The Soundboard

[jnunnery]

Doc,

You have mentioned several times that you like to warm up first on the leadpipe. Can you provide a discription of your typical warm up routine? I think you have commented that it takes quite some time and as a banker with not a lot of time on my hands (....insert banker bail-out joke here...) I would like to hear what you do (on the leadpipe and otherwise) and try to see what might work for me.

Thanks in advance.
_________________
John Nunnery
Columbus GA
Bb - Bach 180S37
C - Bach 180S229/25H

[ksievers]

1st, it does not have to take much time. I take time because I have the luxury of spending my day working with good students and playing trumpet on my own, in the Orchestra, etc... I realize most of our readers do not have that luxury.

taking time and starting slowly usually pays off for me - some get away with being much faster starters, but in general, "the hurrier I go the behinder I get" is wisdom IMO..

OK, there is basically no "routine" to it. I just take that full (stretched/bloated) inhale and exhale a (hopefully) clean, core sound on concert Eb. I'll do that, rest, repeat, etc., maybe some legato artic. patterns on the pipe/long tone, rest, repeat, and then go to the trumpet. I can do a perfectly adequate set of this in a minute or so..

again, since I have a bunch of committee work every day, web stuff to do, emails to answer, I'll get here very early in the a.m. and blow the pipe and back and forth with other "office" stuff...

get all that office work done, put it all away (mentally anyway) and then proceed to my practice and on the trumpet itself.


***I must add that we should never become too in love with "routine." I am a routine guy, a believer in maintenance, fundamentals, all that, but trumpeters are very susceptible to falling in love with some kind of "method," which can be fine, but not if it's at the expense of playing music. Routines, at their best, must be MUSIC, not a set of meaningless noise we do, mistakenly convincing ourselves that that is productive practice.

the world is full of trumpeters who do "whatever," faithfully, religiously, close-mindedly, but the world is NOT full of artist trumpeters.. food for thought.

Personally, I want no chinks in my armor as a player (if possible) but I certainly would be hurt to be thought of as a technoid trumpeter. I hope to be thought of as a really good musician who plays trumpet.

all of the techniques we teach here are just tools..

Yes, do fundamentals, yes be consistent with your efforts, but DO keep it all in the realm of a musical thought.***
_________________
Karl Sievers, DMA. Professor, School of Music, University of Oklahoma; Principal Trumpet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic; Bach Artist/Clinician; General Manager, National Trumpet Competition

[t.whitcombe@comcast.net]

I have a question about leadpipe warmup. It seems that whenever I blow on the pipe, just as Dr. Sievers suggests ,and do it every day for a couple of weeks, I start to stiffen up. If I go back to buzzing the mouthpiece instead, I get loose again pretty quickly. When I first started blowing on the pipe, I had to work to get the pitch up to an E flat concert...It wanted to speak at about a D or even a D flat. I still have to be sure I'm up to an E-flat when I use the leadpipe execise now. Are there some people that don't do well with the leadpipe warmup, or am I just wierd? If a D concert feels more relaxed, is it OK to stay with this pitch, or do I have to play an E-flat concert?
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Tom W.
3C model 43

[ksievers]

something is out of wack... but too, if you are playing well and happy with your results, that trumps any technique or routine.

on the other hand, I wish I could hear you in person because I bet I could lead you to a sound you'd go "aha!" about in a hurry...

I also bet you are too "lip" oriented in your thinking; too conscious about what's happening with your chops' feedback, etc..

Mr. Adam told me 100's of times that if my thinking was right I'd have NO awareness of the horn in my hand or anything else physical (fingers, face, mthpce, lips, nothing). My "awareness" would be completely dominated and filled with that gorgeous, resonant sound and musical expression. that's it... and that really is "it."

if you can let all that go and just move air through a great tone, you might enter a higher phase in your playing.. the pipe, properly done, can help, but it's like walking off a diving board, you gotta trust there's water in the pool. if you have one foot on the brake it won't happen.
_________________
Karl Sievers, DMA. Professor, School of Music, University of Oklahoma; Principal Trumpet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic; Bach Artist/Clinician; General Manager, National Trumpet Competition

[Billy B]

Tom. It would be well worth the trip to Peoria to see Todd Kelly or Iowa City to see Amy Schlenker.
_________________
Bill Bergren

[ksievers]

thanks Billy, and a reminder to all - there is NO substitute for live lessons with someone who is really good at helping others. Internet is cool, but it is a far cry from the amazing things a great in-person lesson can convey.

it is very possible that ONE lesson with a really good teacher can change your trumpet life.

I often think of the $$ we waste on "whatever," when that same money spent on a great lesson, and even if it requires travel, would be incredibly worthwhile.
_________________
Karl Sievers, DMA. Professor, School of Music, University of Oklahoma; Principal Trumpet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic; Bach Artist/Clinician; General Manager, National Trumpet Competition

[music4life]

I've been on a comeback for a little over a month and when I blow through the leadpipe it comes out a D4 on my chromatic tuner. I try different lip adjustments, but i am afraid to over compensate and get on the wrong track. I've got an easy routine where I alternate playing and resting. Then after a 30-45 minute break, I play some easy melodies or studies from the Getchel book for another 1/2 hour. Things are coming along nicely. Sometimes after I play, I feel my lips tingle. I don't remember that when I was younger. Is the tingling a good sign?

Can anyone recommend a teacher in the DC area?
_________________
Keep Blowing Keep Smiling

[ksievers]

you are just getting in shape. lots of small rests is smart, and bigger rests every few minutes or so..

make good sounds, don't think too much
_________________
Karl Sievers, DMA. Professor, School of Music, University of Oklahoma; Principal Trumpet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic; Bach Artist/Clinician; General Manager, National Trumpet Competition

[ksievers]

let me add too that this stuff takes time. we make a BIG mistake when we read advice here and try it once or twice and wonder why we're not Doc Severinsen by Tuesday... this stuff is organic and takes time.

just play, as much as you can make time for. make good sounds, move air, don't analyze, and over time you'll be amazed that so much of what you were sensitized to and/or worried about just went away. after the fact you may try to explain it and you may not be able to, which is FINE. just play.

childlike mind, simple, create. the only TWO things that belong on the "to do" list are 1) immerse your mind in an incredible sound, and 2) fuel it with abundant and energized air. Those two things become one...

expect success
_________________
Karl Sievers, DMA. Professor, School of Music, University of Oklahoma; Principal Trumpet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic; Bach Artist/Clinician; General Manager, National Trumpet Competition

[Billy B]

Music4life,


One suggestion. Sing each Getchell before you play it, the play it with your singer's mind. After the Getchell session, sing a concert Eb and play the pipe again. Tell us the result.
_________________
Bill Bergren

[Siegtrmpt]