TexasBandmastersAssociation

2007Presentation
Of:

AdvancedTrumpetTechniques

By:

AdrianD.Griffin
AdjunctProfessorofTrumpet
UniversityofTexasatSanAntonio

Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

TexasBandmastersAssociation,2007

Advanced techniques for trumpet

Student lesson sheet

Daily maintenance & core practice: Two sessions, double impact

Core practice session: (weekly breakdown chart) .

Core practice session (daily breakdown chart)

Trumpet methods (annotated list)

Trumpet solo literature .

12

Duet books

12

Mute basics

13

A practical aid to a beautiful sound (article by Denis Wick)

14

Getting kids listening: Inspiration for the ears .

15

The marching band monster .

17

Private lessons .

19

Performing with others .

20

Technique

Developing the multiple tongue

21

Developing high range ..

23

Introduction

Practice

Literature

Mutes

Musicalexperiences

Page 2

Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

TexasBandmastersAssociation,2007

AdvancedTechniquesforTrumpet

Assuggestedbythetitleofthisclinic,thesematerialsfocusonthosestudentswhohavealready
investedconsiderabletimeandenergyintotheirtrumpetplaying,andneedmorespecific
attentionandmaterialstopropelthemintothenexthigherlevelofperformance.
Thesestudentsfrequentlyhavetheexperienceofbeingbetterthanaveragewithintheirpeer
group.Forthisreason,banddirectorsshouldnotonlysupporttheircurrentlevelofmusical
prowess,butalsochallengethemtocontinueadvancingtheirplayingtowardaprecollegelevel,
andtonottaketheirstatusforgranted.
Advancedtechniquesistobeunderstoodinclusively.Manyelementsofexcellentplayingmay
beintroducedatthebeginninglevels.Inthiscase,advancedconceptsmustbeestablished
earlysothattheyareincorporatedthroughoutthetrumpeterstraining.
Second,techniqueshouldbeunderstoodinthispresentationtoincludeconceptsthatbuildthe
entirestudentmusician.Whiletechnicalskillisimportant,thewholestudentmustbedeveloped,
notjustphysicalskillontheinstrument.
Manytimesstudentswaittillthelastyearoftheirhighschoolcareertogetseriousaboutmusic
andpracticing.Thisisentirelytoolate.Thismaterialisdesignedtoguideaseriousstudentfrom
ahighschoolfreshmantoacollegepreparatorylevelofachievement.
Thehighschoolyearsareaformidabletimeinthedevelopmentofatrumpeter.Timelostduring
thisperiodofdevelopmentistimethatcanneverberecovered.Anearlyandstrong
developmentwillensuretheirsuccessinthetransitiontocollegeinadditiontoensuringthat
yourbandsleadtrumpetersalwayssoundgreat.
Awiderangeoftraining,skillsandexperiencesgointodevelopingatalentedtrumpetstudent
intoanadvancedplayerandmusician.Theseinclude,butarenotlimitedto,positiveand
effectiveattitudes,leadership,andpracticetechniques.Theentireaptitudeofthestudentmust
betrained,notjustthechops!
Includedwiththispresentationareinformationaboutnurturingtrumpetplayersdevelopment,
aswellasmaterialswhichmaybeusedashandoutsforstudentsandprivateteachersatyour
school.Ihopetheywillproveusefultoyouandyourstudents!

Sincerely,

AdrianGriffin
Presenter

Page 3

Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

DailyMaintenance&CorePractice
twosessions,doubleimpact

Eachdayspracticeisdividedintotwoseparatepracticesessions.TheDailyMaintenancepracticeisa3040
minutesessionthatstartsthedayideallyinthemorning,orotherwiseasearlyinthedayaspossible.The
studentshouldleave24hoursofrestbetweenthedailymaintenanceandtheircorepractice.
Whilethissessionservesastheinitialwarmupeachday,itsprimaryroleistotakethestudentdailythrough
thefundamentalsoftrumpetplayingtechniqueincludingbreathing,tonedevelopment,articulation,flexibility,
andrhythmpracticeandmentalalertness(playinganetudewithmanyaccidentals)toactivelyalertthebrain.
Whilethedailymaintenanceroutinewillbecomeeasierovertime,itstillformsanimportantfoundationforthe
studentsadvancement.Moststudentsfundamentalsareinaconstantstateoffluctuationandneedtobe
continuallyrefreshedandpolished.Thebestprofessionalsaretheoneswhomaintainaconsistentdaily
maintenanceroutine,payingdetailedattentioneventhoughthematerialisfamiliar.
Thedailymaintenancesequenceshouldbeusedinadditiontothestudentsdailycorepractice.Inadditionto
servingasawarmup,themaintenanceroutinewillalertthestudenttoanyproblematicissuesthatday,so
theymayfocusonthisissueintheircorepracticesession.Thecorepracticesession,inturn,isconsideredtobe
themeatandpotatoesofthestudentsdailypractice.Itisthissessionwhichcoverslessonmaterials,audition
music,andsolos.
ThecomponentsofthedailymaintenancesessionincludeaselectionofSchlossbergandArbanetudes.The
expectationisthatthestudentwillcoveralloftheetudeslistedovera23dayperiod,coveringbetweenhalf
andthreequartersoftheetudesonanygivenday.
Thestudentshouldtypicallyrest1520secondsormorebetweenexercisesintheirdailymaintenancesessions,
includingplentyoflipflapping.However,strengthtrainingsessionsmaybedoneafewtimeseachweek,in
whichstudentsplaynonstopuntiltheembouchureistired.Atthatpoint,thestudentshouldrest,then
continueinthesameveinfortwomorespurts.Thisstrengthtrainingpracticeshouldoccuronlyafewtimesa
week;dailystrengthtrainingtendstodecreaseendurancebecausethemusclesareunabletorecover.
Schlossberg,M.DailyDrillandTechnicalStudies.Baron,1941

Exercise#3
Exercise#16
Exercise#17,20
Exercise#59,60,61
Exercise#97,98,99
Exercise#118,119
Exercise#129,130

Longtones,withafocusonsound,breathing,andcleaninitialattack.
Maintainaconsistentsoundoverallthreeoctaves.
Accentednotesshouldhaveaclean,cleararticulationandfullsound
Lipslursforaddedendurance,flexibility,highrange
Maintainclear,consistentarticulationthroughouttheentirerange.
Executeatwooctavechromaticscalequicklyandfluently.
Articulationshouldbeexact;theseexercisesaccustomtheeyetorespondingto
manyaccidentals,increasingsightreadingacuity

Arban,J.B.CompleteConservatoryMethod.Colin,1981

ThefirstseveralpagesoftheArbanbookareusefulforbasicarticulation,slurring,andrhythm.Pages13
#11throughpage37covervariouskeysignatures,rhythms,andtimesignatures.

Page 4

CorePracticeSession
weeklybreakdown

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

EasyMouthpiece
Buzzing

EasyMouthpiece
Buzzing

EasyMouthpiece
Buzzing

EasyMouthpiece
Buzzing

EasyMouthpiece
Buzzing

EasyMouthpiece
Buzzing

EasyMouthpiece
Buzzing

Rewarmup

Rewarmup

Rewarmup

Rewarmup

Rewarmup

Rewarmup

Rewarmup

AirFlowStudy

AirFlowStudy

AirFlowStudy

AirFlowStudy

Fundamentals

AirFlowStudy

IntonationExercises

Scales

TechnicalEtude

IntonationExercises

Scales

AirFlowStudy

LyricalEtude

AirFlowStudy

Fundamentals

Scales

MultipleTonguing

LyricalEtude

Band/OrchestraMusic

MultipleTonguing

TechnicalEtude

TechnicalEtude

IntonationExercises

LyricalEtude

Band/OrchestraMusic

ListentoRecordings

Scales

Fundamentals

TechnicalEtude

Band/OrchestraMusic

LyricalEtude

Fundamentals

Scales

ListentoRecordings

MultipleTonguing

MultipleTonguing

MultipleTonguing

TechnicalEtude

IntonationExercises

IntonationExercises

Fundamentals

ListentoRecordings

Band/OrchestraMusic

Band/OrchestraMusic

Fundamentals

TechnicalEtude

Scales

Band/OrchestraMusic

LyricalEtude

ListentoRecordings

LyricalEtude

ListentoRecordings

MultipleTonguing

LyricalEtude

IntonationExercises

Scales

IntonationExercises

ListentoRecordings

Band/OrchestraMusic

Fundamentals

TechnicalEtude

ListentoRecordings

MultipleTonguing

Warmdown

Warmdown

Warmdown

Warmdown

Warmdown

Warmdown

Warmdown

Feelfreetoadjusttheeventsinthescheduleasyouwouldlike.Varietyinyourpracticekeepsitfreshandnew.Entriesinboldareeventswhichhappeneachdayatthesamepointin
thepracticeroutine.Otherentriesarevariedbydayandtimetoaddvariety,althoughallareasarestillcoveredeachday.

Makesuretospendtimeintheareasthatyouneedthemostwork.Differentskillsareharderfordifferentstudents,sothescheduledoesntspecifyhowlongtospendoneachskill.
Evaluateyourplayinghonestly,andfocusmoretimeonwhateveryouneedmoreworkon.

Priorinthedayyoushouldhavealreadygonethroughyourmorningwarmupanddailymaintenancesession,whichthoroughlypreparesyouforthedaysevents.Asyoubeginyour
corepracticesessionlaterthatdayorevening,yourwarmupsessionisnowreferredtoasarewarmup,andneedonlyconsistof57minutesoflongtonesandlipflexibilities.Ifthe
dailymaintenancesessionwasnotcompletedearlierintheday,afullwarmupof2025minutes,followedby3060minutesofrest,shouldprecedethepracticesession.

Typicalhighschoolauditionmaterial,includingsoloandensemblematerial,shouldbepracticed3060minutesaday.AllStateorotheradvancedmaterialshouldbepracticed60
minutesdailyorlonger.Tokeepauditionmusicfrombecomingstalefromoverpractice,dontpracticeitalone,butincorporateitintoabalancedpracticesession.Yourprivateteacher
canassignexerciseswhichreinforceskillsusedintheauditionmaterial.

Mostofthematerialincludedinthesesessionswilltypicallybeselectedbyyourprivateteacher.Ifyoudonthaveaprivateteacher,youcanusethisasaguidefordesigningyourown
practicesessions.

Core Practice Session

This is flexible chart; it is intended as a starting point, from which
the student may add or replace material as needed.

Practicematerial
Warmup
LipBuzzing
MouthpieceBuzzing
LongTones

Time
57Minutes

Rest
Fundamentals
LongTones(sound,endurance,breathing,articulatedattacks)
TonguedArticulations
LipSlurs
RhythmDrills
Intonation
Scales
Etudes(lyrical/technical)
AuditionMusic
Rest
LessonMaterial
preparationfornextweekslesson
materialcanbeduplicatedfromthefundamentalssession
Rest
SchoolMaterial
Band/OrchestraMusic

5Minutes

2025Minutes

15Minutes

20minutes
15Minutes
10minutes

Rest

5Minutes

WarmDown
57Minutes
Longtonesinthelowregisterwithlittlemouthpiecepressure
Listening
asneeded
Listentogreatmusicandmusicians;trytoemulatethem

TotalTime: 65MinutesofPlaying,includingWarmUpandWarmDown
45MinutesofRest

Page 6

Student Lesson Sheet

WarmUp:

LongTones:
LipSlurs:
IntonationStudies:

Minorscales:

Natural

Harmonic

Lyricaletudes:

Technicaletudes:

Articulations:

Majorscales:

Melodic

Single:
Double:
Triple:
AuditionMaterial:

ListeningAssignment:

NOTESfromtodayslesson/class:

Page 7

Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

Trumpetmethods

Anadvancedtrumpetstudentneedstheappropriatebooksandsolosliteraturetocontinueprogressing
smoothly.Oftenthesestudentsgetlostpracticingmaterialtheyalreadysoundgoodon,eitherbecausethey
donothavenewmusicthatisadequatelychallenging,orbecausetheyfeelmorecomfortableonmusicthat
alreadysoundsgood.

Manyofthefollowingetudebooksarecorematerialsthatshouldbeineveryadvancedtrumpetplayers
library,oravailableforcheckoutfromthebandteacher.Takenasawhole,theetudesbelowaresufficient
foracommittedstudenttobesuccessfulattheprecollegelevelandintotheirprofessionalcareer.

Arban,J.B.CompleteConservatoryMethod.Colin,1981

Consideredthemostcomprehensivepedagogicaltrumpetbookinprint,theArbanbookcovers
allareasoftrumpettechniqueaswellasduetsandcornetsolos.With380pagesofnonstop
trumpettechnique,thebookisamustforeverytrumpetstudent.

Bordogni,M.P.MelodiousEtudes.Leduc,1948

Theseetudesarearrangementsof120vocalises,setforvoiceandpianobyMarcoBordogni.The
printedpianoscoreandaCDofthepianoaccompanimentarealsoavailable.Byplayingwith
pianoonCD,thetrumpeterhasachancetotrulybeasoloist,addinganadditionaldimensionto
theusualpracticefare.

Brandt,V.ThirtyFourStudies.International,1945

Thisbookdesignedtodevelopanorchestralapproachtosound,articulation,intonationand
style.Eachetudeincludesashortorchestraltrumpetquotation,whichisincorporatedinto
originalwritinginthesamestyle.

Theetudesthemselvesarenotdifficult,butperformingthemcorrectlyrequiresbothchop
enduranceandacleargraspofthemusicalstyle.Thisbookisbeststudiedwithatrumpet
teacherwithestablishedorchestralexperience.Theetudesarecommonlyusedtopractice
transpositiononcethefundamentalskillshavebeenmastered.

Bousquet,N.ThirtySixCelebratedStudiesforCornet.CarlFischer

ConsideredaprequeltotheCharlierbook,thisbookfeaturesetudeswhicharedifficultinboth
keyandtechnique.Thestyleisthatofearly20thcenturycornetmusic.

Caffarelli,R.OneHundredStudiMelodici.Ricordi,1957

Thisbookisorientedtowardtransposition,includingspecificinstructiononeveryaspectof
transposition,andincludingbothclefandintervallictransposition.Theprefacefeaturescharts

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Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

anddescriptionsofboth.Thestudiesaremelodicandlyrical,lendingtoasonglikeapproachto
transposition.

Charlier,Theo.ThirtySixEtudesTranscendantes.Leduc,1946.

Consideredoneofthetrulygreatetudebookswrittenfortrumpet,thisbookspublicationseta
newstandardfortrumpetplaying.Thestudiesareveryadvanced,andincludebothlyricaland
technicalplaying.NewereditionscontaintheoriginalFrenchtext,soanyquestionsof
interpretationcanbeansweredwithrespecttotheoriginalsource.Apianoaccompaniment,
writtenbyJeanMarieCottet,isavailablefortenoftheetudes.

Clarke,H.L.TechnicalStudies.CalFisher,1934

ManyeducatorsbelievethattheClarkebookisdesignedforfingerdexterity.Whileitistrue
thatfingerdexterityisabyproductofthebooksdesign,itsactualintentistobuildbreathing
andapertureflexibilityandembouchurestrength.Whencombinedwithfingerdexterity,the
resultisastudentwithincreasedendurance,range,breathcontrol,flexibility,andfingerspeedin
allkeys.

Colin,C.CompleteAdvancedLipFlexibilities.Colin,revisedandedited:1980

Thisbookisanaidinbuildingatrumpetersrange,whichisincreasedrapidlywithinthefirst
sevenexercises.Colinalsodiscussestopicssuchasproperwarmup,intelligentpracticing,the
roleofthetongueinlipslurring,lipflexibility,andliptrillingandstretching.Amajorchallenge
eventogoodtrumpetplayers,adequateRESTiscrucialwhenworkingfromthisbook,toavoid
fatigueandbruising.

ConconeG.LyricalStudiesforTrumpet.TheBrassPress,1972

TheConconebookisconsideredtheprequeltotheBordognibook,andisagoodintroductionto
lyricalplaying.Themelodiesaresimpleandeasytohear,whilestillchallengingtoplay
beautifullyandmusically.Thebookprogressesfromeasytomoderatelydifficultinboth
techniqueandmusicality.Italsomakesagreattranspositiontool.

Dufresne,Gaston.DevelopSightReading.Colin,1972

TheDufresnebookisdesignedtoestablishandrefinetheperformersmusicalreflexesthrough
sightreading.The54etudesare12pageseach.Etudesshouldsimplyberead,notpracticed;
andseveralweeksshouldelapsebeforethestudentseesthesameetudeagain.Thedailypractice
ofsightreadingaccessiblemelodieshelpsthetrumpeterbegintodevelopinstinctsinmelodic
phrasingandharmonicmovement.

Gates,Everett.OddMeterEtudes.SamFoxPublishing,1962

Fillingagapintheetudeliterature,thisbookintroduces7/8,10/8,5/4,8/8,9/8,5/8,andmore.
Eachetudeisannotatedtogivetheplayerabetterunderstandingofwhatthecomposerwants.
Thebookproducesclearimprovementinstudentssightreading,aswellasfirmandimmediate
graspofpulseandmeter.

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Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

Getchell,R.SecondBookofPracticalStudies.Belwin,1948

Thesecondofatwobookvolume,Getchellexploresthefoundationsofrhythm,aswellas
discussinghowtoformulateawarmuproutine.Includedarerapiddottedrhythms,triplets,
syncopation,3/8and6/8.Theetudesshouldbepracticedinitiallywithminimalmusicality,in
ordertoemphasizeexactrhythmandarticulation.

Goldman,E.F.PracticalStudiesforTrumpet.CarlFischer,1921

Eachetudehighlightsoneparticulartechnicalidea,primarilyintheareasofarticulationand
rhythm.Studiesincludetripleanddoubletonguing,runningsixteenthnotes,3/8,6/8,
syncopation,gracenotes,andrapiddottedrhythms.

Hering,S.EtudesinAlltheMajorandMinorKeysforTrumpet.CarlFischer,1975

Amusthaveforalltrumpeteducators,thisbookoutlinesetudesineverymajorandminorkey
signature.Thewritingissimilarinallkeys,sothatetudesinmoredifficultkeysareconsiderably
harderthanthoseineasierkeys.

Irons,Earl.TwentySevenGroupsofExercises.SouthernMusicCompany,1977

Almosteverytrumpetplayerhasworkedthroughthisbookatsomepointintheircareer.
Exercisesarearrangedingroupswhichleadthestudentthroughanentireideafrombeginningto
end.Ironspaysspecialattentiontotonguepositionthroughthevariousranges.Othertopics
includebreathcontrol,lipflexibilityembouchurestrength,anddoubleandtripletonguing.

Lin,Bai.LipFlexibilities.BalquhidderMusic,1996

Thisbookisdistinctiveinthatexercisesmoveataslowpaceinordertoachieveperfectionat
eachstage,ratherthanincreasingflexibilityasquicklyaspossible.Thebookemphasizesrelaxed
throatandtonguethroughouttheexercises,aswellasfluentandconsistentairspeed.

Nagel,Robert.TrumpetStudiesinContemporaryMusic.BelwinMills,1975

Amustfortheadvancedtrumpeter,Nagelsbookcoversawidevarietyofstudymaterialwhich
reflectsthemostimportantstylesandcompositiontechniquesusedinthe20thcentury.Topics
includeintervals,rapidstaccatoplaying,dynamiccontrasts,pentatonicmode,syncopation,
impressionism,pointillism,andmore.

Paudert,E.TwentyFourModernVirtuosoStudies.CarlFischer,1964

Designedforthetechnicallyadvancedsymphonicplayer,theexercisesfeatureflowingrunsof
sixteenthnotes,triplets,andeighthnoteswiththetypicalrhythmsanddynamicrangeofthe
symphonicstyle.Anexcellentbooktodevelopsound,styleandarticulation.

Sachse,E.OneHundredStudies.International(nocopyright)

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Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

TheSachsebookwaswrittenmainlyasatranspositionstudybookfortrumpet.However,italso
featuresrhythm,unusualarticulationpatterns,intervals,variedtimesignatures,lyricaland
technicalskills.Asingleetudemayhavethestudentworkingondynamics,turns,trills,lyrical
playing,andboththelowandhigherrange.TheSachsebookisreallyaJackofalltrades.

Schlossberg,M.DailyDrillandTechnicalStudies.Baron,1941

Acornerstoneineverytrumpeterslibrary,Schlossbergsbookisanessentialintroductionto
breathingandarticulation.Materialincludeslongtones,intervals,octaves,lipflexibility,
arpeggios,andscales.TwentyminutesdailyofSchlossbergdrillswillgivethetrumpeteradaily
checkpointfortheirfundamentaltechnique,breathingandchopresponse.

Small,J.L.TwentySevenMelodiousandRhythmicalExercises.CarlFischer,1962.

TheSmallbookcanbeusedasaprequeltotheWurmbook.Thisbookconcentratesonphrasing,
syncopation,lipflexibilityanddevelopingastrongembouchurethroughetudepractice.The
bookisnotsequencedinorderofdifficultyandincludesetudesinvirtuallyeverymajorand
minorkey.

Stamp,J.WarmUps&Studies.EditionsBIM,1978

JamesStampdevelopedthesegroupsofexercisetoremedytheweeklyfatigueandinjuryhis
studentswereexperiencingfromheavyplayingintheLosAngelescommercial,studiomusic
scene.Aftermuchtrialanderror,Stampdevelopedareliable,workablesystemtogently
messageandrepairdamagedlips.Acornerstoneintheetudeliterature,thesestudiesareused
dailybyprofessionalsaroundtheworldforwarmupandwarmdown.

Wurm,W.FortyStudies.International,1963

Acollectionofmediumdifficultetudesfortheadvancingtrumpeter,manyetudesforpastTexas
AllStateauditionshavecomefromthisbook.Eachetudecoversaspecifictopic,including
intervals,articulationpatterns,harmonicsequences,andspecificrhythmicpatterns.Thisbook
alsomakesagreattranspositionstudy.ThisbookisaprequeltothePaudertbook.

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Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

Trumpetsololiterature

Thislistincludescoresololiteraturesuitablefortheadvancedhighschooltrumpeterwhoisdoing
seriousplaying,uptoandincludingcollegemusicschoolauditions.

Arutunian Aria et Scherzo

Goedicke Concert Etude Op. 45

Arutunian Concerto

Goeyens Introduction and Scherzo

Balay Andante et Allegretto

Gregson Concerto

Balay Petite Piece Concertante

Handel Aria Con Variazioni

Balay Prelude et Ballade

Haydn Concerto in Eb

Barat Andante et Scherzo

Hindemith Sonata

Bloch Proclamation

Holmes Sonata

Bozza Badinage

Hummel Trumpet Concerto in Eb

Bozza Rustiques

Kennan Sonata

Charlier Solo de Concours

Peeters Sonata Op. 51

Clarke Sounds from the Hudson

Persichetti The Hollow Men

Clarke The Bride of the Waves

Reed Ode for Trumpet

Clarke The Debutante

Riisager Concertino

Clarke The Southern Cross

Turrin Caprice

DuetBooks

Amustforanyhighschoolmusiclibrary,theseduetsareintendedforadvancedtrumpetstudents,
givingthemanopportunitytoperformandlearnfromoneanother.

Amsden,A.AmsdensCelebratedPracticeDuets.Barnhouse,1918
Arban,J.B.CompleteConservatoryMethod.Colin,1981
Gates,E.OddMeterDuets.GateMusicCompany,1964
Plog,A.TenConcertDuets.WesternInternationalMusic,1980
Vizzutti,Allan.TrumpetMethod(Book3).AlfredPublishingCompany,1991.
Voxman,H.SelectedDuets(Advanced).Rubank,1951

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Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

Mutebasics

Eachadvancedtrumpetershouldinvestinacompletesetofmutes.Thesestudentswillbe
performingwithoutsideensemblesincludingallstate,localbandsandorchestras,summermusic
festivals,andchamberensembles,andshouldhavetheappropriateequipmentreadywhenthe
musiccallsforit.

Acompletesetofmutesincludes:

1. StraightMuteofvariousmaterials,togivedifferenttonecolors
2. Adjustablecupmuteusedinconcertband,jazzbandandsololiterature
3. HarmonMuteusedinjazzandconcertband
4. Plungerusedinjazzband
5. PracticeMuteusedathometopracticeatanyhouroftheday,orwhenawayon
vacation

Acrossthevarioustypesandbrandsofmutes,thequalitiesofagoodmuteremainthesame:(1)
consistencyinallpitchanddynamicranges,(2)easeofresponse,(3)secure,stablefitinthe
trumpetbell,(4)minimalchangeinintonation,(5)desiredsoundquality,and(6)abilitytoeasily
producethedesiredvolumeofthepassagebeingplayed.

Mutesforbanduse
Becausemutesvarysomewhatintermsofmaterialandconstruction,directorsshouldoptimally
decideononeparticularmutebrandandstyleforyourtrumpetsectiontouse.Ifpossible,tryto
purchaseamatchedsetofmutesforthebandtoown,whichthestudentscancheckoutwhen
needed.Alternately,youcanhaveyourtrumpetersbuythetypeandbrandthatyouspecifyat
thebeginningoftheschoolyear.
Whenchoosingabrandforyourtrumpetsection,makesureyoulikethesoundofthemute
youreabouttoorder.Ifyouarenotfamiliarwiththesoundsofvariousstylesavailable,aska
professionalbrassplayerorteachertodemonstratesomedifferentmutesforyou.Explainto
themwhatpiecesyouarepreparing,andbespecificinthetypeofsoundyouarelookingforina
mute.Theyshouldbeabletopointyouintherightdirection.
Seriousstudentsshouldbeaskedtopurchasetheirownsetofmuteswhentheybegintoget
involvedinoutsideactivities.Theirpersonalsetmaybeleftathometopreventlossordamage;
thestudentwillcontinueusingthebandsetforbandrehearsalsandconcerts.

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Texas Bandmasters Association, 2007

Adrian Griffin, Presenter

Often, the difficulty that youngsters have with breathing well stems
from the fact that they are hardly ever allowed to play a maximum
fortissimo. And for good reason nobody practices loudly! Trying
to breathe well through a tight throat is fairly impossible anyway,
so what one often hears is poor breath support and a rather
choked sound.

A PRACTICAL AID TO A BEAUTIFUL

SOUND
byDenisWick
As every teacher knows, a good tone on any brass instrument needs
a properly set-up embouchure. A good teacher will spare no effort
to ensure that the student's embouchure is as efficient as possible.
These days one may also assume that the young player will have a
reasonable instrument and a sensible mouthpiece.

Try the following:

To this one must add what many teachers would regard as the
most important of all - good breath control.

1.

THE "BEFORE" TEST

Play the first 5 notes of the C major scale starting below the
treble clef (Bb for concert- pitched instruments), at a mezzo
piano dynamic. Remember exactly how this sounds.

2.

Play a loud, low C (concert Bb) with the practice mute. Take
a deep breath, holding shoulders down, play louder. The note
becomes less controlled with increasing volume. Try again,
much louder.

One aspect of the brass-blowing body machine which is hardly ever

emphasized enough is the throat. By opening the throat area or
closing it the tone quality can be varied enormously. Although
the differences are not as noticeable as in singing, they can easily
be heard on any brass instrument.

You will notice, as the volume increases, a "buzz" or rattle

from the end of the mute. This "buzz" wobbles and
fluctuates. Keep trying to play even louder, make sure that
the "wobbles" become more level. Breathe as deeply as
possible. Push the air through in a controlled, natural way.
Keep increasing the volume. If you begin to feel slightly dizzy,
this is quite normal and only temporary.

It remains a problem, however, to get across to the young player

the concept of "open your throat. Directions such as "swallowing a
football," "yawning outwards," or "cooling a hot potato" worked to
a greater or lesser degree, as I found in my own teaching, but
needed to be said so many times!
Then, I made my discovery, more or less by accident. It happened
when I had designed a practice mute. This was intended just to
make near-silent practice possible, but also to maintain good
intonation and a "feel" not too different from normal playing.
Absolutely essential for an orchestra on tour!
I discovered that by using my practice mute for loud practice, this
tight-throat problem could be eliminated in minutes. There was an
additional bonus in that breathing became much more efficient
when the throat was automatically opened by the resistance of the
mute.
The total result exceeded my wildest dreams! Here was a way of
speeding up the teaching process, especially with young players.
Even the smallest and weakest could sound almost professional in
volume within a matter of weeks rather than years. I well
remember a very little girl who suddenly produced an amazingly
loud fortissimo.

3.

Now, with the same or more volume, play a semitone lower,

gradually progressively descending a semitone at a time, until
you are playing the loudest low F sharp (E natural) you have
ever heard, continuing to breath as deeply as possible.

4.

Take out the practice mute, take a really deep breath and
play the "before" test again, (still in a mezzo piano dynamic,
remember!)

5.

Listen to the difference in sound. It should now be much

more open and rich in tone, as the throat is automatically
held open, thus creating a larger resonance chamber.

Each day try this exercise for 15 minutes. After a few weeks, it
should be possible to remember the "open throat" feeling when
inhaling, so that it can easily be reproduced for loud playing,
especially in the lower register; it can and should also be used for
soft playing in middle and upper registers. Soft chorales and
espressivo solos can have a whole new dimension. Awareness of
closing as well as opening the throat also makes a near-inaudible
pianissimo very easy.

I began to realize that I had stumbled upon a teaching technique

that could help young brass students in a very positive way.
Worldwide sales of my practice mutes seem to show that other
people think so too! They are now made for all brass instruments,
including tuba, euphonium, baritone, piccolo trumpet and flgelhorn.

Of course, a metal practice mute is needed to make this happen.

While fiber or cardboard mutes will function well in reducing
volume, only metal practice mutes offer the "buzz" effect, which is
essential to learn control of the throat space.

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

Gettingkidslistening
inspirationfortheears

Makingabeautifulsoundissometimesaseasyasrealizingwhatonewantstosoundlike.Studentsoften
acceptwhateversoundcomesoutoftheirhornaswhatIsoundlike.Theyforgettoholdthemselvesto
ahigherstandard,especiallyifthebestsoundtheyhearisthestudentsittingnexttothem.Ifteacherscan
offertheirstudentsimmediate,tangibleandfrequentexamplesofbeautifulandbrilliantplaying,
studentsstandardsforthemselveswillquicklyrise.

Startingalisteninglibrary
Eventhemostmodesthighschoolincludesalibrarywherestudentscanexploretheboundariesof
humanlearning,experienceandcreativity.Whyisitthatmosthighschoolmusicprogramslackamusic
librarywherestudentscangohavethesameexperiencesinthemusicalrealm?
Itisnotdifficulttobeginasmallmusiclibraryinyourbanddepartmentoreventhemainlibraryofthe
school.Involvethestudentsintheplanningprocesssothattheyareinvestedinthelibrary,haveinputin
theselectionofmusic,andwillbeexcitedtousethelibraryonceitisestablished.
Oncethelibraryisestablished,itcanbestockedwithmusicdonatedbythestudents,parents,friendsof
theschool,orlocalmusicianswhohaveextrarecordingsofaparticularpieceandwouldliketoseethem
usedandenjoyed.Thelibraryshouldrepresentmanygenres,includingjazz,blues,rock,symphonic
band,brasschambermusic,bigband,andclassicalmusicofeveryperiod(Renaissance,baroque,
classical,romantic,andmodern).
Themusicallibrarycanalsoincludescoresofthemusicthestudentsarecurrentlyplayinginband,as
wellasscoresforsomeoftheCDsinthelibrary.Moststudentshaveneverseenascorebefore,andwill
gainsophisticationastheybegintounderstandthelayoutofthescore,followthemusictheyarehearing,
andlearnthemeaningofperformancemarkingstheyhavenotseenbefore.

Structuredlisteningassignments
Directorsmayfinditusefultorequirethatstudentstosignupfortwotimeslotsduringwhichtheywill
listentotheirUILbandmusic,aspartoftheirrequiredbandassignments.Whilesomestudentsmaydo
thisontheirown,settingtherequirementensuresthateachstudenthasthisvaluableexperience,and
maybeaniceopportunityforthemtointeractwiththebanddirectorbeforeorafterschool.
Duringclass,encourageyourstudentstodeveloptheirownmusiclibrary,whetherinCD,itunesormp3
format.Sincestudentsareprobablyalreadydevelopingtheirlibraryofpopularmusic,itisrelatively
easyandcheapforthemtodiversifyintostylesofmusicthatarerelevantfortheirinstrument.

Liveperformances,liveinspiration
Inadditiontorecordings,thereisabsolutelynosubstituteforseeingmusiciansperformlive.The
immediacyofwatchingtheplayersonstage,aswellasbeingapartofanaudience,lendsanenergytothe
musicalexperiencethatjustcannotbematchedthroughasetofearbuds.Whenstudentshearlivemusic,

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

youcanalmostfeeltheelectricityfromthem.Theygetexcited,nervousandanxioustowatchsomeone
elsedowhattheydobutatahighlevel.
Arrangefieldtripsforstudentstoseethelocalsymphonyorchestra,acollegewindbandormarching
band,jazzbands,andmariachibands,orevenaliveDCIcontest.Establishafundtobringgroupsinto
theschool,performingeitherforthebandclassesorfortheschoolasawhole.Variousorganizationsmay
offereducationalprogrammingthatiseitherpartiallyorfullyunderwrittenbygovernmentcultural
educationdollars.

Bringingperformancesintotheclassroom
Askyourlessonteacherstoplayinallthestudentslessonsasmuchaspossible.Thisservesasaconcrete
modelforthestudents,aswellasaconstantsourceofinspiration.
Aneasywaytogainexposureforyourbandmembersistobringinanoutsideperformereitherduring
classorafterschool.Musicstudentsfromalocaluniversitywouldbehappytohaveachancetoperform
theirrecitalprogramasadryrun,andyourstudentswillgettomeetastudentmusicianwhois
intermediatebetweenthemselvesandtheprofessionalworld.Theopportunitycanbesetupthroughthe
privateteacherattheuniversity,whowillappreciatehisstudentshavingtheopportunitytogain
performanceexperience.
Itisinvaluabletobringinaprofessionalmusiciantogivearecitalandmasterclassforthestudents.The
studentswillgainconfidenceininteractingwithanotherprofessional,aswellasusefultipsand
experiencefromateacherotherthantheirprimarylessonteacher.Thewholeexperiencewillencourage
yourstudentstotakethemselvesseriouslyasmusicians,notonlyinthebandcontextbutasfutureadults
inthelargermusicalworld.

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

TheMarchingBandMonster
Beingthefirstchairtrumpeterinahighschoolbandprogramcanbesomewhatdaunting.These
studentsfacemanyresponsibilitiesthatbanddirectorsmayeasilytakeforgranted,includingleadership,
superhumanchopstrength,limitlesshighrange,andendlessfreetimetopracticetomakeAllState.
Ofcoursetheseareexaggerations,howmanyofusreallydowantthesethingsfromourtoptrumpeters,
whetherweconsciouslyrealizeitornot?
Thephysicalchopstressofplayingfirstchairallyearcanbeeliminatedbyensuringthesestudents
alwayshavegoodwarmupandwarmdowntime,aswellasusingthedailymaintenanceroutine(see
above).
Whilethefunctionofthewarmupiswellknown,agoodwarmdownisequallyimportant.Trumpeters
muscleswilltightenafteralongworkout,justlikethemusclesofarunnerafteramarathon.Thewarm
downgivesthesemusclesachancetostretchandloosenbeforetheinstrumentgoesbackinthecase.
Itisverytemptingforstudentstosimplypackupandraceoutthedoorafteralongrehearsalorpractice
session.Theyareusuallytiredbothmentallyandphysically,andhaveotherthingstotakecareof,
includinghomework.However,thenextday,theresultismusclesthataretight,rigid,and
unresponsive.Thefewminutesofwarmdownarewellworththetrouble.
Toavoidperformanceinjuriesandbadperforminghabitsarisinginmarchingband,Iwouldapproach
marchingbandfromaconcertbandperspective,asfarasthestudentsplayingisconcerned.Theyneed
toplaywithabeautiful,richsound,littletension,goodbreathing,appropriatedynamics,andgood
posture.Theyneedtomaintainexcellentselfcareroutinesintermsofwarmup,warmdown,strength
training,andlipcare.

Issuesduringthemarchingseason
Playingontiredlips:Studentsmustavoidpushingtheirlipspasttheirlimit;otherwise,seriousbruising
orinjurycanresult.Iftheirlipsareverytired,theyshouldtaketheirperformancelevelbackfrom100%
to50%or30%.Theymaydothisbyplayingsofter,lessaggressively,andtakinghighpartsdownan
octavewhenfeasible.Doingthisforonerehearsalwillhelpthemregainstrengthandavoidinjuriesthat
cantakethemawayfromthetrumpetforalotlonger.
Ideally,studentsshouldnotplayonsorelips;theyarenotprofessionalsinajobsituation,andthereisno
reasontoflirtwiththeriskofinjury.Crucially,though,ifthestudentexperiencesactualpainintheir
embouchurewhenbeginningtowarmupfortheday,theyshouldtakethatdayofffromplaying,and
shouldnotplayuntilthepainisgone.Ifthepainisnotgoneafterfourdays,theyshouldconsulta
professionaland,iftheproblemisnotresolved,seeadoctor.
Switchingtoahighnotemouthpiece:Iftheleadtrumpeterisunabletoplaythehighnotesontheir
standardsymphonicmouthpiece,theyshouldfeelcomfortablerequestingtomovetoalowerpart.While
switchingtoashallowhighnotemouthpieceisanoption,thiscanresultinmajorsoundandtechnique
issues.
Ifthestudentdoeswanttotrythehighnotemouthpiece,theyshouldworkwithaprofessionaltrumpet
playertomakesuretheirtechniqueremainssolidandthatareabletoadapttowhichevermouthpiece
theyareusingatthemoment.

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Intonation:Thetemperaturedifferencebetweenoutsideandinsidecandoseverethingstothetrumpets
intonation.Studentswillneedtoadjustcarefullywiththetuningslide,andlistentomakesuretheyare
intunewiththegroup.
Sweatyhands:Thesweatinourhandscontainsmoistureandacidsthatcaneatawaythefinishona
brassinstrument.Aftereachpractice,especiallyoutdoorrehearsals,studentsshouldwipedowntheir
instrumentsaftereachuse,sothatitstayslookinggood.
Dehydration/Overhydration:Studentsneedtodrinkenoughwatertoavoiddehydration,heat
exhaustion,andpossiblypassingout.However,iftheydrinktoomuchwatertheycanbecomesickfrom
animbalanceofelectrolytes.
Trumpetsafety:Studentsseemtothinkthatwherevertheyputtheirinstrument,itwillbesafefromthe
concretefieldtheyaremarchingontothegrass.Theonlysafeplacefortheirinstrumentsisinthecase.
Theyshouldtakethecaseswiththemtothefieldandreturntheinstrumentstothecaseswhentheyare
onbreakandattheendofrehearsal.

Returningfrommarchingbandtoconcertplaying
Trumpetangle:Manytimesthehightrumpetanglefrommarchingbandcarriesoverintotheconcert
bandafterthemarchingseasonisover.Studentsneedtoreadjusttheirheadandtrumpetanglewhen
returningtoseatedplaying.
Handposition:Studentsoftenadjusttheirhandpositionswhenonthefield,inordertobalancethe
weightoftheinstrumentoralleviatepressureproblems.Forexample,someplayersadjusttheirlefthand
toholdtheinstrumentwithonlytheirthumbandfirsttwofingers,andmayputtheirpinkyinthehook
toaddpressuretogetthehighnotes.
Whenreturningtotheconcertbandsetting,thetraditionalhandpositionispreferred.Thisposition
allowsforgreatereaseofslides,healthymouthpiecepressure,andincreasedagilityintherighthand.
Overplayingtheinstrument:Tryingtofilltheentirestadiumwithyoursoundcanbeabigjob.When
studentsmovefromthestadiumtotheconcerthalltheywilloftenneedtoadjusttheirdynamiclevels
back.

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

PrivateLessons
Developingarelationshipwithamentorisapotentiallylifechangingexperienceforstudentsofevery
age.Apersonalrelationshipwiththebanddirectorismotivatingforyouradvancedstudentsnotonlyin
theirtrumpetplaying,butmayalsoofferimportantemotionalsupportandamuchneededrolemodel.
Howevermuchadirectorcaninspire,motivate,andsupportthestudents,arelationshipwithaprivate
teacherhasthepotentialtodothesethingsonamoreindividuallevel,aswellaskeepingthemconstantly
challengedmusically.
Foranadvancedtrumpetstudentaonehourlessonisanecessity.Anhourlessonallowsfordepthin
addressingtheissuesandproblemsintheyoungtrumpetersplaying,aswellasfurtherdevelopingtheir
skillset.Italsooffersadequatetimetocoverrepertoire,includingadvancedsololiterature,developing
musicianship,learningexcerpts,andsightreading.
Equallyimportant,alongerlessontimealsoallowsfortherelationshipaspectofthestudentteacher
relationship.Ifalessontimeistooshort,theteachermaylookattheirstudentsasanassemblylinerather
thanindividuals.Whentheteachermustpushrapidlythroughmaterialeachlesson,neitherthestudent
northeteacherhasachancetodevelopagenuinebond.Thisconnectionandtrustiswhathelpsthe
studenttocommittheresourcesneededtorisetothehighestlevelasaplayerandmusician.
Atypicalhourlessonwouldtypicallyincludethefollowing:

WarmUp
LyricalStudy
TechnicalBasics(articulation,intonationstudieswithlongtones,lipslurs,scales)
TechnicalStudy
Solo
AuditionMaterial
WarmDown

Ifyourschooldoesnotcurrentlyofferamusiclessonprogram,amentorshipprogramcanhelptofilla
gap,atleastfortheyoungerstudents.Youradvanced,maturetrumpetstudentscanteachtheyounger
trumpetersforanominalfee,ortomeetcommunityservicerequirementsrequiredforgraduation.The
programcanbebroadenedtoincludeareamiddleschoolsaswell,whichultimatelywillraisethelevelof
thehighschoolbandaswellascreatingfriendshipsbetweenyourmostexperiencedplayersandentering
freshman.
Throughmentoring,theadvancedstudentswillbehelpingtoraisethelevelofthebandforyearsto
come.Inthemeantimetheyarelearningimportantteachingskillsandgainingconfidenceinthemselves
andtheirownexperience.

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

PerformingwithOthers

Themoreexperiencethatwecangiveourstudents,thegreatertheirbreadthanddepthasmusicians.
Studentscanplayincommunitybandsandorchestras,allstateordistrictensembles,performattheir
churchasasoloistorwithanensemble,orplaychambermusicintheschoolsettingorelsewhere.

Advancedstudentsshouldbeencouragedtotakeadvantageofasmanyextracurricularperforming
opportunitiesastimeallows.Theexperienceofbeinginfrontofmanydifferentconductorsandworking
withmusiciansofallageshelpsthestudentgrownotonlymusically,butalsointermsofprofessionalism
andattitudes.Theadvancedstudentgainsmaturityandleadership,whichwillbemirroredintheband
asawholeasotherstudentsbegintoemulatetheirmoresophisticatedpeers.

Gettingstudentsinvolvedwithlocalchurchesisanexcellentideaformusicaldevelopment.Often
churchesarelookingformusicianstocomplementtheirspecialservicesforholidaysandweddings.
Theserelationshipsarealsoapotentialsourceofrecommendationsforcollegeandscholarshiphelp.The
studentwillfeelempoweredbyprovidingaservicetothecommunity,andfromtherecognitionthey
receiveforsolosandotherspecialperformances.

Chambermusicisamustforanadvancedstudent.Theyneedtoexperiencewhatitisliketobethesole
musicianresponsibleforaparticularpart,andthepartsthemselvesareoftenmoresoloistic.The
experienceofworkingwithacloseknitgroupofmusicianswiththeirownmusicalopinionsisa
tremendousgrowingexperience,bothmusicallyandpersonally.

SummerMusicFestivalsandCamps
Musicfestivalsandcampsareawonderfullearningopportunityforyourstudents.Musiccampsextend
thelearningbeyondthelastdayofschool,whenmanystudentsplacetheirinstrumentintotheircaseto
hibernateuntilmarchingbandcampstartsupagaininlatesummer.
Summermusiccampsofferstudentsexperienceinadvancedlargeensembles,masterclasses,smallgroup
ensembles,lessons,andcoachingfromgreatteachersandartistslocallyandnationally.Havingevena
fewstudentsparticipateinamusiccampcandramaticallybenefittheband,bothintermsofindividual
sectionsandalsothroughtheexperiencesthatthestudentsbringbacktotheirpeers.
Youcanexpectthesestudentstoreturnwithgreatertechnicalproficiency,increasedmusicalsensitivity,
greaterconfidenceinperformance,amoresophisticatedunderstandingofthelargermusicalworld,and
aclearersenseoftheirownskillsandcourseofstudy.
Socially,musiccampsgiveadvancedstudentsaplacetofeelliketheybelong.Advancedmusicstudents
aresometimesalienatedintheirownbandprogramsimplyforexcellingattheirinstrument.Music
campsgatherstudentsfromallaroundthecountrywhosharecommoninterestsanddesiretomakegreat
music.Thesestudentsarereadytofeedoffeachothersenergyandexcitement,andtheresultisintense
musicmakingandstrongfriendships.
Ifyourelucky,thesestudentswillbringbacktheirexperiencesandgainedtalentstoyourbandand
sharethemwiththeirpeers.Quiteoftenthisisallthatisneededtocreateasparkinotherstudentsto
stepupandexpectmorefromthemselves.

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

DevelopingtheMultipleTongue

Articulationiswhatgivesdefinitiontothenotesofamusicalphrase.Asinpainting,the
edgesofthenotescanbesharpandwelldefinedortheymayhaveasofteredge.Goodmusicians
consciouslythearticulationstyleforaparticularpassage;anyvariationinthearticulationwillbe
intentionalratherthantheresultofinconsistenttechnique.

SingleTonguing

Asyouareprobablyalreadyaware,singletonguingisusedwhenthenotesareinaslowenoughtempo
thatthetipofthetonguehastimetoreturntothehardpalate(roofofthemouth,towardthefront)for
eachnewnote,resultingintoutoutoutoutoutou.Asnotesbecomefasterthanthestudentswillbe
abletosingletongue,yourstudentswillalternatetouwithkou.Thisalternationiscalledmultiple
tonguing.
Youmaybefamiliarwithmethodbooksthatspellthetonguingsyllablestuandku.Themost
popularpedagogicalsourceofthesesyllableswasabookwrittenbyJeanBaptistArban,aFrenchman.
Forthisreason,thepronunciationofthesesyllablesshouldbeunderstoodinthatlanguage,andthey
shouldrhymewithBoo!Thisarticlewillspellthemtouandkoutoemphasizethecorrect
pronunciation.
ThetouandkousyllablesfacilitateaquickerdoubleandtripletonguethanAmericanapproximation
tuhandkuh.Thepuretouispronouncedmoretowardsthefrontofthemouth,whilekuhis
pronouncedinthebackofthemouth.Theefficiencyofthetouwillcreateasmoother,quicker
articulationforyourstudents.
Tryhavingyourtrumpeterspronouncetoutoutoutoutououtloud,keepingaseamless,steadysound.
Havethemkeeptheairflowconstantthetonguesimplyintersectstheairflowtocreatethearticulationat
thebeginningofthenote.Thetongueneverstopstheair;itmerelyinterruptsacontinuousairflow.
Nowhavethemtrythesamethingwithkou.Theyshouldusetheverytipoftheirtongueto
pronouncetou,andthefrontmiddleportiontopronouncekou.Oncetheyhavepracticedthese
syllablesoutloudtoahighlevelofconsistency,havethemtrythesamethingontheirtrumpet.
Multipletonguing

Onceyourstudentshaveestablishedafastandconsistentsingletonguingonbothsyllables,theyare
readytobeginmultipletonguing.Youwillactuallyhavethemstartwithtripletonguing,sincethis
doesntrequirethemtoswitchbetweentouandkouoneverysinglenote.
OncetheygetafirmgraspofhowtotripletongueTouTouKou,theywillthenbebetterequippedto
handletherapidalternationoftheTouKouindoubletonguing.Tripletonguingcombinesthe
syllablesofdoubletonguinginathreenotepattern.Iftripletonguinghasalreadybeenestablished,
doubletonguingwillbemucheasieryousimplehavetodropasyllable.
Likesingletonguing,multipletonguingmustbepracticedslowlyandcarefully,sothattheyhavegood
controlateveryspeed.Inmultipletonguing,kouistheweakestsyllable,simplybecausetheyvebeen
usingtousincetheirbeginningdays.

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

Nowthattheyvelearningmultipletonguing,practicearticulatingslowpassagesusingonlythekou.
Thegoalistomakethekousoundidenticaltotou.Oncetheyfeelcomfortablewiththisarticulation,
havethemaddthetouandkoutogetherslowly.Havethemgraduallyincreasethespeed,varying
thedynamicaswellsotheirtonguingisflexible.
Multipletonguingisarapidreflectionoftheirsingletongue.Ifyourstudentsdonthavearapidsingle
tongue,theirmultipletonguewontbefastenougheither.
Etudebooksthatfocusspecificallyontonguing:

1.Arban,J.B.CompleteConservatoryMethod.Colin,1981

2.GoldmanE.F.ExercisesforDoubleandTripleTonguing.CarlFischer,1912

3.Hering,S.DoubleandTripleTonguing.CarlFischer,2004

4.Goldman,E.F.PracticalStudiesforTrumpet.CarlFischer,1921

5.Vizzutti,A.TrumpetMethod(BookI).AlfredPublishingCompany,1991

6.Irons,Earl.TwentySevenGroupsofExercises.SouthernMusicCompany,1977

7.Charlier,Theo.ThirtySixEtudesTranscendates.Leduc,1946.etudes#16and#18.

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Adrian Griffin, Presenter

DevelopingHighRange

Youngstudentsdreamofdevelopingabrilliant,earthshatteringhighrange.Withtrumpetgiantsofthe
likesofMaynardFergusonandWayneBergersonitsnowonder.Theresjustoneproblem:how?
Thesetrumpetersspendmostoftheirtimeplayinginthehigherrangeofthetrumpet;sonaturally,they
havedevelopedaspecialtyforthatparticulartechnique.Whatdoesthismeanforstudents?Simplyput,
toplayinthehighrangeastudentneedstopracticetheirhighrangeonaconsistentbasis.
Isuggeststudentsdohighrangeworkonlyeveryotherday.Ittakesanextremeamountoflipand
embouchurestrengthtoperforminthehighrangeofthetrumpet.Ifastudentspendstoolonginthat
extremerange,theycancausemusclefatigueor,worse,permanentmuscledamage.Withabidaily
routine,themuscleshavetimetorecoverandregainstrength.
Thestudentspracticesessionshouldalwaysincludeplentyofrestbetweenboutsofplaying,givingthe
embouchuremusclestimetorecoverandreplenishtheirbloodsupply.Agoodwarmupandwarmup
willhelppreventinjuries.
Ifthestudentexperiencessorenesswhentheybegintheirwarmupfortheday,theyshouldideallytake
thedayofffromplaying.Takingtimeofftheinstrumentisabsolutelyrequirediftheyexperiencepainintheir
embouchure;theyshouldnotreturntoplayinguntilthepainisgone,andneedtoconsultaprofessionalif
itcontinuesformorethanfourdays.
Ifthestudenthashadtotaketimeawayfromtheinstrument,agoodsessionoflow,longtoneswill
gentlymassagethemusclesbackintoeverydayperformancelevels.
Thehighrangemustnotbeforced,particularlyintermsofpressureputonthelipsbythemouthpiece.
Usingfastairwilloftencorrectproblemsofconsistency,accuracy,andgoodsound.
Studentsshouldpacetheirupwardascentoverweeksandmonths,makingsuretheembouchureis
strongenoughtoreachthenextnoteintheprogression.

ExercisestoDevelopStrength

1. LongTonessounddevelopmentandembouchurestrength

2. LipSlursflexibilityneededforthesubtletyoftheaperturemovementinthehighrange.

3. Arpeggiosconsistentsoundthroughouttheentirepitchrange

4. Glissandosusingfastairtomoveupthroughthepartialsproducedbyagivenfingering

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