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If you began the Stamp routine when I first posted Stamping It Out (part I), you may be wondering why you have wasted your time on all this silliness while you could have actually been getting something accomplished in your practice routine. Don’t worry, that is normal. I felt the same way when I first began this routine, and I put it away for months before coming back to it and giving it a second chance. You must have a great deal of patience while learning to play these exercises correctly, but we all know patience is a virtue, and it will not go unrewarded.
In this last installment of the series on the Stamp book, we will be looking at exercises 4a, 4b, and 5. These exercises are the key to being able to play centered and balanced throughout the entire range. All of these exercises should be played softly and with absolute ease. If you feel the need to force, or if you feel out of center, you should stop the exercise and repeat the bar.
Exercise 4a should be played faster than most people think. This exercise has the potential to suck the most time out of our practice day with the smallest return on investment. I play this exercise at dotted half = 60-70, and if you have played these exercises before, then that is likely much faster than you have been playing it. I see no reason that this exercise should take a substantial amount of time, though. It is built on one primary idea: suspending the bottom octave from the position of the upper octave. This is focused practice on the concept of thinking down while you are going up, and thinking up while you are going down. This exercise can really help you get the feel of playing the lower octave with the same embouchure, or same position, as the upper. I find this technique easier to apply at a faster tempo, as indicated above, than at a slower tempo. When playing this exercise, be adamant about keeping the embouchure in position when you make the jump to the lower octave, and be sure to rest at least 2 beats between bars. If you have had difficulty keeping the lips from collapsing into the mouthpiece as you descend into the pedal register, then this exercise will be a great resource for you. Really visualize that you are jumping up an octave, rather than down. Strive to maintain a focused sound in the pedal register.
Exercise 4b continues the odd numbering practice of this book, as I don’t see these exercises as anymore related than others in this warm-up. Whatever you number it as, though, I find this exercise to be the most important in the entire warm-up. Obviously, it is simply an extension of #3, but it is through this extension that you will likely see the most significant improvement in your playing. I like to play this exercise at quarter = 100-120. However, if you need to take some time on the ascending arpeggio in order to stay centered, then you should definitely do so. Make sure to play this exercise softly, and with no hint of force. Rest at least 4 beats between bars. Repeat any bar that gives you difficulty or knocks you out of balance. If there is a place to spend extra time in this warm up, then this exercise is it. The last line of the exercise covers a full 3 octaves to high C, then has you play a pedal C after a caesura. What you do during this caesura is extremely important. Play a nice centered and resonant high C, then freeze the embouchure, take a breath through the nose, and play the pedal C on the same embouchure set that you played the high C. If you can do this, then you are truly playing on one embouchure, and you are much closer to being able to play over the entire range of the instrument with a pure, centered, and resonant sound.
Exercise #5 is the last in the basic warm-up. This exercise blends elements from 4a and 4b. It is extremely important to play the first note of each bar with a “high” setting. Remember, the first note is high, the last note low. If the lips are allowed to begin this exercise too relaxed, or puffed into the mouthpiece, then you will not be able to play through that bar with a controlled, centered, and resonant sound. When you reach the top note of the bar, release the note and freeze the embouchure just like the last line of 4b. Breathe through your nose and play the pedal C on the same “set” as the top note. Like 4a, I prefer to play this exercise at dotted half = 60-70. Be sure to rest at least 4 beats between bars and with the mouthpiece off of the lips. I simply extend this exercise to as high as I can go, rather than using the extensions indicated on the rest of page 7. You should try both and see what works best for you. Be cognizant of the amount of mouthpiece pressure you are using as you ascend into the upper register. If you feel you are using too much pressure, you probably are.
At this point, especially after you have been doing this warm-up for a while, you should feel ready to face whatever the day throws your way. The next thing I prefer to do in my day is skill set exercises, such as articulation, lip flexibilities, Clarke, and more. However, if I need to jump in and play something at this point, I am more than ready to do so. Once you have developed the skills required to move through this routine effectively and consistently at the tempos I have indicated, then this entire warm-up should take only a half hour, or even less. For those days when you are pressed for time, I recommend cutting the following exercises, the first one in the list being the first to be eliminated:
• 4a
• 5
• 2 (lips alone)
• last half of #3 on the mouthpiece.
By cutting these exercises out, you can trim the time required down to about 15 minutes. It is very important to realize, though, that this should be done only occasionally and out of necessity. It is critical that these exercises be included in the basic warm-up on a daily, or at least almost daily, basis. Remember to rest after each bar for a moment with the mouthpiece off the lips, never force or stretch, and always play these exercises with ease and grace. By doing so you will see your playing rise to new heights, and you will be able to concentrate more on the music you are making, and less on how to play the trumpet. I hope you have enjoyed this series on the Stamp Warm-Up. This routine has proven to be invaluable to my students and me. I hope they prove to be equally valuable to you. Good luck!
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