Daily Warm Up and Conditioning Routine (2010 ITF)

Brent Phillips
Baylor University
www.baylortrombones.com
The   systematic   daily   approach   to   the   instrument   can   be   the   most   positive   and   reinforcing   aspect   of   our   craft.  
Use   this   time   to   develop   the   strong   pillars,   both   mental   and   physical,   that   aid   in   our   creative   and   technical  
achievement   on   the   horn.   If   we   simply   hammer   through   these   exercises   without   being   aware   of   our   everyday  
muscular  and  creative  needs,  we  soon  become  tired  of  the  process.  Seek  to  enjoy  the  process  of  getting  better.  
I  have  included  many  quotes  from  professional  athletes  throughout  this  warm  up  routine  to  help  you  better  
reconstruct   the   performance   aspect   of   your   profession.   To   simply   warm   up   every   day   without   spending   time  
in  the  “Mind  Gym”  will  not  serve  you  well.  See  yourself  at  your  “gold  medal”  or  winning  moment.  Visualize  
your  surroundings  and  hear  exactly  how  you  would  like  to  sound.  Use  this  daily  warm  up  time  to  solidify  your  
goals  and  personal  concepts  of  tone  and  style.  These  warm  up  exercises  are  a  compiled  from  many  teachers  
and   performers   (Remmington,   Alessi,   Ellefson,   Marsteller,   Schlossberg,   Arban,   Lange,   Whitaker,   Pilafian,  
Sheridan).  

Moving  from  least  resistance  to  maximum  resistance:  

• Exercise  #1  -­‐  Breathe  in  and  out  very  easily  (sigh  –  no  energy  expended).  
• Exercise  #2  -­‐  Quick  work  on  the  “cut  away”  –  using  a  rim  or  a  cut  away  
mouthpiece,  buzz  the  following  Cimera  etude.  

 
• Exercise  #3  -­‐  Brush  strokes  –  (on  the  mouthpiece)  buzz  from  a  comfortable  low  
note  to  a  note  in  the  extended  upper  register.  Concentrate  on  smooth  even  transfer  
from  top  to  bottom.  Imagine  using  a  paintbrush;  keeping  the  brush  on  the  surface  
with  even  steady  pressure,  never  letting  the  brush  leave  the  surface  of  the  wall.  
Work  on  smoothing  out  unevenness  of  texture  and  tone  –  NO  AIRBALL  

  1  
  

• Exercise  #  4  -­‐  Buzz  the  following  Cimera  etude  on  the  mouthpiece  

 
• Exercise  #  5  -­‐  Slide  tube  buzzing  –  carefully  remove  the  outer  slide.  Begin  
downward  descending  scales  beginning  on  Db.  

 
• Exercise  #  6  -­‐  Buzz  the  following  exercise  –  continue  descending  down  
chromatically  (Ellefson)  Buzz  two  measures  in  one  breath.    

 
• Exercise  #7  -­‐  Buzz  Stretch  (Lange)  

  2  
  
• Exercise  #  8  -­‐  Down  to  Business  -­‐  Play  the  following  long  tone  exercise  slowly  and  
deliberately.  Seek  to  define  the  perfect  air  to  buzz  ratio.    

 
 
“In  spite  of  all  the  distractions,  remained  focused  on  the  job.”  Reggie  Jackson  

 
 
• Exercise  #9  -­‐  Practice  Mute  playing  -­‐Play  the  following  glissando  exercise  on  a  
practice  mute  first  –then  open!  

  3  
  
• Exercise  #  10  -­‐  Full  fortissimo  sound  round  of  the  ends  of  whole  notes  (open)  
“Competitive  toughness  is  an  acquired  skill  and  not  an  inherited  gift”  Chris  Evert  

“Under  pressure,  you  can  perform  15  percent  better  or  15  percent  worse.”  Scott  Hamilton  

• Exercise  #11  –  Soft  intervals  –  play  the  following  interval  study  (Alessi)  as  soft  as  
possible  with  a  good  tone.  Breathe  when  necessary,  repeating  the  note  before  the  
breath.    

  4  
  
“The  quality  of  a  person’s  life  is  in  direct  proportion  to  their  commitment  to  excellence,  
regardless  of  their  chosen  field.”  Vince  Lombardi  

• Exercise  #12  –  Glissando  Work  (Lange)  

 
• Exercise  #13  –  Flow  Studies  (Pilafian/Sheridan/Whitaker)  

  5  
  
• Exercise  #14  –  Valve  Slurs  (Lange)  

 
• Exercise  #15  –  Lip  Slurs  (Schlossberg)  

  6  
  
“I  may  win  and  I  may  lose,  but  I  will  never  be  defeated.”  Emmitt  Smith  

• Exercise  #16  -­‐  Flexibility  (Alessi)  

 
“It’s  not  the  size  of  a  man,  but  the  size  of  his  heart  that  matters.”  Evander  Holyfield  

• Exercise  #17  –  Valve  Challenge  (Phillips)  

 
• Exercise  #18  –  Range  Building  (Alessi)  –  This  exercise  is  the  most  important  
towards  building  security  in  the  high  register  and  developing  smooth  even  slurs.  

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 Work  on  eliminating  any  “shift”  or  “resetting”  during  this  exercise.  Play  each  
grouping  of  slurs  in  one  breath.  Alessi  recommends  expanding  upwards  by  adding  
the  next  note  in  the  arpeggio  series.  

  8  
  

  9  
  

  10  
 • Exercise  #19  –  (Arban)  

 
• Exercise  #20  –  (Schlossberg)  

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