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THE "TOTAL EMBOUCHURE"
Scientific Trumpet Method
By Claude Gnocchi, BA, JD, LLM
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claude Gnocchi started trumpet studies at the age of 12 in Alliance, Ohio. After a
few years he commenced private trumpet instruction with the acclaimed cornet
soloist, Sir Eric Duro of Alliance, Ohio. This association lasted all through high
school during which time Claude played in the school band and concert orchestra
as well as with a host of ensembles and groups in the Alliance-Cleveland area.
Upon entering the University of Puerto Rico in 1966 he concurrently attended the
Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music for two years where he studied music and
trumpet with renowned professors. Soon thereafter he was catapulted from music
academia by a very busy professional playing career which included extensive
recording, television and studio work. During these professional years and all
through his college and law school studies, Claude recorded many TV and radio
shows and quite a few records. He worked with artists such as Sammy Davis Jr.,
Dean Martin, Cleo Lane, Shirley Basey, Lainie Kazan, and many other
international and local stars.
The author’s “professional” phase lasted until 1978 when he began to practice law.
His dedication and love for the trumpet, however, never diminished and in the last
fifteen years, despite his still active legal practice, Claude has been busier than ever
in what he calls the “never ending pursuit to be a great trumpeter.” To this end, he
has studied with outstanding local trumpet artists such as Scott Holbert and Tom
Palance. He most recently was solo trumpet of a 12 piece Latin ensemble called
“Latin Fire,” which has made multiple East Coast appearances to include the 14th
annual D.C. “World Jazz Festival.”
In addition to teaching advanced trumpet students, Claude is also quite active in
the local big band and Community orchestras. He has been the lead trumpet player
with many of the local big bands. He has also been the featured “ride trumpet”
with a good number of these bands. He has appeared at many of the local clubs to
include a long season at the One-Step-Down Jazz Club where he was “guest
trumpeter” with the great Thad Wilson, sixteen piece jazz orchestra. Claude has
also been principal trumpet for many acclaimed international and local “Broadway
show” music directors such as Tom Pederson, Houston Dunleavy, Kathie Erskine,
Webster Alexander Rogers, Jr., and John Marlowe.
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to acknowledge the technical assistance of a good friend and business
partner Michael Misianowycz, for assisting in the arrangement and marketing of
this booklet. His expertise has been invaluable. I also wish to honor the memory of
my late Great Aunt, Mrs. Maria Micale, of Alliance, Ohio, for having introduced
me to the trumpet and music many years ago, and last but not least, my wonderful
son, Paolo and dear wife, Mayra, for giving me the inspiration to go on in music
when I was ready to give it up!
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
CONTENTS
Introduction..……………………………………………………………………….1
Methodology…………………………………………………..…………………2-3
How To Use This Method………………………………………………………….4
PHASE I:
Exercise#1 (Chromatic Warm-Up)…………………………………………………5
Exercises #2 thru #4 (Interval Warm-Ups)..…………..…………………………6-7
Exercises #5 and #6 (Sonorous Oral Cavity Flexors I & II)…..…………………...7
Exercises #7 (Oral Cavity Exercise) and #8 (Tonguing Exercise)…………………8
Exercise #9 (Slur and Tongue Exercise).…………………………………………..9
PHASE II:
Exercise #10 (Isometric Strengthening Skills)……………………………………10
Exercises #11 and #12 (Oral Cavity Exercises).….………………………………11
Exercises #13 (Oral Cavity Exercise) and #14 (Endurance Study)…………...…..12
Exercises #15 thru #16 (Pedal Tone Studies) and #17 (Stretch Study)…………...13
Exercises #18 (Octave Study) and #19 (Isometric Long Tones)……..…………..14
PHASE III:
Exercises #20 thru #22 (Range Expanders)………………………………………15
Exercises #23 and #24 (Chromatic Endurance Drill)…....................................16-17
Exercises #25 and #26 (Octave Studies)…………………………………………18
Exercise #27 (Pedal Tones II)……………………………………………………19
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Exercises #28 thru #30 (Sustained High-Register Exercises)…...…………....20-22
Exercise #31 (Precision Drill)……………………………………………………23
Exercise #32 (Ascending Diatonic Intervals)……………………………………24
Exercises #33 (Octaves) and #34 (Sustained High-Register Exercises II)………25
Exercises #35 thru #38 (Ascending Intervals – High Range)………………...26-27
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
INTRODUCTION
This book is humbly dedicated to my trumpet professors, instructors, heroes, and
friends. Most, if not all, are not “famous” or even well known, yet, these are the
journeyman artists toiling incessantly in the music vineyards willingly, ardently,
with love, dedication, and above all, with a sense of joyful wonderment about that
most magical of all art forms - music.
An abbreviated list of these unsung heroes includes: The late Sir Eric Duro, of
Alliance, Ohio; Messrs. Scott Holbert, Tom Palance, Thad Wilson, Douglas Pierce,
Alvin Trask, Michael Thomas, Priestly Williams, and Francisco Silva, all from the
Washington D.C. Metropolitan area; and Luis Manuel Rodriguez and Eddie Feijoo
of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The exercises in this book are not unique nor are they a “new invention” because,
particularly in music, there is nothing new under the sun! 'The innovation, comes
from the precise chronological and/or sequential arranging of these exercises in a
progressive order, AND, most importantly, in executing them in the total
embouchure manner described below, by increasing or decreasing the volume
(size) of the sonorous oral cavity so as to allow the "total embouchure” to properly
and accurately produce each tone. The routines included are altered versions of the
exercises of Reinhart, Brisbois, Kopprasch, Smith, Clarke, Arbans, Colins, Van
Cleave, Spalding, C. Hunt, Vizzutti, Sheppard, Bai Lin, A. Mancini, Broiles,
Gordon, Merian and others. They have, however, been "redesigned" specifically to
exercise and develop the total embouchure. This embouchure begins, not with the
lips, but starts with the open or more closed setting of the sonorous oral cavity,
which in turn, is the machine that propels the air/lips to properly and effectively
resonate at the various frequencies (low or high tones).
Remember: All exercises AND ALL TRUMPET PRACTICE must be done in the
fashion described in this book, even if, for actual musical performance (versus
trumpet practice) the higher notes are played in the typical crescendo manner, that
is, the higher notes are played louder than the lower notes, the tones on the trumpet
can only be accurately produced by a dynamic, flexible and continuously adjusting
sonorous oral cavity which is properly set for each specific note.
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
METHODOLOGY
In my more than forty years of playing trumpet, I have noticed one very
unproductive and possibly destructive habit in trumpet players – the erroneous
notion that one must practice with a set “embouchure” and at a very loud volume
so as to create and foster a big, round, powerful tone! The truth of the matter, as
has been empirically proven, is that it is totally the opposite - one must develop a
"constantly changing embouchure" and practice softly, particularly in the higher
registers, in order to properly exercise and develop the full range of “embouchure”
motions necessary to fully develop and control the total embouchure. This
technique is not my discovery, it has been addressed (though sometimes inartfully)
by many brass educators in one fashion or another. Some have explained it in a
relatively intelligible manner; others have not! In my opinion, Mr. Mark Van
Cleave explains it clearly, directly and perfectly in his excellent trumpet method
books - MAXIMIZING PRACTICE (Volumes 1 & 2). Clyde Hunt, in his equally
marvelous book, SAIL THE SEVEN C'S, calls it the "Dynamic Constant Adjusting
Embouchure" but, regardless of how you call it, essentially the technique consists
of adjusting the total embouchure, or as Van Cleave calls it, the resonant oral
cavity, to the correct size or position (by raising or lowering the back of the
tongue) AND playing louder (more air) in the low tones and softer (less air) in the
higher tones (as illustrated below). This then, allows the air/embouchure
combination to efficiently and correctly produce the whole range of motions
(maximum open to maximum closed) necessary to produce the total embouchure one that will produce all the tones with the utmost clarity and resonance!
The size of the oral cavity is adjusted by moving the BACK of the tongue (AAHH
& EEHH Syllables). These CONSTANT and CONTINUOS adjustments will
change the size (and resonance) of the oral chamber. Remember, no two tones are
played with exactly the same oral cavity (embouchure) setting!!!! There are
MULTIPLE settings between the widest “AAHH” the smallest “EEHH”. You
must find the best setting for EACH NOTE!!
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Needless to say, this technique, if properly internalized, so that it is done
instinctively, will allow a player's execution, and thus, power and range, to
increase in proportion to the player's mastery of the technique. Consider that to
play the opposite way only serves to neutralize the embouchure set. In order to
maximize the use of the “TOTAL EMBOUCHURE”, you need to maximize the
range of motion in the embouchure (low/loud to high/soft). This forces the
embouchure or sonorous oral cavity to be in the proper resonant position for each
note. If you blast or play too loud as you ascend you are "blowing the lips apart”
and thus, forcing the embouchure to play a note with an improper, less sonorous,
resonant setting! It can be done, but it is not an efficient way of playing.
The veracity of this last statement and the whole concept of the constantly
adjusting oral cavity is made evident by a simple test: Try playing a low "C” with
your total embouchure (resonant oral cavity/tight lips/high air) set as if to play a
high "C” or even better, try playing a high "C” with your embouchure set for a low
"C”!!! The low note (or the high note) will not come out and if it does it will not
resonate properly and thus be badly out of tune and out of pitch. Remember, it is
not only WHAT you practice but HOW you practice that determines your progress.
In short, all the exercises, if they are to be of any benefit, MUST be practiced with
the total embouchure method - that is, crescendo (open oral cavity/loose lips/more
air) on the low notes and decrescendo (smaller oral cavity/tighter lips/less air) as
you - ascend! THIS METHOD OF PRACTICE MUST BE APPLIED TO ANY
AND ALL EXERCISES DONE!!! Remember: it is one thing to practice and
perfect the Trumpet - playing technique and another thing to “perform a musical
piece on the trumpet" however, the proper and efficient application of the total
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
embouchure way of playing the trumpet will eventually allow you to really
perform music on the trumpet!!
HOW TO USE THIS METHOD
Phases I and II are “mandatory” and must be executed in the manner prescribed.
If, however, you feel that you are straining at any time, you must rest for 5 or 10
minutes before resuming the studies. In general, rest is very important in all
trumpet practice. Phase III should not be played completely in a sequential order.
Rather, selected exercises should be played at your discretion, after you have
completed the first two phases. If you have correctly incorporated the “TOTAL
EMBOUCHURE” method of playing, you can now play the trumpet in a more
correct, efficient and resonant manner. Logic also tells us that if you are playing in
an efficient manner, progress is then possible, thus, after you have fully
incorporated this new way of playing, you should tackle more difficult music and
exercises (those which you could not easily perform before). This technique will
NOT make you a virtuoso if you do not have all the attributes of a virtuoso, but, it
will allow you to play the trumpet in a more efficient, resonant and “clear”
manner! Thus, it is essential that this and ANY TRUMPET PRACTICE BE
ALWAYS PERFORMED IN THE TOTAL EMBOUCHURE WAY.
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us
Copyright 2007 - Claude Gnocchi
www.thectsgroup.us