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jhatpro
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 Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 5:03 am Post subject: |
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I like to double the value of long tone practice by arpeggiating chord progressions. It makes the task more interesting, more challenging, and more valuable.
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epoustoufle
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 6:45 am Post subject: |
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| jhatpro wrote: | | I like to double the value of long tone practice by arpeggiating chord progressions. It makes the task more interesting, more challenging, and more valuable. |
I triple the value by tonguing them. And playing them really short  Not helping the tone much but my tonguing is improving. |
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mafields627
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Long tone playing is a good indicator of the strength of my chops. I've got a print out I found online back in the late 90's of the melody to Stella by Starlight that is at Quarter = 60. When I'm not practiced up, I can't make it through.
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epoustoufle
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:16 am Post subject: |
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| mafields627 wrote: | | Long tone playing is a good indicator of the strength of my chops. I've got a print out I found online back in the late 90's of the melody to Stella by Starlight that is at Quarter = 60. When I'm not practiced up, I can't make it through. |
Try Telemann at the Andre tempo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR9ZVfTRIUo). |
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delano
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 9:12 am Post subject: |
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| Tobylou8 wrote: | | I agree with the OP 1000 percent. They are boring, take concentration, and dedication for them to be of any use. |
A 1000 procent? So, that's a lot. BTW what's wrong with concentration and dedication?
And long tones are only boring if you execute them lousy. If you play them right they are just another way of saying that you love the trumpet. The only valid argument EVER against long tones I heard was that they can block your embouchure, some flexibility thing. |
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bach_again
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 9:56 am Post subject: |
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Paraphrasing from one of Wynton's books:
"Most people have too much ego to sit and play a long tone G for 20 minutes"
I believe him to mean that people are too easily upset by a sub-par tone (easy to have at the start of a session, bad day... pick a reason) and then miss the benefits of the long tones done relaxed and soft as they eschew them for something they sound "better" on.
| http://ojtrumpet.net/practice/WM_practice.html wrote: | Wynton Marsalis practice routine & tips
Three hours will allow you to cover all aspects of playing, but 45-60 minutes is enough for one sitting. The quality of the practice is more important than the length of time it takes.
Practice has several basic objectives: sound, slurring, tonguing (single, double, triple), phrasing. The Arban book [Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet (Cornet), published by Carl Fischer, 192.] is set up that way.
Try to get as rich and pure a sound as you can -- an "unbrassy" sound, the kind with no metal in it. Louis Armstrong is a good example. His sound is really bright, but not brassy. It has a core that is warm. During the first 15-20 minutes play long tones, soft, from second line G down to low G. For the next 30-45 minutes work with pages 5 and 6 in the Max Schlossberg book [M. Baron, publisher], varying the dynamics and the tempos. Try to play through every slur, getting an even, round sound on every note, and getting over the breaks in the instrument. Also, exercises 59 and 60 in the Schlossberg book are good to strengthen your lips.
Take a break.
Use the Second Study - page 8 in the Herbert L. Clarke Technical Studies [Carl Fischer]. Work on velocity, with a metronome, in major and minor keys. Slur some, tongue some, and double tongue some. Also work on the "kah" syllable. Go straight up the scale, starting with the middle C (exercise 32). In the Arban book there is a series of exercises to work on your single tongue attack. Number 19 on 28 is especially good. Try to get a nice round attack with some "pop" in it.
Then you can open an etude book. Theo Charlier: Etudes Transcendantes [Leduc] is good for advanced players, or the Arban book for others. Do some double/triple tonguing exercises. That's another hour on tonguing.
Take a break.
Now deal a little more with slurring, but not too much; you don't want to kill yourself. Work out of a book like Advanced Lip Flexibilities [Charles Colin, author and publisher]. Then do some phrasing exercises out of the Arban book.
Finally, play some characteristic studies from Arban, or etudes from Charlier or Schlossberg. When you play these etudes, or any exercise, always go straight through without a stop the first time. Then go back and practice the places you had difficulty. Play everything -- no matter how trivial or trite it might be -- with dynamics and sound and musical expression. |
Now to the contrary:
Serafin Aguilar has said on several times how much long tones were impeding his progress and that he needs to get the mouthpiece off his face. He's one of the strongest, most accurate, badass lead players around.
You just gotta find what works.
I sometimes use long tones to learn chord changes thus (a variation of the power of 40 ex.)
40bpm, quarter notes, arpeggiate through chords to a standard preferably from memory. Metronome on the "4" to develop time. Start with it on all 4, then 2&4, then 4. 10 mins. I sometimes do this as whole or half notes.
The exercise I adapted this from goes thus (I think of the quarters as a walking bass line through a standard):
1:
40bpm
Quarters 10 min
2:
40bpm (approach this as beat 2&4, so 80bpm)
Quarters 10 min
3:
40bpm (& of 4, so 160bpm)
Quarters 10 min
4:
40bpm (beat 4 of the 2nd bar, so 320bpm)
Quarters 10 min
Then blowing over the last 2. I'll admit I haven't been very successful at #4 yet, though I am getting better.
I'd urge rests, and personally I learned the hard way not to use a mute. You can unconsciously start increasing volume, and man, after that your chops can get a bit... pissed off.
Best,
Mike
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OldDrumCorpDude
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Joined: 23 Mar 2019
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| Posted: Fri May 31, 2019 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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| My experience is this: When I started including long tones in my daily routine, I found that I had problems sustaining an even, full, consistent sound. Hitting a quarter note well is a lot different in my experience than playing the same note well for 30 or more seconds. Long tones really made me focus on producing a consistent, full sound. |
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TrumpetItsYouNotMe
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Joined: 04 Jun 2019
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Location: Clarksville
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| Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:57 am Post subject: |
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| Long tones have been an incredibly important part of my development and maintenance. A lot of players get into trouble when they apply them without a musical thought/intention. This kind of static application of sound is not nearly as helpful as long tones played with a musical thought. A few suggestions include always performing them with the application of steady pulse and play them with fluctuating dynamics. |
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trumpetobsession2
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Joined: 16 Jul 2019
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| Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 5:43 am Post subject: |
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| I like long tones, but only when played in a certain context. If I park on a tone without any sense of musical direction then I tend to get stale air which then leads to tension for me. I use the V.C long tones which move as a musical phrase and allows me to feel like I am floating on the notes instead of digging into every single note. I like doing these in the morning because it sets me up to use my air efficiently and I don't move on from these exercises until I am satisfied with the ease of my production. |
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mrhappy
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| Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:22 am Post subject: |
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| bach_again wrote: |
I sometimes use long tones to learn chord changes thus (a variation of the power of 40 ex.)
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That seems like a useful idea!! 
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kehaulani
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Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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| Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:40 am Post subject: |
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| trumpetobsession2 wrote: |
If I park on a tone without any sense of musical direction then I tend to get stale air which then leads to tension for me. |
What?
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RussellDDixon
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| Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:48 am Post subject: |
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Bill Chase & Cat Anderson both touted the use of Long Tones to build the chops. Like any other isometrics, they have to be practiced with some Common Sense knowing how much is enough and when to stop etc.
BUILD don't DESTROY your chops.
http://www.trumpetperformancetips.com/billchasetrumpettips.html
Also see Walter White's Long Tone Accompaniment CD
https://walterwhite.com/shop/long-tone-cd/ ... or on Amazon.com
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