General Comments
LMEA chose the Voxman "Selected Studies" etudes because they are a challenge technically and they offer some fine musical lines. The best way to be successful performing them in an audition is to master the fundamentals of solid trumpet playing. Simply put: expand your trumpet technique to encompass the demands of the etudes.
The etudes are grouped in pairs emphasizing one slurring and legato and the second faster and articulated. Playing the lyric etude must involve correct “lip slurs” or moving with ease from note to note with the same fingering. To achieve a smooth slur focus on the back of the tongue. It should be arched at the back at all times. To move with ease between partials (two different notes with the same fingerings) keep your lips relaxed, blow, and raise the back of tongue. As the tongue goes up it makes the air move faster. An excellent book to work on this technique is “27 Groups of Exercises” by Earl Irons. In the fast, articulated studies the most common mistake I hear is tonguing too hard. A hard “ta” syllable creates a harsh, cracking sound to the note. I advocate a “dee” syllable on all notes. The “d” makes the tip of the tongue move less and the “ee” keeps the tongue arched in the back.
Practice for results. The fastest way to learn the etudes is by going slow, using a metronome, and working out one line at a time. Too often students start at the beginning and crash through the entire study at performance tempo then call it a day. Find the tempo (with a metronome) that one line can be played perfectly. Play the line three times correctly, then move the metronome up five points and repeat the process. Work each line up to twenty points faster than you will actually perform it in an audition. Finally, take private lessons weekly. Private lessons will increase the trumpet skills you need to perform the “Selected Studies” on a very high level. Note: approaching a teacher for one or two lessons just prior to the audition will not hone the skills needed to be successful. Feel free to contact me for lessons or to ask questions.
Practice auditioning. Warm up, rest ten minutes then play through the scales, etudes and sight reading for your band director, friends, parents or anyone who will listen. Do this once a day starting twenty days before the audition. For an added benefit run up and down three flights of stairs, pick up your horn and play. Simulate the experience of auditioning
Track 9 E Minor (Page 14)
Valse, lentamente, or sad waltz, is very beautiful. Slurring with the correct tongue position is a must. Alternate fingerings may help throughout. The high B in measure 12 can be played 1 and 2. The high G#s in measures 18, 19 and 21 can be played 1st valve. In measures 40 through 43 the trumpeter must play from low F# to high B – a skill to work on away from these etudes. The usual mistake is to open the embouchure for the low F#, then the high B is forced. The trill at the end should be slow and not metered. First round auditions usually stop at the end of measure 29.
Track 10 C Major (Page 3)
Tempo, quarter note equals 140 to 160. Risoluto means with emphasis but don’t take all the staccato marks too seriously. Strive for a smooth articulation. The high A in measure 7 may work better 3rd valve. I like to breathe on the downbeat of measure15 and not on the downbeat of measure17. (The soft notes on top of the staff in measure17 seem more secure without a breath there.) The honor band auditions usually end in measure 20. Be careful to get the third valve slide out on the low G. In measures 21 and 22 there are 9 open notes in a row. Make sure you can hear the partials. Sing and play these measures many times.
Track 11 G Minor (Page 19)
Allegretto affettuoso means medium fast with passion. I often hear this study played too fast. Dotted quarter note equals 70 is a good performance tempo with lots of rubato. Breathe where the pattern repeats such as in measure 4 before the fifth eighth note. The sextuplet figures throughout need to be legato and bouncy with an accent on the first of each group. Rinf. in measure 36 is short for rinforzando. It means suddenly loud. Smorzando (found in measures 20 and 39) means dying away. Honor band/ first round auditions usually end at the end of measure 31.
Track 12 Eb Major (Page 24)
Adagio cantabile means slow and singing. Feel free to move the tempo up and back. Play the grace notes rather slow before the beat. The rhythm in measures 26 and 27 needs special attention. Count eighth notes and do not hold the ties too long. Three measures from the end I play the trills as metered sextuplets. The jump to the low G two measures from the end is a challenge. Dropping the jaw or pivoting the horn angle up can help facilitate this big leap.
Track 13 E Major (Page 37)
Allegro con moto (with motion) demonstrates good articulation and flexibility. Play each line very slowly and gradually speed up. Performance tempo is between 80 to 90 to the quarter. The hard part is from measures17 to 25. A good way to practice the leaps is to hold the last note of measure 21 as a fermata. See if you can feel your tongue level high enough for the high F# (measure 22 downbeat) as you hold the low B. Repeat the process on the last note of measure 22 and the downbeat of measure 23. Forget the staccato marks, and play as lyric as possible. First-round auditions usually stop at the downbeat of measure 28.
Track 14 Ab Major (Page 32)
Adagio cantabile translates to slow and singing. Much rubato should be employed in a starting tempo of quarter note equals 80. In measure 9 the fourth note should be a sixteenth. The rhythm is tricky in measure in measures 25 through 31. Be sure to feel/count the triplet sub-division of each beat. Be careful in measure 27 to make the third beat a duple and not a triplet. Measure 24 is the ending for the first round auditions.
This study may be the most demanding of the set. Pay close attention to slurs. Four measure phrases work for most of the lines. Always emphasize notes outside of G major. For example, the Bb in measure16 should have an accent. In measure 23 the A should be a thirty–second note. The octave leap down in measure 26 warrants the 3rd valve slide. Most honor band, first-round All-State auditions will end in measure 39. Legato cantabile means smooth and singing. Rubato (moving the tempo forward and back) should be employed throughout.
Track 16 C Minor (Page 27)
Allegretto (medium fast) is a tempo marking that should be marked at about quarter note equals 100. Play the first three notes repeatedly practicing a rhythmic breath and an easy release on the high G. Legére means playful so keep the eighths bouncy and the sixteenths legato. Disregard all the staccato marks! In measure16 breathe after the octave jump and before the F. First round auditions usually end on the downbeat of measure 24.
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