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BBB1976
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Joined: 30 May 2016
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 Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 3:12 pm Post subject: Christmas Vacation Chops |
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Hi All
What would you practice over Christmas Vacation just to keep chops in shape, which doesn't take too much time?
Hope you all have a good holiday,
Much appreciated in advance,
Best. |
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kehaulani
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Billy B
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| Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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There is no such thing as vacation when you play trumpet.
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Dayton
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:04 am Post subject: |
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Here are a few simple options to consider:
-- Pick one of the practice sequences from Michael Sachs' "Daily Fundamentals." He proposes sequences for 20, 30, 40 and 60 minutes.
-- Play one exercise from each section of Schlossberg's "Daily Drills and Technical Studies."
-- Play a routine from Kenneth Baird's "Daily Workout."
-- Pick a key and play all of the exercises in Clarke's "Technical Studies" in that key, adding exercises up an octave as your range permits. Vary articulation and tongue/slur patterns.
Enjoy your break! |
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giakara
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| Billy B wrote: | | There is no such thing as vacation when you play trumpet. |
🤣🤣🤣🤣 , I am on cherch for something that will save my chops from Christmas....
Regards
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BBB1976
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:32 am Post subject: Christmas Vacation Chops |
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Thanks Dayton,
Some good ideas you have there.
Yes the Sachs book etc. is really good!
Have a good break too,
Best. |
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Crazy Finn
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 2:11 am Post subject: |
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| Billy B wrote: | | There is no such thing as vacation when you play trumpet. |
This is unfortunately, true. I tested this idea many times over the years, always the same results.
It's an unforgiving instrument, not tolerant of time away from it.
I've noticed that even with a lengthy break, I generally sounded pretty good after returning....
.... for 10 minutes.
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GeorgeB
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 3:18 am Post subject: |
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Our band will shut down after a December 14 concert and start up again after New Year's and I'll just keep doing what I have been doing since I came back 7 years ago, practice twice a day. Technical stuff in the AM and songs in the PM.
George
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patdublc
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 4:55 am Post subject: |
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No change for me except that with a little time off, I may practice longer each day. My practice will continue to focus on Schlossberg, Caruso, and Clarke for the bulk of daily practice. Then, a variety of other things depending on the requirements of the next gig. For example, I don't practice upper register (above high F) much unless I have something coming up that requires a lot of high chops.
I had was able to practice 3+ hours each day, then I would probably expand this setup considerably.
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Dayton
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 1:42 am Post subject: |
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And here is a quick workout from Arban's Method:
Studies on the Slur
#22 (p. 42/44) -- play every other line, or all lines if time permits
#23 (p. 44/44)
#30 (p. 47/48 )
#68 (p. 55/57)
Major Scales
#65 (p. 73/81) -- ignore written key, pick a key
#68 (p. 74/82) -- ignore written key, pick a different key
Chromatic Scales
#26 (p. 84/94)
Studies on the Interval
#1-7 (p. 125/144) -- pick one
#10 (p. 131/154)
If time permits, add, in order:
Chord Study #48-55 (p. 142-149/p. 170-182) -- pick one
Studies on the Slur #69 (p. 56/58 )
First Studies #46 (p. 20/18 )
Notes:
The first page number is for the "old" Carl Fischer editions of Arban (edited by Goldman/Smith/Gordon) and the second is for the "new" edition edited by Hooten and Marotta.
For scales and intervals, vary articulation, tonguing (ST/KT/DT/TT) and slur patterns. Also, continue them higher than as written, if possible (but stop lower than written if needed).
For the major scales, this approach is inspired by Stamp's Warm Up #6. I chose the exercises starting on low G because the goal is to work the full range of the horn. |
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Irving
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 6:56 am Post subject: |
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| Billy B wrote: | | There is no such thing as vacation when you play trumpet. |
True in my case. There are people that can take time off and come back very fast. These same people can also get away without practicing. Just playing keeps them in shape. They are in the minority. I've only known two players in this category. Both were excellent players. Don't forget Harry James. I don't think that he used to practice. Correct me if I'm wrong. |
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stuartissimo
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 9:49 am Post subject: |
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| Billy B wrote: | | There is no such thing as vacation when you play trumpet. |
Playing the trumpet is a vacation.
As for a good way to keep up your chops, what works for me is to ensure I find at least a few minutes each day to play…once the horn is in my hands, it’s easy to keep playing to at least 30-60 minutes. But if I don’t pick it up, it’s a lot easier to skip a day.
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Last edited by stuartissimo on Sat Dec 10, 2022 11:02 am; edited 1 time in total |
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kehaulani
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 10:19 am Post subject: |
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| Irving wrote: | | There are people that can take time off and come back very fast. |
Yeah, there was a guy at North Texas who played as well as I did and I was surprised to find out in a conversation with him that when school ended, he took the summer off from playing. When he came back from vacation, it only took him a couple of days of playing and he was good to go.
(The rat. I could feel the difference after about three days off.)
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Last edited by kehaulani on Sat Dec 10, 2022 4:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Crazy Finn
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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| stuartissimo wrote: | | Billy B wrote: | | There is no such thing as vacation when you play trumpet. |
Playing the trumpet is a vacation.
As for a good way to keep up your chops, what works for me is to ensure I find at least a few minutes each day to play…once the horn is in my hands, it’s easy to keep playing to at least 30-60 minutes. But if I don’t pick it up, it’s a lot easier to skip a day. |
I used to feel that way, but at some point, trumpet became kind of a burden. I always felt like I had to play it for an hour every day. I always felt like I should be playing trumpet instead of whatever else I was doing. It was like trumpet was playing me, rather than me playing trumpet.
Anyway, due to sinus issues and ... frankly, probably burn-out, I took a sabbatical and while I was still teaching, I didn't pick up my trumpet outside of a lesson for a couple of years and even after that I only practiced about 2 hours a year outside of lessons for the better part of a decade.
It was kind of nice. Sometimes I missed it, but it didn't last long.
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abontrumpet
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 2:59 am Post subject: |
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To answer your question OP: basically anything. You just have to keep the neurons firing for trumpet playing. Try to incorporate a bit of music, not just exercises (etudes etc).
| Billy B wrote: | | There is no such thing as vacation when you play trumpet. |
Obviously it's pointless responding to an absolute statement as silly as this one, but if you truly live like this, generally speaking, you're going to have a sad life when you look back on it. I used to live it this way and I regret all the vacations where I was thinking about getting my hour in rather than enjoying the moments with my family and friends. Now, you hear Phil Smith going on cruises and stealing time in a supply closet* but the guy got paid $300k+ to be great at trumpet. On your journey to greatness, a week or 2 a year won't kill your progress. OP is obviously asking what to play so they have the time to spend on the horn.
| Irving wrote: | | There are people that can take time off and come back very fast. |
This is a skill you can actually work on getting better at. I can give more advice on it but it is possible for everybody. It's about how you keep your chops day to day and then how you return to the horn. But thats for you to discover what works for you. I used to not be able to do anything unless I played at least an hour a day. Now I can take about 3 days off and return no problem.
*Phil Smith article, CNN.com 22Feb2001: He also mentions he takes 2-3 weeks off per year for mental relief; but on this particular cruise (25th anniversary) he had a big piece to play the week he got back. |
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MrOlds
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 4:55 am Post subject: |
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It takes me 3 days to get back to normal after extended time off. The first day back is usually creaky for the first few minutes but pretty good for the rest of my practice. The second day is usually more difficult. Takes longer to get flexible. By the third day I’m back to normal in terms of sound and technique. Maybe a little short on endurance.
If I’m disciplined enough on the first day or two I take longer than usual pauses between bits of playing. Maybe play fewer repetitions of Clarke and break up etudes into shorter segments. |
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Croquethed
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 7:38 am Post subject: |
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My minimal chops maintaining routine:
1. 9/30s, a variation of Rusty Russell's 19/30s. Thirty-second long tones from F in the staff to G above, no sharps or flats (Bb maybe if you like that better than B natural). Start anywhere and end anywhere. Thirty seconds on, then 30-60 seconds rest between notes.
2. Three minutes of lip slurs however you want to do them.
3. Any scale to the top of your range 3-5 times. Hold top note until the spirit tells you you can stop.
4. Pick any random starting note. Play a chromatic scale up and down as comfortbaly quickly as you can. Do this for three or four keys.
5. If you want to play a song, sure, why not. |
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Billy B
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 7:54 am Post subject: |
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Why would you want to take a vacation from something you enjoy?
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kehaulani
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 8:09 am Post subject: |
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| Billy B wrote: | | Why would you want to take a vacation from something you enjoy? |
Like Groucho Marx once said, "I love my cigar, too, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while."
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abontrumpet
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 9:35 am Post subject: |
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| MrOlds wrote: | | I take longer than usual pauses between bits of playing. Maybe play fewer repetitions of Clarke and break up etudes into shorter segments. |
The longer than usual pauses is key. This allows you to keep proper form while taxing the system adequately to return to "normal" more quickly. |
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