Posted by Rod McDonald on November 18, 2002 at 05:26:02:
In Reply to: Lips of wood posted by Sven Bring on November 17, 2002 at 10:26:37:
Hi Sven, Congratulations on starting to play again. I Played Euphonium with the Australian Air Force before discharge in 1972. Walked away and never played a brass instrument again until second week of December last Year, after having lost the upper lobe of my Right Lung six months previously. My routine since then has been consistant. Mouthpiece Buzzing First. Scales/apegios/Going down to bottom of range, then same thing going up to top of range.Then buzz tunes or the Arnold Jacobs Mouthpiece exercises. Rest for at least 20 minutes. Then I do either warm up exercises from Remington or Eric Klay/Richard McDonald or I occasionally use Arbans and do the first page as long notes followed by lip slurs from page 42. Its all the same sort of stuff but the change helps my head !. Break again for at least 20 minutes. Scales in some format. But always some scales then some intervals and tounging studies. Take a day off once a week. Now, almost one year later, my embrochure has started to reform. My sound continues to develop and this seems to be an ongoing thing. I play with a local brass band and have commenced contesting again after not doing so for 34 years. The short term goals give me 'something' to work towards and in the process, I have covered a huge amount of music. So, My main advice is to work towards strengthening your embrochure by Mouthpiece buzzing, long notes, lip slurs, scales and intervals , all done in short bursts with a good recovary time between (or break). For myself, this method has been strikeingly succesful. I aim to make every note I play , the best note ever. I enjoy what I do now with every fibre of my body. I can never make up for the lost 30 years, but I can now appreciate my music more than I ever did when I was young and every thing was easy. All my very best wishes, Rod McDonald.