• FAQ  • Search  • Memberlist  • Usergroups   • Register   • Profile  • Log in to check your private messages  • Log in 

Few Basic Stamp Questions



 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> James Stamp
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
ndelson
Veteran Member


Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Posts: 245
Location: Doylestown, PA

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:43 am    Post subject: Few Basic Stamp Questions Reply with quote

I have a few quick questions about the Stamp exercises:

1. Is it normal to run out of air during the lip buzzing exercises? I find that I sometimes have a catch a breath halfway through. Am I using too much air? If so, should I nose breathe or just breathe normally?

2. When I travel from note to note, especially when buzzing, I find that it’s best to “slide” from one pitch to the next. This helps me maintain that “one embouchure” idea. Is this ok or should I be trying to make each interval lock right in?

3. In regards to that one embouchure…no matter how hard I try, my lips seem to pucker a bit as I descend into the pedal register. I try my BEST to not allow this happen, but I feel like it’s almost impossible to play pedal tones by just backing off on the air. I may very well be wrong, so could somebody clarify this for me?

4. When I free-buzz, the direction of my air is essentially down, so much so that it’s hitting my chin. Now, I do play downstream due to an overbite, but is this overkill? When I try to make the air go horizontally, no vibration occurs.

Thank you all for you help. This is a great forum and a great place to share ideas and learn new ones.

Thanks,
Neil
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
jonalan
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 705
Location: "Show Me"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Few Basic Stamp Questions Reply with quote

ndelson wrote:

1. Is it normal to run out of air during the lip buzzing exercises? I find that I sometimes have a catch a breath halfway through. Am I using too much air? If so, should I nose breathe or just breathe normally?

Hard to tell if you're using too much air without hearing/seeing you. You want to use a full sound, doesn't have to be loud. If you need a breath during a phrase, go ahead and take one. Breath through your nose and don't alter your embouchure. Take a normal breath through your mouth between phrases.
Quote:

2. When I travel from note to note, especially when buzzing, I find that it’s best to “slide” from one pitch to the next. This helps me maintain that “one embouchure” idea. Is this ok or should I be trying to make each interval lock right in?

When buzzing, I would recommend sliding, over trying to lock into pitches. When trying to lock into a pitch, we tend to alter the airflow, and you want to keep a steady airflow through these exercises.
Quote:

3. In regards to that one embouchure…no matter how hard I try, my lips seem to pucker a bit as I descend into the pedal register. I try my BEST to not allow this happen, but I feel like it’s almost impossible to play pedal tones by just backing off on the air. I may very well be wrong, so could somebody clarify this for me?

As long as you can go back and forth from pedals to your upper register without resetting, I wouldn't sweat it. Let your lips do what ever they need to do (although, you should have a teacher determine if this is an issue).

Quote:

4. When I free-buzz, the direction of my air is essentially down, so much so that it’s hitting my chin. Now, I do play downstream due to an overbite, but is this overkill? When I try to make the air go horizontally, no vibration occurs.

I wouldn't worry too much about trying to change what is occurring naturally, as long as it's working. Again, consult a teacher to determine if this an issue.

Just my $0.047 (inflation)
_________________
Stomvi VRII Bb
Kanstul 1525 Flugel
GR pieces


Last edited by jonalan on Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ndelson
Veteran Member


Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Posts: 245
Location: Doylestown, PA

PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I appreciate your help-- thanks!


Neil
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
janet842
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 570
Location: Denver metro area

PostPosted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could you clarify what you mean by "sliding"? If you mean that you are allowing the pitch to skew flat or sharp as you change notes, that is wrong.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
jonalan
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 705
Location: "Show Me"

PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

janet842 wrote:
Could you clarify what you mean by "sliding"? If you mean that you are allowing the pitch to skew flat or sharp as you change notes, that is wrong.

The question was in reference to buzzing, not playing the horn. The long notes should be held steady, but a slight, quick gliss between notes would be better than a choppy motion attempting to hit the pitches dead on. You want to keep the air moving smoothly.

Again, this is all in reference to the buzzing exercises.
_________________
Stomvi VRII Bb
Kanstul 1525 Flugel
GR pieces
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
janet842
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 570
Location: Denver metro area

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jimmy never let me get away with any kind of gliss. Not on the mouthpiece, not on the trumpet. Anything other than a clean change from one note to the next meant I had to do it over and over again until I got it right. Then and only then could the lesson progress to something else.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ricetrpt
Veteran Member


Joined: 08 Aug 2003
Posts: 125
Location: Watertown, MA

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

concerning the gliss issue:

I find that a gliss helps me to maintain the airstream between notes. However, I do not always use a gliss. Use it as a practice pattern. Gradually speed up the gliss, making sure to keep the air supported between notes. Eventually, locking the pitches without the gliss will be much easier and more efficient.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
dbacon
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 11 Nov 2001
Posts: 8592

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ricetrpt wrote:
concerning the gliss issue:

I find that a gliss helps me to maintain the airstream between notes. However, I do not always use a gliss. Use it as a practice pattern. Gradually speed up the gliss, making sure to keep the air supported between notes. Eventually, locking the pitches without the gliss will be much easier and more efficient.


Wonderful post! Most players slow down the air a bit between notes, but when you gliss you hear the air always moving forward by the character of the sound. You emulate that on the trumpet, but go from the center of one note directly to the center of the next but keep the forward flow of the air.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jonalan
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 705
Location: "Show Me"

PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dbacon wrote:
Ricetrpt wrote:
concerning the gliss issue:

I find that a gliss helps me to maintain the airstream between notes. However, I do not always use a gliss. Use it as a practice pattern. Gradually speed up the gliss, making sure to keep the air supported between notes. Eventually, locking the pitches without the gliss will be much easier and more efficient.


Wonderful post! Most players slow down the air a bit between notes, but when you gliss you hear the air always moving forward by the character of the sound. You emulate that on the trumpet, but go from the center of one note directly to the center of the next but keep the forward flow of the air.

Exactly!

As long as you keep a constant airstream moving through the mouthpiece, you can increase the speed of which you move from one pitch to the next, but there will always be a hint of a gliss. This is fine; actually unavoidable. Don't believe me? Record yourself, then play back the recording VERY slowly. The only way to move from note to note (buzzing a mouthpiece) without glissing between them is to interrupt the airflow. This interruption of airflow should be avoided in these exercises.
_________________
Stomvi VRII Bb
Kanstul 1525 Flugel
GR pieces
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MrOlds
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 25 Apr 2003
Posts: 720
Location: California

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently heard Tom Stevens talk about his experiences with Stamp. Regarding a glissando between notes when buzzing (lips or mpc) the objective with Stamp is to keep the pitch steady until you change to the next and then very quickly get to the next pitch center and hold that steady until its time to move to the next note. The point being that well developed players shouldn't telegraph the direction of the next note by bending the pitch of the note you are on in the direction of the next one.

Having said that, the air remains in motion through the change from note to note so all the microtones in between will appear for a VERY short time, the same as if you sang the exercise. So as a previous poster pointed out, you do gliss between notes but it all happens in a couple of microseconds so it just sounds natural and lyrical (not separated like a piano).

However, Mr. Stevens was clear that you not do long leisurly glissandi with the Stamp exercises like you would with Thompson's buzzing exercises. Thompson's exercises have a valuable effect (like teaching you to keep the air going between notes) but they are an exaggeration of what you do when playing the instrument.

Hope that helps.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> James Stamp All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group