Soft Playing

JoeCool · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 7:20 am Post subject:

Caruso has helped me tremendously and this is no rap on it. But, had I not incorporated soft playing into my practice, I don't think I would have gone to the next plateau with just the Caruso.

Just was wondering what you Caruso guru's think about doing some or all of the cals very, very, very softly?

I was locked into the shallow mpc frame of mind to get the high notes. I now play the deepest, biggest mpc I have ever played (like a Bach 3) and have the best sound, range and endurance since adding ppp playing to the Caruso.

PH · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 7:55 am Post subject:

Done properly, the interval studies with the SLS and LSL dynamics already incorporate ppp (and fff) dynamics.

Remember, these are just calisthenics. I would assume that anyone who plays music in an artistic fashion plays the entire range of dynamics, articulations, timbral shadings, etc. every single day in the course of developing your musicianship.

_bugleboy · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 9:18 am Post subject:

Not in MCFB, but definitely part of the Caruso philosophy, is the low F# played as soft as possible for up to 40 counts at MM=60. This is done 4 or 5 times and as often as desired, especially when the chops feel like they are separating.

Also, Carmine assigned the G on top of the staff to be played as soft as possible and held for up to 70 counts. This would also be done 4 to 5 times with the same setting, breathing through the nose. etc. After a week or two of the G3, the student would move up a half step to the Ab. And then to the A, etc., all the way to G4.

Along with the <> and the >< exercises, Caruso did address soft playing quite a bit and probably dealt with it more with different players.

tomba51 · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:08 pm Post subject:

Besides playing the SLS and LSL, the low F# ppp, and the high notes ppp that Charlie Raymond has already discussed, Carmine also had me practice the intervals ppp. This was only after I had already been with him for a couple of years and had gone through all the interval exercises.

Tom Barreca
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Tom Barreca

Jerry Freedman · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 5:25 pm Post subject:

He also had me doing the intervals PPP when I first got started with him

J. Freedman

bent trumpet · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 7:31 am Post subject:

I have been noticing that I get a strange buzzing sound under the pitch that I am intending to play when I play softly above the staff. Is this common after a few weeks of the Caruso stuff? I don't remember it happening before I started the Caruso.