How Not to Warm Up

[jhatpro]

I played a big band rehearsal the other night and a sub was on lead trombone. He opens his case, inserts a mouthpiece in his horn, and starts playing the loudest “warm up” I’ve ever heard. It was positivey elephantine in intensity.

I figured maybe he has a method that somehow works for him.

Not!

The first tune was a Tommy Dorsey medley and the guy couldn’t get above the staff.

I don’t think he’ll be subbing again.
_________________
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

[TrumpetMD]

Don't be too hard on him. I thought the goal of warm-ups were to impress everyone in the band with your range and power.

Mike
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Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns.

[jhatpro]

LOL!
_________________
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

[cbtj51]

There was a guy back in the day who was known as the "warm-up King" in my locale. He would blow everyone away with his abilities on Trumpet until a relatively short few minutes into any gig, then it was basically over. I can ask many people from that time, "Who was that guy that blew everyone away on his warm-ups?" and they still remember his name 40 years later. Never understood the logic.
_________________
'71 LA Benge 5X Bb
'72 LA Benge D/Eb
'76 Bach CL 229/25A C
‘92 Bach 37 Bb
'98 Getzen 895S Flugelhorn
'00 Bach 184 Cornet
'02 Yamaha 8335RGS
'16 Bach NY 7
'16 XO 1700RS Piccolo
Reeves 41 Rimmed Mouthpieces

[jhatpro]

I recall Roger Ingram saying that when he was playing lead for Woody Herman one of his jobs was to tell players who left their chops in the band room that “Woody can’t hear you. He wants you gone.”
_________________
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

[pepperdean]

Playing the Berlioz Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony, there were lots of additional brass players performing. As we stood backstage, quietly waiting for time to play, we witnessed lots of spectacular performance. Dominic De Gangi said something like, 'they play now; we play later.'

Alan

[LSOfanboy]

As a pro player you must have the ability to play without a warm up.

This is for three reasons:

1) Sometimes there is simply not time for a warm up (usually if the traffic is really heavy or a flight is delayed).

2) Many gigs can involve large periods of rest (and not just symphonic concerts!) and, inevitably, by the time our entry comes we are cold again anyway!

3) The last thing your fellow musicians want to hear when setting up for a gig is noise. Even a fairly conservative warm up can cause heads to swivel in the back desk of violins, especially if there was a bit of a social the night before... In my experience most (regularly working) professionals don't do more than a couple of minutes warming up just before a rehearsal or concert- all the hard work has happened in the practice room for the previous decade.

I have actually seen players lose work over their warm up. Guys who play brilliantly on the gig but are still black-listed due to turning a few too many heads with their over-zealous warm up.

Hope that adds to the discussion!

All the best

[Ximo_molina]

I still do not know how to work without a warm-up. My resistance is much less when I do not prepare my muscles and I look for good sensations before starting. all that requires a good mute study in the pit, a private dressing room or arrive an hour before the theater. Even so, brass instruments always receive murderous eyes.
_________________
Yamaha 8335LA Gen2
Bach Bb43 ML Malone leadpipe
Carol brass Hero Bb
Carol Brass Toreador Bb
Bach C 239 Malone leadpipe
Yamaha631 flugel
Yamaha Xeno Cornet
Stomvi Titán piccolo
Stomvi élite Eb
GR mouthpieces

[RogerIngram]

[gstump]

My boss, the Nederlander theater contractor in Detroit. did not like us playing at all in the pit. "you guys make too many mistakes". He did not want to hear trumpets warming-up outside the pit either.

I warmed up with a Harmon mute down this isolated hallway or in other theaters in the boiler room!

On some of the big productions the touring management did not allow any familiar licks in the pit before the show. This was an unwritten rule so the second trumpet and I would occasionally play that James Brown I feel good breakdown lick up to F# just to piss them off. (when our boss was away in Florida which was most of the time!)

Good times!
_________________
Schilke B5
Couesnon Flug (1967)
Funk Brothers Horn Section/Caruso Student

[zaferis]

I find players like that concerning... aren't we as musicians striving to be sensative to the music, our fellow musicians and the audience?

The guys that do this show me that they either don't care or aren't paying attention to their surroundings.
Puts me off-I don't want to work with the selfish nor oblivious players.
_________________
Freelance Performer/Educator
Adjunct Professor
Bach Trumpet Endorsing Artist
Retired Air Force Bandsman