Chris Gekker is Professor of Trumpet at the University of Maryland, School of Music and currently lives in the Washingto
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Chris Gekker is Professor of Trumpet at the University of Maryland, School of Music and currently lives in the Washington, DC area. He has been featured as soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. After performances of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 at Carnegie Hall, the New York Times praised his “bright virtuosity” and described his playing as “clear toned and pitch perfect.” Chris appears as soloist on more than thirty recordings and on more than one hundred chamber music, orchestral, and jazz recordings. CD Review called his recording of Copland’s Quiet City “a model of quiet perfection” and in an overview of several solo recordings Grammophone Magazine described his performances as “astonishingly poised.” Of his recording of Eric Ewazen’s Sonata for Trumpet and Piano American Record Guide states “Ewazen writes that he had Gekker’s sound in his mind when he wrote the Sonata, and I can understand why. It is round, soft edged, and gorgeous at soft dynamic levels, and always full and well controlled at fortissimo.” Chris is one of the featured artists on Deutsche Grammophon’s 2005 compilation “Masters of the Trumpet.” Chris’ many solo recordings include the Bach 2nd Brandenburg Concerto and Winter, a CD of music for trumpet and piano by Eric Ewazen and David Snow. Of the Bach, Classics Today writes “Chris Gekker plays with brilliance and panache,” and BBC Magazine states “the trumpeter gives a secure and glittering account.” On Winter American Record Guide writes “I cannot think of another trumpet player I’d rather listen to than Gekker, and he is at his sweet, velvet-toned best in these pieces.” Recent recordings include the 2009 recording Unchanging Love (music of Larry Bell), where Fanfare magazine wrote "Chris Gekker has made himself known over the years as a superb trumpeter who is able to produce meltingly flute-like tones at one extreme, and to bring down the house at the other." Of Brian Fennelly’s Corollory III for Trumpet and Piano, American Record Guide wrote in 2013 “it is always a pleasure to hear Chris Gekker’s round, warm tone quality, virtuoso skills, and always thoughtful way of playing.” Chris was a member of the American Brass Quintet for eighteen years, and on the faculties of the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and Columbia University. He was principal trumpet with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, frequently performed and recorded as principal with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and often a guest with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has been a guest principal with the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Santa Fe Opera. Chris has performed and recorded with many jazz and contemporary artists, and often for television and movies. In 2009 he was invited to record and perform with Sting, and is featured on the DVD “A Winter’s Night” which was recorded live at Durham Cathedral in Durham, England. In the Washington DC area, Chris serves as principal trumpet of the National Philharmonic at Strathmore, is a member of the Post Classical Ensemble, the Washington Symphonic Brass, and performs regularly at Wolf Trap. During the summer he is principal trumpet of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC. Many of his former students occupy orchestral positions in major symphonies throughout the world, as well as being prominent in jazz, chamber, and commercial music. His Articulation Studies, 44 Duos, Endurance Drills, Piccolo Trumpet Studies, and 24 Etudes are available from Colin Publications and are sold worldwide. Chris was born in Washington D.C., grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Maryland. His teachers include Emerson Head, Sidney Mear, Adel Sanchez, and Gerard Schwarz.
I have read and studies Chris Gekker’s book, SLOW PRACTICE. Chris is a great trumpet player and teacher but more than that he is a great artist and a deep philosopher about music and the trumpet. His insights are always interesting and he brings his world of teaching to the highest level for everyone to learn from. This book is a must for every serious trumpet player. ~ Gerard Schwartz
I am grateful for the technical assistance of Frank Stroup, who printed the music and provided advice on areas of layout and design.
Two close colleagues, Mike Blutman and Bob Birch, generously took the time to read through everything and offered valuable advice.
My good friend Chris Royal contributed crucial technical help. ~ Chris
Focused, intelligent slow practice (long tones, intervals, scales, melodic studies) will positively influence all aspects of our playing. Endurance, intonation, flexibility, and even technical facility will all benefit. Anton Rubinstein once described an ideal performance as “a free walk on firm ground.” Nothing will give us that “firm ground” better than well organized, intense slow practice, and the resulting ability does indeed affect our ability to express our musicality, to “walk freely,” in every way: solo literature, large ensembles, chamber music, jazz improvisation, and commercial work. There are a number of proven methodologies that feature long tones, such as the contributions of Carmine Caruso, and the popularity of such approaches is because they work! I like to focus on two classics, J.B. Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method and Max Schlossberg’s Daily Drills for a structured and progressive program of long tone, interval, and scale practice. Most of the studies in this book are based on studies from Arban and Schlossberg, and I have taken the liberty of including some of my personal history with the great teachers and colleagues from whom I’ve learned. For me, the practice of any material is deepened by the awareness of its context: how it was introduced to me and how I have been taught to address the challenges. Herbert L. Clarke wrote “Endurance is 90% of cornet playing.” He was asking us to understand that our ability to sustain ourselves while playing our instruments is the foundational base from which all else evolves. Clarke’s Technical Studies are primarily intended to train trumpeters to play with complete ease and efficiency: he even remarks that played correctly, these studies are superior to long tone practice. And for some, this may be so. Playing slow exercises and long tones can sometimes lead trumpeters to work too hard, to chase the old adage “no pain, no gain.” But I recommend that we approach long tone and slow practice as efficiently as possible, concentrating on ease of execution, a colorful tone quality, light and clear attacks, and using dynamic contrasts to achieve a balanced air flow with a pliable, flexible, and stable embouchure that is comfortable playing low to high, high to low, soft to loud, and loud to soft. I once asked Mark Gould about this general subject: “Maybe the biggest problem I have with students is their unawareness of what it feels like to play with a balanced setup. Some very good players never really get this. The tip-off is usually the vast difference in sound quality between loud and soft. The challenge is how to get a player’s body to recognize when things are in balance (air speed, embouchure, tension, diaphragm engagement, buoyancy of the sound, relaxation of the neck and shoulders, etc.).” Finding this balance and building an inner perception of executing with this sense of buoyancy should be the goal of slow practice – it must literally be sought and earned over and over again, day-by-day, for our whole careers. For me, slow practice is the most important part of whatever time I can spend alone with the trumpet. I do not ascribe to any sort of formal routine, but continually go over the same fundamentals in varying ways as often as I can. These studies might be the first things I play on any given day, and there are other times, when things are especially busy, when I actually end my day with slow practice – I always feel better the next day when this happens! When addressed normally, I will spend between 15 and 30 minutes on these drills, resting as much or more that I actually play.
1
When starting to commit to slow practice, just a few minutes is fine. Wynton Marsalis recommends to trumpeters starting long tone practice that they do 2-3 minutes, every other day, and slowly work up to five minutes, every other day. His advice to “seek the biggest tone at the softest volume” is timeless and really worth taking the time to think about. He also points out the importance of keeping vibrant and colorful, as expressed earlier – long tone practice should not be a dreary chore. Let us also remember Arnold Jacob’s wisdom: “do not obsess about your sound, rather be focused on your ideal sound, what you dream of sounding like.” He taught that if we are reaching for our “ideal” we will always sound our best at any given time. As we adapt to this kind of practice over time, our developing efficiency and ease of execution will naturally lead to fundamental endurance, which creates the basis of our development in all areas: expressiveness, tone, intonation, and accuracy. Endurance is the metabolic adaptation to a specific task, which must be based on a fundamental base of good conditioning. The Prussian military strategist, Karl von Clausewitz, had this advice: “The best strategy is always to be very strong, first generally and then at the decisive point.” As any competitive athlete knows, you have to get into “good shape” before you can think of getting into “really good shape.” As we deal with our most challenging repertoire and performing situations, we need to realize that there are different types of demands. The Poulenc 1922 Sonata for Horn, Trumpet, and Trombone is about 9 minutes of playing, with no rest. A Mahler symphony may contain a similar amount of trumpet playing, 10-12 minutes, but spread out over a performing duration of well over an hour. Obviously the intensity levels will be different, both stressful in varying ways. Perhaps impossible to prepare for equally on the highest level, both requiring a solid base of general endurance and then the prioritizing of practice to bring the performer to the stage prepared for the demands of each situation. If we remember that “form follows function” we should have a good idea of how to approach the various demands we are confronted with. Think about the overall training philosophy that is often associated with Olympic weightlifting: “work as hard as possible, while staying as fresh as possible.” This advice gives us a flexible, adaptable template on which to organize our daily practice indefinitely: on any given day, ask yourself “how can I work as hard as possible while staying as fresh as possible?” The creative applications of this are endless. Proper slow practice can be, for many, the most direct method of developing fundamental control of our instruments throughout demanding professional situations. Finally, the whole idea of endurance is deeply connected to our own attitudes. It’s not a bad idea to simply think about and visualize the whole concept of stamina: enduring difficult performing challenges, remaining durable under stress. How we train ourselves internally will ultimately form our character, which will ultimately form our destiny. The great Yogi Berra was speaking about baseball, but it might as well have been trumpet playing: “It’s ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.”
2
The Arban Complete Conservatory Method is central to most trumpeters’ practice, starting from the beginning level. Like most enthusiastic young players, I went straight to the back of the book as soon as I (thought I) could manage, to the solos and the 14 Characteristic Studies. Perhaps this is natural, for a young player to charge fearlessly, like a moth to a flame. I have learned, as so many others have, that the real hip stuff is toward the beginning – this was first pointed out to me by Gerard Schwarz, who was my last formal teacher, in the mid 1970s. I was still in school but also working professionally pretty much full time, and yearning to improve. I had literally worn out his recordings, starting with The Age of Splendour – the most nuanced, expressive articulation I could ever imagine. When the chance came for a lesson I drove the eight hours from Rochester to New York City in my rusted little heap as if on air. I played the Arban Characteristic Study no. 6, and he immediately identified what I needed to work on. In his words, my sound was inconsistent low to high: too dark and muffled down low, too bright up high. His advice, to practice slowly and work toward an even color from top to bottom, from soft to loud, was like giving water to someone who had just crossed a desert: a model concept that has produced a lifetime of focused practicing. His demonstration of some of the single tongue Arban etudes remains the most inspiring trumpet playing I have ever heard close up. Arban’s First Studies are the source of #1-4 here, starting with his #10, then #9, #8, and #7. Arban recommends a tempo of 60 per quarter note, and certainly this has value, but I find it more productive on all these to be in 2, at half note ranging from 60 to 80 to start. Over time, they can be done much slower and also faster. I have expanded the range to show here what I normally do – I can play higher but this is where I take these studies – when I began these many years ago I stopped short of where they are written here. They should not be a source of any kind of straining, and I advise not ascending to your very top notes on these. Any one of these may take about 12 minutes or so, resting as much as playing, and I will do one or two at most. There are many ways of covering all the keys: chromatically, circle of fifths, in octaves, etc. As recommended earlier, stay buoyant, colorful, and vibrant as you practice various styles of articulations and slur/legato tongue variations. Some dynamic contrast practice can be really good on these, though I tend to deal with that issue more on the Schlossberg drills shown after these. On Arban my focus is on intervallic integrity, intonation, and sound. #4 (Arban #7) is interesting: with the original breath marks after each note, at quarter note = 60, it will end up being more like the variation shown on page 19. Merri Franquin was a student of Arban and succeeded him on the faculty of the Paris Conservatory (Enescu’s 1906 Legende was dedicated to Franquin, the first “concours” solo piece for trumpet - not cornet). Indeed Franquin is credited with the emergence of the C trumpet as a viable solo and orchestral instrument. Franquin authored a method, similar in size to Arban’s, and his “Emission Studies” are similar to what was likely the way Arban’s #7 was practiced. Both Maurice Andre and Hakan Hardenberger have credited these studies as central to their practice. Some will see a similarity, as well, to some of Richard Schubruk’s Graded Lip Trainers, an outstanding book of slow practice.
3
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####
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14
U
˙
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w
œ Œ Ó
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w
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15
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U
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w
w
w w
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U
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U
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Variations
˙ ˙
& C ˙.
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>˙
^ ˙
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˙. ˙. ˙ >
C ˙ ˙
32 ˙ w
&C ˙ ˙
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˙.
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ƒ π
16
w
˙ ˙ ˙. ˙. ˙. ^ ˙ ˙ ˙
œ Œ UÓ U
w.
œ Œ Ó
w.
œ Œ UÓ
˙ >
w
œ Œ UÓ
^ ˙
w^
œ Œ UÓ
˙
w π
œ Œ UÓ
˙. ˙.
˙
w ƒ
œ Œ UÓ
4 w = 60-80
2 &2 w &
w
&
####
# w
&
####
#
w
w
#### ## & # & &
##
w w
w
w w
w w w
w
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w w
w w w 17
w w
U
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w
U
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U
Œ Ó
w
w
w
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w
w
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w
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w
w w
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w
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##
w
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w w w
w w w
w w w
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U
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U
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b &bb w b &bb &
####
&
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w
w
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w w
b & b bbbb w
# w &
w
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w
w
b & b bbbb
w
w
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&b w &b
w
w
w
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w w
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w
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w
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w w
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18
U
w
w
w
œ Œ UÓ œ Œ Ó
w
w
w
w
U
U U
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U
U
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#
& w
w
w w
b w & b bb b & b bb
w
w
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w
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b w b &
w
b &b w
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w w w w w w
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Variation
, , , ˙. , , ˙. , ˙. , ˙ ˙ . . c Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ w & ˙. ˙. q = 60-80
19
U
Œ Ó
U U
Œ Ó
U U
Œ Ó
U
œ Œ UÓ
My teacher at Eastman, starting in 1972, was Sidney Mear. I came in as a freshman with a good amount of experience, performing concertos, orchestral playing, big band, jazz improvising, etc. But he immediately saw that I had neglected my low register and fundamental tone production. The Schlossberg Daily Drills came out right away, and was always at hand for our four years together. When I won a professional full time orchestral job in my senior year, it was still the one book I opened every day. And it remains of primary importance, over four decades later. Schlossberg’s first two studies are the essence of aperture control and true flexibility: the ability of the embouchure to frame and support a pliable aperture that can expand and contract with ease is the starting point for truly controlling the trumpet “from the inside out.” Mr. Mear recommended counting out the long notes, not observing the fermatas in the original studies: in his words, “there is only one solo fermata in the repertoire, Wagner’s Rienzi Overture, and you should be counting rhythmically during that anyway.” He talked of being inspired by Maurice Tabuteau, principal oboe in the Philadelphia Orchestra under Stokowski, who taught an extremely detailed method of controlling crescendos and diminuendos, visualizing numbers as dynamic levels. When these Schlossberg drills are practiced in rhythm, the control needed becomes evident, and learning to breathe rhythmically in the quarter rests is also learned. #6 (Schlossberg #2) brings to mind the advice of Gerard Schwarz, concerning a wide array of issues: “soft long tones.” I have included an extension of these two studies, to encompass more of the traditional range – not to be rushed into, and recommended to be done only on an occasional basis.
20
5 q = 60 (40-96)
& 44 & &
˙ F
b˙ ˙ F
˙
w
bw
˙.
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˙
w
&˙ F
˙
w
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˙
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w w
Œ
˙.
Œ
˙ ˙ πF ˙.
˙.
Œ
w
˙ ˙.
π
#˙ F
˙
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˙
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π
w
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w
b˙ ˙ π F
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bw ˙.
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˙ w ˙. Œ ˙ ˙ w &˙ π F F ˙. Œ ˙ ˙ w ˙. Œ b˙ ˙ & b˙ ˙ bw π F πF F Œ #˙ &˙ ˙ w ˙. ˙ #w F π F 21
˙.
#w
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π
Œ
π
U
Œ
π Œ π
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Œ π
˙. Œ π U Œ ˙. π
(Extended)
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˙
w
˙.
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˙
F & #˙ ˙ F
& #˙ F
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w Œ
F
˙ π F
22
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w
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bw ˙.
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b˙.
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bw
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b˙ π F ˙ w
#˙.
23
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˙
˙
bw
w
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˙ π F
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π ˙ w
U
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b˙
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#˙ π F
Œ b˙ π F
w
˙
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24
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˙
w
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w
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U
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b˙.
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6 q = 60 (40-96)
& 44 ˙ π
& ˙ ˙ π &˙ π
˙
w ˙
w
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w
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b˙ π
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˙
b˙ ˙ π
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b˙ π 25
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π & #˙ ˙ π
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F
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26
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w Œ ˙ ˙ π
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˙
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27
π
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˙
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bw Œ
b˙ π
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Œ #w Œ
28
π
bw
˙ Œ
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w
˙.
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#˙
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bw
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F
bw
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w
F
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Œ b˙. Œ F U Œ
π
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U
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Schlossberg #6 is the inspiration for #7 – here, the first descending half step is done without the benefit of valves, a kind of practice often referred to as “lip bending.” Make the descending half step an act of focused direction, not letting the note sag, and then articulate the same note, using the correct fingering, striving to keep the intonation consistent. The point is to produce a note artificially, with the wrong fingering: like performing an exercise on an unstable surface - the engaged muscles of support must work harder. Lip bending can be a great way to strengthen the embouchure, and some trumpeters consider it central to their practice. For me, a little goes a long way. Trumpeters looking for a source of more drills in this area should get David Hickman’s outstanding 15 Embouchure Studies – David explains lip bending with clear insight. The variation on page 31 requires an additional half step produced by embouchure alone. More rest is included, to balance the extra effort.
29
7 q = 60 (40-80)
o ˙
4 &4 ˙
1 2
œ Œ
˙ 2
˙ #˙
#˙
œ Œ
b˙
& b˙
2
˙
˙
bœ Œ
˙
& b˙
2 3
Œ ˙ bœ
2 3
& ˙ #˙
& &
˙
˙ o
˙
1
1 3
2
˙
1 2
2 3
˙ #˙
#˙
œ œ
Œ Œ
1
o ˙ bœ Œ
2 3
˙
œ Œ
1 2
1
˙
˙ 1 2 3
1 3
˙ #˙
#˙
2
1
˙ #˙ b˙
œ Œ
#˙
2
œ
#˙
œ
2 3
1 3
˙
˙ bœ
30
Œ
b˙
Œ
1 2
˙ bœ Œ
o ˙ #˙
#˙
1 2
2 3
˙ #˙ b˙
Œ
˙ 1
b˙
2
#˙
1 2 3
˙
1
˙
o
œ Œ œ Œ
˙ bœ 1 2
˙ bœ
1 3
1 2 3
˙ #˙
#˙
˙
ΠΠU
o & 32 ˙
h = 60-80
∑
& o &˙
˙ b˙ b˙ 1
˙
#˙
o & ˙ #˙ n˙ ∑
& 1 3
&˙
˙
#˙
˙
˙
& ˙ #˙ n˙ & & &
˙ 1
˙
#˙
b˙
b˙
∑
2 3
2
b˙ o ˙
1 2 3
˙
b˙ 2 3
b˙
˙
n˙ ˙
1 2
n˙ ˙
b˙ b˙ #˙ n˙
1 2 3
1 2 3
1
2
b˙
n˙
o
b˙
1 2
1 3
2 3
1 2
˙ #˙ n˙
˙ #˙
˙
˙ ∑ 31
˙ n˙
˙
˙ b˙
˙ #˙ 1
#˙
2
n˙ ∑
2 3
b˙
o 23 ˙ b˙
2
˙
˙ 2
˙
2 3
1 2
b˙
n˙
#˙
˙ b˙
n˙ ∑
1
b˙ 1 2 3
2 3
b˙
∑
1
∑
1
b˙
1 2
˙ 2
n˙
b˙ ˙
1 3
b˙
#˙
1 2
∑
˙ 1
1
2 3
˙
2
∑
˙
o n˙
2
˙ #˙ 1 2
∑
1
b˙
˙
b˙
˙ #˙ n˙
b˙
1 3
∑
2
1 2
1 2
2
∑ 2 3
b˙
˙ #˙
o
1 2
o
∑ 2 3
∑
1 2
1 3
∑
2
˙ #˙ 1
1
2 3
˙
1 2
2 3
o ˙
b˙ n˙ 1
1 3
2 3
b˙ n˙ b˙
U
#8 (Schlossberg #7) is another drill where using the metronome (deleting the fermatas) is a good idea. Timing and response are then exercised in a more structured way. Use of regular fingerings is what I prefer, though sometimes using “bugle” valve combinations might be of value. For me, I like to visualize playing actual pieces when doing these, such as Brahms or Schumann symphonies. The descending lines are more challenging: we lose stability when descending, and with adding a diminuendo this challenge is compounded. The trumpet is built to thrive on compression: to crescendo while ascending is the most efficient use of the instrument, and for a player with a strong, stable embouchure, always feels the best. Much like learning to fly an airplane, where taking off is considered easier than landing the darn thing. Indeed, playing softly can be compared to flying an airplane slowly with control, something only an expert pilot can manage. As we all learn in the professional world, it’s the soft stuff that is the most dangerous: Beethoven Violin Concerto (2nd trumpet), Schumann Symphony no. 2, Stravinsky Mass, etc. These sorts of drills give us ample opportunity to get ready for these demands. To quote the great basketball coach John Wooden: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Included here are extensions of Schlossberg's drill, both lower and higher.
32
8 q = 60-80 (40-96)
8 & 4 ˙F &˙ F
&˙ F & ˙F
&˙ F & ˙F ˙-
& F & #˙
F
˙-
˙˙-
˙. π ˙-
˙˙-
˙. π
˙.
˙- # ˙ . π
Œ
Œ b˙ F
˙. π
˙-
˙. π
π
˙. π
˙. π
Œ
# ˙F
F Œ b ˙- ˙- b ˙ . F π Œ
˙-
F Œ b ˙- ˙- ˙ . F π Œ Œ ˙-
F
Œ
˙- b ˙ . π ˙-
# ˙-
F ˙- b ˙ .
π
˙. π
˙-
˙-
Œ
˙F
˙- ˙ . π
#˙. π
Œ
#˙. π
Œ
Œ ˙ F ˙-
˙. π Œ ˙-
Œ
b ˙-
Œ ˙ ˙ - - ˙. π F ˙-
˙F
F
b ˙-
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F
˙-
˙# ˙F ˙-
b˙. π
Œ
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Œ
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˙- # w π
Œ #˙ ˙ - - #w π F ˙Œ b˙ F ˙-
˙- b w π
U
U
U
b˙. Œ F π U -˙ ˙. Œ b˙ ˙ bw π π F F
33
Œ
& &
˙F
˙F
˙-
˙. ˙π
& ˙F
˙-
˙-
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&˙ ˙ - F & F ˙& F & &
F
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˙.
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F ˙-
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π
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b˙. π
Œ
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b ˙-
F
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˙.
π
b ˙F
˙F
F ˙- b ˙ .
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34
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When Mr. Mear opened the Schlossberg Daily Drills at my first lesson, it was to #18. He asked me to play it at quarter note = 60, as soft as possible, slurring and then legato tonguing. I think I got about halfway through slurring, and when I attempted to legato tongue, not even that far. Mr. Mear challenged me to do this drill every day, and to eventually work the metronome mark down to 40, continually striving to find a still quieter dynamic level. This remains one of the most important exercises for me and there have been very many times professionally when I have silently thanked Mr. Mear for directing me down this road. It really takes on a deep meaning after many repetitions, over a long period of time. Once we can play a certain exercise well, consistently, the real work begins: literally building a history of efficient tone production that will stand up under pressure, time after time. I also like this drill in one, at dotted half note = 60, each line done first slurred, then repeated in tempo legato tongued. The slurred line should be the harmonic (“bugle”) fingerings, and for the legato tongued line regular fingerings. This also can be worked down to a tempo of 40, and up to faster tempos, always in one.
35
9 - œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ3 œ œ œ & 4 œ œ- œ œ- œ- π #### -œ -œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ& # œœ- œ- œ- œπ bb -œ -œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ& œ- œ- œ- œ- œπ ### - œ- œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ & - œ- - - œœ œ œ- œπ bb b b - œ- œœ œ œ- œ œ œ œ œ & - - œ- œ- œ- œ- œπ # - œ- œœ œ œ & œ- œ œ- œœ- œœ œ œ- œπ #### # - œ œ œ œ & # œ- œ œ- - œ- - - œ- œ- œœ œ œ- - œ- - π q = 60 work down to q = 40
36
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38
10 Schlossberg #25 is best done at a moderately quick pace, very lightly and so