Diminished Arpeggios
Trumpet Player Level
Diminished arpeggios are a lot like double
tongue and triple tongue. You will rarely see them in your music, but
by the time you do encounter them, it is already too late to practice
them. That is one of the reasons why diminished arpeggios are used in
audition materials. An etude that has diminished arpeggios in it will separate the diligent candidates from those who waited until the last
minute to learn this skill.
Prerequisites
Before you practice these diminished
arpeggio exercises, you should have already graduated from the Trumpet
Tyro level. These exercises are for students with a reliable range up to
G above the staff.
Most importantly, you should already be
proficient at the Trumpet Tyro Arpeggios before you begin practicing
these exercises. It's not good enough to just have the range for them.
Work your way up to these exercises by practicing and mastering the
arpeggios at the lower levels first.
Instructions
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The best results come from practicing these exercises slowly and deliberately.
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Practice only one arpeggio per day. This
includes arpeggio types. Do not practice one of each type of arpeggio
per day. Only one arpeggio, period.
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At first, only practice the new arpeggio
that is assigned to you for that week. Later, after you've learned all
of them, begin cycling through all of the arpeggios, doing one per day.
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Be sure to slur all of the notes in these
exercises. The words "slur throughout" are written at the beginning of
each exercise as a reminder.
Getting Organized
It is extremely important to be organized about the way you practice
the different arpeggios. If you are not organized, you will favor some
arpeggios while neglecting others. Being organized insures that you
practice all of them equally.
I prefer a rotation system that cycles through each of the arpeggios
chromatically. Start with C Major on day one, Db Major on day two, etc.
When you finish the major arpeggios, cycle through the minors in the
same way. Then when you are done with the minors, cycle through the
diminished.
If you are diligent about it, you shouldn't need more than one arpeggio per day.
Afterwards
You should practice arpeggios daily until
you graduate from the Trumpet Player level to the Trumpet Apprentice
level. When you get to the Trumpet Apprentice level, you will learn new
arpeggios to add to your collection. Learning new arpeggios should be a
life long pursuit.