How important is warming up?

[highsierra]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... volBFmbhf8

?

[b.williams]

lol!!!!!

[Highpitch]

Too funny !

Anyone got a copy of the old 'Gukenheimer Sourkraut Band" LP?

I dig mine out once in a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sjb4vPbXps" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Dennis

[imperialbari]

It is important enough for a certain crappy euph professorina to have a microwave in her studio.

[Trumgottist]

That was fun to watch!

But if I may also take the subject seriously, this is something I've been thinking a bit about lately. I've not found any complex warmup system that I'm happy with. Obviously, some amount of warming up is good to do, but while I obviously find long notes and legato exercises good and useful, they don't work for me as warm-ups. Besides getting the air going, a warm-up should primarily be about getting comfortable with the instrument, and finding the ease of playing. So what I tend to do is simply play as comfortably as possibly, maybe do a simple tune by ear or some improv, and alternate with plenty of rests. (When teaching, I usually do the warm-ups in the form of imitation exercises. That way, there is just as much rest as playing.)

If I start a playing session on the mouthpiece, or with Stamp's trumpet warm-ups (there is probably something similar around for tuba that I'm not familiar with, but the point of these exercises is big legato jumps and going down to pedal notes and up to the top), I too easy get tensions somewhere or start to think too much, and then everything becomes hard work. I find this to be even more true on tuba than on the other instruments I play.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and opinions on the subject.

[tbn.al]

Can't believe I am 10 minutes from KSU and can't attend next weekend. I scheduled myself out of town months ago. Dumb.

[Tubaman2365]

Too funny !

Anyone got a copy of the old 'Gukenheimer Sourkraut Band" LP?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sjb4vPbXps" target="_blank" target="_blank

Dennis

I still have the music for non thinkers album!!

[DonShirer]

I have the Guckenheimer's Oom-pah-pah album, and absolutely love the not-quite-on-the-beat bass drum in Under the Double Eagle! (The drummer, listed as Hugo Schmid, is actually George Lichty, a famous humorous cartoonist.)

[Robertmunson]

As a college student saw Frøydis Wekre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froydis_Ree_Wekre pull her cold horn out of her case commence playing amazingly at the start of a master class. From that and her other comments I took away the following: As a professional you need to be prepared to perform your best under any conditions. If you get the right mindset and work at playing well cold, a warmup is merely a luxury not a necessity.

She then put down the horn and whistled "I'm a little teapot" in two part harmony. So I figured she knew of what she spoke.

[opus37]

Before a master class, Allen Baer warmed up for a good 10 minutes or so. He played long tones, slurs and scales among other things. Steve Campbell, who played a duet with allen, did it with no warm up. Both were wonderful. I guess it depends.

[Highpitch]

Warming up is a lot like underwear...you go with what feels comfy.

Dennis

[tubajazzo]

Warming up is a lot like underwear...you go with what feels comfy.

Dennis

The best answer to the question of warm up I ever heard.
And I like the idea of using a microwave...

thanks

[tubajazzo]

oh, and perhaps not only what feels comfy, but what looks sexy?

[Highpitch]

And some of us don't have any at all !

DG

[tstubas]

I've not found any complex warmup system that I'm happy with. Obviously, some amount of warming up is good to do, but while I obviously find long notes and legato exercises good and useful, they don't work for me as warm-ups. Besides getting the air going, a warm-up should primarily be about getting comfortable with the instrument, and finding the ease of playing.

As much as warming up is a personal thing, I agree that "complex warmup systems" aren't necessary. Often when I play, instead of using a "warmup," I just play through a peice of music that I know pretty well. When I do use a "warmup," I like the Chichowicz Warm-Up #2. It's comfortable to play, and gets the air flowing well on a variety of pitches and registers. A little bit of mouthpeice buzzing and a simple lip slur also goes a long way.

[tubajon]

Warm-ups can progress to only a few minutes. But their concept is essential. Connecting low and high registers and connecting loud and soft playing is needed. Beware of the lack of warm-ups and maintenance. Focal dystonia may result.

[TubaRay]

Warm-ups can progress to only a few minutes. But their concept is essential. Connecting low and high registers and connecting loud and soft playing is needed. Beware of the lack of warm-ups and maintenance. Focal dystonia may result.

I would be very interested in learning of the connection to be made between lack of warmup and focal dystonia. Personally, I greatly prefer to warmup. It seems entirely logical that warming up is physically a good thing. Athletes emphasize it. Muscles function better when then are warm(at least, as I understand it). Muscles are muscles.

[MartyNeilan]

Warming up is a lot like underwear...you go with what feels comfy.

Dennis

The best answer to the question of warm up I ever heard.
And I like the idea of using a microwave...

thanks

I always put my underwear in the microwave...