ACB Mini-Lesson #59: Flow Studies vs Static Long Tones on Trumpet - Trent Austin Free Trumpet Lesson

Long tones: they're not particularly interesting, and if you do them wrong they can also lead to tension, rigidity, and a stagnant sound! This mini-lesson will help you get your air right by using flow studies instead. Flow studies transfer into musical playing much more easily. You can find "flow studies" in lots of places or even improvise your own. What are YOUR thoughts on long tones? Let us know in the comments below!

1:48 People are shocked to learn I don't do "long tones." At least not static long tones from 10-60 seconds. Trumpet practice is about finding what works for you, and that particular exercise doesn't take me where I want to go as a player.

3:22 Long tones make my chops feel rigid and tense. I prefer to play an extended moving line, even with circular breathing. I think of my air as being like a bow on a violin, continually moving and very smooth. And of course I improvise a lot as I'm doing this exercise. I just don't feel that same smooth flow during a static long tone.

5:36 Don't want to improvise the exercises? Try some Clarke or Vizzutti studies and play them many times through.

6:00 I think it's important to focus on a feeling of relaxed pliability. It's also easier for me to apply this approach to practical music. You want your fundamentals practice to flow into all of your musical playing. I find this a much more practical way to develop the endurance and strength we're going for with the static long tones.

8:16 Sometimes I'll just turn on a backing track and improvise continuously for about two minutes while circular breathing. It's not necessarily the MOST musical choice, but it's still a lot more musical than just playing a G for two minutes.

Apologies for putting the sheet music in front of my face, this is a live first take as always!

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