The Reinhardt Routines—a total embouchure development plan

[PivotBone]

Rich, I saw that comment that Doug wrote and I've been thinking about it. My opinion, fwiw, is that MANY players start their days with a long tone sequence of some sort. Many of these long tone sequences are confined to a relatively limited range of the instrument and don't really force the player to play all over the horn while doing long tones. In all honesty, I don't know why they even bother...Now while the Pivot Stabilizer obviously (based on the title alone!) has more of a goal than simply playing long tones, WHAT A GREAT LONG TONE SEQUENCE IT IS!! It gets you playing ALL OVER the horn on one embouchure while using dynamics that are in line with Doc's ideas on apperture control.

Now, I can see why Doug said it may may be harmful if not done correctly. However, we might want to consider that many players who come into this book have never even thought about pivoting yet might still get some real development out of a sequence like this that really forces them to play all areas of the horn on one embouchure. Would it be better if they did the Stabilizer with the correct pivot? Absolutely!! But, I think players can still get some benifit from it.

Maybe it would be helpful to include information about what the pivot is (maybe use a different term like Doug uses) and how one might apply it if he/she were so inclined (I guess something like I wrote above). Maybe a little gentle, no-nonsense Reinhardt guidance for those who choose to know more would be beneficial. Those who just want to play through the book can go right ahead and skip over that part and still get great results!!! Just an idea...

Rich

[airdyn]

My feelings about having the Pivot Stabilizer "up front" is to have it there so when one takes the book to a Reinhardt Teacher, the "arrows" will be drawn and the pivot directions ( with personal deviations) will be established (Classification I or II).
Until one goes to such a teacher, any warm up will do, say the Spider Web. For a long period I would just go to the Day and use what it was for the warm up and procede. If one "plays" the Stabilizer "wrong" i.e. using the wrong pivot direction to ascend or descend, the player will instantly know that if the intervals don't happen in a smooth, easy manner, (after two or three intervals, as they widen) the player should stop and be content with the smaller intervals until he/she is instructed to proceed using the correct Pivot Classification.
Take the book to a Reinhardt Teacher! Otherwise, warm-up with anything you like before each day or just start the day as written. Flexibility in thinking is just as important as flexibility in playing.
Dave S.

[PhxHorn]

This is interesting to read, as I've been using warmup 57 for a couple years now with great results, and have just started my second pass through the new book. The emb. stabilizer warmup was tedious to play, but I played most of it every time and always felt better by the time I finished.

As best I can tell, I'm a IIIB, though I've not been typed by an expert. I'm downstream, no question about that part. I play with about 85% upper lip in the mouthpiece, 15% bottom lip, and Kenny Smukel at first told me by phone that he suspected IIIA, but I tend to pull down to ascend and push up to descend, which apparently makes me IIIB. It sounds like I use more upper lip than is usual for that type, though.

At any rate, what I'm getting at is this: I've always played with a dry upper lip and wet bottom lip. No problems with sores, etc, but my bottom lip tends to want to slip out while I'm playing. In the past, I tended to have more pressure on the upper lip, but over the last few months on Kenny's advice, and especially since I've gotten the new book, I'm learning to play with most of the pressure on the bottom.

Not only that, but I'm learning to deal with playing with more moisture on my upper lip. I have a tendency to want to stretch my upper lip up and outward after I put the mouthpiece on. I know that's a bad habit and so I've worked to minimize it, but the habit is such a pain to deal with during all the removing and replacing of the mouthpiece in the book's "days", that it's causing me to lean towards a wetter embouchure. I'm seeing no ill effects on my playing. It's a weird feeling, like my chops are going to slip out, but I'm seeing all kinds of improvement overall. My chops feel more focused through the whole range of the horn, and endurance and accuracy are vastly improved. Played two 4-hour gigs this weekend and felt stronger than I have in years, no joke.

[Doug Elliott]

[PhxHorn]

I have a gig in Tucson next week, and so I've made arrangements to meet with Kenny that day.

[BeboppinFool]

[mulligan stew]

Re: the Pivot Stabilizer.

Doug told me that if you're pivoting correctly, your octaves will "open up"--in other words, they will become more in tune by lowering the bottom pitch and raising the upper one.

Perhaps, then, advice to players who haven't been typed should be along the lines of "Make sure the octaves are perfectly in tune and ensure that the lower notes aren't sharp and the upper notes aren't flat." This might have the back-door effect of making players pivot correctly, even if they don't know their pivot.

I love this drill, and find that if I skip it, my playing later in the day is never as good. If I'm very pressed for time or have a gig later I will do a shorter version of it or might skip the high E's and G's.
_________________
Scott
My trio:

https://vectortrio.bandcamp.com/

[Doug Elliott]

[mulligan stew]

[JoshMizruchi]

I finally ordered the book a few days ago. I've only been playing 11 years, but I feel like I'm on the road to a big time discovery about playing efficiently. It is my hope that these routines will facilitate my development so that I can improve. I've found that on my best days, my sound, articulation, range and endurance are all good, and that at the best, my chops feel invincible! But I have trouble maintaining this. I really hope this book will help me get it, for good!

[PivotBone]

[mulligan stew]

_________________
Scott
My trio:

https://vectortrio.bandcamp.com/

[PhxHorn]

I've gotten a couple of emails asking about Kenny Smukel, and I ended up cancelling my lesson due to a change in my gig schedule. I'm not sure when I'll get down to Tucson again. Though I do continue to play out of the new book....

[jwilson46]

[jhatpro]

Rich, is "Reinhardt Routines" substantially different from the "Pivot System - Graduated Studies" book available on Dave Sheetz' Website?

Thanks, Jim
_________________
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

[BeboppinFool]

Oh, yes, way different. The Graduated Studies was originally Reinhardt's beginner's book which took you from beginner to intermediate, with a couple other things in there that might be good for even an advanced player, although it's probably not a book an advanced player would get much out of.

The Mechanisms book has a lot of great stuff in it, and with a good teacher or some thoughtful planning of your own, you can develop your own very thorough practice regimen, but it is not the balanced set of workouts that you'll find in The Reinhardt Routines.

The Reinhardt Routinesis a set of 9 Days that you just keep rotating through. There are some directions, but this book is at the other end of the spectrum from the Encyclopedia which is all text and very few actual drills (none notated with staves and notes).

It also comes with Supplemental Routines to permit you to bear down on your tonguing, your finger and tongue technique, along with several pages you can opt to play as an alternative to the 9 Days should you want a change but still desire the benefits of doing some Reinhardt material.

I have been consistently rotating through this book for a full two months, now, and have been getting great results. My endurance has never been better, and I'm getting to the point where I had gotten on trombone a few years back where the farther along in my playing day I get, the better I sound and feel.
_________________
Puttin’ On The Ritz

[jhatpro]

Thanks, Rich. I'm sold!
_________________
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

[JoeCool]

I just received my copy of this today. I'm looking forward to working out of it. I've been sifting through the Reinhardt Forum in the meantime. I tend to approach things in an organic fashion and find all the embouchure typing rather over whelming. Is it that important to know your type? I would rather not think about it, go to work and improve. You know....Just Do It.

It looks like a solid program.
_________________
Joe

[BeboppinFool]

[bgibson]

How many times have some of us heard Doc say:
"DO NOT AD-LIB ON MY DRILLS".
If you use the "Stabilizer", the student needs to be monitored to make sure they are playing it correctly.
Most common errors that I have seen are tempo and attacks.
WEG