel landings - it's always going to end up in injury.

[abontrumpet]