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Lowell Little



 
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Larrios
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 7:55 am    Post subject: Lowell Little Reply with quote

Hi guys,

Today as I was practicing, I got a little book out of the dust that I got years ago as a gift. 'Embouchure Builder' for trumpet by Lowell Little, for daily use with any method. There's some text and a selection of slur exercises, only 16 pages in total. I haven't used this book for years, but as I had glimpse at the text this afternoon, I found similarties with BE. Below just some phrases from the text on embouchure:

Quote:
Roll the red part of the lips slightly inwards [...] Keep the corners of the mouth comparatively loose in order that the lips may be contracted toward the center in ascending pitches. [...] The lips should be kept in constant motion (contracting and relaxing) as you play ascending and descending tonal lines. [...] A high degree of coordination must be developed between the contraction of the lips and the contraction of the muscles of the blowing mechanism.


To keep the lips in constant motion is emphasised a few times, in between exercises.

This book is published in 1954! Just a lot of things that are right on. I think this guy knew his stuff. Does anyone here have some background information on him? Anyone familiar with his teachings?

Ole, surely you have this book too?

Ko
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Wes Clarke
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've used the book since the early 1970s.
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textr
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Joined: 10 May 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I began using the Lowell Little book back in 1969 when I entered junior college . This book is very widely used in this part of the country (Texas).
It is part or it was part of the course of study at North Texas State.
Lowwell Little was the band director at TWU in Denton Tx.
This is the position that he held when he wrote that book although I 'm
sure that he held other positions during his career . It is a very useful
book for developing and maintaining an efficient embouchure. I recall a clinic with Woody Herman's band back in the early 70's where Dave
Stahl said the he used the Little book to develop his range and he said that he used to practice the book up an octave.
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Larrios
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, Texas!

When I first started using the book, it didn't bring me much, to be honest. That's why I was so surprised when I picked it up again after years to find some words that make good sense to me now.

Ko
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trumpetteacher1
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Joined: 11 Nov 2001
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting stuff. I've never seen the book, and only vaguely heard about it somewhere here on the TH.

Still, there is probably nothing new under the sun. BE may be somewhat unique in the way that it is organized, but much of the specific knowledge in it is touched upon elsewhere. Ghitalla's pedagogy is a good example. Ghitalla students tend to nod their heads a lot when reading BE.

Thanks, Ko!

Jeff
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ericroethe
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Joined: 09 Apr 2023
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's been over 17 years since the last comment in this post, so I'll be curious if my question pops up on anyone's radar, but I have a question about Embouchure Builder. Most of the exercises have breath marks, but some do not. Does that mean those exercises should be done in one breath, or is an error/typo situation?

Specifically, I'm referring to Exercises 11 on page 8, and exercises 13 and 14 on page 9. With exercise 11, it says repeat 4-8 times at 80-132. On a good day, I can just get 4 repeats out and the ending whole note on one breath, at the top tempo of 132. I can't even imagine 8 repeats at 86 bpm. However, I am a "returning player" only 5 months into the restart after about 30 years off, so perhaps I just can't see the horizon from where I am now, but I was curious what folks though about the intent of these exercises.

Similar question also with exercise 18 on page 10.

Any thoughts on the topic anyone has would be welcome.

Thanks.



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Irving
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Joined: 11 Feb 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would just use common sense. If you force yourself to do a certain amount of repeats and end up running out of air and getting tense, then you aren't doing yourself any good. Some of the exercises place the breath marks in logical places, but the ones you mention don't. My teacher used to tell me to ignore ALL markings that don't make musical sense. He used to call it window dressing, just filling the page with ink. Who knows who edited the method? Just ignore the ( dumb) suggestions.

There are a lot of mistakes in printed music. There is usually no incentive ($) to correct them, especially in an old method book like Little. I had another teacher that used to tell me to hit those mistakes hard, somas to blame them on ...whoever?... But I never followed that advice. But you have te aware of MANY misprints, mistakes and editing mistakes that are prevalent in printed music.
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Dayton
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Embouchure Builder" is a terrific book. Take a breath when you need to. Little wants you to focus on maintaining a "free and open tone" WITHOUT STRAIN while you are playing those exercises. You won't achieve that if you are struggling to get the last few notes out because you are trying not to take a breath.

Good luck!
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oxleyk
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My college teacher had us do #11 as part of our warm-up but I didn't know where it came from. He was an IU grad but never once mentioned Bill Adam so I assume he studied with someone else. I wouldn't have known who Bill Adam was anyway at that time.

There is a misprint in the C arpgeggio. The E should be fingered with the third finger. That's how we did it. He also had us start with the first three notes of the arpeggio and then add the other two on repeats.

Kent
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ericroethe
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Joined: 09 Apr 2023
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the assistance. Your comments helped me greatly. I see now I was also looking at exercise 11 completely the wrong way. If you read the "Repeat 4-8 times" as applying to the whole exercise, it makes total sense, you breathe after each whole note at the end of each repeat. I was reading the "Repeat 4-8 times" as applying to each repeat. Just ran the entire exercise top to bottom 4 times, as written, and had no problems.

Sometimes I guess you just need someone to knock your eyes over to slightly different angle so you can see things right. Funny how I must have read those directions a dozen times without understanding them correctly.

Thanks again.
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JayKosta
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ericroethe wrote:
... If you read the "Repeat 4-8 times" as applying to the whole exercise, it makes total sense, ...

--------------------
The written instructions aren't very good - it's unclear whether the "Repeat ..." is about the 'preceding' exercises or the following ones - or both.
_________________
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'.
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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2023 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is there some kind of magic formula by playing it X amount of times? Do what you ca do. I don't see the problem.

Additionally, the lack of a breath mark at the end of the phrase doesn't mean you are forbidden from taking a breath there. It's a phrase mark.

I've used ex. 11 a long time for myself and for students, as well. Fingers aside, it's very helpful to think of the air as a smooth flow that crescendos and decrescendos. It's a flow of wind first. Then concentrate on the fingers.
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ericroethe
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2023 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kehaulani wrote:
Is there some kind of magic formula by playing it X amount of times?


That's what I was hoping! If I can just play it X number of times, I will be rapidly transformed into [insert your trumpet hero/icon here] in no time flat!

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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2023 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote


_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Getzen Capri Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn
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Don Ellis
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Joined: 15 May 2023
Posts: 40

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2023 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

textr wrote:
I began using the Lowell Little book back in 1969 when I entered junior college . This book is very widely used in this part of the country (Texas).
It is part or it was part of the course of study at North Texas State.
Lowwell Little was the band director at TWU in Denton Tx.
This is the position that he held when he wrote that book although I 'm
sure that he held other positions during his career . It is a very useful
book for developing and maintaining an efficient embouchure. I recall a clinic with Woody Herman's band back in the early 70's where Dave
Stahl said the he used the Little book to develop his range and he said that he used to practice the book up an octave.


I've practiced from this book since Dave Stahl recommended it years ago.
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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2023 10:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Riffing off of that, TWU means Texas Women's University. Or, for the sacrilegious at North Texas (Denton, where TWU was also), TWZoo. It was said that their swimming pool was home of the original Bay of Pigs.

I used the Little book at North Texas and there was never any mention to me of the book as an air builder. We used Little, graduating to Earl Irons, then Schlosberg.

If anyone's interested, this was during the John Haynie era.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Getzen Capri Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn
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Don Ellis
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2023 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"We used Little, graduating to Earl Irons, then Schlosberg."

Same. As well as ChasColin, Walter Smith, Matty Shiner, Del Staigers. Remington Warm Ups (Trombone).
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FatherCharles
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

oxleyk wrote:
There is a misprint in the C arpgeggio. The E should be fingered with the third finger. That's how we did it. He also had us start with the first three notes of the arpeggio and then add the other two on repeats.

Kent


Thank you! I thought I was going insane!
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