Practice- What?


As I mentioned in our previous post, several areas need to be addressed during your daily practice sessions.

Download- 60 Minute Practice Routine

Warm-up

Your warm-up will begin your lip development and I strongly recommend that the first portion should be done on the mouthpiece alone. I have included a short warm-up which includes buzzing on only your mouthpiece (5 minutes). Be sure to produce a full, rich sound on every note. Fill your lungs completely and begin each note with just the air. Do not tongue any of these notes.

Arpeggio Exercises

Begin these exercises slowly and as you become more comfortable with the keys, increase the tempo. Keep your dynamic level at a P level and be sure to fill your lungs before every line. All notes are to be slurred (5 minutes).

Lip Flexibility Exercises

Dynamics should follow the line so that the highest note is the loudest. Take full breaths for each exercise and hold the last note out (10 minutes).

TAKE A BREAK

Finger work

Make sure that you are in control at all times. Do not rush. Push each valve down soundly and continue at a controlled rate. On exercises you feel uncomfortable with, repeat it four times before moving on (15 minutes).

Advanced arpeggio studies

As in the first arpeggio studies, begin exercises slowly and as you become more comfortable with the keys, increase the tempo. Keep your dynamic level at a P level and be sure to fill your lungs before every line. All notes are to be slurred (10 minutes).

TAKE A BREAK

Melodic playing

You can down load these exercises from my site at the following….
Melodic Exercises (20 minutes).

The above schedule will require approximately 60 minutes to complete in actual playing time.

Bruce was a member of the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa, School of Music in Cedar Falls from 1969 until his retirement in 1999. He has performed with many well-known entertainers such as Bob Hope, Jim Nabors, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Anita Bryant, Carman Cavalara, Victor Borgie, the Four Freshman, Blackstone the Magician, Bobby Vinton and John Davidson.