Raymond Mase

Practice Suggestions

Raymond Mase is a member of the American Brass Quitet, the New York City Ballet orchestra and the Summit Brass. He teaches at the Juilliard School and serves on the faculties of the North Carolina School of the Arts and Aspen School

Teachers:

• Armando Ghitalla

Equipment:

• Bach 37 Bb Trumpet
• Bach C180L Trumpet (with #229 bell)
• Bach 1 1/4 C Mouthpiece (with #25 throat #24 backbore)

view Ray's 10 week practice routine (concieved as a summer maintenance program)

Maintenance Pracitce (20-30 min):

• Hit many areas of technique for a few minutes each
• Clarke Technical Studies
• Schlossberg
• Arbans
• Nagel Rhythmic Studies
• Goldman Practical Studies
• Shuebruk Graded Lip Trainers

Specific Technique Practice (60-90 min):

• Items found during warm-up that need further attention-choose studies that focus specifically on those needs (4-6 items)-don't just go through a book sequentially-do only what applies

• Werner 40 Studies

• Porret 24 Etudes

• Brandt Etudes

• Charlier 36 Etudes Transendentes

Musical Practice (30-40 min):

• Music for upcoming performance-something firmiliar (let your technique shine through)
• Concone Lyrical Studies
• Borgdoni Lyrical Studies
• Arbans Lyrical Studies
• Orchestral Excerpts
• Solo Material

Musical Suggestions:

• The greatest compliment: "You played so well that I forgot you had a trumpet in your hands".
• Set small realistic goals for yourself.
• Assign yourself material and really stay with it daily for a specific number of days (6-10).
• Notate the start date and how things are going in a notebook.
• Track progress with words not just tempo changes
• Practice pieces each day that allow you to just play and do what comes naturally. This will help your keep from being tied up with technique.
• We practice and develop trumpet technique because it allows us to express ourselves musically in an effortless and meaningful way.
• Use vibrato (on long notes) to compel the listener. Think of a small flower shimmering in a summer breeze. Care for the note. Listen to it. Warm it.
• Musical statements must be descriptive.
• Vary how "tightly" you move from one note to another according to the needs of a phrase (snapping may not be required).
• Trust that playing can be easy.
• Use less effort in general. The more effortless the better the sound.
• Let it happen.
• Tightening and controlling do not help.
• Don't expend energy forming an embouchure.
• Put energy into a wider range of subtle expression.
• Let notes come in their own time.
• Dismiss mental checklists. Think of walking or sitting. Does this require conscious thought?
• Can note beginnings stay consistent as you change volume?
• Make your primary instrument the Bb (C may make you tight).
• Create your best sounds on Bb and transfer that to the other trumpets.
• Omitting vibrato may create a stark or cold feeling which alienates the listener.
• Embouchure must respond immediately and completely. Think of a feather on the palm of your hand. How much wind does it take to move that feather?
• Always incorporate articulation into warm-up.
• Integrate technique. It must serve a musical end. Practice is not our sole purpose. Musical performance is the goal.
• All notes must have direction.
• Sound is the excitation of molecules not movement of wind.
• Downplay the role of the tongue. (primarily to start notes-not articulate)
• As volume increases, tongue does not necessarily become harder.
• Make tongue sound appealing even at high volume.
• Practice extremes of expression and offer them to the listener.
• Practice what troubles you; not what you can already do.
• An advanced (occasional) lesson is guided by the student's requests. Sending a list to the teacher in advance is best.
• A weekly lesson plan is the responsibility of the teacher.
• Playing situations are rarely ideal. Just enduring the gig and keeping things at the highest level possible is the name of the game.