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Lesson time: (9min 50sec)
Gerard Presencer shares an exercise learned from Royal Danish Opera trumpeter Nikolaj Viltoft: sing it, buzz it on the mouthpiece, then play it, to lock in rhythmic placement.
This lesson is part of the course Internal Approach to Playing the Trumpet
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Now, this exercise is not mine. It was given to me by a fantastic classical trumpet player called Nicolae Wiltoft, who is the solo trumpet player in the Royal Danish Opera House.
I noticed a few years ago that there are certain similarities between opera trumpet players and, say, jazz or commercial trumpet players:
These technical approaches are really helpful when you're improvising or playing horn lines, which have very specific rhythmic placements, but not necessarily a massive "punch in the mouth" kind of approach.
So, I took this exercise from Nikolaj and adapted it slightly. One helpful tip I received recently is to practice with an earplug, initially, I suggest using two. However, today we will use one earplug.
I only do this exercise every day. It's primarily about listening to what you're doing.
A point that was made by a very great classical musician is:
"When working on something simple and diatonic, think about the next note."
For example, if I'm playing a C, I think about E (the next note) before I play it.
Sing the Exercise:
Mouthpiece:
Trumpet:
Note: I am not a good singer, and that's okay! Don't be shy; singing is beneficial for your development.
As I play one note, I keep thinking about the note that is coming up. The earplug changes how you perceive pitch.
If you sing out of tune, you will play out of tune. This connection between singing, mouthpiece, and playing is crucial.
The hardest part of the exercise is the descent, specifically the sequence:
To maintain pitch, slow down on every note you sing, play on the mouthpiece, or play the trumpet.
You may notice:
On descent, especially when you start to tongue, you need to speed up your airflow. It might not feel instinctive because often we back off or slow our air as we descend, which breaks up the sound.
After completing the downward exercise, proceed in half steps all the way down to G, and then return to C.
There's a great feeling of focus at the end of this exercise, but it's a dedicated practice session, not something to do before a gig, as it can be tiring.
Then, once you're comfortable, add an extra note.
At the very end, I add one more repetition fast and light, focusing on staccato.
Finally, descend through the keys down to bottom F sharp.
This entire exercise might take about 20 minutes.
I wouldn't do that every day, perhaps three times a week works best.
Remember, consistency is key, and enjoy the process!
Over the past 25 years Gerard Presencer has carved out a formidable reputation as one of the most respected trumpeters on the European scene. He exploded onto the international scene aged 18, when US3 asked him to play the solo part on Blue Note's Cantaloupe Island (re-imagined as Cantaloop Flip-Fantasia), which became one of the biggest selling jazz records of the 1990s. Since then he has performed with a who's who of international jazz artists, and continues to push himself and his instrument, moving outside his comfort zone in order to develop as a player and writer. In other genres, Gerard has recorded as a session musician with artists such as Sting, Jamiroquai, Zero 7, James Brown, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Jonny Greenwood. Gerard has also been an essential member of Charlie Watts' various jazz groups over the last 25 years, touring the world and releasing several albums with the jazz-loving Stone. As an educator, Gerard was Head of Jazz Studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1999 to 2010, and is currently Head of the Brass Department at the Jazz Institut in Berlin. In this course he shares his internal approach to playing the trumpet - the mental and physical habits behind a great sound - so you can develop tone, control and musicianship from the inside out. read more
