ONE HOUR A DAY by URBIE GREEN A Technique and Embouchure Maintenance MethodURBIE GREEN Urban Clitford Green was well on his way in his late teens toward becoming one of the truly rent musicians inthe field ‘of jazz, For the past twenty years or more he has been 2 musician's musician, 2 trombonist’ tombonist, and a jazz: man’s jazzman, Name the acolade and he's recived it, Name ‘the places in the performing world and he's been ther. Yet, he remains the same Urbie Green, an unaffected, stright forward gentleman with unimpeachable credentials for hon- esty,Interity, and dependability. He is a man who pursues | his vocation aban avocation exhibiting great tenacity of pur- ose and an unlimited talent resource, Urbie was botm in Mobile, Alabama where he begin playing ‘wombone atthe ape of 12. He leaned the bates from his two ‘older trombone-playing brothers, Jack and Al. His firs instru ‘ment was a "hand-medown” Used frst by Al and then by ick. Within two years Urbie played the instrument well ‘enough to secure a “professional” job with the then populer Bil Lagman Orchestra, a local Mobile dance band. Whie sti in high schoo! he began commuting to Auburn, Alabama to play with the Auburn Knights of Auburn University, The e perience with the Auburn Knights prepared im for his fist “sia” with the Tommy Reynolos Orchestra.sbi’ fiat “big break” come at the age of 17 when he received an offer to join Jan Savit, one of the nation’s top dance bands. His fine trombone work on the Savit band con voked praise from his fellow band members and other mui- ‘Ganswho heard him. The “grapevine soon spread word of his talent from coast to coast. This suited in offers from several top “name bands. After leaving the Savit band, Urb toured the Ration with Frankie Carle and Gene Krups. 1962 he Joined Woody Herman. It was Woody's popular recording of "Bive Flame” that featwed Urbe's now famous trombone solo. During the 1950's Urbie was ative in studio work in New York City whore he quickly became one ofthe most sought after tromboniss for recording and club work. In 1954 he ‘won the downbeat International rie’ Award for “new star". In 1956 he opened with Benny Goodman at the Hotel Brad {ord in Boston, followed by an engagement at New York's Wialdort Astoria, aio with Goodman. He was seen an heard in the movie The Benny Goodman Story and in 1967 fronted The Benny Goodman Orchestra tor a three month tour. tn 1958 and 1950 Urbie had his owe big band which toured the country and appeared at Birdland in New York City. For 8 time he was leader of The Tammy Dorsey Orchestra which appeared at New York's Riverbost. Urbie curently commutes from his farm in eastern Pen sylvania to New York City for his many recording engage- ments and other freelance studio performance situations. He tleo leaves the New York aree fequently for colle and school appearances st well for special engagements through ‘ut the nation appearing in nlghtelubs, concert hall, and the White House “The record of crete for features on recordings is a lagen: dary aspect Urbie's carer. Besides the many feature spots on The Herman Third Herd, be can be hard on many albums by Gone Krupa, Frankie Carle, Vaughn Monroe, Hugo Winterhal tur, Ray Bloch, Jackie Gleason, Sy Oliver, Pery Como, Billie day, Andre Kostalanetz, Perey Faith, Count Basie, Leo ‘ard Bernstein, and almost everyone else. In addition, Urbia has for many years been favorite background instrumentalist ‘of such pectonaities as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, and Popay Loe. Finally, Urbie has acmuied atleast 25 albums to his eredit during his career. At the time of publication ofthis ‘exercise method, his more popula releases were Volumes | and Il of 21 Trombones, Green Power, Bein’ Green, Urbie Green's Big Beautiful Band, all on Project 3, and The Fox fon the CT label, “This exercise method, a first for Urbie, presents some ‘things which a playing profesional brass player can do to maintain and improve his or her embouchure and technique. ‘According to Urb, it may not be the only approach to achieve such results, but the book does represant a system ‘that works for him. CREATIVE JAZZ COMPOSERS, INC.PREFACE by URBIE GREEN ‘The purpose of thete exercises i to maintain an adequate performance level with a minimum amount of practice time, (OF course, the more daly practice time one accumulotes, the ‘more one ean expect a high level of performance. ‘Thess exercises are approximately the ones that use on Gays between performances. 1 | play theough this book (which takes about one hour) every day, ean stayin fairly ‘900d playing condition. Staying in top condition ean require ‘more time whichis sometimes dificult to find. ‘hiss nota method book for abepiner. It is @ mainten- ance schedule for the tenor trombonist who wishes to be ‘ready for any playing postion from low or middle soetion work to lead oF solo playing i]SOME HELPFUL HINTS ‘Hold your trombone firmly with your left hand. + Place mouthpiece comfortably firm on the lower lip witha little more of the mouthpiece on the upper lip. Try not to ‘sea lot of pressure. Too much pressure can stop the circular ton in the upper lip and decrease your endurance. (Some ressure is necessary) + Tune your trombone so that first postion isnot all the way clostd. This will enable you to use a slide vibrato in first postion and to adjust intonation in first potion. Also, ‘this will eliminate bumping into fist position with posible damage tothe lip It may be necessary to have your tuning slide shortened. ‘© Agood tone results from a relaxed embiouchure and filing (oot overblowing) your instrument. 1+ Always make su _n about to play. ‘© Choose an instrument and mouthpiece suitable for the ‘ype of playing you expect to be doing. Ita trombone and ‘mouthpiece are too large, higher rogistr playing can be dit- ficult and unnecessarily tesome. If your equipment is 100 you have enough air for the phrase you small, you may have dificulty with low notes and find that ‘your tone i thin. ‘Practice with a metronome. Change time settings slightly ‘tom day to day so that you can be flexible with temper. ‘Use wrist action when changing slide direction. The arm ‘changes dreeton before the hand. This useful in fast mov: ing posses. “= Where reat is indicated in the following exercises, tke more time if lips ae still "singling ‘= an exercise goes to0 high, don't force. Try it aman in @ day oF two. Like any physical exercise, progress is made a hile at tine ‘© Falue pedal notes, betwoon low E and pedal Bb, can be produced by placing the slide one position lower than the position required to produce the same note one octave high- ‘er, The same rule applies to double pedal notes. ‘+ Give extra time to your weaknesses. + Practice good health habits. Playing your instrument is easior whon you feet well,WARM UP AND LONG TONE EXERCISESa , a —— ad Sth Position — = REST ONE MINUTEWARM UP AND LONG TONE EXERCISES, CONTINUED “This form of long tone practice is useful in developing an oven ‘embouchure since it combines tonguing and siurting witha tong tone. ‘This prevents fixing your embouchuee differently for every note. J 80+ b 3 ™p = mpREST ONE MINUTE== ¢ REST ONE MINUTEMIDDLE REGISTER TONGUING COMBINED WITH A LONG TONE Play with one breath and hold the last note as long as possiblesimile simile —— similesimite EPR E piece recor peter re tie ree nn REST ONE MINUTECHROMATIC SCALES WITH VARIOUS TONGUING ne ont Single tongue ele pete pie Pe ‘ete, simile The, rt ildlbd ie aS iad [F mp ee =|beeeer chee rhe ee 2 See 4 = 200 Pay in one breath. 1b “rile tongue simile 16 fetes Play each note 4 times, Double tongue REST ONE MINUTELIP SLURS 2 Fat Ep fic BESS tec. Gir Postion Tih Postion REST ONE MINUTE24 LIP SLURS WITH CHANGING POSITIONS Pay without use of the tongue except for the fist note J+ 804000 bats 4 2 a4 eoREST ONE MINUTE29 TONGUING AND SLURRING COMBINED WITH A LONG TONE d= 160+ *~ "st Positiona7th Postion REST ONE MINUTE2nd Postion MORE TONGUING AND SLURRING Play in one breath.REST ONE MINUTECHORD EXERCISES Exercises 57 through 69 utilize the Basi Chords in every key — Major, Minor, Augmented and Diminished. Play each exercise twice: first with stacatto tongue, second time with legato tongue. Pay ith one breath.230 _ RESTONE MINUTEMAJOR AND MINOR SEVENTHS Pray each exorcen twee. First, staceato = Second, legatoBF he pore by paopier81 titrenartitrennetitterer tif tte ettteee ctitteeertleteeeee., = a2 fez sftreo ne tittee, eepeeete REST ONE MINUTETWO OCTAVE SCALES “These exercises are valuable in building an even embouchure from low 10 igh register. They ae also very helpful for extending the upper range, Play with one bresth, d= 100+ staccato 83953738100 102 103105: 1063 108 REST ONE MINUTElog ‘th Postion {th Position OCTAVE SLURS Tonaue position notes is forming the sylable “ah”. Fr high In between high and low are various degrees a lied 5th Postion “eh Position ‘3rd Position a ae a aS 1st Position Tih Postion ih Position 4th Postion 3rd Position a"BROAD SWEEPING LIP SLURS Pay ths exerise by touching on all the notes betwoen the low and high nots Te a aicenal Sein. Glare An ail teog Nena 1) a 2 Tre Tee 91 Position © rd Postion Wf“ 9 2nd Position = = —— ae oe $e: E ba —— = ETc. REST ONE MINUTE TIT come prcie sion with ali tolo tat ies mito igh ier Good Luck, Mi bee Fader