Manny Laureano

I have most of the morning off so I'm getting some practicing in and wanted to give you guys something new to work on.

I did some of my usual warm-up and I'm ready to go. I wanted to work on double tonguing and delicate playing, so, I combined them. This is for advanced players (that means you can double tongue, have a dependable High C, and have good endurance).

It's a very simple exercise in terms of knowledge required. The challenge comes in how high your standards are. In other words, you have to listen to yourself in a comparative context.

Here's how it goes:

1) Set the metronome to no faster than half note=88

2) You will play a two octave chromatic scale, double tongued, only notes on the quarter. More clearly, CCCC, C#C#C#C#, DDDD, EbEbEbEb, etc. So, when you're done with a measure you've played 16 notes but only 4 different notes. Got it?

3) the loudest you play is mezzo forte

4) You must notice how nice your sound is at the very beginning and maintain that SAME sound all the way up and all the way down. This is the hard part. You're looking for recording quality. The sound must stay rich, full, with no thinning as you ascend. The sound must be just as beautiful at the end as it was when you started out.

5) When you "perfect" that, go up a half step and repeat. Continue up in half steps until you max out.

Sounds easy, right?

Fine, grab your horn and give it a shot. Do this for no longer than 5 minutes, maximum at a time. Remember, beautiful sound, stay with the metronome, and NO THINNING of the sound in the upper register!

Let me know how it goes.

This is one way to build a classical style upper register and the endurance to stay up there for a while.

ML

tpter1

Gonna have to try this, but I have rehearsal in about an hour, so not right now...may be later.

Point of clarification: on step #2, you mena 4 16ths per pitch, yes?

Well, now my conscience got me and I'll have to try it out a bit. Here goes!

Bugleboy21

The title of this thread should be "Mean....Simply Mean..."

LOL. I will give this a shot in the morning. I'm done performing for today.

Larry

Manny Laureano

Glenn,

Yes, that's right. Tuku-tuku, tuku-tuku, tuku-tuku, tuku-tuku is one measure but four different notes ascending upward chromatically until you hit the top note and then it's the same but descending. If one wants to think of it as quarter=176, that's fine, too.

The sound is the critical point in this exercise; recording quality sound.

ML

Jimi Michiel

Does that mean I can do one measure at a time and then splice them together later?

Vulgano Brother

So, in Tab Notation that would be: 00001231231231231313131323232323121212121111222200 002323232312121212111122220000?

Manny Laureano

ML

FreshBrewed

This exercise is really making me work. I find the higher I go, the louder I want to go. This is definitely something I am going to do on a regular basis. Thanks Manny.

haha VB!

Rgale

"Sounds easy , right?"

No, Mr. Laureano, it doesn't and it isn't.....not with recording quality sound as you rightly specify.
Great exercise- thanks!

Manny Laureano

Guys,

I really appreciate that you're giving it a whirl. I'm hoping to make our community aware of the choices we can make while we're working. I'm hoping to inspire folks to really listen to what they do. I think it'll make smarter players out of all of us.

For what it's worth, I think it's a bit of a pain in the neck, too. But when you finally get that sound all the way up and down, you have a good feeling of accomplishment.

ML