carryover question on chop stiffness

[RJ]

PH,
This is a 'part 2' to my question in the Caruso forum about stiff chops, but it concerns the Adams part of my routine.

As I said there, I'm in week 2 of the Caruso, followed by a 20min break, then the Adams rountine as follows-

leadpipe
longtones-starting on 2nd line G and working outward up and down
Clarke #1
Schlossberg #6
Schl #31
Schl #13
Schl #15
Schl #17
Expanding Scales

I've been resting alot during this, but since my chops have been getting stiff I've had less range, intonation is getting sharp, and endurance isn't so hot either. I've been focusing on air and sound, trying to play full- maybe a little too loud- but in the past when I've "tried" to play quiet first thing on longtones I get tight and think to much. I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong. I have two main questions about this-

1) Is this, like my Caruso situation, part of an adjustment period?

2) This whole routine takes me about 2-3 hours to do. I don't really have that much time, I can't get to any music. I have about and hour I can allot to Caruso/Adams/Arbans, 1 hour for jazz, and 1 hour for 'classical' rep.
Is there a reasonable way to stream line the Adams approach? I know there's no one Adams routine, is there a way to use this approach but still have time to get to my other studies?

Thank you for all your helpful advice with the Caruso forum question.
RJ

[PH]

RJ-

I am surprised it is taking you that long to get through that routine!

This is similar to the routine Adam was using with most people in the '80s. If you like this routine and it seems to work, then here are some comments and questions. The times listed in parentheses are only suggestions, but this is how long it took me to play through these studies in a basic way-including appropriate resting.

Leadpipe-Different folks need to do this more or less. I wouldn't have most people play more than 6 or 8 notes on the leadpipe (and only on the main concert Eb) before proceeding to playing on the horn. (3 minutes)

Long tones-Except for advanced players I wouldn't do these beyond the G on top of the staff & low F#. Don't hold these extremely long (particularly if your chops are feeling stiff or beat up). Take in a full breath and hold the note until you have to start pushing the air. Just let the air float through the sound. Stop before you get into negative air and the tension it will create in your body. (15 minutes) If practice time is an issue, you might just try doing the first 12 or 14 of these.

Clarke #1-Again, take a full breath and don't repeat more times than you can play without getting into negative air. For many people this means NO REPEATS. Play them as written, except keep the volume nice and full and the tone singing. (6 or 7 minutes) You could also skip some of these. Try just doing the first 13 of these if you are crunched for time. I assume you are starting in the middle register and expanding outward (as on long tones).

Schl #6-Adam didn't have most of us do these the way they look in the book. How are you approaching them? (3 minutes) You could skip some of these, if necessary. Try only doing these down to the bottom of the staff. If time is an issue then that ought to be plenty.

Schl #31-Adam rarely had people play through the 2nd half of each line as it is in the Schlossberg book. We also only played each line in the 7 bugle keys (C through F#). Keep the volume nice and full and the focus on beauty of tone. (5 minutes)

For the other exercises my comments would be similar. So would the relative time it takes. There are several other exercises that he had most of us do after this. If this is all you are doing (plus Caruso), then I suspect that you would benefit greatly from adding some more tonguing-especially legato. Arban (beginning with #13) or the a few studies from the first Getchell book, played calmly at a full volume and smoothly legato would be good for this.

Don't extend the expanding scales any farther than you can play the top notes with a beautiful sound. Stop in the middle of the expanding scales as often as you need to (or even more often!) so your tone remains free and you never need to push. Don't grunt! As Adam says, grunting was designed by nature to send that air in the other direction

The 1980s version of the Adam routine you describe should take you about 1 hour start to finish including appropriate resting.

More recently (the last 15 years or so) Mr. Adam has been using a shorter basic routine and getting people into the Arban and on into literature more quickly. This other routine is the same as the one you are doing now up through Schlossberg #6. Then he proceeds to selected studies from the Harry Glantz "Advanced Daily Studies" book (see the discussion of this book in the "Beyond the Adam Routine" thread). If you want to know more about that version of the routine (and have access to that book) then I will describe it for you in a private message.

Remember, it really isn't the exact routine that is important as much as it is the approach. However, for most people the regularity of some kind of routine is important. Take a full breath. Keep your mind in the sound. Deliver the air freely through the sound. Beauty of tone is everything!

[ This Message was edited by: PH on 2002-06-05 00:15 ]

[NCTrumpet]

PH,

Is Adam's routine or any of his writings available commercially?

Thanks,
JC.

[ This Message was edited by: NCTrumpet on 2002-06-05 00:37 ]

[PH]

Mr. Adam has nothing available in print at this time. The only authentic Adam materials available "from the horse's mouth" are the video series he did with the folks at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (particularly John Harbaugh). However, he still teaches privately at his home in Bloomington, Indiana about 9 months out of the year.

[RJ]

PH,
Schl #6- I'm doing these from 4th space C down to low G.

A friend of mine who occaisionally studies with Mr. Adam showed me the Glantz routine about a year ago. Although I've forgotten it since then He does have a copy of the Glantz, and I do have the Harris. You can email me at rjohnson52@hotmail.com

I've been doing everything else the way you described them.
I think part of it may be the idea of getting into negative air. I think another might be the fact that I spend to much time trying to get the ultimate-perfect longtone. That I play them so much that I wear myself out almost before I'm started. I think I have a perfectionist nature that can often backfire and get into the area of diminishing returns.

Is it normal to do the routine at this time of the day? right after Caruso and a 20min break?

Thanks for the advice,
RJ

[RJ]

Pat,
Thanks for shedding more light on the rountine. I'll experiment some more with this stuff and see were it takes me. You've helped point me in the right direction, I'm seeing a couple things now I hadn't before.
Thanks a lot,
RJ