The Extreme Long Tone Exercise

[Basically Buzzed]

The Extreme Long Tone Exercise

https://youtu.be/FDePA_g1J80

Recently I challenged trumpet players on Instagram to follow along with this Long Tone Challenge.

The challenge goes as follows:
Starting on day 1 - play an A for one minute.
Each subsequent day - begin on that A and work chromatically outwards and add one minute.
So - Day 2 would be 1 minute of an A and 1 minute of a Bb.
Day 3 = 3 minutes of long tones. One minute on A, Bb and Ab
Day 4 = 4 minutes of long tones. One minute on each - A, Bb, Ab and B
Day 5 = 5 minutes of long tones. One minute on each - A, Bb, An, B and G

This continues for 31 days. at day 31 you will have worked chromatically outward for 31 minutes and ending with the last two minutes being a high C and a low F#.

This exercise is NOT for everyone! PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

These long tones should be played with ease. Very softly and without pinching.

ONLY one minute should be added each day. If you miss a day, do not assume you should catch up by adding extra minutes. I would suggest going back a minute or two and continuing on from there.

As I say in the video - this is not a musical exercise. It is a STABLIZING exercise ... and an extreme one at that! This stabilizing exercise then gains us ACCESS to more demanding musical endeavors.

Once you begin this exercise - please allow for several hours of rest after you complete however many minutes of long tones you do.

Again - please be careful with this. BUT - also please be aware of where , or rather how many minutes of long tones make you feel your best on a day to day basis.

There is only one way to find out - and that is to actually challenge ourselves to see how much is enough... and how much is too much.

Good luck to those who give this a go!

Please feel free to write in the comments any questions you may have!

- Chris
_________________
Christopher Smith
Principal Trumpet
San Diego Symphony