Richard Oliver

Manny, I'm 49, a comeback player -- 7 months in after 25 years off. I do not study privately now, though I did formerly for 4 years with Walter Laursen in Pasadena, Calif.

Was there a point in your own playing when you turned a corner and could play the Technical Studies blazingly fast and controlled when 2 months prior you could not, for example?

Or was your progress steady, until you could play them blazingly fast and controlled?

Thank-you,

Richard Oliver

W Scott

Well, I'm not Manny but I couldn't pass up the chance to comment. I'm a 45 y/o comebacker, been playing again for almost 9 years (am i still a comebacker?). Anyway, I've been studying with a really good pro for the last year and doing Clarkes for a full year now. My teacher can do these so fast it is just unreal. I can't, even after a year, but I'm getting faster month by month. So, slow and steady is how it seems to work for me. Also, just being able to play and hit all of the really low notes can be tough. I did just have a breakthrough where, for some reason, I can now after one year consistently hit the low F# coming down from High C's, double D's and E's.

So, get a metronome and see how fast you are going now. Each week, add a 'click' or 'two' to the speed and you will see progress.

Bill

Richard Oliver

Yes Bill. That's the plan.

Happy Practicing,

Richard Oliver

cornetguy

i tell my students that finger accuracy is more important the speed and sound is more important then speed. listen for evenness of sound and that all the notes have the best sound you can make. blow the air through them and keep it moving.

Energy411

I'm still new to this site, so please bear with me, i.e. read more than the first sentence . I really hit a speed breakthrough when I realized that the fingers and air work independently of each other. you can't blow harder just because your fingers are flying, you have to keep the breathe the same. Use a lot of loose, free, energized air, and trust that your fingers know where to go. If you've been doing clarke's for only a couple of months, you probably have the exercieses memorized. Try not using the music a few times and just free up any tension in your breath and in your right hand. Take your right hand off the trumpet (not playing of course) and see just how freely and easly those things (fingers) really do move. (I continue to see just how much smarter my body is than I am.) Just let your fingers fly around really quickly, loosely. Then Take it to the trumpet and try to let your fingers move that freely over the exercise. If it's not clean at first, that's okay, just loosen stuff up, blow that loose free energized air down the middle and let those fingers fly.
Conversly, your sound concept and body work as one and bring your air and fingers together. If you keep your sound the same, and your concept of sound in your head is strong, your body will figure out how to play these evenly and freely. Does it happen over night? Heck No...Gotta go after it the right way for a long time, but if you hear it clean, and release the tension in your right hand and breath, play with the most beautiful, energized sound you can imagine, I think you'll find that your body will figure it out and those clarke's will clean themselves up much quicker than you might think. Please feel free to reply. Like I said, I'm a newb for posting here. Advancement isn't made without a little rubber meeting the road!