Posted by Michael on August 22, 2000 at 06:59:27:
In Reply to: Lip Slurs posted by Brad M. on August 19, 2000 at 13:50:19:
Along with the excellent advice given, I find that practicing slowly
and using a metronome helps. Also, play glissando's on the mouthpiece
alone until you have a smooth glissando with no breaks. Slowly speed
up the glissando until it is a smooth transition between two notes.
User perfect 4ths for starters. Bb - F - Bb, A - E - A, Ab - Eb - Ab,
etc. The metronome keeps you honest. Otherwise, you may have a smooth
and beautiful lip slur but not a measured one. If the slur calls for
the change to fall one beat 3, then it needs to fall on 3 and not a
fraction afterwards. One final note, there is a difference between lip
slurs and flexibility exercises. Once you have the slurs developed, do
not only play then "fast" thinking you are killing two birds with one stone.
Keep playing them slow and make them part of your daily warm-up and
practice routine. NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU BECOME, YOU CAN NEVER STOP
DOING THEM.
Good luck.