Notes

On the
Warmup

Most teachers and performers agree that some form of warm-up helps to
facilitate performing. The types of materials employed in these warm-ups,
however, sometimes seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum upon casual
observation of related materials.

In order to evaluate this or any other warm-up, one must define what end we are
trying to reach with these materials, as we have in the first line of the former
paragraph "to facilitate performing, " and what are trying to "warm-up."

Most people agree that setting the embouchure is a very important part of the
warm-up. To me, the embouchure is more than just lips or face muscles. It is the
balance between the supported air column, the muscles of the lips and the
tongue position. It is also the ability to play any note, in any order, at any
dynamic, at any speed, at any time. Therefore, when we warm-up, we must use
a total embouchure on all notes. No flabby, unsupported low notes or squeezed
and forced high notes. If a warm-up satisfies these criteria, it is a good one.

The most important end point of any warm-up is listening to your sound and
developing it. The only thing people can hear is the sound of your music, so it
should always be in the forefront of your work. Your sound must be the focal
point of your music and practice. People can only hear the "sound" of high or low
notes, fast or slow notes, or soft or loud notes. As a general rule, never makes
sense to practice any of these techniques with disregard to sound. The music can
follow the sound if proper stylistic considerations are taken along with
sensitivity training.

I believe some things should be practiced before the horn ever is picked up. If
we ever are to improve our habits, they must be practiced before the horn is
introduced. The two most important are breathing and muscle forming.

I think breathing or air delivery is essential to fine brass playing. Breathing helps
the muscles to form properly when it is correct. There are many fine articles and
comments on breathing but few exercises to work on it. However, I learned an
excellent walking exercise from Emory Remington, the legendary trombone
teacher at the Eastman School of Music. You breathe in slowly while walking for
5 seconds releasing the air without resistance. Rest in between repetitions of this
for at least 5 seconds. Gradually breathe in for fewer counts and out for a longer
time, making sure the exhalation is steady and unrestricted, until you can
breathe in for a quick count and out for an unrestricted 10 count. Dropping the
jaw on the inhalation helps secure a greater volume of air. Also, maintain a very
relaxed muscular state on the inhalation.

On the exhalation, use a moderate abdominal force compressing the air a bit.
This gives the air the support it needs to produce a good tone. This must be
practiced so the throat does not enter into the picture. It is a passage, not a valve.
Air should meet the lips unrestricted.

2The lip muscle exercise that I practice is very simple. I form my lips in playing
position with the corners firm against the teeth, being careful not to stretch back,
saying the letter "M". Then I firm the whole lip muscle gently and maintain it for
one minute. When you first attempt this, you will feel a slight cramp after 15-20
seconds. If it is very painful, it is too tight. Loosen up a bit. After one minute,
relax the embouchure muscle and rest one or two minutes and repeat the
sequence four or five times.

This muscle and the accompanying air exercise can be practiced together for
these last repetitions, feeling the air rush over the firm lips unrestricted towards
the soon-to-be added mouthpiece and horn. When you add the mouthpiece, be
sure that your lips are in this firm position before adding any pressure. If you
continue, each section of the warm-up will be explained point by point. Keep the
pressure as consistent as possible throughout the warmup.

The amount of pressure difference from high to low is small at best. Response
will be better as well if the vibrating lip has a more consistent tensile strength
and the pressure on it is similar. It is a great deal like the ligature on a clarinet
reed. Once the reed is set on the facing and the correct tension is adjusted on the
ligature, it is left alone. I believe that is why it is so easy for the sound to stay as
similar. Our warmup has to bring us to this place every day.

Upon finishing this routine, you should be ready to tackle the day's practice and
performance tasks. At first, the complete routine will probably tire you out, but
with proper development as outlined, it will get easier to complete successfully
without tearing down your apparatus. This happens the more you delve into
your problems and study your own particular habits.
Section I

As stated in earlier sections of this book, long tones are practiced mainly to
develop the one consistent blow of the trumpet mentioned as the central activity
of our playing. A better tone is a result of this action.

Follow the directions printed at the beginning of this section. I think that the
biggest mistakes in development occur if one does not play with the
aforementioned total embouchure at all times.

Remember;

1) Rest frequently
2) Think clearly
3) Enjoy your sound
3

Section II
3
This is an extension of Section I except you never remove the mouthpiece from
the lips. The purpose of this is to mirror the type of practice we did with lips
alone. Most people never flex the lip muscle while playing for longer than 15
seconds and usually have pretty average endurance. Let the air flow freely
across the lips. Breathe through the nose, stopping for a few beats if necessary.
Remember, you must use muscles for them to be strong. Most people only call
on muscles when playing loud or high. You cannot expect them to develop if
you use good support and muscle tone 10% of your practice time. When you call
on them for help, they will not be there unless they are building up in your
warm-up and normal playing range.

If your warm-up is a tear down process and you have to rest for an hour
afterwards, I do not feel it is as beneficial. All playing is working to avoid too
much tear down. This series can be continued higher if desired. It is very similar
to a Carmine Caruso series, but not as extreme in tessitura. Work on range in 1/2
steps as you are able to produce a good sound. Never try to play a higher note
or lower note until you can control the previous notes.

Sections III and IV

Flexibility Exercises
Flexibility or lip slurring is essential in brass performance. To put it simply, you
can slur something without tonguing it, but you cannot tongue something
without slurring it. Once again, the balance alluded to in the introduction to
warming up is the key factor in self-improvement during the warm-up. You can
add the tongue at will during these once you can perform them ably all slurred.
This will help to put the tongue in its proper perspective.

I believe that the proper position can be sensed by testing your lip slurring
around the top of the staff and flutter tonguing at the same time. This will help
us understand how the 4 parts of the tongue function.

The tip of the tongue will be free and able to execute the T or D syllables we
associate with single tonguing.

The part of the tongue closest to the arch of the palette will be able to articulate
the K or G in double tonguing. Double tonguing does not take place at the back
of the oral cavity. Remember that Arban was French! Tu-Ku-Tu-Ku is written in
French. In French, these two syllables are articulated toward the front of the
mouth close to the teeth. I learned that from Armando Ghitalla and was forever
enlightened on that day!

The middle of the tongue (and jaw) will help execute the up and down activity
that allows us to change pitches easily.

The back of the tongue should be doing nothing. A consistent delivery of air
through the oral cavity will be enhanced if this is true. If it changes too much, the
insistence of the air can be disturbed to the point that it affects our accuracy.

The position that affords one the most effortless slur with a very good sound is
best. This will also facilitate performance in the low and high registers with
much more ease. This is the position needed to perform Sections III & IV more
ably.

One must be progressive, objective, curious and fearless to make the progress
necessary to make this activity efficient enough to enable one to do the more
difficult things with our instrument.

4Section V
This section can be an aid to developing the higher register. However, range
development is something that takes time and patience. Most people need only
to play up to concert E (above high C) in order to perform the standard
orchestral literature and most solo literature. There is little need to perform
much higher than that even as lead trumpet in a jazz group. Once again,
concentration on sound is the most important factor when approaching the
higher range.

The embouchure should feel very much the same as it does throughout the range
of the trumpet. In this manner, it will respond similarly. If you play with good
support in the low range, your high range will improve. Always use what you
know to attack what you do not know or understand. Always maintain the
balance mentioned through out this book. It is the element that has helped me
the most. As you ascend to higher partials, the air is more intensified or faster.
You must firm the lips up accordingly to counteract this force and maintain the
balance. Therefore the net change in feel is negligible. That is the reason that in
the process of slurring properly, it feels like nothing changes (except the intensity
of the air). Softer playing requires less air with same intensity (or speed) and
louder playing requires more air with the same intensity or speed.
5
In Section V, you can use as many of these exercises as you need or can perform
ably. Always use the arpeggio and the beginning of each exercise to tune the top
note, especially the 1-3 and 1-2-3 valve combinations. Use the first and/or third
slide for this purpose.

I've chosen triplets for this exercise because the highest note is not on a strong
beat and sounds unmusical if it is forced. All of these exercises are to played as
vocalises, paying close attention to the melodic aspect and evenness of sound.

At first, play up to the lip slur (tongue slur) on the top note of the first arpeggio.
Practice that until the lip trill becomes as easy as playing one note. Then attempt
to extend into the triplets. Leave out the octave jump at the end of each exercise
until it becomes easy to play the triplets and you have lots of air left. This may
take years! It did for me.