Observations - Week 2!

[gms979]

Hi Everybody,
Just a progress report and some observations/questions......

I'm on week 2 now, incorporating both the 6 notes as well as seconds. Overall, in the 2-3 sessions a day I don't do Caruso I feel that positive things are happening, especially in regards to middle register notes "feeling the same", be it a g on top of the staff or a second line g. A difficulty still is starting below low c (first ledger line) and then tonguing a scale up - as I ascend towards the lower portion of the staff (say d to g or so) there are lots of airballs. But, if I start a scale in this register or higher, and head towards the top of the staff and higher, attacks are clear, crisp, and easy. This has been a frustration for some time now.....I'm hoping that as I evolve through Caruso this problem will take care of itself.


In specific regards to Caruso....I've found that if I do Caruso the very first thing in the day, it tends to negatively affect things, especially if I do my warm-up and maintenance routine right afterwards. Likewise if I try to do normal playing for 20 minutes, then 20 of Caruso, then another 20 of normal. This seems to wreak havoc with things. HOWEVER, there was a stretch (that I'm going to resume!) where I did about 15-20 minutes of Caruso (I'm only doing the 6 notes and the major seconds) late at night around 1-2 am (hours after my previous session...) with a Denis Wick Cup adjusted all the way in (my living situation doesn't allow me to be loud when I want to) I felt GOLDEN the next day. I've heard much of the lowdown against practicing with a cup mute....and have had poor results way in the past with trying to do a regular practice session with a cup mute. But for whatever reason, doing just Caruso with a cup mute only seems to improve everything the next day. I'd love to hear anybody's opinion on this.....whether to do what works, or be wary of confusing muscles by varying the resistance of the instrument via mutes and such.

Thanks!
Greg

[gms979]

Oops, just saw this topic discussed briefly on page 5 of these threads....although any further opinions/relevations/warnings/whathaveyou is still welcome!

Thanks,
Greg

[Terry]

It seems to me that playing the 6 Notes and Seconds would only take 5 or 6 minutes at the most. When you say you "did about 15-20 minutes of Caruso" did you mean you ran these two exercises over & over? Just once a day is enough, and I think that's the safest route. It's very easy to overdo these. I also wouldn't use mutes.

[PH]

I agree with Terry. Week 2 should take no more than 10 minutes per day. I would try to do these early in the day...if not first thing, then certainly in your first hour or so of playing. You want to do the CC work while your chops are fresh and you absolutely want to do them only on the open trumpet.

If you are doing MCFB work early in the day and you are doing the exercises more than once you have probably found out why the results are less than satisfying. Do exactly what Carly suggests in "Getting Started" one time, no more and no less. When you have finished this you should move on to Clarkes, scales, music....

[TWEAK]

when i do caruso (week 7) its always the first thing i play. sometimes i dont get to do it right a way in the morning. for instance, the only time i could play today was from 6pm and onward. but caruso is always the first thing (well, technically lead pipe is).

after doing caruso for about probably 20-25 mins, i take a 20 min break. if i try to play other things right away, my chops feel like they cant handle it. but right after that 20 mins, i do lip flexibilities (but would you guys recommend something different, like clarke? if so, i can try switching). the lip flexibilities are at first fuzzyish sounding about then soon enough they fall into place. then i break again after 10 mins of lip flex for 10-15 min and then bam...i can play all day.

thats just me, anyone else?

[PH]

[TWEAK]