HBM – Endurance

Two types:

Long term:  doesn’t guarantee short term

Short term:  doesn’t guarantee long term

Drain rate depends on range, volume, duration

sprint – 100 meters  = 9.58 seconds, or 23.35 mph

marathon = 26 miles, 385 yards in 2:03:59, or 12.73 mph – 422 times longer at 54.5% of the speed

1.  Must practice

2.  Do things right:  posture, breathing, minimal effort

Build endurance by resting (Lillya) and by knowing when to rest (Lillya:  “You’re tired.”)

Branstine – too tired to go on=1/2 of strength left

Practice both to the point of decline – this is later than the point of getting tired, but before the left arm

is heavily engaged (trying to build lip muscle, not the left bicep)

Jacobs  – tired is because of poor breathing; Ifor James (Pat Sheridan) – 1 hour/day for 3 days is as strong as you get (depends on range and volume?); 3 days off and you lose it all; sheath muscle

Branstine and Sommer said 3 days of hard work and you get used to it

Cannot build endurance until you are tired.

Just because you are tired does not mean you cannot go on or that you can’t play well

Reframe – when you get tired is a very special time because you build your strength – Farkas (glass of water = half full)

Generally rest and play in equal proportions – use rests to study the music and think about what it should sound like – this avoids damaging pressure and allows background tension to disappear (Didricksen:  you practice like a freshman); Laubach/Pfund – 10 minutes on, 10 minutes completely different (what piece has 10 minutes without a rest??); brain begins to dull after 6-7 repetitions (Rob Roy McGregor); New York Times article

Endurance and Range Problems caused by:

  1. Insufficient air
  2. Tongue too high – Bernoulli principal – tongue will rise to compensate
  3. Weak/flabby corners/not firm – puffed cheeks; flat in high range; firm corners protect lips, like tight stomach protects from a punch
  4. Stretched corners thins tone and decrease endurance rapidly; pressure is more damaging; go sharp, wrong placement is more subtle
  5. Weak corners subconsciously block air flow
  6. Excessive mouthpiece pressure – spinoff of 1-4; bruised lips, etc.; more 2 days from now
  7. Insufficient correct practice & physical exercise (including aerobic exercises)
  8.  Excessive tension – mental and physical- overcome   doubling principle – 48 oz. maximum air pressure; body can generate 125-150 psi
  9. Excess stomach tension = inhaling vs. blowing – closes throat, hurts tone, pitch, flexibility, endurance, etc.
  10. Poor warm up

Building end of piece endurance

  1. Start at end and layer in – end like Doc Severinsen
  2. Play to a spot, rest 60 seconds, go on, reduce rest time
  3. Hold note longer/go a step or 2 higher
  4. Goes until point of decline, rest, continue, etc.