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Pedals and Systamatic Approach


Posted on July 27, 2004 by 

It has been suggested by some that there is no chance of causing any lip damage by using pedal tones.
Pedals are used to help loosen the lips.
To play a double pedal C the lips vibrate freely and they are very relaxed. This is a good thing.

Lets look at the directions in THE building range through pedals book. “Systematic Approach to Daily Practice for Trumpet”

Part 1 is the main pedal exercise. The directions are.
1. Big Breath.
2. Do not hold back.
3. Hold the note as long as possible with a crescendo at the end. Hold the note until all air is gone and longer (until your stomach shakes).

Relaxing the lips to their fullest extent then playing without holding back adding a crescendo. The day Jack posted the first Pedal post I read an email from a TPIN list member. He was writing to ask me how to rebuild his chops from damage did while playing part 1 of lesson 1 of this book. The damage happens folks. It usually occurs later than lesson one.

Starting in lesson 2 part 2 There are 1 octave arpeggios. That is fine.

Lesson 3 part 2.
This is where the real problem starts. 2 octave arpeggios.
The first is pedal C to 3rd space C. So far by the time high notes start we are out of the pedals.

By lesson 9 & 10 part 2 the book has us playing 5 pedal C’s an arpeggio then 5 low C’s an arpeggio followed by 5 middle C’s an arpeggio followed by 5 high C’s. The last high C is to be held. This is followed by a rest (as long as you played). The very next note played is a Pedal C# 5 times.
This increases the blood flow to the lips flushing out any lactic acid that may have built up from the first exercise. The series goes over and over. Always flushing out the lactic acid from the lips. This delays our FEELING of being tired but not the cause or actual tiredness.
By fooling our bodies and delaying the sensation of being tired many people blow out their chops on these exercises.

By lesson 11 part 2 the exercise is written from Pedal C to Double high C. Again this exercise alternates the highest note in a phrase with a pedal tone.

Lesson 12 part 2 The first exercise is a double pedal C arpeggio to high C. The last written exercise is an arpeggio from pedal C to Double high C.

This is the most dangerous way possible to work on range. Mr. Gordon used a weight lifting approach BUT he neglected to take into account that pedals flushed out the lactic acid. This is the only warning system our lips have until actual damage occurs.

I’ve mentioned specifics and science fact.

Pops