warm up issues

[brassbow]

ok I have a long warm up I start with long tones then start a 2 octave run slowly then speed it up. I then single then double then triple. I average about 20 min. Many in my community band say I am showing off and also to loud. So anyone else have people mentioning you're a show off with a long warm up?

[k001k47]

I find that wrapping my tuba in a blanket warms it up well. Then, I make fart noises with my lips until they can make the fart noises the way I like.

Personally, I do the brass gym. If people think I show off on bugles or whatever, it is their problem. I do the same stuff everyday. I think "showing off" is playing all the major excerpts and solos before a rehearsal when none of those are being played that day.

I like the Brass Gym. Buzzing and that chromatic study are nice warmups. Everything that follows is a nice daily workout.

[eupher61]

You're doing that long warm up just before the rehearsal? Can you do it earlier in the day and not aggravate people? It could be that you are doing it too loudly. A warm up doesn't have to be loud, maybe it shouldn't be loud. That's a point for discussion.

I have a lot of friends who were Bill Adam students. They have that 3 hour (or so) routine that they do every day, almost to the point of addiction.

[BAtlas]

Double and Triple (tonguing I'm assuming) seems excessive for a large ensemble rehearsal. How much do you actually double and triple tongue over the course of the rehearsal? This sounds more like practice than warming up.

[eupher61]

warm up routine? hmmm...many, if not most, people in many community bands don't get the horn out except for rehearsal or concert. And you think they warm up properly?

Heck, I don't do much of a warm up any more. I buzz a lot. I do play a few scales and work all the ranges to make sure things are adequate. If I find a problem, I can use the first few tunes to work on that area. Most of my playing is dixie or polkas anymore, so I have a little luxury in that I can work on many things while I'm actually on a gig. Yes, I play to practice.

[happyroman]

You're doing that long warm up just before the rehearsal? Can you do it earlier in the day and not aggravate people? It could be that you are doing it too loudly. A warm up doesn't have to be loud, maybe it shouldn't be loud. That's a point for discussion.

I have a lot of friends who were Bill Adam students. They have that 3 hour (or so) routine that they do every day, almost to the point of addiction.

Another tuba player I knew when I was at IU went up to a Bill Adam trumpet student and told him "I'd love to do a routine with you, but I can't get my bell close enough to the wall." If you've ever walked around the Music Annex listening to these guys blow their routine as loud as possible with their bells inches from the wall, you'd have laughed as hard as I did.

[happyroman]

I don't see an issue with your routine at all, as long as you are using a comfortable mf-f dynamic. However, if you are doing this at the blastissimo level, there could be a problem.

I was lucky enough to have studied with Arnold Jacobs, who said that "warm up" should only take a few minutes. The purpose, just like for an athlete, is to get the blood flowing so that the tissue literally warms up and becomes more flexible. Since the lips have such a large number of blood vessels, it should not take very long to accomplish this task.

Mr. Jacobs also differentiated between a warm up and a daily routine. He believed that one should not need to complete a daily routine prior to a rehearsal or performance. There may be times when time simply will not allow such a thorough warm up session, and you still have to perform at your highest level.

If you must complete a long routine in order to feel comfortable, you will likely encounter situations from time to time where its not possible and you could be in trouble. This is why he recommended being able to warm up quickly and be able to produce your finest quality of tone from the first time you pick up the horn that day.

[eupher61]

I don't see an issue with your routine at all, as long as you are using a comfortable mf-f dynamic. However, if you are doing this at the blastissimo level, there could be a problem.

I was lucky enough to have studied with Arnold Jacobs, who said that "warm up" should only take a few minutes. The purpose, just like for an athlete, is to get the blood flowing so that the tissue literally warms up and becomes more flexible. Since the lips have such a large number of blood vessels, it should not take very long to accomplish this task.

Mr. Jacobs also differentiated between a warm up and a daily routine. He believed that one should not need to complete a daily routine prior to a rehearsal or performance. There may be times when time simply will not allow such a thorough warm up session, and you still have to perform at your highest level.

If you must complete a long routine in order to feel comfortable, you will likely encounter situations from time to time where its not possible and you could be in trouble. This is why he recommended being able to warm up quickly and be able to produce your finest quality of tone from the first time you pick up the horn that day.

+ howevermanycanbeusedtoindicateYES