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jjtrumpet Regular Member
Joined: 20 Oct 2015 Posts: 52
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 12:45 pm Post subject: What's Your "Rough Day" Routine? |
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I'm pretty sure we all have those days when we just... well suck. Stuff isn't speaking. You're missing notes left and right. I'm sure you know the drill.
I've heard everything from "spend an hour doing clarke instead of what you intended to practice" to "just put the horn away, come back tomorrow."
Anyone have advice for getting through those occasional crap days? |
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Nonsense Eliminator Heavyweight Member
Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 5212 Location: Toronto
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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If you have the luxury of putting the thing in the box and walking away, sometimes that's the best option. It's certainly the easiest!
But sometimes -- or usually, depending on your playing schedule -- we don't have that option. I think the biggest mistake you can make is to think, "Man, things are really messed up. I should totally focus on how crappy I feel and do stuff I never do!" I understand the temptation to try to correct course and force things to work; but I can't say I've had a lot of success with that approach... and I've certainly tried.
I just do my thing. It worked yesterday and the day before that, it will work today. I might take more time between exercises, I might back up and do something again if it starts coming off the rails, I might just keep doing my routine over and over until it works. Better yet, I might go listen to recordings of Herseth for a while to wash out my brain. Trying to fix things just draws my attention to what's wrong, and that way lies frustration. For me, if things aren't working, it's because I need to get my head out of my posterior cavity and into the sound... where it belongs.
Even if you don't buy into to that kind of approach to the instrument, I still think the best solution to bad days is a calm, careful, focussed effort to return to what you always do... by doing what you always do. _________________ Richard Sandals
NBO |
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John Mohan Heavyweight Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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I find practicing a consistent, well-balanced daily routine reduces or eliminates "off-days" entirely. If I have an off-day, I don't deviate from my routine - I just do the best I can. If my routine is the correct routine for me, what would be better?
Best wishes,
John Mohan _________________ Trumpet Player, Clinician & Teacher
1st Trpt for Cats, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Evita, Hunchback of Notre Dame,
Grease, The Producers, Addams Family, In the Heights, etc.
Ex LA Studio Musician
16 Year Claude Gordon Student |
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razeontherock Heavyweight Member
Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 10609 Location: The land of GR and Getzen
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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Reinhardt Routines, day 1. (And day 2 is a nice follow up to that, for the next day). This deserves the caveat that it will work better if your first time playing these drills isn't a day as described in the OP, consistent with what the 2 above posters said. |
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dstdenis Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 May 2013 Posts: 2123 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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Unless I’m just exhausted from over-exertion, I work on whatever seems to be giving me trouble, at an easy enough level that I can start turning it around successfully. _________________ Bb Yamaha Xeno 8335IIS
Cornet Getzen Custom 3850S
Flugelhorn Courtois 155R
Piccolo Stomvi |
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homebilly Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Dec 2010 Posts: 2197 Location: Venice, CA & Paris, France
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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well let's see.......
I let my beard grow out
I get my leather together
oh, you said rough day routine
oops! never mind _________________ ron meza (deadbeat jazz musician) & (TH 5 post ghost neighborhood watch ringleader)
waiting for Fed-Ex to deliver a $50 trumpet to my door. shipping was prepaid by seller of course!
http://ronmeza.com
http://highdefinitionbigband.com |
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Turkle Heavyweight Member
Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 2450 Location: New York City
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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homebilly wrote: | well let's see.......
I let my beard grow out
I get my leather together
oh, you said rough day routine
oops! never mind |
Actual lol
One of the finest comments yet made on this forum _________________ Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3. |
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homecookin Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 868
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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Nonsense Eliminator wrote: | If you have the luxury of putting the thing in the box and walking away, sometimes that's the best option. It's certainly the easiest!
But sometimes -- or usually, depending on your playing schedule -- we don't have that option. I think the biggest mistake you can make is to think, "Man, things are really messed up. I should totally focus on how crappy I feel and do stuff I never do!" I understand the temptation to try to correct course and force things to work; but I can't say I've had a lot of success with that approach... and I've certainly tried.
I just do my thing. It worked yesterday and the day before that, it will work today. I might take more time between exercises, I might back up and do something again if it starts coming off the rails, I might just keep doing my routine over and over until it works. Better yet, I might go listen to recordings of Herseth for a while to wash out my brain. Trying to fix things just draws my attention to what's wrong, and that way lies frustration. For me, if things aren't working, it's because I need to get my head out of my posterior cavity and into the sound... where it belongs.
Even if you don't buy into to that kind of approach to the instrument, I still think the best solution to bad days is a calm, careful, focussed effort to return to what you always do... by doing what you always do. |
THIS IS GOOD ADVICE !!!
Especially the part about... It worked yesterday... It work the day before that...
it will work today ! |
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dutchtrumpet Regular Member
Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 26 Location: Dallas
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kevin_soda Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Jan 2015 Posts: 558 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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I do simple things and spend extra time breathing and listening. _________________ Kevin |
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homebilly Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Dec 2010 Posts: 2197 Location: Venice, CA & Paris, France
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Turkle wrote: | homebilly wrote: | well let's see.......
I let my beard grow out
I get my leather together
oh, you said rough day routine
oops! never mind |
Actual lol
One of the finest comments yet made on this forum |
thank you Turkle
_________________ ron meza (deadbeat jazz musician) & (TH 5 post ghost neighborhood watch ringleader)
waiting for Fed-Ex to deliver a $50 trumpet to my door. shipping was prepaid by seller of course!
http://ronmeza.com
http://highdefinitionbigband.com |
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JVL Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Feb 2016 Posts: 894 Location: Nissa, France
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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hello
like John Mohan & others said, a good regular routine will prevent you from such probs; BUT sometimes, it's not sufficient (shape, or hard rehearsal or gig the day before etc). In such case, i mean when you are tired more than usual for various reasons, if i don't rest completely, i do a lot of fluttering, and play clarke only in the low register, slowly and piano-mezzo piano.
best |
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Seymor B Fudd Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Oct 2015 Posts: 1466 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 1:26 am Post subject: Re: What's Your "Rough Day" Routine? |
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jjtrumpet wrote: | I'm pretty sure we all have those days when we just... well suck. Stuff isn't speaking. You're missing notes left and right. I'm sure you know the drill.
I've heard everything from "spend an hour doing clarke instead of what you intended to practice" to "just put the horn away, come back tomorrow."
Anyone have advice for getting through those occasional crap days? |
Long answer:
Seems a day like that is characterised by lack of concentration which in its turn could depend on just anything, from worries that d-n car has to be fixed, will I ever attain some proficiency, having practiced for n years still long way from even remotely sound like .....you name it.
Amittedly it is an ordeal to diligently practice every day, always bear in mind you will have to practice or else (=vacation eh? can I bring the horn?; "you will have to go see XXX today - oh and I thought I could practice" etc). A streak of "nerdishness" goes with our playing.
Quite demanding. So, very human experiencing lacking geist. What to do?
Accept it Doesn´t mean your suffering from a playing meltdown.
But if recurrent days you might have to ask yourself questions like "is this what I really want to do?" "What´s the goal"? "Do I have some gigs to look forward to?"
Short answer: never mind, will always come another day. Winter turns into spring´. _________________ Cornets:
Getzen Custom Series Schilke 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974) |
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GeorgeB Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:19 am Post subject: Re: What's Your "Rough Day" Routine? |
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Seymor B Fudd wrote: |
Seems a day like that is characterised by lack of concentration which in its turn could depend on just anything, from worries that d-n car has to be fixed, will I ever attain some proficiency, having practiced for n years still long way from even remotely sound like .....you name it.
Short answer: never mind, will always come another day. Winter turns into spring´. |
Right on, Seymor. If my mind is pre-occupied in any way ( especially if I am dealing with a major problem ) my practice , and my playing in general , just goes to hell in a basket. In my case it may be an age thing, but anyway, the next day, when some major issue has been resolved and I concentrate on the instrument in my hands, I am good to go once again. So I have learned not to sweat over those occasional bad days. _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet |
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Turkle Heavyweight Member
Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 2450 Location: New York City
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:30 am Post subject: |
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I'm reminded of - I think it was Bud Herseth? - someone said "when you sound great, it's because you're breathing well."
So when my chops are not responding correctly, I play long tones, breathing real easy, and the first few Schlossberg exercises. Once I have my breathing together, everything else falls into place. Everything - range, articulation, accuracy, the whole bag - starts with a nice relaxed breath.
Hope this helps. _________________ Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3. |
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cheiden Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8911 Location: Orange County, CA
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 7:57 am Post subject: |
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I'm with John M. It's very rare that I can't get in productive practice by just scaling back my expectations and focusing on fundamentals. _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart |
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JVL Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Feb 2016 Posts: 894 Location: Nissa, France
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 7:59 am Post subject: |
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the aspect talked by Seymour is right too.
i'll add to my previous suggestions leadpipe playing for couples of minutes, previous to the soft "oxygenating" practice |
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RandyTX Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Posts: 5299 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 8:53 am Post subject: |
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Somewhere along the way I decided that most of my bad days, were really bad warmups. By that I mean, I was a little 'hungover' chopwise from the day before, and the warmup felt horrible initially.
Then I decided to do part of it, for about 10 minutes or less, then put the horn down and walk away for about a half hour while the increased blood flow flushed out the previous days leftovers, if you will.
Seems to always be much better when you come back to it a little while later. Unless you really wounded yourself somehow, it seems to solve most of those 'what's up with my face today?' warmups.
Free to try it out for yourself. _________________ "Music is like candy, you throw the (w)rappers away." |
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kevin_soda Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Jan 2015 Posts: 558 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 9:58 am Post subject: |
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It's rare that I ever feel truly wrecked but when I wake up feeling swollen or tight I try to make the easiest sound. I start the day focusing on the sound I expect to produce and listen for the most immediate response with breath attacks. I do the "Pah" pronunciation on the leadpipe before proceeding on to middle G until I start to feel normal. Then I do the regular routine but try to do it a little softer and take more time for rest. _________________ Kevin |
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Raggerty Regular Member
Joined: 07 May 2016 Posts: 99
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Do an easier version of what I normally do. Slower, lower, and creep up to the standard version of what I normally do, but if I cannot get there I finish early and put the horn down. |
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