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Thread: Building Your Breath Control

  1. #1

    Building Your Breath Control

    Max Schlossberg's "Daily Drills and Technical Studies" has many great and challenging exercises. But there is one that became a favorite of mine when I discovered how much it could help me improve my breath control (possibly my lung capacity, too, but there is some disagreement about whether that can be true). I'll explain it all in the video! And here is the book:

    Schlossberg Daily Drills and Technical Studies

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mllIIqWYzE


    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
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  2. #2
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    Nice video, very useful, in spite of that darn metronome going off the whole time you are talking. Just kidding, sort of. Probably a little case of easy irritability and cabin fever after all these months being shut in!!!

    I do the same sort of thing with other aspects.

    1) play a chromatic scale up and down, then twice, then thrice, etc. in one breath, and use a crescendo at the end of the final pass
    2) do the same with major and minor scales, one or two octaves
    2) play a common slurring pattern like starting on tuning Bb: Bb down to F up to D down to Bb up to F down to D down to Bb down to F, then repeat twice, then thrice, etc. and finally end on a low Bb held for a sufficient amount of time to show full command of the note (kind of like the clean and jerk where the bloke has to hold the jerk and exhibit total control until the judge says good), continue the pattern by going down a half step (2nd valve), then 1st valve, etc.

    I like the pattern you used in the video and am going to "steal" it as I think I can figure out what you are playing. I think I will work that into my warmup routine.
    Last edited by John Morgan; 01-05-2021 at 08:50 PM.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
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  3. #3
    Thanks, John!

    BTW, I only noticed how irritating the metronome was as I was editing it! When using it I often just let it run if I get up to look for music or something, so I guess I have learned to block it out. I'll try to be smoother with that next time!
    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

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