Advance Lip Plyometrics: Progressive Artistic Etudes and Preparatory Studies

Advance Lip Plyometrics: Progressive Artistic Etudes and Preparatory Studies Advanced Lip Plyometrics are artistic etudes and preparatory exercises designed to provide the advanced trumpeter with challenging practice materials. When practiced correctly—striving for an open and resonant sound in addition to resting when fatigued—Advanced Lip Plyometrics will help players develop an agile and powerful embouchure while fostering artistic and technical skills. The term plyometric refers to a type of repeated exercise that involves the rapid stretching and contracting of muscles to increase muscle power. Therefore, Advanced Lip Plyometrics are preparatory exercises and artistic etudes that engage the player’s embouchure through fast and powerful drill and melodic sequences. The author based Advanced Lip Plyometrics on the works of William A. Thiecke and Pasquale Bona. From Thiecke’s melodic approach to drill writing, the author designed the first part of the book—which contains a developmental and conditioning sequence that target the fundamentals necessary to perform the second part of the book, the 40 Artistic Etudes. Some of the fundamentals included in the first section are: the mastering of long tones; flexibility; dynamic control; and the ability to play over a two-octave range with an open and resonant sound. From Bona, the author used the main themes of some of his rhythmical articulationsto compose the Artistic Etudes in the second part of the book. The Artistic Etudes focus on the artistic challenges (e.g., the creation of a distortion-free tone over a two-octave range; the extensive use of dynamics and articulation; and the interpretation of performance styles) prevalent in the standard orchestral and solo brass repertoire. In sum, the author’s goal is to provide a developmental and conditioning sequence in the first part of the book—i.e., preparatory exercises numbers 1 through 50—to prepare the player to perform the 40 Artistic Etudes that follow. The author advises players to build the stamina necessary to perform the longer etudes—i.e., numbers 31-40—over time as the focus range of Advanced Lip Plyometrics is between the “G” and the “D” above the treble clef staff. As a way of reiterating some of the guidelines to effective practicing, the author included a re-print of the appendix titled Practicing from Lasting Change for Trumpeters: the Pedagogical Approach of Arnold Jacobs at the end of the book.