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Thread: Arban's Practise & Warmup.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
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    Northern Jutland, Denmark
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    Arban's Practise & Warmup.

    I own the Arban's Complete Conservatory Method book (big silver version), and was just wondering which exercises is a must in my routine to become better overall. Also some good warmups in there would be greatly appreciated!

  2. I am not a professional player, but could make a suggestion. Someone else on here recommended some warm-ups from Emory Remington. I don't have a link for it handy, but did an internet search and was able to find it and print it. I have been using this as a warm-up for a few months and it really seems to be helping. With time I have found that I can play with less pressure on the mouthpiece, which helps everything else.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
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    I've been watching this thread and waiting for the responses ... and waiting ...

    My curiosity stems from the fact that several years ago I bought a copy of Arban (for tuba). Not cheap, but everyone pays homage to it as the "must have" method/technique book. I discovered that I use it very little and feel that I benefit much more from other things. I do use it now and then, briefly, and for just some of the exercises. And I suppose that I can understand an instructor saying "Get Arban and we'll go through it, and it will prepare you for things to follow." (But I wonder if this is really how it's used.)

    Otherwise, I find it to be a huge collection of often menial exercises (repeated in every possible key), and missing certain critical things that I want (e.g., serious and programmatic exercises for range extension, and exercises that go beyond what might be thought of as the most commonly expected range for the instrument). Were I to face the choice again, I don't believe I'd buy it, but would put my money into other things (like Bordogni vocalises, Blazevich, Rochut, etc.).

    So I am curious how many people actually use it, and how heavily. Maybe I'm just missing out on something important.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  4. #4
    People recommend the Arban book because it works. Music is largely made up of scales and arpeggios in some form or other. You can use the Arban to work on learning scales, but you don't have to only play them as written. You can add dynamic contrast and/or cresc./dim. during each. You can add accents to each beat. You can vary articulation. You can play them up/down an octave. And so on. And that's just on scales.

    Look at the single tongue exercises. And to help you really get the benefit, buy this CD:
    Rafael Mendez - the Legacy

    Mendez demonstrates how to work for evenness on every single note. I used to practice those in high school but never looked for that particular facet.

    HUGE benefits from the 100+ short songs (if you have the Complete Conservatory Method) in the middle of the book. What fantastic little musical exercises! They are kind of like mini-Rochut etudes.

    Then the are the duets, which can help you learn to play with others.

    And the theme/variation solos in the back. Get this MP3 album to help give you a better idea of how they can sound:
    Charles Gates - Arban Solos

    And the interval exercises! They have some with scales, with ever other note being the same pitch. So in the key of C you play a series of 1/8 notes:
    G C (above the G), G again, D, G again, E, etc. You can work on those like the Carnival of Venice duet. Emphasize the scale notes and play them with shape so they stand out in a one-person duet.

    Work on the chord/arpeggio studies. You can also extend those above/below what is written, vary articulations, vary dynamics, etc. And there is a wonderful little exercise in the middle, all based on a major chord. I think it starts with 1/8 notes, next measure is 1/8 triplets, next measure is 1/16 notes, then 1/16 triplets, then backwards ("slowing" down the note speed). Try that with a metronome if you think you already have a good sense of rhythm and tempo. It might change you mind.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Arban book is my choice if I could only own one music book.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    San Diego, California
    Posts
    460
    Wilsen,

    When I started playing again almost 3 years ago, I started with an old copy of Emory Remington warm-ups, and Rochut Book I. I then went and purchased the complete trombone Arban's book. I spend a lot of time in Arban's on the interval and slurs section.
    Euphs:
    Miraphone 5050 Ambassador
    Wessex Travel (Tornister) Euphonium 'Maly' ER154
    Yamaha 201 Baritone
    Mp: Wick SM4 Ultra X
    Groups:
    The San Diego Concert Band

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
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    2,368
    Interesting ...

    So the take-away here is:
    1. Scales
    2. Interval studies
    3. Tonguing exercises
    4. Songs
    5. Duets
    6. Chords/arpeggios


    Of these, I use Arban for 2 and 6, occasionally 3, and now and then 4. For tuba, there are much better choices for 5. Scales are pretty much scales, and I don't find the Arban ones to be of particularly distinctive value. For quicky song exercises, Arban is a good central source, but these are mostly folk and ethnic tunes that I would not compare to Rochut or Bordogni; and there are a variety of other things of this nature on which I would prefer to spend my time.

    I will grant that if you could own only one music book, then Arban would perhaps be the best choice. But given that I don't need to own only one (and how many of us do?), I still tend to regard Arban as something of a redundancy and compromise. It sits near my stand at all times. But the amount of TIME devoted to it, compared to alternatives (such as Rochut, Pares, Blazevich, Sear, Graham, and various range exercises) is relatively slim. Maybe it's a tuba thing.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Northern Jutland, Denmark
    Posts
    28
    Thank you for the replies! I was mainly looking for strength-, endurance- & range building exercises, as almost everyone does, but it would be great to know of more things to practice.
    I also have other books (2 I think), and I'll look into them as soon as I come home from school :-)

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Wilsen View Post
    I was mainly looking for strength-, endurance- & range building exercises...
    OK then, are you ready for a challenge? And do you read treble clef? Take a bite off some of these and you'll develop range, endurance, AND flexibility:

    http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/...72902score.pdf

    I've been using them for years when I need a little workout. The context is a little different from standard brass works (these were for clarinet) so they make you think more and work in different ways. These are an absolute standard in the clarinet world, and for good reason.

    There is even a nice little scored index up front, which is great for locating just the particular exercise you want. I wish more publishers would do that!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Northern Jutland, Denmark
    Posts
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    Treble is my main cleff ;-) Thank you so much Dave!

  10. Thanks as well for these Dave. Lots to work on!
    Bob Tampa FL USA
    Euph -- 1984 B&H Round Stamp Sovereign 967 / 1978 Besson NS 767 / Early 90s Sterling MP: 4AL and GW Carbonaria
    Tuba -- 2014 Wisemann 900 CC / 2013 Mack 410 MP: Blokepiece Symphony American Shank and 33.2 #2 Rim

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