And Another Question

[trjeam]

Ok sorry for all the questions. But here is my question. On Systematic Approach to daily practice book on Chapter 4 Claude gets into the Clarke Technical studies for cornet book.

On the Systematic approach book Claude talks about the lesson's being for finger speed ect. He doesn't really talk about how to do the studies in the Technical Studies book. But on the Brass Playing is no harder book he goes into detail on how to practice the book(pg28). On that page he talks about when doing the studies first we are doing them first for accuracy not wind control yet. He then talks about when we first do the the studies first single toungle, then K tounge and then double or triple tounge. He says that doing the exercises like that will take about 8 months. Then once I can do that I should go back and re do the studies for wind control and then he goes into explaning other stuff.

Ok so know I explained that. My question is does the Systematic Approach book get into doing the exercises the way he explained them in Brass playing is no harder than deep breathing? If he doesn't get into that in the SA book then is it safe to do the Clarke's technical studies the way he talks about it in Brass Playing while working with the Sytematic Approach Book. Or should I wait until I finish systematic approach and then do clarke's the way he talks about in Brass playing?


Sorry again for my dumb questions.

[John Mohan]

Systematic Approach was published about 25 years before "Brass Playing Is No Harder Than Deep breathing". And it is more of a generic-style book.

The description that Claude gives in "Brass Playing..." is closer to what he assigned me in my lessons with him.

But in either version, you first go through the exercises to develop fingers and accuracy (and sound, range and endurance), playing each exercise with only one repeat, in whatever style of tonguing is assigned (single, "K", DT, slurred) at a fuller volume, and then later you should go through again doing each exercise with many repeats at a soft volume to develop wind control. Note that it is at Lesson 12 that you are re-assigned Clarke #1 and told to "now work for speed and repititions".

Note also that you are eventually assigned to Double Tongue Clarke #1 at lesson 13. You should also triple tongue it for a week at this point (stay on Lesson 13 for an extra week to do this). And remember, only one repeat on each exercise when doing the DT and TT styles of articulation (the same as when you single tongued and K tongue and originally slurred each exercise).

As far as the Etudes, practice them with what ever style of tonguing you are assigned to do with the Study that week.

Basically in "Systematic Approach" the assignments are more "compacted" then in how Claude assigned material to me. More is added each week to the assignments than how Claude did it when teaching me personally. Whether this is due to the fact that Systematic is older and he later decided the assignments grew to quickily (I started with Claude 15 years after he wrote "SA"), or just due to Claude wanting to get the student through the book in one year so it could be called "a 52 week course", I do not know.

My recommendation (as I've said before) is to stay on each lesson for two weeks, so it doesn't build up too quickly.

Hope this is clear now,

John Mohan

[ This Message was edited by: John Mohan on 2002-01-18 06:48 ]

[trjeam]

[Bill Hicks]

When I started lessons with Claude, we had a lesson every week. He would assign a new lesson from Systematic Approach every week. Staying on a lesson for 2 weeks started when Claude started giving the guys lessons every other week and eventually once a month. I believe the main reason was so Claude could monitor your progress before moving on to the next lesson. It certainly doesn't hurt to go a little slower by spending 2 weeks on each lesson.
_________________
Bill Hicks
Claude Gordon student 1970-1987
Harry James Orchestra 1976-1979
American Music Theatre 1997-2008
Big Band Nostalgia 1990-2010
www.billhickstrumpet.com

[John Mohan]

[trjeam]