Hi Steve,

I with Jonelwood, you are probably overdoing it. I get tired after an hour of continuous playing with no breaks, but I don’t have a burning sensation. I have a good, tingly sensation.

I am just a hobby player, no reason to play except for fun, so I am not an authority. I do have some thoughts on your practice and embouchure.

I am concerned about this fish-face embouchure you describe. It sounds like you may be creating too much of a pucker. Does it look like Greg’s setup? This is the same as Jonelwood points out as being overdone. Your catching your bottom lip rolling in is exactly what this course is about. I identifying useless tensions and habits and then replacing with new more efficient habits.

Now as to your session I have some concerns. I have almost no experience teaching brass and these are my just opinions from a dubious source. Keeping in mind there is no one way to play, but there are more efficient ways.

I think you are definitely overdoing it. Your warm-up seems to me over the top. Pedals can be good, but I play just a few to cool-down. I think lip buzzing can lead to bad habits and I do not lip buzz anymore. I would say that Greg’s stuff should take you anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes a day. Try to improve every day using the practice charts and be done with it. Later in the day, you might play some etudes. I like stuff that is pre-programmed like Eric Bolvin’s

Arban Manual

or

Mitchell on Trumpet

(my favorite). Then later play some repertoire pieces solos, melodies or pieces your ensemble is playing.

Ronald Carson