BRASS
Paul Baron is one of today’s most highly respected lead and commercial trumpet players. He carries 40 years of experience in a wide range of
musical styles – from jazz to rock, big band to musical theatre, and TV jingles to movie soundtracks – with a distinctly bright and powerful sound.
As well as being a performing artist for XO Jupiter Instruments and Pickett Brass with his signature line of mouthpieces,
Paul is also an author, educator, and clinician. www.paulbaron.net.
By Paul Baron
Warmups for Brass Players
Part 3: The Gig Day Warmup
M
y second warmup is called “The Gig Day Warmup.” This
assumes your chops are feeling pretty good and you
just need a good warmup on either a gig day or before
a solid day of practicing. I like to do this late morning to
set up my chops early. This does a few positive things like
getting the blood flowing and healing properties of the chops vibrating
to both warm up and flush away the built-up lactic acid while also getting
the air going.
After this warmup, I rest for at least a couple of hours before getting
into a big practice session or gig. I have another, much shorter warmup
called “The Pre-Show Warmup” that we’ll discuss next issue.
For those readers that have kept up on the previous articles or have
my warmup book, some of this will seem redundant; however, it also
shows the importance of certain portions that are consistent to all three
of my warmups.
Warming Up the Body
Before I even start playing, I do a few other things to get my body warmed
up, starting with lip fluttering – like making horse noises. It sounds strange
but really helps get the blood and oxygen flowing to flush the lactic acid
from stiff chops. I also do some pushups to help get the blood flowing
and lactic acid flushed away. Do pushups on your hands and knees to
make it easier or some forward bends, jumping jacks, or anything to get
the blood flowing and to wake up the body and chops.
Leadpipe Section
The first section in all three of my warmups is with the mouthpiece in the
lead pipe only and the tuning slide out of the horn. (Read the previous
article or my warmup book for the full explanation.)
This lead pipe section gets the air and chops responding to a gentle
airflow without the preconceived idea of how the trumpet is supposed
to sound with the first notes of the day. I love this section because when
I concentrate on getting a warm and full sound on the mouthpiece and
lead pipe only, it really opens up my sound and relaxes and opens my
airstream. The benefits will be felt immediately and will set up the rest of
your practice or performance day in a really good way.
On to the Horn
Put the tuning slide back in to play this section. Take a relaxed full breath
and play with a full sound while paying close attention to place the note
in the centre of the sound where it is most resonant and vibrant. Rest
for eight beats or more between each pitch. Flutter chops to get any
stiffness worked out.
As with most exercises I do, I start in the middle register and consecu-
tively move higher and lower through the full range of the horn. Starting
on first space F#, play a double whole note (eight beats) and then rest for
eight beats. Then eight beats on G, then F, G#, E, etc., spreading out to top
space F# and low F#. You can keep expanding outwards to high F# and
pedal F#. Throughout, be sure to rest as long as you play.
The next section I do is Clarke’s “Study No. 1” starting on first space F#
and spread out to top-line F# and low F#. On each starting pitch, I play
twice single-tongued, then twice slurred, twice double-tongued, and
finally twice triple-tongued for a total of eight times through on each
starting pitch.
This is usually as much as I do earlier in the day until right before the
gig. With this amount of playing, I feel like I’ve covered enough of the
range of the horn and hit on flexibility, articulation, multiple tonguing, etc.
Without overdoing things, I’ve gotten the air and compression working
and any lip swelling from the previous day will dissipate after this warmup
and before the gig. If I’m not working later in the day, I will get back to
practicing after about two hours of rest. I find this rest period so beneficial
and when I start my second practice session, my chops feel warmed up
but not fatigued so I have lots of energy to accomplish a lot in practice.
On a non-workday, especially if I am trying to build up more strength
and range or trying to get my endurance back in shape, I will do three
practice sessions in a day. The first is the warmup. The second session
is usually the most strenuous as I’ll work on range and power exercises
playing at performance volumes. This is also the section where I work on
show pacing if I’m working up a new show. The third session is usually in
the evening, concentrating on soft melodic playing. I use melodic etudes
or practice scale studies into the upper register while keeping the volume
at a very controlled MP dynamic at the most. This session refocuses my
chops and helps immensely with my finesse in
the upper register. It also sets me up nicely for
the next day.
The full explanations and music notation for these warmups are contained in Paul’s new book, Trumpet Voluntarily:
Three Strategically Designed Warmups to Combat the Demands of Today’s Trumpet Player, available now at
www.paulbaron.net.
30 CANADIAN MUSICIAN