A COUPLE NOTES ABOUT SCALES
One of my teachers once said, “90% of music is tonal; 90% of that is major; 90% of minor is diatonic.” That’s not entirely accurate, but I think there is some truth there. FLUENCY in major scales will take a lot of folk a long way. Improvisers will need more.
Jazz Journalist, Doug Ramsey, quotes Charlie Shoemake thus: “In all my teaching (including currently), I have never used the now-prevalent modal titles for scales (Dorian, Lydian, etc.). There are two reasons. One, none of the people from whom I learned ever once used that language. And two, it makes things much more complicated than necessary. There are four big-deal scales that cover 99% of all harmony. They are the major, the harmonic minor, the melodic minor, and the diminished. . . . To call the C major scale starting on D "the Dorian mode" seems silly to me, just adding an unnecessary title.” (Note: I am NOT an improvising musician; but Andy Martin and Ted Nash studied with Charlie, and they turned out OK.)
AND . . . perform scales like music – like songs – don't just recite them – nobody wants to listen to that. Listen to Rufus Reed.
That said, as Emil Faber once said, “Knowledge is good,”
Jazz Journalist, Doug Ramsey, quotes Charlie Shoemake thus: “In all my teaching (including currently), I have never used the now-prevalent modal titles for scales (Dorian, Lydian, etc.). There are two reasons. One, none of the people from whom I learned ever once used that language. And two, it makes things much more complicated than necessary. There are four big-deal scales that cover 99% of all harmony. They are the major, the harmonic minor, the melodic minor, and the diminished. . . . To call the C major scale starting on D "the Dorian mode" seems silly to me, just adding an unnecessary title.” (Note: I am NOT an improvising musician; but Andy Martin and Ted Nash studied with Charlie, and they turned out OK.)
AND . . . perform scales like music – like songs – don't just recite them – nobody wants to listen to that. Listen to Rufus Reed.
That said, as Emil Faber once said, “Knowledge is good,”
ALSO
This Facebook post from my friend, Larry Meregillano, is well worth a read. Larry has developed the Compression Training System (CTS). To be clear, I do not use CTS. It may be great. I do not know. Trumpets and trombones (especially bass) are different beasts. YMMV. (I do teach "blocked buzzing.")
I do know Larry is a fine trumpet player, an honest man, and has helped a lot of people. However, my feelings about “compression” are clear. In fairness, Larry is talking about intra-oral compression, not intra-thoracic – also different beasts. I do think what we do is more about coordination (which Larry also speaks to) than strength. YMMV.
That said, what Larry wrote, “the air must activate the correct muscular tension,” is spot on! "Embouchure" is not a "face" you make and then blow through; it’s what happens to your face while you’re blowing through it. Absent airflow, “embouchure” is fiction (that said, blocked buzzing works). It’s a Yin & Yang relationship. This is the concept behind my Set-Up routine.
Now then (my favorite oxymoron) . . .
I do know Larry is a fine trumpet player, an honest man, and has helped a lot of people. However, my feelings about “compression” are clear. In fairness, Larry is talking about intra-oral compression, not intra-thoracic – also different beasts. I do think what we do is more about coordination (which Larry also speaks to) than strength. YMMV.
That said, what Larry wrote, “the air must activate the correct muscular tension,” is spot on! "Embouchure" is not a "face" you make and then blow through; it’s what happens to your face while you’re blowing through it. Absent airflow, “embouchure” is fiction (that said, blocked buzzing works). It’s a Yin & Yang relationship. This is the concept behind my Set-Up routine.
Now then (my favorite oxymoron) . . .