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I was 9 years old, we moved into a house that had a music room. I spent many hours in this room during my teenage years honing my skills, trying to realize my dream of being a professional trumpet player. In this room there was also a lot of music – music that was filed away in an assorted mix of cabinets and drawers. There was piano music, tuba music, vocal solos, barbershop arrangements, and, of course, trumpet music. In my adolescent mind, the trumpet music was divided into two basic groups: music and weird trumpet books. Weird trumpet books were the books with strange diagrams, photos of men breathing by unnatural means, notes extending far above and below the staff, and they were always peppered with claims of improved sound, range, and endurance. I would thumb through these books, mystified. They contained no music, only mundane exercises – whole notes and half notes extending in all directions. I would read the text, try it for a while, and then go back to my regular music, convinced that there simply had to be something better I could be doing with my time. Now, two decades later, my philosophy toward many of those books remains the same. A select few of them, though, now hold hard-earned places in my routine, having proved themselves in the face of extreme skepticism.
The Carmine Caruso, Musical Calisthenics for Brass, is one of those books. It includes exercises I regularly use to increase strength, and I consider it an essential part of my foundation routine. How to use this book, however, is a matter of much debate. Many people have conflicting views and interpretations of what constitutes the “proper” Caruso routine. I don’t participate in that. In fact, I don’t even have a Caruso routine. Instead, I use this book as a collection of exercises – a resource for building range and endurance to the fullest extent. I will scatter these exercises throughout the day, usually using only one or two. If you are looking for the purest interpretation of Carmine Caruso’s ideas, you won’t find it here. Instead, you will find a guide to a practical and sure-fire method for increasing strength and, as a result, range and endurance.
The Caruso book has many useful exercises in it, but to be honest, I only utilize a few of them on a regular basis. Those that do get used, however, are more worn than that old pair of $7 bellbottoms that you found at your local pawn shop (not that I would know, of course). The exercises that I use 95% of the time are the first two in the book. These two exercises address the two basic types of strength: endurance and explosiveness. Explosiveness exercises are used to improve range. Endurance exercises are used to improve – you guessed it – endurance.
The first exercise in the book is commonly referred to as the “six notes” exercise. This exercise is a classic endurance exercise: it keeps the mouthpiece on the face for a long period of time with no rest, it involves notes that are in the middle register that can be played with minimal pressure, and it can easily be expanded (in this case repeated) as you get stronger. This exercise should be played with an absolute minimum amount of pressure, continually moving the horn away from the face. I do two versions of this exercise: a full version and a half version. If you are doing the full version, you should repeat the exercise as many times as possible until you are unable to keep the final C up to pitch. As the name implies, the half version should have roughly half as many reps as the full version. The half version I like to do in the morning at the end of my foundation routine – provided I have a rest of at least 45 minutes before I need to play again. The full version should be done at the end of the day, because believe me, you won’t want to play anything after you are done. Doing it at the end of the day also allows you to push yourself to total exhaustion without worrying about anything else you have to play that day.
The second exercise in the book, called “Seconds”, is an explosiveness exercise. Explosiveness exercises are characterized by a continually expanding range and extensive use of the upper register. This exercise is no exception. There are detailed instructions in the book regarding this exercise; follow them religiously, for the way you do these exercises determines how much benefit you will get from them. If you don’t follow the instructions closely, then you will likely not be able to maximize the benefits of the exercise. I work to minimize pressure during this exercise, but unlike endurance exercises, I do permit a degree of pressure as required. The key here is to balance the effort going out (air), with the amount of pressure coming in. Don’t press more than you blow. I do this exercise either at the end of my skill set – as long as I have a break of at least a couple of hours – or at the end of the day, prior to the full “six notes” exercise. The “Seconds” exercise includes a 15 minute period between the first and second times through the exercise. The instructions indicate that you can play during this period as long as you don’t do any similar type of exercise. As hard as it is to believe, this is actually true. I will often fill that period practicing some articulation exercises in the lower register, initial attacks, or even playing light etudes. It has always been surprising to me how useful that 15 minutes can be.
In addition to the instructions I have mentioned above, there are some general concepts that must be applied in order to get the most out of these workouts. First of all, each of these exercises includes whole rests every third bar. What you do during these rests is absolutely critical. I refer to the rests as “playing rests”; you should keep the embouchure fully engaged throughout the rest, just as if you were playing. The only difference is that you are not moving air out through the instrument, but rather, in through the nose. This means that the embouchure will be “playing” for the entire length of the exercise, not relaxing until you are finished. In the case of the “six notes” exercise, be sure not to relax the embouchure between repeats.
The second concept to keep in mind deals with the text in the book. There are repeated instructions to not “worry about what you sound like.” This comment is often misunderstood, and is a point of some contention amongst Caruso-ites. Some people interpret this to mean that you should play with no regard for how you sound, and while that may be useful in certain circumstances, I don’t recommend that approach as a general rule. Instead, I take the instruction at its literal base: I care about how I sound, but I don’t worry about it. I always try to sound good, but when the sound begins its inevitable deterioration as the muscles tire, I make sure not to make any substantial adjustments to change it. I make every effort to maintain my sound, but I don’t worry about it when that becomes impossible. This allows me to push myself as far as I can possibly go physically, while preventing me from doing it in a way that is inconsistent with the way I normally play.
You can apply these same concepts to other exercises in the book and reap many great benefits. Armed with these exercises and a little insight into how to use them, you will be able to make substantial gains in range and endurance, and there are certainly no trumpet players that I know that would not be interested in that. It was seeing those same improvements in my playing that rescued this book from that dusty old shelf of weird trumpet books in the first place, and it has been a great addition to my arsenal ever since.
Thanks so much for all the information you’ve provided on the use of both “The Long G” and Caruso. I’ve begun the Long G and am beginning to reap benefits from it. Prior to that (and still the case) I’ve played the 6-notes, seconds and thirds from Caruso. My question is how (if you should) combine the use of both in a daily practice routine? For instance, I read where you will end your sessions with the Caruso. Was there a Long G at the beginning of your day? How about vice versa?
Pedro,
Thanks for the comment. I actually don’t mix the two. I will only do one or the other. In fact, I have a few different strength building routines that I use, and I just cycle through them every six weeks or more. They all tend to have slightly different benefits, so I find it beneficial to change the routine up from time to time.
hmm..so might I ask your opinion then on what i have been doing?
i use caruso as more of a warm-up and the long G as mor of a cool down
what would be the downside to this and what do you recommend?
I started with the 6 note study and would go into the seconds, the soft loud soft exercises, the harmonics series, longtones, then the pedal tone exercises. I found this book to be an excellent book and I noticed that my whole way of playing changed naturally.
Craig,
My name is Vinny Monaco. I live outside of Boston. I’ve been playing trumpet for quite a while. I studied with Carmine in the 70s and spent a lot of time in his studio watching him teach. I have his permission to teach his system. I know it pretty well. I found your article to be accurate. Thanks for it.
If I may, I’d like to offer a different way of expressing what to do during rests. Your statement is accurate, I just fear for someone misinterpreting the instructions to maintain the emboucher. Carmine used to say to keep the mouthpiece and chops in their playing position. I think this expression reduces the possibility of someone clenching their muscles unnaturally in a misguided attempt to simulate a playing emboucher when no air is being blown. A small point, perhaps, maybe even unnecessary, but better to be cautious.
Please feel free to contact me if you’d like any more info about the system.
Thanks,
Vinny Monaco
Craig,
Thanks for the great articles. Are you familiar with Markus Stockhausen’s version of Caruso’s exercises? Reinhold Friedrich also mentions his version. I found it on his site:
http://www.markusstockhausen.com/
When could you come to Missouri? Next season, pehaps? We would love to host you at our school.
Thanks,
Iskander
Do you use a metronome when doing the Carmine Caruso material? I am student of Jim Wilt and he mention last October about trying the first exercise with a metronome at about quarter note equals 60. Should the exercises, in your opinion, use a metronome?
Thanks for all the columns you have been submitting. I really enjoyed your approach to Stamp and it even answered some questions I have had ever since I started the routine back in the early mid 90′s.
Take care
Kevin
Kevin,
I do use a metronome when doing the Caruso. In fact, I also play the exercises at quarter = 60. The tempo is important to keep consistent because it will be your benchmark for improvement. If you always play the exercises at the same tempo then you will know that when you are able to add reps it is because you are getting stronger.
You are studying with a great teacher and player. Absorb as much as you can from him!
All the best,
Craig
Iskander,
Thanks for the comment and reference to Markus Stockhausen’s approach to the Caruso. I have looked at it briefly and found it very interesting. I look forward to delving into it fully when I get a bit more time. I thought it was especially interesting that he wants you to maintain mouthpiece contact with the lips during the rest periods of the six notes, but that you should remove any pressure. I think this could be very helpful to anyone who tends to use too much pressure on these exercises.
As far as coming to Missouri next year is concerned, I would love to. Get in touch with me so that we can discuss details. Perhaps we could do something in the fall. Let me know. You can email me here. Talk to you soon.
Craig
hi Craig,
Nice article. I work with the Caruso quite alot, from the routine Markus Stockhausen has published on his website. I have found one of the most important things is tapping the foot- the idea of syncronization of the muscles of the playing system. Therefore I don’t use a metronome, but tap my foot very deliberately. I have seen Markus play Caruso and his foot tapping has a very deliberate subdivision to it, a very clear upbeat and downbeat sequence. I also use this foot tapping when doing the Thompson Buzzing Routine.
Best wishes
Tristram Williams