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

• The best results come from practicing these exercises slowly and deliberately.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.