Donovan Bankhead-Increasing Endurance

Donovan Bankhead-Increasing Endurance

Before we get started on this topic, I would highly recommend that you read the articles I wrote on range, pressure, and breathing first. This article makes the assumption that you are familiar with the ideas presented earlier. Before we can work on increasing our endurance, it is important that our trumpetplaying "machine" is functioning properly. If not, it would be like trying to tune up a car that is in need of new spark plugs, cables, distributor cap, etc. without replacing these parts. You can adjust the timing, but it really isn't going to help much.

Support your airflow with the lower abs and back

the abs. Extensive studies have shown that the diaphragm cannot be willingly controlled

anymore then the heart can be made to "beat". Generally, when you here people say "support

with the diaphragm" they mean to suck in your stomach so as to support the release of the air

stream (or at least, that is what it means to me). IMO, this is the correct way to exhale. When

taking a full breath, your lungs will fill and cause your chest and "gut" area to expand. It is only

natural that when exhaling, these areas should "collapse". By collapse I don't mean let them

sag. I mean you should suck in your stomach like you are trying to impress members of the

opposite sex :) This will compress the lungs from underneath, allowing a smooth, powerful

release of air.

muscles in the back that cause you to sit up as tall as you can. These muscles help support the

air by compressing the lungs from the back side.
Jim Manley once said to me that after a long gig, his face wasn't tired, but his abs and back muscles would be tired like in after a long, grueling work out. After adopting these ideas, I understand where he is coming from. Your trumpet playing endurance will increase, and you may even feel some soreness after using these muscles.

John H. Lynch: "A New Approach To Altissimo Trumpet Playing" 1984
Embouchure: 1/3 top, 2/3 bottom, bottom lip is curled in. Lips are pressed vertically together by lip muscles, and they are pushed against the mouthpiece rim in a "pucker" fashion.
Grip And Horn Position: Left index finger lays on top of the third valve slide, remaining fingers lay below the slide. Thumb normal (around valve casing). This grip is to alleviate pressure on the embouchure, and place the bulk of the weight on the bottom three fingers.
Horn Angle: >20 up for below low C

0 for low C to high C

>20 down for above high C
Air Flow: Until the altissimo range is mastered, practice exceptionally loud (FFF). Practice very loud and hold long tones out as long as possible. When tired, rest about 10 seconds before continuing. Practice with the throat open, think "Ahhh." Never hold back your airflow. Raise the tongue in the mouth, think "EEE." Constantly focus on exhaling air smoothly. Rest proportionately to the amount of time you play. Keep a positive attitude and never believe that something can't be done.
Practice: Approximately 30 minutes a day. Practice usable material, never become too familiar with a particular exercise. Practice exercises one octave higher then they are written; to strengthen your upper register.
Walt Johnson: "Double High C In Ten Minutes" 1981



Embouchure: Continue your current embouchure, but at the same time develop a second embouchure. For your second embouchure the top lip stays the same. Draw the lower lip in so that the "red" of the bottom lip practically disappears. The mouthpiece is placed on the same spot on the upper lip.
Grip: Utilize the "pistol grip." Left index finger rests on third valve slide. Remaining fingers support the weight of your horn.
Practice: Keep your throat open. Start of practicing slowly . Adjust second embouchure until it feels right.
Air Flow: Keep your throat open as if you are yawning, both when inhaling and expanding. Don't use syllables to shape your throat. Use a yoga breath three step process:

1. Breath in from groin area, take a small amount of air into your lungs while only the groin or lower abdomen is expanded.

2. Take more air into the lungs and expand only the diaphragm area below the rib cage.

3. Fill the remainder of your lungs while expanding your rib cage and upper chest.

Squeeze air from the bottom up. Physical fitness increases your "lung squeezing" muscles
Practice: Play as many repetitions as possible, softly with even sound. Focus on muscle memory in the high register. Hear the note. Start with a proper warm up and proper rest, until mastery of the second embouchure occurs, never over exert your muscles. Gradually incorporate a wide range of dynamics into your long tone exercises. Alternate practicing hard one day and easy the next. Be sure to rest as much as you play.

Jerome Callet "Superchops" 1986
Embouchure: Both lips are drawn inward and thickened by the bunching upwards of the chin and relaxing of the mouth corners. As range ascends bring your bottom lip up and over your top teeth. On a double C the top of the bottom lip is up on the upper gum line, above the top teeth. The chin follows and supports the lower lip. Very little air enters the trumpet to play loud double C's.
Air Flow: Blow very hard up to the lips, the gradually close off the air flow as ascending into the high register. Tip of the tongue must strike the inner part of your lips through the open teeth. Never arch your tongue. When inhaling, do not raise the chest, shoulders, or arms. Inhale the breath allowing the air to expand the upper stomach area from the belly up. It is how you use your wind power, not how much air capacity you have.
Practice: Attempt no high notes until everything else is solid. The faster you run out of air, the more correctly you are playing the superchops method.


Cat Anderson "Trumpet Method" 1973


Warm Ups: Warm up very softly. Practice the same routines daily, stressing long tones.
Practice: Very important to rest as much as you play. Practice very slowly using the same routines.
Arturo Sandoval "Brass Playing Concepts" 1991


Breathing: Inhale through your nose. Exhale from the bottom up. Always work on expanding your lung capacity.
Lip Buzzing: Learn to buzz with the lips. Practice all exercises with buzzing first.
Warm Ups: Begin softly with your mouthpiece alone. Only when you are fully relaxed should you advance to the high register. Focus on ascending and descending arpeggios.

Tongue- low range "Ahh"

mid range "E"

high range "HEEE"

when you are playing normally.