Posted by Klaus on September 26, 2001 at 17:36:54:
In Reply to: Re: Playing both tuba and trumpet? posted by JB on September 26, 2001 at 16:45:33:
Nerves hurting are for medical doctors to speak, write, and cure on.
On the doubling question I can only say, that one should warm up thoroughly on both instrument before rehearsals and performances. Actually more thoroughly, than if one should only play one instrument, because the combined demands on flexibility and precision are much more than doubled. I find it important, that both instruments are taken through their full 4, 5, or 6 octaves ranges.
On inspiration from Denis Wick I have a mantra on flexibility, that lets me end the warm-ups on any of my brasses with a strictly controlled lip-gliss exercise:
Start on the open 2nd partial. Stay open (in all senses of the word, at least as related to brasses) and lip-gliss down towards the open fundamental. Immediately gliss back, in the same breath, to the open 2nd partial. Strive for the fullest possible sound all the way. Strive to avoid a break in the middle of the gliss. That takes some control over and coordination of lips, jaw, and lungs/diaphragm.
Repeat chromatically downwards as far as your valves and/or slide will allow. On larger tubas, that will bring one down in the range, where the multifingered fundamentals hardly will produce real sounds. Still try to keep air and vibrations alive.
Really hard to do. Very rewarding, when it comes to the absence of tensions.
Klaus
PS1: This exercise told of is part of, what I in other postings have called my Zen type approach to brasses. Which to me has absolutely no religious connotations.
PS2: During the ping-pong'ing I had with Joe S. in the recent thread on microtonality Joe tells of a glissing technique. In other contexts he has told of half valve glisses. Joe'S glisses are for performance. Mine are for preparation to and relaxing after performance.