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Colin flexibilities



 
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CJceltics33
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 9:03 am    Post subject: Colin flexibilities Reply with quote

Hello all, focusing my flexibility efforts lately on the Colin book. Range is something I’d like to improve so I like how the book is fairly progressive.

How do you use Colin?

Do you try to do an exercise you can’t do? Or do you try to make possible things easier?

Do you use this exclusively or is extra flexibility practice required?

Just curious to hear your thoughts on it.
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Dayton
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 9:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Colin's "Advanced Lip Flexibilities" is an excellent book. I'm doing a lot of flexibility studies now as I recover from hernia surgery, and Colin is part of the mix.

Quote:
Do you try to do an exercise you can’t do? Or do you try to make possible things easier?


Mainly the latter. I find that by doing so regularly and repeatedly you make the former possible.

Quote:
Do you use this exclusively or is extra flexibility practice required?


I don't think that another book is "required," but I find it helpful to stress myself in different ways. So, practice from different flexibility books, particularly those with different approaches, can be useful. For example, Scott Belck has two wonderful books of flexibility studies that are completely unlike anything in Colin.
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Christian K. Peters
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 1:36 pm    Post subject: Colin Reply with quote

Hello all,
I mainly went to the 3rd volume of Colin to improve lip trills.I started with the 1st lesson until I got the hang, sound and feel of how the trills should be. I did that for 3 days or so before moving on to the 2nd lesson, up a harmonic. Did that one for 3 days or until I felt comfortable with sound and ease. 5th and 6th lesson became more of a challenge and would sometimes go back to lesson 4, just to regain confidence. I would always warm up with some lip bends on arpeggios and what ever Clarke study I felt in the mood for...Just to warm up softly. Found that my trills became presentable and that range stablized around a nice, consistant F.
After reading this, I had to edit..I made it seem that it only took a couple of weeks..I did this process, repeatedly over months...
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Denny Schreffler
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Many will agree that there is no magic in one set of “flexibility studies” or another, and, essentially – it’s not what we practice but how we practice.

Practicing progressively higher exercises on our own and by our own means is an ever-narrowing, steepening, and potentially hazardous path to the upper register(s).

Colin’s texts should not be skimmed. For any/every exercise, method, or system book – read all of the text. See what’s digestible. Don’t discount what you don’t understand, hold what you’re reading up against what you already know or have already heard, filter thoughtfully, and apply a grain of salt as needed. See what works – easily/naturally; not easily but understandable and doable; seems impossible but might be worth it – and what doesn’t work with the time and energy that you have.

If range is something that you’d like to improve with Colin’s Advanced Lip Flexibilities, also look at Irons, paying attention to (understanding) the Forward (pp. 2 and 3 in an old edition) and the Author’s Note (p. 4, entire). → “The student should not go beyond page five [the first page of exercises] until he can play these exercises as written in one breath at a very slow tempo."


-Denny
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blbaumgarn
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 3:05 am    Post subject: colin flexibilities Reply with quote

the other folks here have given sage advice on the Colin books. They were my favorites when young and for several reasons. One, playing the exercizes in one breath teaches control and sustainability. Second, this is important for more than high register work but for difficult passages in a solo, band or small group selection. Doing them correctly means building up a strong base which allows the upper register to improve as a result. I am ashamed to say at 69 years old now I have the Adv. book somewhere in my dresser and don't get it out as I don't believe I can breath deep enough to start doing some of the studies. Don't let that happen to you. They are great books.
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CJceltics33
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 7:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the responses everyone! Another reminder to not try and go too fast. Excited to go back a few pages today and make sure the previous exercises are easy. Ill also check out Volume three, which looks very beneficial.
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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pedagogically, what is the difference in goals and approach between this and Schlossberg?
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Dayton
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Pedagogically, what is the difference in goals and approach between this and Schlossberg?


Schlossgerg has much more than just flexibility studies, so fair to say that the goals of the compilers went well beyond flexibility: Scales, chords, intervals, tonguing, etc. Colin is "just" flexibility studies. I don't believe there is any overlap in studies between Schlossberg and Colin -- all unique material.

Both are terrific books.

Edit: I started daily practice from Schlossberg's "Daily Drills and Technical Studies" as a fourth grader. There is an incredible wealth of good material and ideas in that book that go well beyond flexibility. Also, note that Schlossberg isn't progressive, and flexibility studies are scattered throughout the book.

Each of the three volumes that make up Colin's "Advanced Lip Flexibilities" is progressive, so Colin is a bit easier to work with in that regard, although you'll still find yourself skipping through the book. For example, if you are working on studies with a max range of Bb, you'll find five in volume 1, four in volume 2 and three in volume 3.
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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Dayton.
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