Don Batchelder’s Quick Trumpet Warmup 1. Breathing p.2 Breathing Exercise #4, others Guidelines: Always use a steady beat. Move air at 4 constant pace without a hitch. Develop your ability to breathe to the top of your capacity without discomfort. 2. Slurs in middle range p.2-3 Sound Warmup 1,2,3, others Guidelines: Always use a steady beat. Start the beat, then breathe in time, then move the air on time to start the note. It isa great idea to sing and buzz your slurs. Use steady volume and a glissando style when you buzz. Then play on the trumpet, listening for smoothness and consistency. 3. Tonguing p.7 scales, arpeggios, others Guidelines: Always use a steady beat. Start the beat, then breathe in time, then move the air on time to start the note, Itis a great idea to slur your scales and arpeggios first, to establish very smooth connecting air. Then add the tongue and notice a smooth air stream similar to your slur. Listen for consistent volume and style on tongued notes in all registers. ‘Tongued notes consist of “little t, big OH.” In other words, getting the air there for the start of the note is the important part, and the t or d consonant is less important. You can practice this using “air patterns” against your hand. 4, Calisthenics or Range Extension 1p. 8-9 Sachs and Clarke, Also try Schlossberg, Charles Colin, Bai Lin, many others. Guidelines: Start in the middle register and make a good sound; then match that sound as you go up. Keep the air moving fast and free, and allow your tongue level and embouchure to adjust naturally. Top notes should be a little louder than the rest, to insure that you're moving air freely. General Principles ‘Always let the sound be your guide, Pay attention to matching volume as you hold a note, and as you change notes; this will show that you are moving air constantly, The easy way to achieve something is. the correct way, s0 if you're overworking look for a different way. Listen to great players, both on ‘trumpet and others, and imitate them. HU, als ore one fixe lb. the atom by &Warmup Principles By Don Batchelder Get your air going. Goal: steady air in motion, using 95% of your full capacity, without a hitch. Use timing. 2. Get your sound going. Start with slurs in the lower-middle register. Goal: Get a full, smooth, easy, consistent tone in your easiest register. 3. Get your music brain going. Set a high standard for tone quality, pitch accuracy and musicianship right away. Goal: Carry your full, warm, singing tone from first note to last. 4, Add articulations and other registers, to cover the full “useful” range of the horn. Goal; Match your best. quality. Step 1: Get your air going. ‘Train yourself to move alr at @ constant speed throughout the inhale and the exhale, using your entire ‘comfortable lung capacity, without stopping the air in between. Start with slow, easy inhales, and then inhale fester, while using the same smooth air motion and your full capacity. Breathing exercise #1 “Extend the Inhale” Breathing exercise #3 (on bag or using vertical hand) “Normalize” = 60-92Breathing exercise #4 (whisper) “Four-Part Breaths” /=60 (Ready, and) in In in in Out (Ready, and) In In In In Out (Ready, and, breathe, rest) In 2.3 4 Out (Ready, end, breathe) In234 Out Step 2: Get your sound going, r- Maka big, round tone with very low work Pay particular attention to ‘Start with slurs in the easiest regis keeping your volume very steady, especially at the ends of notes and as you change notes, whether slurring or tonguing. ("Job #1 is volume.”) The strategy to use for achieving steady volume is air in motion at a constant speed. After you have achieved consistent volume, start getting the same volume with less work. Your sound. ‘willimprove as you play more easily while maintaining the same volume, ("Job #2 is low work=beauty of tone.") Avoid the temptation to play softer as you work less. ("See Job #.”) Sound Warmup #1 “Half note slur” Suto ee‘Sound Warmup #3 “8 note slur”‘Sound Warmup #5 “Concone p 10” Play note vary tenut, and asloud drama 36 the folowing rote. EE Sound Warmup #6 “Concone p 7” Ww woo aoeSound Warmup #7 “Concone p 11” 16‘Sound Warmup #10 “Octave slur” Repeat in ascending keys. Ste jet your music ‘As soon as possible, start making music by singing and buzzing on pitch, and playing vocal studies. On some days you may choose to do this immediately, before any other warmup. The Concone Complete Solfeggi, published by Balquhidder, is an especially good source for melodies. You can also get creative by writing a simple slur pattern, and singing and buzzing it in several keys. if you're feeling alert, try more complicated patterns. Examples are below. “Singer's brain #1” Sing and buzz this pattern in several ascending keys. Notice that you use the initial note, first asthe root of the chord, then the 3", then the 5”.interval go one chord note past the octave, and several new pattems emerge. Leia iene aoa eS era regions rosa Step 4: Add articulations and other registers. To add single tongue, it’s a great idea to start with scales. Try slurring the major, then tonguing the parallel minor. Continue up by half steps. When you get to Fit, switch to 2-octave scales and keep going. “Scales—slur the major, tongue the minor.” ‘Arpeggios are also good for adding articulation, including double and triple tongue. Try switching between major and minor. “arpeggios for articulation”Arban, Brandt, and many other etudes are excellent for articulation work as well. Try mixing up your routine and playing interesting music in each category so your music brain stays engaged. To extend the range, there are many fine books including Schlossberg, Bai Lin, and Charles Colin. Here are two examples, using the idea of slurring to the upper notes before adding tongue. Mix your upper note work with the middle and lower register, keeping your tone round with an easy airflow. Allow the tongue level to rise (as in ah-eh-ee-hiss) as you ascend. Think “fast, free air over a high tongue.” “sachs p 8-9 with variations”‘Many lead players rely on the Clarke book for calisthenics. Here’s one for both slurring and tonguing. “Clarke 2” study a la Penzarella” gee re oe eee ea ‘Trumpet playing is an art form, not an athletic event. These principles are based on the ideas of Arnold Jacobs, as communicated to me by Mr. Jacobs and by Vince Penzarella and many other wonderful teachers. The best approach for building ability on a brass instrument is to have a refined musical idea ‘that you're passionate about, and then transfer that idea to the instrument. The most important factor is the “song,” or concept: next comes the “wind,” which | define as the air-in-motion that a great player ‘would use to achieve the concept in your head. A great “song” comes from listening to great artists and striving to make great music. Great "wind" starts by recognizing that great players don’t work very hard. ‘The right path is to find a way to make your playing easier and better (more sound less work), starting in ‘the easy register. Then match that sound quality on everything you play. How layer Carry your full, warm, singing tone from first note to las.