Endurance: The Final Frontier?

[valvepimp]

Four and a half months into my comeback now, and I am pleased to report significant inroads having been made into all facets of my playing. All, that is, except my endurance. Many was the practice session during my erstwhile years where I would knock out several back to back Characteristic studies. Nowadays, these must be played one at a time while using the recently-learned addage: "rest as much as you play". This is something I have only heard here on the Herald, none of my teachers ever mentioned this to me. If I had not heard it here, I almost certainly would have discovered it for myself, for I've nowhere near the endurance I once had. My lips feel the way they did after I played for an hour years ago after playing for only fifteen minutes. I have patience, and am heartened by every other aspect of my former self slowly returning, but really, it would be nice to be able to do a solid half hour block of playing without having to rest. I am wondering how long it took some of you to regain the endurance you once had prior to your comeback. And please, those of you who are not CB players, I want to hear your advice as well. For now, as soon as I feel the slightest numbness in my lips, I put the horn down and fight the urge to soldier on thru yet another etude. I feel I am doing the right thing in this, but there must be a better way!
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[trumpetdiva1]

Lip flexibilities exercises and harmonic series exercises helped me out with endurance. What has helped me out the most is consistently practicing Caruso.

Janell Carter

[PJN]

I will second that opinion. I have been playing again for almost three years. The first thing that helped me was finding a very simple warmup that took about ten minutes to just get things going. I abandoned that warmup when I started doing the caruso exercises. I found the book at my local shop and had done some in college.

I Found the information available here was very helpful in getting me on the right track with the book. Since I have started using Caruso, I have had very steady progress in all aspects of my playing. Read the posts, see what you think, ask some questions. I am now able to play longer periods of time, and also feel enough strength or focus to allow me to work on some things I had until now had to put off.

I am sure there are lots of paths that will get you there, but this one is working for me.

Good Luck
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The most important factor in developing the high register is desire, the patience to wait, and the necessary time to acquire it.
Bud Brisbois

[jhatpro]

What has helped me most is playing the softest, most delicate Caruso six note excercises I can for five to ten minutes. I try to make notes so soft no one could hear them across the room. If I do this, I actually get stronger as the rehearsal or concert or gig continues.
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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

[jcmacman]

I am also starting my 4 month of comeback playing after a long absence. Playing soft long tones and petals have helped me with my intonation and the ability to hear the notes. Last month I started adding some lip flexibility exercises and it seems to be working.
I joined a community band and we practice 2 to 3 hours every Monday. I can now play all the way through the session with little difficulty, unless we play Stars and Stripes Forever as our last song, then I die at the Bflat.

John

[valvepimp]

If I want to improve my endurance, Caruso seems to be the consensus. Duly noted. I took lessons from Carmine himself for a bit over a year. This was back before the "six notes" were published. In those days, he used to give me printed handouts of what to play, and sometimes he would just verbally describe what he wanted me to play at any given moment during my lesson. I can remember that what he had me do most were slurred arpeggios, sometimes reaching way higher than I was able to play. My endurance was not an issue in those days, but my range improved markedly during my time with Carmine. I'd better go out and buy some of his published methods, I am certain they will be beneficial to regaining my endurance.
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[PJN]

valvepimp,

I just got an Aebersold catalog in the mail. Happened to see MCFB listed in the trumpet section. On occasion, folks have had trouble finding it locally. FWIW

Patrick

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Use it or lose it!
Patrick Nearing

[ This Message was edited by: PJN on 2003-12-04 22:43 ]

[_Don Herman]

I wanted to dig up an old therad, but didn't quite find it... Endurance is a popular subject, so try a search on TH. Anyway, thought I'd throw out a few things for the shorter term, seeing as how my next few weeks encompass about as much playing as I normally do in several months. I'm sure many others will chip in and tell me where I'm off, and what other things to do...

1. I find a lot of my endurance problems are air problems. As in, not enough air support. I'm not talking about blowing my head off, I'm talking about having enough to do the job of keeping the sound riding on the airstream. If I try to play too long a phrase without a breath, then I have to start using pressure to keep the notes going. And, the death spiral begins. I've taken to marking breath marks and practicing them so I use them in performance. Somehow, the phrase I thought was easy at home is always a bit too long at the concert, so I mark extras!

2. Knowing the note, at least the pitch, is a biggie for me. If I'm not sure what the note sounds like, I get tentative. This causes me to try to play it quiter, which often means I don't use proper air support (see 1), and means I may come in a bit off pitch and have to lip it in. Lipping it in always takes a lot out of me, as I'm fighting myself and the horn. Bad news for my endurance. (See posts on pitch center etc.)

3. Dynamics. Not a bad idea to compress them a bit. Try taking the loudest markings down 1 or 2, and bring up the very softest a step (e.g., from pp to p, or p to mp). Why the softest? As I said above, too often I cut back on the air support (yes, less air is needed, but the support had better be there, if that makes sense) and pinch off when trying to play softly. The result is more pressure and less endurance.

4. Relaxing is my biggest challenge. If I'm relaxed, I can play a high line and it feels good. If I tense up, I swear all the tension heads straight to my chops, which thin out, and then I mash 'em to get the notes out. Guess what happens to endurance? Roddy makes some good points in his book. Taking in a big breath quickly, then exhaling slowly, seems to help me. And, making sure my shoulders are relaxed, and not all scrunched up.

Hopefully that's a start! FWIWFM - Don
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Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

[jamesfrmphilly]

rest alot.

[Tepmurt718]

Endurance comes from strength, but more so from efficiency.
Efficient playing develops from good physical habits- a consistent posture and horn position, deep breathing, etc- and good mental habits- listening to your sound in its acoustic context and musical context, learning how to feel prepared and aware.
Very general advice, I know.
In regards to wanting to practice for longer stretches, I have totally contradictory things to say, with the same logic guiding both. First- go for it, practice as long as you want. Second- make sure you are practicing good habits. If you are compromising your physical or mental balance for the sake of another twenty minutes, forget it. The rest will do you more good than wearing yourself out. Worse than wearing yourself out is reinforcing the feeling of being worn out. One of the most useful things about practicing is that you can zero in on your musical goals.
Another consideration- man, I'm sorry if I'm starting to ramble on like an idiot. If you are tired and want to keep playing, back up a few chapters in the book, so to speak. Keep it going, but pay close attention to your physical fundamentals so that you can keep things under control.
I hope that's useful to someone. Take care.

[jazzbebopswing]

Excellent post, Don. I've found, in my own practice and performing, that what you have said is DEAD on.

You've inspired me to check out other of your posts to see where else I can glean from your wisdom.

Thanks.

Mark
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Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing.

John Erskine

[_Don Herman]

Thanks for the compliments, Mark! But, I have to repeat my personal definition of "wisdom" here before you spend too much time searching for what ain't there, since you've far too high an opinion of my advice:

Experience is (or, comes from) making lots of mistakes.

Wisdom is learning from them.

So far, I've got LOTS of experience!

Enjoy the (musical) journey! - Don
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Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

Edit: "here", "hear", what good's a spell checker to an engineer?!? :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Don Herman on 2003-12-27 13:35 ]

[radial]

I can't speak to Caruso as I'm not familiar with it. I do find that some of my own endurance issues come into play when sight reading. I find that mouthpiece or BERP playing something simple for the first 5-10 minutes helps accuracy and endurance dramatically, assuming that the air is working properly.

[LeeC]

Reading all these posts about endurance reminds me that I should put more time into developing that new mouthpiece line. Seriously.

Mouthpieces made today generally aren't very good for most trumpet players. If you practice and play a lot on the right equipment then the sky is the limit. Problem is that the tools we work with today are largely unacceptable. Most brass players don't realize this of course and continue blaming themselves.

When it comes to pure unadulterated self flagellation it's hard to top your average aspiring trumpet player.

The way some people dream about writing the great American novel, I keep putting off doing more research on mouthpiece construction. There ain't much written on it. Course having a good lathe is half the battle.

I've made a few pieces recently and they have worked well enough. Much better than most of the junk on the market today.

[Jerry Freedman]