| Ten Minute Warm-Up.
This is a simple but effective warm-up in two exercises.
EX. ONE=
Classic Cichowicz Flow Study in half notes, downward pattern. G-F#-G-A-C-A-G-E-C. Rest as long as you play, continue down by half steps seven times ending on low F#. Full free sound, constant air flow, sound like Phil Smith.....or as close as possible!
EX. TWO=
Tonal Area Phrase Ascending and Descending. Take a tonality (Maj. Pentatonics for example), begin with low C and ascend one octave up and descend back to the lowest note on the horn. C-D-E-G-A-C-A-G-E-D-C-A-lowG. Do this pattern up by whole steps (everyother one, D Maj. Pent. would be next) through your playing range. Since this is not a range exercise but a warm-up, play until the tone production is easy and natural. I like to alternate slur/tongue, slur the first tongue the next and slur the next etc. If you start with C today, start with C# tomorrow to cover all keys. Practice each study slowly but with motion, using easily all the air in your capacity. Go from the center of one note right to the center of the next.
If part of a longer work out routine it would be easy to go on to Lip Flex next, tonguing and technique, range studies, etudes, etc. But for a ten minute warm up this works pretty well. You can go through many tonal areas over time, Minor Pentatonics, 7th chords, Dim. Scales, Major/Minor Scales. |