Comebacker Practice Strategies

jhatpro · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:47 am Post subject: Comebacker Practice Strategies

As a comeback player with limited time available for practice, I've had to adopt some strategies that would probably be scoffed at by a professional player or a full-time music student but, hey, you do what you can do, right?

Here are four things that have helped me improve my playing:

1. I practice in 10-minute intervals throughout the day. This has helped build endurance while also enabling me to use chips of time that become work breaks. I keep a kitchen timer handy and a stack of old business cards. For each 10-minute session I make a stroke on the back of a card. I try to in get as many mini-sessions in as possible. My record to date is 16.

2. I keep at least one horn on a stand near my desk. (Fortunately, these days I do most of my work from a home office. If you work in a corporate setting, you'll need to be creative. I used to practice with a mute in empty offices, conference rooms, parking garages, and even my car. It's tough to be a trumpet player under these circumstances, but if you stick to the 10-minute regimen, you'd be surprised how much you can accomplish.)

3. I work on something different in each session: soft long tones early and, as the day goes on, material from Clarke, Schlossberg, Irons, Aebersold, Baker and others. I'm mainly interested in jazz, so I try to balance studies designed to improve basic skills on the horn with those intended to develop my ability to improv. I keep paper clips on pages to remind me where I left off. I concentrate on slow, "perfect" practice.

4. I always have a horn ready for travel. I take a short cornet that I can fit into my carry-on. I just wrap it and a mute in a plastic bag and surround them with clothing. I've never had a problem with breakage or airline security. In airports, I've practiced in empty gate areas, chapels and even a phone booth.

The bottom line: use every chip of time you can and you will get better!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

_Don Herman · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:33 am Post subject:

A lot of good information there, Jim -- needs several reads to really get it all. Great post!

I'd only add to make sure you spend at least a bit of time practicing what you can't play, as well as what you can. Too often I realize I'm not really pushing myself to improve, just maintaining the status quo. At best. And, I like to put some things I can play at the end so I walk away happy.
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

jhatpro · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:10 am Post subject:

Fortunately, practicing what I can't play leaves me with a lot of options.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Matsumike · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:48 pm Post subject:

Jim, this was such a wise post. I am thankful that more goes on here at trumpet herald than ego games. We are all playing the music we can with the abilties we have with great faith that we will slowly unfold our true potential. Trumpet palyers. God I love 'em.
_________________
Music is a moral law.
It gives a soul to the universe,
wings to the mind, flight to the imagination,
a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything.
-Plato

scarface · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 1806

I particularly like the advice on short-sessions, and have had good luck with them.

Another suggestion is to play all trumpet "studies" with musical expression (with the exception of caruso). I've been so guilty of droning thru exercises and trying to micromanage my chops and air, when all they really need is a musical idea to trigger the necessary physical responses.

ROGERIO · Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 2:50 pm Post subject: Comeback Chops

Great stuff....

Guys, please keep posting. My good and bad days are so mixed.

jhatpro · Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:16 pm Post subject:

Good days and bad days seem to be part of trumpet playing for most people. If I sense I'm having a bad day. I stop playing right away. Wait an hour and begin again, only very softly and, often, I can "get back on track."

I'm not sure why bad days happen. My guess it involves a number of things, including how much you played the day before, what you had to eat and drink, how much sleep you got, and what else is on your mind. I know I don't play worth beans if I'm sweating a project deadline, unpaid bills, late receivables, etc. One thing for sure: don't try to play when you're upset or angry. Go to the gym instead.

As for Scarface's recommendation concerning playing exercises as musically as possible, I say "absolutely!" In fact, I recall reading somewhere that Bud Herseth recommends always playing as if you are performing, not just shedding.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

ROGERIO · Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:42 pm Post subject: Bad days

I tried something the other day and I was quite surprised...

After my warm-up I started practicing some band music (local community band)... I was missing every other note and it was starting to really bug me...

I put the music away and got out the Arban. I set the metro on 60 and started on exercise #1. As I got to page 3, I was so focused on making every one of those quarter notes really count. Making them perfect (well, that's a relative word but you know what I mean

). No bad attacks, clear tone and clean endings. It was really hard!!!!

I took a break for about a 1/2 hour and went back to the music... things were better. It was like I needed to "reboot" my body and mind...

Anyone have any other exercises they turn to for focus??

scarface · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 1806

Rogerio, I've been doing this popular exercise, in half notes:

G....F#....G....Open F#bend....G....Aflat bend....G. (Aflat bend: finger an Aflat but sound a G)

I give it an arc shape by starting softly with no attack, crescendoing in the middle, and ending softly. The exercise has really helped my response, centering, focus, and has helped with opening up notes above the staff.

ROGERIO · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 4:01 pm Post subject: Bends

Thanks scarface.

I was just introduced to some of Jimmy Stamp's bending exercises like you mentioned. Hard stuff at first ... especially when you've never dreamed of playing those notes without proper fingerings.

I will try your recommendation of bending down then up within the same set.

I'll let you know how depressed I get within a few days