6pk

Manny

I wanted to ask you what you thought of the Maggio Method, and how and when to use it?

Below is a brief(ish) explaination of my experience.

For me it's been a recent revalation and has sorted out some problems I've been "putting off" solving for a long time.
These problems were mainly

Closing up in the high register, say above a concert C#(closing in the mouth and throat)
Totally inability to use any mouthpiece smaller than a Bach 1c.

With the help of this method, it seems to have solved both these issues and its opened so many doors. This week we're playing WS story Symph Dances, boy its easier been made so much easier! I wish I'd done it ten years ago.

What are your thoughts on this, anything to look out for?

Thanks in advance

Jonathan Clarke

Manny Laureano

Dear Jonathon,

Other than the famous picture of the chimp forming what looks like a trumpeter's embouchure I don't know anything about the Maggio approach. Likewise Caruso, Stamp, Pivot and others that are popular amongst many players.

I only ever caution people against methods that de-emphasize the ability of hearing notes before you play in a musical setting. I don't see why that should ever not be part of any method where the ultimate aim is to be a good musician not just trumpeter.

What I do know is that you have been successful with it and you sound happy. That's worth a lot to you, I'd say. So, stay happy!

ML

6pk

Manny

Thanks for your prompt reply! Yeah that chimp does look hilarious!
It does seem to be a very technically orientated approach, and you're right, it has helped me and made me happy, and I was dying to tell someone, as sad as that may be haha.

I love the Minnesotas recording of Alpine Symphony by the way, very inspiring!

talcito

You would be amazed how much that chimp resembles my mother-in-law

In NYC, many of the players who come from Cuba believe that system has given them great results. This is also the result of Arturo Sandoval recomending this system over the years.

Rgale

Maggio was a trumpeter who ,due to an injury, was unable to play. He devised this method to heal himself. It involoves a lot of scale and arpeggio work going from the normal into the pedal register and back. It is a lot like Claude Gordon's method, which is not surprising because Gordon studied with Maggio, as well as with Herbert L. Clarke.
I also found this approach helpful . I took some lessons with Gordon, and my old teacher , Fred Sautter, also studied with him. You work hard at it, but the results are very stabilizing ,expecially to a young player.

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Listen to your inner voice before it says ,"I told you so".

Alex Yates

I agree with Manny that it is always a good habit to incorporate musical thought into any work we do to maintain and/or improve our trumpet playing. On the other hand, some of these methods, Maggio for instance, address the athletic aspect of what we do. Playing sports my entire life, I understand the importance of "cross-training", warming the muscles up and down, and strength training - all done to supplement and enhance the actual sport at hand. When I played racquetball six days a week, I never skipped stretching nor doing a few "drills" before going all out on the court. The same for softball......lots of stretching and drills before actually playing the game. Weight training also plays an important part in maintaining strength and agility on the court or on the field and keeping injuries at bay. This is how I see Maggio, Stamp, etc. I find Maggio extremely helpful in building corner strength and increasing air efficiency. I find Stamp helpful along the same lines. These methods, while not the most interesting musically, can be very beneficial physically and great "training".

trpt2345

I find myself a little leery of analogies to sports. Lips are not muscles that need warming up and cooling down and stretching. One needs to be healthy of course and aerobics that help lung efficiency and breathing can't hurt.

I'm not sure exactly what the Maggio method is but I did get a bunch of pedal tone exercises from someone who went to Cuba curiously enough. I've used them from time to time, and I find them helpful from a focus and flexibility standpoint, especially when I'm trying to get back in shape after a layoff. There were a couple of summers where I taught a brass section four hours a day and we spent about 30 minutes a day on pedal tone arpeggio stuff. My chops were sparkling that whole time.

Michael McLaughlin

"The most important thing in acting, above all, sincerety. Once you can fake that, you're in." George Burns

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Chicago MM

sinfoniantrumpeter

hmm...maybe i'm outta the loop or something

Alex Yates

While lips are not muscles themselves, they are greatly supported by muscle. For clarification, my athletic reference was for facial muscles and cardiovascular performance. Also, the tongue is a muscle as well and while not as involved in strength as facial muscles, should be kept flexible and "in shape". Even Barbara Butler states in her "routine" that we must be musicians and athletes. There is also the aspect of keeping up coordination - which also crosses easily into sports analogy. If I took time off from any sport, the first thing to go was coordination and timing. I believe a good phrase for it would be "disciplined regularity", which falls into the muscle memorization category. This is a big factor in most athletics as well. Methods like Maggio address these aspects of trumpet playing and have little to do directly with music IMVHO.

Manny Laureano

Michael and Alex are both quite right, sinfonian.

The lips themselves need the supple flexibilty to form part of the embouchure but also the strength from the surrounding muscles like the buccinators among other facial muscles. So, the daily practice we do, if done properly and consistently, will keep our endurance and high register healthy.

But the middle part of the lips are not the "muscular" part of the lips and we should not force them to become "strong" any more than we should focus on having "strong abs". A six pack of abs is of no real use to a trumpeter as a goal in life. Sure, there are plenty of well-built young trumpeters who look very athletic and play well but it's certainly not because of those strong abs.If they play well it's because of the ability to relax those abs on the inhale and exhale.

Think of the surrounding muscles of the embouchure as legs. If your legs are weak you can't dance. If you're legs are stiff you can't dance. There must be a correct balance for you to dance with agility and endurance. Your legs have to let you dance slowly, quickly, gracefully, athletically, and for a long time if need be.

ML