Long Tone and Tuning Exercises

Long Tone and Tuning Exercises | Flexibility and Tuning Exercises | Scale and Articulation Exercises |

Long Tone and Tuning Exercises

• Play 3–4 tones (start on middle register notes) for 20–30+ seconds each with a 10–15 second break between them. Also try long tone scales or intervals, changing notes while playing for 30+ seconds without a break. Try a mezzo forte dynamic, and work on keeping the tone steady and focused.

• Play long tones with crescendos and diminuendos. Use the metronome on 69 per beat, and change dynamic on each beat like "stairs", 1–5, 5–1, where 1 is soft and 5 is loud. Also practice ending long tones gracefully by making a diminuendo to nothing rapidly without a pitch change.

• Play long tones with vibrato. Use the metronome on 69 per beat, and play 1,2,3 and 4 pulses per beat. Use either abdominal or throat vibrato.

• While playing a long tone, make a diminuendo from forte to pianissimo for 12 beats with the metronome on 60 on three middle register notes, then on two high octave notes, while the needle on the tuner wavers not more than 5 cents on either side from 0.

• Also, practice slow scales with a tuner or colleague sounding the tonic. Tune each note carefully and quickly; practice putting the upper octave 'on the shelf'; without sliding up or down to it.