Well I've been doing the Pencil Exercise for a week now. 30 seconds on, flapping lips for 30 seconds *3. Tonight i extend for 60 seconds each time. I'm actually using a chopstick which is about the same weight as a pencil but has a smaller diameter at the end. It is a little bit taxing but i am not really struggling with the weight. I think it is worthwhile but can't be sure how much it is actually building up the muscles as i have also started Claude Gordon's Systematic Approach.
I suppose I'll find out if 30 seconds extra make a difference. It is also good to build the muscles of the embouchure slowly.
I'll let you know how things are progressing in another week.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Arrived today
Well my copy of Claude Gordon Systematic Approach to Daily Practice arrived today. I'm going to read the introduction and background information that is posted on the dedicated forum at Trumpet Herald. I will start today and give weakly updates on a Friday to let you know how i'm going. I've got to say that i'm a little apprehensive about beginning the course as the pedals look difficult to start from. I think i'm ok going down from them. I will also let you know every Monday how i'm going with the Pencil exercise.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Pencil exercise
I started the pencil exercise today. The corners of my mouth feel a little sore so it must be doing something. Anyway i am following these rule i got from a post by Eric Bolvin on the Trumpet Herald forums.
"I've developed a number of techniques for practice that involve the pencil exercise. You should follow the instructions implicitly.
Guidelines:
1. Always practice the pencil exercise at the very end of the day. At this point you have no more playing responsibilites. I usually do it before going to bed.
2. Always follow the pencil ex with a session of lip flapping, at least 30 seconds. Cupping your hands around your face will help to get the flap going.
3. Play by the rules. Hold the pencil for one minute ONLY for at least two weeks. It doesn't matter that you can hold the pencil for ten minutes. This is not a competition.
4. Increase your time to two minutes and then three minutes. If you're hurting, then limit your time. Although the facial area is muscle, it's muscle that is in balance and can not grow much.
Use these guidelines to help you with the pencil exercise and you might see some favorable results in your playing.
If you don't see results, then you've learned something and you can apply it to your teaching,
_________________
Eric Bolvin
"I've developed a number of techniques for practice that involve the pencil exercise. You should follow the instructions implicitly.
Guidelines:
1. Always practice the pencil exercise at the very end of the day. At this point you have no more playing responsibilites. I usually do it before going to bed.
2. Always follow the pencil ex with a session of lip flapping, at least 30 seconds. Cupping your hands around your face will help to get the flap going.
3. Play by the rules. Hold the pencil for one minute ONLY for at least two weeks. It doesn't matter that you can hold the pencil for ten minutes. This is not a competition.
4. Increase your time to two minutes and then three minutes. If you're hurting, then limit your time. Although the facial area is muscle, it's muscle that is in balance and can not grow much.
Use these guidelines to help you with the pencil exercise and you might see some favorable results in your playing.
If you don't see results, then you've learned something and you can apply it to your teaching,
_________________
Eric Bolvin
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Introduction
Hello my name is Robert Lane. I have started this blog as a way to chart my progress with the trumpet method Systematic Approach to Daily Practice for Trumpet by Claude Gordon.
I am a comeback player who had a break for roughly ten years. The reason i stopped playing was because i had my embouchure changed and became frustrated with the lack of progress and the awful sound i was making. I lost my tone, range and flexibility and felt embarrassed whenever i heard my playing. I suspect that i was practicing too much as a way to speed up progress but this seemed to make things worse.
Anyway i know that i was not enjoying any aspect of playing. So i stopped.
I stared again just after New Years 2010 when we went to the Nereil Creek Folk Festival. I noticed how much fun everyone was having sitting around campfires jamming with their fiddles, banjos, mandolins and guitars. And i really enjoyed listening and wanted to be a part of it.
So i decided to buy a banjo that i would practice and play at the next festival. The only trouble was that i didn't have enough money for a banjo. But i did have an old Yamaha [ i had sold my Bach Stradivarius] students model sitting in the corner of the room. So i got it out and started playing without thinking about how my embouchure was or should be; in fact i had forgotten both old and new. Well i enjoyed it and started practicing everyday.
I want to get a teacher and join a brass or concert band but i live in country Victoria in Australia and there aren't any so at the moment i'm content to practice and play a few tunes and hopefully something will come up.
But back to this blog. This is a way for me to stay focused on my practice and will be used as a self reflective tool to assess my progress.
I bought the book online so i am still waiting for it to arrive in the mail. So when it does i will begin the first week.
Any comments or if you know of a good teacher close to Warburton, Victoria, Australia let me know.
Regards, Robert Lane.
I am a comeback player who had a break for roughly ten years. The reason i stopped playing was because i had my embouchure changed and became frustrated with the lack of progress and the awful sound i was making. I lost my tone, range and flexibility and felt embarrassed whenever i heard my playing. I suspect that i was practicing too much as a way to speed up progress but this seemed to make things worse.
Anyway i know that i was not enjoying any aspect of playing. So i stopped.
I stared again just after New Years 2010 when we went to the Nereil Creek Folk Festival. I noticed how much fun everyone was having sitting around campfires jamming with their fiddles, banjos, mandolins and guitars. And i really enjoyed listening and wanted to be a part of it.
So i decided to buy a banjo that i would practice and play at the next festival. The only trouble was that i didn't have enough money for a banjo. But i did have an old Yamaha [ i had sold my Bach Stradivarius] students model sitting in the corner of the room. So i got it out and started playing without thinking about how my embouchure was or should be; in fact i had forgotten both old and new. Well i enjoyed it and started practicing everyday.
I want to get a teacher and join a brass or concert band but i live in country Victoria in Australia and there aren't any so at the moment i'm content to practice and play a few tunes and hopefully something will come up.
But back to this blog. This is a way for me to stay focused on my practice and will be used as a self reflective tool to assess my progress.
I bought the book online so i am still waiting for it to arrive in the mail. So when it does i will begin the first week.
Any comments or if you know of a good teacher close to Warburton, Victoria, Australia let me know.
Regards, Robert Lane.
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