Group 2
Description
Join Chris Gekker, virtuoso soloist and professor of trumpet at the University of Maryland School of Music, for a three-week intensive class designed to improve your articulation. Whatever style you play, get your tongue in shape with structured exercises to work on a new area of tonguing each week: flow, speed, and response. At the end of the window, Chris personally responds to all video assignment submissions!
What to Expect:
- 🔗 Guided Exercises: Each week, enjoy one new video where Chris outlines a structured theory of practice, and demonstrates a simple, concrete exercise designed to amplify a specific articulation-related skillset.
- 🎶 Expert Guidance: Led by Chris Gekker, Distinguished University professor, 18-year member of the American Brass Quintet, featured soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and across the world. Dozens of his solo recordings have received international praise, and he’s featured on the 2005 Deutsche Grammophon compilation “Masters of the Trumpet.” He’s performed as principal trumpet with countless major orchestras, and he even performed a year performing with the Count Basie Big Band. Chris’s books include his Articulation Studies, 44 Duos, Endurance Drills, Slow Practice, Trumpet Talk, and more are published by Charlies Colin.
- 🤝 Community Interaction: Share your experiences, receive feedback from peers (and from Chris himself!), and engage in a supportive community of fellow music enthusiasts and aspiring performers.
Who Should Attend:
🎺 This course is tailored for a trumpeter at any level looking for some structure toward their pursuit of improving or refining the fundamentals of their articulation. No pre-requisite knowledge is required, though basic proficiency with the trumpet is highly recommended.
What is Covered:
📚 Participants will explore how articulation defines our sound, explore concepts of flow passed down directly from Herbert L. Clarke, learn how to improve speed by working on efficiency, and how intelligent applied work on articulation can improve your overall tone. At the end, you’ll be asked to submit a short optional video assignment for direct feedback from Chris Gekker.
No special equipment is needed to get started; just bring your enthusiasm, a working trumpet, some curiosity, and whatever recording tools you have—your journey to a refined articulation begins here!
Timeline
- Sign-Up Begins: Monday July 22nd
- Course Period: Monday July 29th - Friday August 16th
- Last Day for Feedback from Chris on Final Assignments: Sunday August 18th
Scores:
gekker_articulation_3wi_scores
Lessons
Lesson 1: Flow
Monday, July 29th, 2024
In his first lesson, Chris opens discussing how important articulation is to the nature and quality of our sound. He describes how legato tonguing, smoothly articulating flow studies, scalar and chord patterns, as his “central default practice protocol.” Chris is a “grandstudent” of Herbert L. Clarke himself, and can recommend an authentic interpretation of Clarke’s studies to work on flow.
Lesson 2: Speed and Efficiency
Monday, August 5th, 2024
Gekker’s famous “one-minute-drill” actually comes from Clarke himself! In this lesson, Chris explains how we can patiently use this simple exercise over several weeks to achieve a more comfortable and efficient single tongue at higher speeds. He also provides a few of his own articulation studies to help the student expand on Clarke’s original exercises. Finally, he discusses how articulation is dependent on the language you’re trying to speak.
Lesson 3: Response, Intervals, and Beyond
Monday, August 12th, 2024
Any exercise done in a delicate manner is excellent at training response, or the ability to touch notes delicately. Chris shares some tips on this, intervalic practice, and multiple tonguing to round out your articulation practice routine! Finally, Chris shares some thoughts on why trumpeters should warm up with more soft articulation.
Final Assignment:
Your final assignment for this class is to submit a video of yourself performing a piece, etude, exercise, or improvisation that significantly features articulation – from any style! Chris Gekker will be responding personally to every video that’s posted and offering some feedback. Videos must be uploaded by 11:59 PM PST on August 18th to be considered for feedback.
How to Submit A Video
Upload your finished video you youtube.com as Unlisted.
Then, copy the link and paste it into a comment below, with a brief description of what you played and what improved while going through this course!
Please reach out to Ethan via e-mail if you have any further questions!
18 replies
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Thank you. Looking forward to this. I have many books by Mr. Gekker.
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Chris, thank you for sharing your time, talent, and expertise to help struggling comeback players such as me. Playing trumpet is such a joy and blessing for me; just wish I had learned much more much earlier in life. Articulation has been one of my weak spots...hoping to improve with this guided work. Steve
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The first week was very encouraging. Doing the same exercise every day, diligently, has improved my tone. I am playing the lesson at very soft volume, which makes a huge difference. Two days ago I played free improvisation duo with a clarinet player, and I was able to keep my volume very low to match the clarinet. Now looking forward to the one minute study.
Many thanks to the Tonebase team, and to Chris Gekker`s teachings.
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Still a very long way to go, but I can already see where these exercises coupled with some great guidance from Chris' videos are helping correct mistakes of the past and many years of "mindless" and poor practice. I believe I'm more "pumped" and excited about playing than I've ever been! Thank you!
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I have a question about Chris Gekker No. 3 exercise. Which of his books is it from?
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These teaching videos were both informative and inspiring! I had some inkling about things like practising single tonguing and practising at piano, but didn't know the other things he elaborated. Really glad I signed up for this intensive 😄
For my submission, I tried a Justin Timberlake pop tune that I been working on. It's not fully how I want it but it's still 10X better than my very first try weeks ago 😅 And I confess that I only practised the given exercises a little, but I'm keen to work them into my routine.
Both my video link and chart are attached. Thanks in advance, Ethan and Chris, for the feedback and learning opportunity!
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I played a very short improvisation. What I learned from Chris Gekker`s teaching is the idea of focusing strongly on some basic fundamentals. I especially like the one minute exercise. I sometimes find it difficult to get into a good mood for practicing, what with life being so busy. Mr. Gekker`s lessons and other teacher help to give me more motivation to practice in a focused manner. I play a lot in small free improvisation groups. These past three weeks I have seen a marked, if small, improvement in my playing.
Many thanks to Chris Gekker and Tonebase for making these lessons available.
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hello everybody,
today 11:50h is the last opportunity to deliver, but sorry, I am not ready. I tried every day to play the one minute exercise, first with g, but it seems it'll take me a year to reach the speed of 120pm. It is very hard.
The 10 exercises in several keys I also can reach 72pm only in a few cases.
To play Nr.19 Moderato and Nr.29 Allegro is a lot of un, thanks for this idea!!
But also here, I only can play it clean and correct only on the lowest speed.
I keep trying!! Thank you for the lessons, after all, I learned a lot.
