Klages Philosophy of Trumpet Pedagogy

My pedagogic approach for trumpet is sound centered. Before even one note is played I speak
with the student to learn and establish goals we will pursue. Next, we always go through a brief
history of the trumpet, and the way that it works. (Why and how do the valves work? Why are
valve combinations sharp? ) We discuss body usage in performance- both sitting and standing
and breathing techniques. I often introduce the Alexander technique or Yoga to help them play
more effectively and with greater ease.
I have developed a series of exercises to enhance proper playing processes and habits. The very
first one is a series of descending slurs, using all the common valve combinations. On a threevalve instrument there are seven different trumpets each with a slightly different feel and
tone. The descending slurs encourage a relaxed approach something that is central to success
on the instrument. The tone must be full and make the room ring with sound. Note, I did not
say that these are to be played loud. I encourage my students to distinguish between volume of
sound and quality of tone. I often trade off on these to match tones and ensure proper
intonation. It is important to have the student rest as much a he plays. If this is not done, the
embouchure becomes starved for blood and oxygen. The tempo taken should be controlledrhythmic fast or slow. The point is to listen to the tone and the connections from note-to-note.
This exercise goes from the middle to the very lowest notes of the normal range of the
instrument. The tone of each note should be comparable.

The next exercise in the sequence starts on the second partial of the instrument: Like the first it
descends by half-steps through the seven standard valve combinations. It as ascending and
descending slurs of a perfect fifth. Each note must slot and be connected without break. The
note must have constant tone, tempo, and dynamic. The amount of rest must equal the playing.
The perfect fifths must be in tune.

I proceed to logically repeat the in the exercise at different partials of the instrument. These are
simple things to do, but when encountered in music often are problematic. Tonal consistency is
the sine qua non. The student will learn from this that it is no more difficult to play or slur
higher notes than it was to play the lower. Intonation and rest remain important.

And

The next two series cover a wider range of pitches using the seven fingerings of the preceding
ones. Consistency of tone and accurate intonation through the range is crucial. I listen very
carefully for any breaks or changes in the tone as well as any change in how the instrument is
held. Many or most students shift how the instrument is gripped to increase the pressure to get
the higher notes. Very often the student shifts the position of the fourth finger on the pinky
ring to pull the instruments into the embouchure when they try this one. I use this study to
teach them that it is counterproductive rather than helpful. Note: I enclose rests with each
example. Each note must slot. The embouchure (especially the corners) must be constant.

The next exercise combines expanded range, with ascending with descending slurs. The goal is
to learn flexibility. It is important to note that as the range ascends differing fingerings are used
for the same notes. This is deliberate and important for several reasons.
1. The students learn to know the instrument. Each fingering has a different playing character.
2. The student must learn to play the same note with different fingerings with good tone and
intonation.
3. The alternate fingerings learned are not commonly taught in books, but have musical uses.
(This often enhances performance facility or intonation.)

The next series, combines slurred intervals through the normal playing range of the
Instrument, using the same sequence of fingerings that are derived from the chromatic
scale. The pattern can be started by connecting any two notes that are fingered with
the open instrument. I teach that anything that can be articulated can be slurred.

T
The written music ascends to the upper rage maintaining the same sequence of fingerings.
The player learns through doing this to play with ease in the extremes of the instrument.
The two lines of music for each section may combine as a single study in one breath. This
is a very good ear-training study. The intervals cannot be played successfully unless the
player can hear them accurately.

This study can be practiced to the extremes of range of the player, and is handy for learning
the Baroque trill (Lip trill) and the Jazz .shake.
The next series of studies presents scales and articulation. I teach all major scales from the first
lesson. A good percentage (about 80%) of young students leave their first lesson having played
all the major scales. (This is a different thing from saying they know all of them- but we do
them all every week, and they do learn them.) I have every student play the tonic and dominant
arpeggios for all keys. (I say to them, Tonal music is made of combinations of scales and
chords. If you cant play your scales and chords what can you play? quoting my teachers.)

I enclose a short article I wrote for TPIN on how I have the advanced students practice their
scales:
Here is a playing insight that I have never read about that Steven Burns (at IU Bloomington) introduced
to me (he learned about it in France.)
Clean playing comes as a result of a centered, focused embouchure: accurately
buzzing the desired pitch. Valve changes must be clean. All keys must be practiced
(scales, chords, and intervals - at all dynamics and articulations.)
When all these basics are mastered somewhat there remains an advanced topic: It can be
called an against the grain pitch change- (the concept is used by trombonists all the
time.)
"With the grain" would be moving to shorter tubing while going higher C# (1,2,3) to G
(0). This type of interval does not present undue problems - just hear it and play it, with
normal clean fingerings.
"Against the grain" would be "low" C (0) to C# (!,2,3). Going from the open horn to the
longest amount of tubing available. Even when the fingerings are clean, accurate, and fast
- a turbulence is still created by the lengthening of the air path through the horn. Common
problems occur in the trill between third space C and the D above it (0 - 1), as in the
Carnival of Venice, first Variation.
This against the grain phenomenon occurs frequently - (C - D) (C - E) (C- F) ... (D -Eb)
(F# -G#). and happens in every scale.
Once made aware of this, the player will notice this every time it happens. Across the grain
passages tend to harm lyrical passages in most players performance. It is where the unwanted
noise crops up - when nothing wrong has been done - and the mastery of this is what separates the
Maurice Andres from the mass of players - who are unaware of it most of the time.
The solution to this is to practice slow trills on every instance of this. Play your circle of
fifths, trilling across the grain slur. Do not move on until it is clean and clear. It can be done, and is a
matter of air and embouchure coordination.

Minor scales are systematically introduced next. I have created a pattern going from major to
minor to major scale through the circle of keys. If you trade off with the student and take two
laps all major and minor scales are covered. I have the student practice all conceivable
articulation patterns with this. This can also be done an octave higher. It can be double or
triple-tongued. All scales must be cleanly played - with good tone.

After the basic scales (major and minor) are learned and can consistently be played fluently this
can also be done up an octave. The next scale pattern I introduce deals the various forms of
minor scales and the whole-tone scale. I put this in 7/8 and 6/8 meter so that the students learn to
get comfortable with different meters than the most common

The students tend to learn this pattern very quickly. In practice I have them do these with and
without the music so their ears become more sensitive to distinguishing between the sound and
form of the scales used in music. These are done in all keys. These must be done at a constant
tempo.

The next sequence is one I have never seen done in the manner I present. MODES- are built
from major scales starting on the various notes of the scale. (The C scale, starting on D is
called a dorian mode.) My thought was to explore all the modes that have a given note. This can
be addressed by asking (for example) what major scales have the note C? Going down from
the C, the scales would include Bb, Ab, G, F, Eb, and Db.major scales.

This permits the student to play all the modes that use a given note in one breath. It also makes
the player become much more aware of the taste or feel of each mode. I have the students do
these with and without music. This may seem difficult, but I have had many students do all this
while still in High School.
When this is mastered, I have them compress it by changing modes each octave, going up or
down which takes one-half the amount of time. I also go through other scales including the
blues and diminished scales-.always in all keys. I tell every student that there are no difficult
keys, just unfamiliar ones if you dont practice properly.
Advanced players are also taught to play all the major scales in one breath. The point of this is
to encourage mental flexibility. Changing keys every measure demands concentration and
control. (Real music modulates after all!)

The chromatic scale is used to develop range, tone flexibility, power, and virtuosity. I start
with simple two-octave scales. At first played metronomically at a soft dynamic. This was
shown to me as a French technique by (Steven Burns, Maurice Andre competition winner) at
IU, Bloomington. The point was, that we tell students that the key to playing is air and breath
support. This is true but does not mean that it is always loud. I have students practice at all
dynamics, but as they develop range it is good to practice it first at a softer dynamic later at a
loud one. I have the students practice all scales starting from the bottom, middle, and top. We
alternate doing this.
We work on power by playing the scale (pp) up to the top note, then holding (at least twelve
counts) it while making a crescendo as loud as possible (fff) the returning to the bottom note
and making a crescendo in the same way at the bottom of the scale.
I often help them check the tuning by playing a loud note a third, fourth, and fifth along with
the notes- producing a strong resultant tone.

The notes produced are mathematically predicable. By subtracting the number of the lower note
from the upper, the difference is audible if you are in tune. The better ones tone is the louder
the resultant tone. This trains the student to tune by ear rather than by eye (looking at a tuner.) A
movement of a whole or half-step can result in the movement of a third, fourth, or fifth in the
resultant tone.

This leads the student to actually play with better intonation than using a tuner which uses only
equal temperment. The human ear normally does not hear with equal temperment. (We
demonstrate this by telling our players to lower the third for major chords.)

This series lets a duet of players play a trio.

The next pattern has the double-tongued triplets. This is also done in all keys- throughout the
range of the player.

I believe in starting with simple music played at slow tempo with a metronome. This would
include all the scale work mentioned earlier, but quickly includes many musical examples. I
often tap into my library of cornet solos for this. My goal here is to find music the student loves
and enjoys to work on, perform, and hear. I have composed, arranged (and published) many
pieces for use by my students. Music is best learned through performance. The students are
encouraged to perform frequently in every venue they can. This does not mean that they are
encouraged to perform poorly ever! Poor performance is a cancer and must be prevented with
hard work and high standards. The point is to remove performance anxiety and bring intensity to
our work. I make many recordings of each student and give them CDs of their performance
each semester for their (and my) records.
Ideally, I have each student work on a balance of solo (literature) things to read, practice short
term (one movement solos) and long term (sonatas and concertos), orchestral parts and
excerpts, and etudes.
For each piece of music, the composer, form, historic style and period, are discussed. Books,
recordings, and similar literature examined.
In addition to the usual written assignments, I encourage each student to compose or arrange
music. Most have done this for the trumpet choir. Several of he pieces we played on the steps of
the U. S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. were written by UCO students on our first tour in 2000.