Because of the short notice to play this show, my usual routine had to be changed. Usually I will check over the music to find what challenges it might have such as range, endurance, solos, unusual keys, etc. In this case it was and is a straight forward vocal/skit/comedy show with one band feature at the end. The range runs from below the staff to about 58 high C’s and D’s with only one Eb which for a capable second chair player is within my comfort zone. Only one featured solo and the changes are very common.
One issue in the part which looked interesting is the constant mute changes which are common in musicals such as this. Some changes have to be performed very, very quickly and because of that, I designed and constructed a special mute holder which would place all of my mutes close to my bell for quick changes. This, as I found out was one big benefit when it came time for the show. You can get more information on this mute holder at the following… Free Mute Holder
Once I had an understanding of the book, the next step was to learn the material while at the same time building my chops for regular shows.
Most shows now include a rehearsal CD along with the music which makes the learning curve much easier and faster to learn. The most efficient way I have found to combine practicing the score and at the same time building my chops is to use my rest as much as you play system. I have found this to be most productive, for you are not limited in how long you can run over the music. If you rest as much as you play, you are able to prolong your practice periods considerably.
This is how I practiced the new material the first two days-
1. Warmup- approximately 10 to 15 minutes
2. Start the Rehearsal CD.
3. Play the first line and rest the second line. Continue the “play/rest” routine until you start to get tired. After the second day that took about two hours.
5. Do a good “cool down”. That consisted of playing my trombone for an hour or so.
This is how I practiced the new material for the rest of the week-
1. Warmup- approximately 10 to 15 minutes
2. Start the Rehearsal CD.
3. Play the first line and rest the second line and continue the “play/rest” routine until I had played the show through completely two times in a row.
5. Then the last thing I did was play through the whole show one more time, playing every line from top to bottom on trombone.
Some may ask why I played the trombone at the end of the day. That is a very good question. The reason I play trombone at the end of the day is to let my chops relax, and the wider, slower vibrations of the lip tissue is wonderful for oxygenating the lip muscles before putting your lips away for the night. Too many players work their lips hard in a practice session and then close the case, thinking they had accomplished a great amount for that day. Putting the horn in the case with tired lips is the same as having a race horse work out and then storing it in a stable for the night. We take better care of horses than we do ourselves! Since I began ending my playing for the day on a trombone, I have not been faced with stiff and unpredictable chops the next morning. Every morning I start with a comfortable and predictable feeling in my lips….. every day!
So much for learning your music and at the same time building your chops.
