Re: Long Tones/Age


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Posted by Mark Heter on September 19, 2003 at 00:01:55:

In Reply to: Long Tones/Age posted by Chuck Jackson on September 16, 2003 at 23:08:04:

I'm an advocate of doing both the long tones AND the Clarke setting up drills. By long tones, I take that to mean the Max Schlossberg Long Tone Studies. Some people don't get the full benefit of the long tones because they don't use the alternate fingerings, and don't continue into the slurs, and most importantly, dont observe the dynamics.

I'm in my fifties now, and things aren't as pliable as they used to be. Plus unless you're very lucky, your teeth aren't the same in your fifties as they were in your teens. Mine aren't. Plus, I have to run the Clarke stuff just to shake off the stiffness in my hands - especially on cold wet days.

All the more reason to revisit the basics, and concentrate on playing as properly as possible. Schedule a lesson with a perceptive teacher - he/she can spot something fundamental for you to work on that may make things easier.

All the instruments become a little more difficult after you get that AARP card in the mail. Don't give up the horn, learn to adjust...


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