Excellent range exercise

B6L · Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2003 4:16 pm Post subject:

I have gained so much from this web sight that I felt it was time I give something back.
I can't remember where I got this but believe me it works !!!! take Clark's Technical studies #5 and play eatch ex. as slowly as possible in one breath, if you have anything left at the end try and < the last note. Everyday try and move the metronome a bit slower, I have been able to get down to quarter note=35, in order to do this I have to play super soft, in a wisper. I always do this exercise last thing before put the horn away.
Give it a few weeks and let me know what you think.

Nate

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If the trumpet does not sound a clear call,who will get ready for battle?
1Corinthians 14:8

[ This Message was edited by: B6L on 2003-06-01 19:17 ]

tomba51 · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2003 3:01 pm Post subject:

Nate,

Man, that's a tough exercise. I tried it at MM=50, and barely finished it. I admire you for being able to do it at MM=35. I assume that you are doing this without the repeat. Please tell me that you are doing it without the repeat. If you are doing the repeat, then I can't even begin to imagine doing it at MM=35 (and I'm a long time gym rat, in excellent aerobic shape).

Tom Barreca
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Tom Barreca

B6L · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:13 pm Post subject:

Tom,
I play it with the repeat, but remember I am playing it SUPER soft, and to make it through is just as much as a mental game as it is physical, your mind keeps telling you that that you must breathe but you must over ride it.
I can't say enoughf about how much this simple exercise helps me, I hope you get the same results.

Nate
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Freedom lies not in conforming to the world's expectations or even realizing what we take to be our deepest wishes; it lies in following the call in our lives.

kzem · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2003 6:34 pm Post subject:

Nate!
Glad to see you again. Do you miss the land of pasta?

I have a BQ trip this weekend, so I'm going to give the Clarke exercise a shot during the off time.

Kurt Z

riffdawg2000 · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2003 3:08 am Post subject:

Oh God...the pain...then pain .....
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Joel Thomas

clarion89 · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 5:09 am Post subject:

I was just playing this exercise last night. I agree with playing it softly, but I'm not so sure about the slow tempo. Did Clarke recommned such a slow tempo in the text - I don't think so. A slow tempo is not a bad idea, but extremely slow may defeat the purpose of the exercise and you may find other exercises that support your idea in a better way. I think the purpose of the Clarke #5 is to build breath control, finger dexterity and metrical playing. I'm not trying to bash your approach, I am just unsure of its validity.
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Matt Wirfel
"don't practice long, practice often" - Don Jacoby
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B6L · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 2:39 pm Post subject:

Matt,
Point well taken, Clark never recommended the slow tempo for #5 , but he did recommend playing long phrases in one breath, for example on p.14 he says "try to play etude 4 in one breath. It is possible" Also p.22 "Etude 5 must be played in one breath" then on p.48 he plays ex.184 4 times in one breath, all have a fairly fast recommended tempi.......but still in one breath.
In my experience with #5 playing at a very slow tempo (and working slower) it has really helped my power and range, something about playing in a wisper and covering two octaves in eatch exercise and holding out the last note and getting louder (if possible) really does it for me.

Nate
_________________
Freedom lies not in conforming to the world's expectations or even realizing what we take to be our deepest wishes; it lies in following the call in our lives.

ljazztrm · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 2:46 pm Post subject:

Hi Nate, thanks for posting this exercise..it appears that it would be very helpful....I usually don't have time to get on the net as much as I would like anymore so I apologize if this was already addressed, but, if you haven’t already, I think it would be helpful if you stated what your previous range/power level was at before applying this exercise and then, of course, afterwards. Also, are you saying you usually practice all of these this way? (87-9

I have been experimenting with #93 since it is in c and seems like a logical place to start...when I set the mm at 35 I can play both repeats but then run out of air for the last two lines...what a great feeling of working out the blowing/ab muscles though! I can relate in my own experience that I have been doing so much playing in the last few months I have really come to see how important having strong blowing muscles are....you just can't rely on the chops alone...I do lift weights and a few months ago I started implementing an exercise that rock climbers do, where you hang from a bar and bring your knees up to your chest...but this exercise may be better to isolate the blowing muscles. Ok, thats it for now. Thanks and all the best, Lex.

NYCTPT · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:16 pm Post subject:

Someone told me this last season that Clarke developed these excercises when he was messing with his embouchure (a change of some kind) to help solidify things. Having that in mind gives a different perspective to these studies. I tend to think that the finger aspect of these is a side benefit. I like to focus on using them for work on tone, control and articulation. Of course I get a great deal from covering all of the keys in a given study, but that's not my focus. They're just moving long tones.

Yours is an interesting application, though. That's great.

tomba51 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 2:46 am Post subject:

Nate,

I wonder if the benefit from this exercise is because of playing it slowly in one breath, or is the benefit from playing it softly (which is an exercise that many teachers recommend). In other words, can I get the same benefits from playing the exercise at a moderate or even a fast tempo, taking breaths as necessary, as long as I do it super soft? What do you think?

Tom
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Tom Barreca

ljazztrm · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 9:32 am Post subject:

Hi Tom, just my 2 cents here, but I strongly believe that the main benefit to this exercise is the fact that you are playing until all the air is gone 'and longer'...I feel the main point to an exercise like this is to develop the blowing muscles...The way I am looking at it is that the soft, slow playing in the different registers is the best way to do this...For me, I feel that this exercise is better than holding out a long tone until all the air is gone because I think that for whatever reason mentally I can push the muscles further when doing this...also, having the goal to be able to do the whole thing at 35 is motivating....All the best, Lex.

B6L · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 12:41 pm Post subject:

Tom & Lex,
I agree with everything that has been said, I belive that playing that softly (in a wisper) really does wonders for the chops, and you aren't just blowing a long tone trying to see how soft you can get it, you are doing something. Same with the one breath thing, I did the Claude Gordon "hold the note as long as possible and then some" but with Clark #5 it really forces you to keep going and do all you can to make it to the end...............I love it............and it works!!!

Nate

_________________
If the trumpet does not sound a clear call,who will get ready for battle?
1Corinthians 14:8

[ This Message was edited by: B6L on 2003-06-13 15:42 ]

bhipp · Veteran Member Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 123

I've tried this exercise about 3 times, but I haven't yet made it part of my daily routine. I like it though. Nate, I'd appreciate if you could clarify a couple of points. You say that you do this exercise last thing before you put the horn away. I assume you mean the end of your last practice session of the day as opposed to the end of each practice session of the day, right? Also, I'd like to reiterate a question that Lex (ljazztrm) posted to you in this thread: Do you do the entire exercise, 87-98 (all keys), in one sitting each time? At such a slow tempo that becomes a relative long exercise. If you don't do the entire exercise, what precisely do you do? Thanks.

peace

B6L · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:15 pm Post subject:

bhipp,
Yes I do this last thing, at the end of the day, after all my other playing is done.
I don't do all the ex. I do every other one 87,89 etc. then I change it up from day to day and do 88,90 etc.....you get the picture, I sometimes do all of them but you are right it takes quite a bit of time.

Nate

Bootleg · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:21 pm Post subject:

wow...guys...be careful...Nate shouda warned you...if u feel dizzy and u feel ur brain needs oxygen...maybe its a good idea to stop...and take a couple deep breaths...we don't want trumpeters falling over their chair *laff*

but wow...this is really tough...i guess i had to do some more jogging to expand my lung capacity...

Nate...do you do any excerise to help your fitness level for the trumpet?

B6L · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2003 3:28 am Post subject:

YES.....Be careful!! I never passed out doing this exercise but by the time I get to the end of the low F# or G exercise my body is screeming for air!!
Other exercises I do is running, pushups and situps.......things I can do without needing a gym.

Nate

trumpetplayer87 · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 3:49 am Post subject:

Does jogging actually increase lung capacity or does it just make the heart more efficient (and thus doing more with the same amount of air). After long term conditioning the heart beats slower, pumping more with each stroke, but no matter how long you condition you're usually breathing much faster right after the run than right before it. maybe I'm wrong..but I remembered hearing that somewhere...

bonnie

B6L · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 2:35 pm Post subject:

As far as incresing lung capacity I wouldn't waist time thinking about it. How tall you are will determin how much your lungs will hold (according to Arnold Jacobs) I have found with trumpet playing the better I feel the better I play. When I eat crap, party too much, don't get enoughf sleep my playing is a struggle. When I eat right, exercise and get the right ammount of sleep my playing (and life) is much better

Nate
_________________
Freedom lies not in conforming to the world's expectations or even realizing what we take to be our deepest wishes; it lies in following the call in our lives.