Warm-Up Routine Pt. 3

Part III Technique Part three of my routine comprises quite a large area of information but it is all related to developing right hand technique and coordinating the right hand with articulation.  In keeping with the idea of focusing on a minimum number of variables, limit the range of these exercises at first.  Play scales from root to fifth, slurred, as quickly as possible, while maintaining…

Warm-Up Routine Part 2

The article that follows was something that was published in an International Trumpet Guild Journal a number of years ago. Part II Strength-Flexibility The body consists of muscles that work in primarily two contexts.  Slow-twitch muscles are used for activities that require a great deal of strength, and the Fast-twitch muscles are used for quick, repetitive or graceful maneuvers.  Two sets of…

Scale Study from an Educators Perspective

Why Do I Need to Practice Scales? The Value of Tonal Literacy This article was written from a music educators point of view.  It was written by Thomas West and appears on his website here.  He has graciously allowed me to reprint it here on AllThingsTrumpet.com for you.  Enjoy! Posted by Thomas J. West on March 14, 2010 at 9:18 PM Scale Study as a Technique Builder…

Warm-Up Routine Part 1

The article that follows was something that was published in an International Trumpet Guild Journal a number of years ago. Creating music on the trumpet can be a daunting proposition to the young and not-so-young student of music.  There are countless aspects to be considered and mastered when one thinks of the ‘simple’ act of turning a phrase.  To help us begin cutting through this fog, we…

Mark time while counting

Here’s a little tip that many of us already know but can really be helpful especially when sight reading. I think we can all agree that it is essential to create and maintain a pulse to use as an internal metronome while playing.  We were taught to tap our foot to the beat and play along with the pulse created by our foot tapping.* (I have a problem with this but will get into that in a…

Practicing Scales is Good for your Brain

I was recently teaching at a music camp and heard a fellow faculty discuss the value of practicing scales.  This is something I feel very strongly about and it was encouraging to hear someone else, (from a different instrument even!) feel the same way.  It somehow gave me comfort knowing that I’m not alone in my obsessive behavior toward scale work. Robert Spring is the clarinet instructor at…

Balancing Classical and Jazz Practice

I am someone that tries to maintain as high a level of classical trumpet playing as jazz playing.  Call me obsessive-compulsive but I can’t “dabble” at anything.  If I can’t dive in and do something 100% I lose interest and would usually rather not do it at all.  There are a number of trumpet players out there like me “crossover players”, and this article is for you.  Actually, you will find a…

Warm-Up / Development Routines

I have come to believe that the warm-up is the single most critical element to improving on the trumpet.  I have talked about this concept with every student that I have ever met with.  I have also been talked to about this concept from the many different trumpet teachers I have studied with over the years.  Everyone has their own take on this but I think the main thing is to develop your own…

Practice Improvisation Like a Scientist

The Hypothesis Have you ever felt like your progress in learning jazz improvisation is stagnant, rambling, directionless or going nowhere?  It’s easy to feel that way because there is so much to learn in this art form and too many possible directions to go at once.  Looking at a blank page and writing, or blank canvas and painting, without an objective is sometimes too unstructured for a young…

Music is an Onion

This analogy is an old one, and I don’t like it very much.  Onions are used for a bunch of different scenarios, but when I said this to a student the other day I decided I had to sit down and try to better figure out what this means to me.  Layers, I guess, and how to deal with them.  Let’s get in to this. Prioritize (Onionize) your Sight Reading It is a very important concept to prioritize…