Week 3

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  • Establishing a More Consistent Warmup Routine 

  • Using Metronome in Daily Practice
  • Sightreading 
  • Anxious to Play Everyday
  • Making Progress


My thoughts, observations, and insights for week 3.

This week I began spending more time on my warm up. As my lips have gotten stronger I have felt the need to take more care in developing a good routine for my daily warm up.  I have read several articles recently about warm up routines and I have consolidated the best of the article ideas and my experience and developed the following suggestions for a daily warm up routine.

Daily Warm Up

  • long tones
  • low to mid register lip slurs
  • low to mid register chromatic scales
  • First Studies 1-10 used in warm up time on several days
  • 12 major scales beginning with F# below middle C
  • mid to high register lip slurs
  • mid to high register chromatic scales
  • major scales in high register


I tried to vary each day’s warm up routine some but still maintain the basic structure mentioned above. In warm up and other practice I tried to remember to have equal amounts of resting and playing.Read more about warm up routines here - http://www.timstrumpetplace.com/2011/10/a-formula-for-warming-up.html


Using Metronome in Daily Practice

This week I began using the metronome in my daily practice in Arban. I have always known the benefits of using a metronome but I have rarely used one over the years. This goes back to the lack of discipline I have mentioned previously. 


Some of the benefits of using a metronome include:

  • developing the skill to maintain a consistent beat and rhythm with metronome and eventually, without the metronome
  • assist you with working out complicated rhythmical patterns  and to play them at desired speed
  • using the metronome on a regular basis helps you to more accurately determine tempos when the metronome is not available
  • to facilitate "muscle memory" through repitition

The metronome is an indispensable tool for the musician who wants to excel.

Sight Reading

In addition to daily practice I also decided to do some regular sight reading at least one day a week. Sight reading a passage, without stopping to practice, has benefits for all musicians—beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Make sure you chose music for your sight reading that challenges you.

Anxious to Play Everyday

Everyday I wake up anxious to start playing. It’s been a long time since I have enjoyed playing trumpet this much. It feels very good.

Making Progress

I am seeing and hearing progress with tone, breath support, embouchure, and endurance. Three weeks of disciplined practice have already paid off and I am expecting to see much more progress in the future.


Notice: I am having computer problems.  I will add some audio samples from this week and possibly some pics when I am able. 















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