Author: oboedrew
Date: 2009-05-13 16:59
Ah, long tones. We all dread long tones. We all know we should practice them, but we seldom do, because they're so boring! The exercises I like best are the ones that kill two birds with one stone. For example, my favorite trill exercise develops complete control of the fingers, but it doubles as a test of breath control. It's a long-tone exercise... but with moving notes. Right now I'm writing a series of blog entries describing this exercise and its variants. You can read the first two installments here and here. I've linked to PDF examples of each exercise. Holding a note for a minute and a half is certainly impressive, but there's more practical benefit in the ability to play several consecutive 45-second phrases, each on a single breath. These trill exercises are great for developing that sort of breath control and stamina, and they're great for technique too.
Cheers,
Drew
www.oboedrew.com
Post Edited (2009-05-13 21:51)
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