Endurance Exercises

[ComebackPlayer]

I am 2 years into a comeback after 30 years off the horn. My usable range is from a low F# to D above the staff. I play 2 one hour sessions daily with the AM focussed on longtones, flexibilities, tonguing, range, scales and Clark, and work on music/sight reading in the PM.

My endurance needs a lot of work as I can only play 1/3 of Charlier #1 without missing notes and having to rest. Are there exercises or changes in my routine that you can recommend to make progress?

Thanks!

[JayKosta]

Don't force yourself to 'push on' when fatigue begins to affect playing, ease off and do some cool-down easy long tones - then STOP and rest. By stopping earlier, you give your muscles the best opportunity to regain freshness and build endurance. Continuing on to 'failure' makes recovery take longer.

Jay
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[CJceltics33]

Play at the top of your range frequently so you are used to it. This has helped me more than I can say

[ComebackPlayer]

[HERMOKIWI]

In high school the room said "Band Room." It should have said "Phys. Ed." because developing endurance involves pure physical development. You're trying to extend the time when muscle fatigue compromises your ability to play. It's no different than strength training in the gym. You have to stress your muscles intelligently to develop more strength. Beating your muscles to death isn't the answer.

Simply playing more without injuring yourself will increase your endurance.
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HERMOKIWI

[rbeasley]

Increasing endurance can be a slow process...be patient. That said, playing at softer to medium dynamics allows you to be more efficient and thus increase endurance. I can't speak to how you play, obviously, but when I started backing off dynamically in my practicing it helped quite a bit.
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Robert Beasley
robertbeasleymusic.com

[ComebackPlayer]

In "How do I get more endurance?" Clint 'Pops' McLaughlin makes some practical suggestions. Do you think any should be in my practice routine?

[MrOlds]

After 30 years off don’t be discouraged if it takes almost as long to get it back as it took to get it the first time. Also, we aren’t in middle school anymore and neither are our muscles. They will take however long they need to find their balance and maintain it for long periods.

The strategy for what and how much to practice is something we all figure out for ourselves. One size does not fit all. Here are some random thoughts.

Short duration exercises like Clarke (the early ones) tend to stay in a narrow range whereas music goes all over the place. How about instead of repeating Clarke #2 8 times per key you play it once and immediately in another key and then another till you’ve covered 6 or 8 keys. Then do that again playing one key pp and the next key ff. Then again one slurred and another articulated?

If changes in register are an issue play Clarke 1, 2 or 3 once in a lower octave then immediately in the octave above then low then high, etc..

Try deconstructing some of your musical etudes and make your own technical exercises from them to augment or replace the standard technical exercises you currently work on. Look for the places in the musical stuff that are causing you to break down. Then create an exercise out of those difficult spots.

Are you over practicing in the first hour going past the point where you can maintain balance? It’s possible to become the worlds best practicer of scales and long tones. At some point you can focus less on the technical stuff and focus on musical expression.

[HERMOKIWI]

[FrankM]

Years ago I penciled in a note on page 20 of my Arban to play ex 46, forte with breath attacks. Someone on here said this was Ren Schilkes advice on developing endurance. If you try it, don't overdo it. Cheers, Frank
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Selmer 99 Radial
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B&H Sovereign Cornet
Yamaha 635T Flugel Horn.

[B. Scriver]

Without a doubt, the king of endurance was Bill Chase. I have some Chase masterclasses on CD and he was big on long tones. He repeated it numerous times during his class.

Brian Scriver
www.grmouthpieces.com

[Dayton]

A few thoughts:

-- First, the Charlier etudes are advanced. I didn't start playing then until I was a senior in high school, which meant I had been practicing daily for 8+ years. You are just two years into a comeback, so advanced etudes may not be the best yardstick to measure progress. Can you play through one of Hering's "40 Etudes" without needing to rest?

-- As you practice, recognize that there is a graduated scale between feeling completely fresh between exercises and utterly exhausted. You don't want to be at either end of that scale. So, perhaps a bit less rest between scales, Clarke exercises, etc., can help you to build up endurance gradually without tearing down what you already have.

-- I find that a benefit to Caruso exercises -- Musical Calisthenics for Brass, A Sequel to Musical Calisthenics for Brass, Flexus, etc. -- is improved endurance. That's not their primary intent, but it is a result.

-- Clint "Pops" McLaughlin's "Trumpet Range Pyramid" is focused on helping to develop "usable range." As such, the exercise sequence also helps with endurance.

-- Finally, borrowing an endurance-specific idea from Bill Knevitt, you could take an etude you are working on, such as something from Getchell or Hering, and break it down into blocks of 4, 6 or 8 measures. Play the first four measures, then go back to the beginning without resting, and continue through the first eight measures, then back to the beginning, and play the first twelve measures, etc., until you get to the end or are fatigued enough that you need to stop. You could do the same thing with an exercise from Arban's First Studies. Just do this once per day as it can wear you out quickly.

Good luck!

[ComebackPlayer]

[kalijah]