Dr. Allan Kaplan
akaplan@nmsu.edu
II. ALL STATE ETUDES PRACTICE
Lyrical Etude: Rochut #8
Be Able to Answer these Questions:
•How do I want to sound on my trombone?
•What do the etudes sound like?
•What do I need to physically & technically do to be able to
play all those notes & rhythms?
•What do I practice?
Pro Tip: Flexibility OVERLOOKED by young players
ALL GREAT trombonists Develop Serious
FLEXIBILITY*
(NOTE: Without flexibility you will NOT be able to play the
etudes)
Seek out more exercises that increase your range:
*Ex. https://www.boneswest.org/pdf/Remington.pdf
Musical Goals:
•Listen to a professional recording:
study it carefully and often.
•Sing along with the recording-until you can hear the
correct pitches and rhythm. IMITATE professional phrasing
Pro tip: adjust Playback speed to be able to hear the etude
VERY slowly – see Playback under Settings You Tube
•Bordogni/Rochut Etude #8.
RECORDING: Toby Oft Principal Trombone Boston Symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XesuKTddIcY
Learning to LISTEN: Imitate Tone; Articulation; Pitch; Dynamics; Style.
Be able to SING ALL notes in tune; Then BUZZ what you hear.
BUZZ Slowly - BUZZ In tune
Pro Tip:
IMITATION IS A GREAT WAY TO LEARN
THEORY: Most etudes are made up of fragments of scales and arpeggios
(chords).
They are the clichés of music. When you master the sounds of your
scales/chords you begin to master the etudes.
KEY: What key(s) are you in? What scales and arpeggios should you
practice?
STYLE: Legato - Play LONG, ringing elegant notes
PRACTICE slurred - Glissando-No Tongue
Goal: Connect with steady air stream Then add light DU tongue
Scales: D major; A major
Arpeggios: D; A7
Pro Tip:
most young players tongue TOO HARD
light tongue “du”
Pro Tip: Practice SLOW Scales for Ear Training
Pro Tip: Practice ALL the chords in the key
Train your EAR to HEAR in the entire key center
Sing First They Practice SLOWLY
AIRFLOW
•Improve Your Airflow to your Lips
•Practice Serious Breathing
•Use a “breathing tube” DAILY
Pro Tip: Practice EVERYTHING without tongue
Experiment with BREATH ATTACKS on each note
Special Thanks to:
Ben Van Dijk / Bart van Lier / Scott Hartman / Jim Decker / Dave Vining / Jeff Reynolds
Paul Compton / William Clark
Breathing Exercises
Pro Tip: “To breath well move your ribs.”
Dave Vining, Northern Arizona University
Stretching and Breathing
From Bart van Lier Coordination Training Program
Principal trombone Metropole Jazz Orchestra, Amsterdam
Before you touch your instrument, do the following exercises. They are meant to stretch your breathing
apparatus in general and to achieve a relaxed yet alert posture.
a. Stand before a mirror and lift your ribcage as high as possible without lifting your shoulders or leaning
backwards. Shoulders and arms remain in starting position. Do this four to six times without inhaling.
b. Put your hands on your hips and at the same time expand your lower back, your sides, and your
abdomen. Your hands will be pushed aside. Also repeat four to six times without inhaling
c. Practice exercises b. and a. (thus reversed) one after the other in one continuous movement. Repeat
four to six times.
d. Repeat exercise c. with inhalation. Protrude your lips as far as possible so they resemble the profile of
a pig’s snout. Suck in air, making the noise of a bath filling with water.
Pro Tip:
World Class Brass players
Use BREATHING TUBES Every Day
Use Smoothie straws-see last page -where to buy
Suggested Tempo: Set metronome at 60 per count (beat)
1. Inhale in calmly through your mouth for eight counts.
Hold the breath for four counts.
Calmly exhale for eight counts.
REPEAT this exercise four times
2. Inhale in calmly through your mouth for eight counts.
Calmly exhale for eight counts.
Inhale in calmly through your mouth for four counts.
Calmly exhale for four counts.
Inhale in calmly through your mouth for two counts.
Calmly exhale for two counts.
Inhale in calmly through your mouth for one count.
Exhale one count in fff.
REPEAT this exercise four times.
Note: Think of inhaling the same quantity of air on the
4 beat and 2 beat inhales as the 8 beat.
FLEXIBILITY:
•Increase Lip Slur Practice Time
Most often we do simple lip slurs to “warm up”
Pro Tip: using new exercises build on your current lip slurs
to increase range, speed, accuracy, endurance and airflow
DOWNLOAD Prof. Jimmy Clark’s edition: Remington
Seek out more exercises that increase your range:
*Ex. https://www.boneswest.org/pdf/Remington.pdf
•Buzz EVERYTHING slowly
BLUE MACHINE see last page -where to buy
•Glissando Scales (Bousfield practices Everything this way)
(from Ian Bousfield: Unlocking the Trombone Code)
Ear Training:
•New Remington/Yale (#5. BELOW)
•Listen to great trombonists & other musicians
•RECORD your practice & Listen carefully
Variation on Remington Tuning: trains air flow plus slide and embouchure coordination
Scott Hartman, Yale / Ben van Dijk / Dr. Paul Compton*, Oklahoma State University
*Optional-more advanced: add dynamic shapes over 2 bars Ex.: crescendo…….diminuendo
Exercises to develop Dynamic Control:
3. “Five Blows”
Jeff Reynolds, LA Philharmonic Bass Trombone, ret.
Inhale in one count
Inhale in one count
Inhale in one count
Inhale in one count
Inhale in one count
.
.
.
.
.
Exhale one count ffff
Exhale three counts ff
Exhale five counts mf
Exhale seven counts p
Exhale ten counts ppp
Major and Chromatic SCALES written out within the
required NMMEA range: Play very musically with dynamics
Bonus Exercise from Ilja Reingoud’s method: Technique and Warming Up Exercises
Pro Tip: These 2 items will improve your playing!!
BREATHING TUBES: Where to purchase reusable (Green)
smoothie straws: AMAZON
Where to purchase “Blue Machine”: WALMART
THANKS FOR LISTENING! GO AGGIES!
To receive a pdf of this master class please
email me at
akaplan@nmsu.edu