Dave

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Vulgano Brother

Tough question. I'll vote for lots of the same fundamental flexibility and flow, but you can start preparing for the improv with the technical studies. Vizzutti has tons of studies based on various scale types that will get the changes under your fingers. A cheaper route, if you don't have his books, is to do what he used to -- Clarke studies in whole-tone, or dominant-diminished scales, for example. It can really make our brains hurt, and is still fun!

Dave

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rowuk

For a one hour session my general balance when I have a choice, is:
On the Bb:5 minutes long tones, 10 minutes slurs (Irons book), 20 minutes etudes/scales/velocity studies, On what ever horn(s) is(are) necessary for the next job: 25 minutes whatever repertoire is coming up next.
The largest chunk is always repertoire, more often than not with a metronome. Rhythmic stability needs to be practiced too and gremlins creep into my playing on a regular basis. If the session has been rough (quite often it is when I practice the natural trumpet), I will play a couple of long tones at the end to "relax"

Dave

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rowuk

I couldn't disagree more. Jazz repertoire are all the standards out there. 50,000 tunes just waiting to be indelibly etched into your brain. How long until a fake book is memorized? All those great tunes and changes provide inspiration for your "next" chorus! Knowing that stuff makes you "saleable"!

bilboboone

Like you David, I sometimes have trouble fitting in everything I want to do into my daily practice schedule. Here are a few ideas for you to either try or disregard at your discretion.

Journal Practice sessions - helps me keep track of what I have been practicing and omitting, my metronome speeds, and generally organize my practice.

Rotate daily exercises - Continue your daily exercises but shorten time devoted to it each day and rotate which ones you do on which days freeing up more time to practice music (repertoire) while still regularly practicing everything.

Integrate daily routines into learning repertoire - Often times I kill 2 birds with one stone by practing scale patterns, tounging, slurring, long tones, etc. over the changes of a song. Aebersold Vol1 has 20 examples of exercises that can be played over changes to learn changes. I use these exercises and modify them as neccesary to work on daily exercises over chord changes. Helps to learn changes, helps to learn patterns to use over changes, and helps my technique just as a daily exercise would. (you can also use many other exercises such as Clarke or Vizzutti and modify them to fit over changes.)

ROGERIO

At the back of the Ernest Williams complete method he has about 45 minutes worth of work designed for pros to maintain ALL areas of their playing.

They aren't as difficult as you may think and they do cover just about everything you may need to keep things up and running. I switch back and forth between my Bb and C, and sometimes I'll do the entire 45 minutes on the cornet.

I'm not a pro player, but I started this recently because I only have a few hours a day to practice. This way I can do the required (45 minutes), Rest, then focus on current music demands for an hour.

Of course, anyone can do the same by earmarking Arban's. But I'm the kind of person that likes to have everything packaged-up. "Start here - end here - now put it away". So maybe copies out of the Arban would work too.

TrentAustin

My basic thought is the more fun you have the more you'll want to practice. That naturally will lead to increased technique and enjoyment!

I always tell my students to keep their horns out of the case and when they walk by to play a few notes. Almost always that gets them to play a few more minutes a day!
-T

Solar Bell

Agreed Trent,

I keep my horns on the stand beside the piano, always out where I can see them.

-cw-