Carmine Caruso Method
Adapted by Julie Landsman
This is a method that helps prepare your body to play music.
1. TAP YOUR FOOT. Tapping your foot helps the body to feel the rhythm needed to
coordinate over two hundred muscles. More than just thinking about the timing, foot
tapping connects the feel of the time to the body (kinesthetically). Feel the
downbeats and upbeats.
2. Keep the mouthpiece on your lips throughout the entire exercise. This reduces the
chances of resetting the embouchure in a different place on your mouth, and makes
it easier to develop good chops.
3. Keep the blow steady and constant. Always move the air through the instrument
when playing anything! If the air stream is steady and well supported, then it is
easier to develop a good embouchure. Here is an analogy: think of the lips as skis on
the water. As long as the boat is moving, the skis stay on the water. When the boat
slows down, the skis dig in, and when the boat stops, you fall off. This is what
happens to the lips when the air is not being steadily pushed through them. An air
stream that is constantly feeding the lips will develop a better balance of muscles.
4. Breathe through the nose. This rule goes along with #2. Try to maintain the same
setting of the embouchure while breathing. This reduces the number of variables
involved in playing the horn, and helps develop a healthy embouchure more quickly.
If you experience stuffed sinuses, breathe through the corners of the mouth, and try
not to disturb the setting.
5. Ready – Set – Play! Whether practicing Caruso exercises or any music at all, it is
essential before starting to set up one measure of subdivided time. Whether action is
starting a note, moving to another note, or ending a note, the subdivision is equally
important. (i.e. )
The importance of being ready and set to play through precision subdivision and
timing cannot be over-emphasized! Whether practicing Caruso exercises, orchestral
excerpts, playing in orchestra, or chamber group, it is essential to be ready to play
well before the first note comes out. Therefore, always, follow the rule of giving your
body at least one measure of subdivided time before your first entrance. Having your
body ready before the note comes out gives you a huge advantage!
6. Unless otherwise indicated, all exercises are to be executed at a healthy mezzo forte;
no louder.
Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
I. THE SIX NOTES
Even though there are more than six!
Play exercises with one steady air stream. Start with whichever version is easiest.
Be Ready – Set – Play! * Breath Attacks provide the easiest way to get the lips in focus
[B] = Breath attack* without “jumpstarting” the note with the tongue. Feel free to
[T] = Tongue attack use tongue on the first note, if at first, the breath attack is a
struggle.!
SIX NOTES – Version #1
q = 60 [ Do not play subdivision. Feel it!]
Version #2
q= 60
[Maintain “contact” from 3rd space C to middle C]
Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
II. LIPS/MOUTHPIECE/HORN
Do this exercise in this suggested sequence, however, make it struggle-free and with as
much ease as possible.
1) Buzz all pitches only with the lips.
2) Buzz all pitches on the mouthpiece.
3) Play all notes on the horn with valves. Version A: finger the first note, bend the pitch to
the second note. Versions B and C: finger both notes.
The three buzzes (steps 1-3) do not need to be exactly the same. The goal is to keep the blow
steady, and maintain the buzz throughout the entire exercise. Attempting to manipulate
the embouchure in any way will inhibit the progress of this exercise. Just produce the
sound in the easiest way possible, without trying to place the chops in a certain way. Do not
force the lips into place, even if all three events are slightly different from each other.
If comfortable, continue exercises lower.
q = 60
You may choose the easiest note to start. These exercises are suggested starting places.
Do only as many that work with ease. In due time, expand outwards from your starting
note. Do not free buzz higher than a third space C, and descend as low as is comfortable.
!
! Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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III. INTERVAL STUDIES
1) Warm up your upper register before playing this exercise. This can be done either in your
normal way, or by playing some slow, slurred scales into your comfortable upper register.
2) Starting note can vary. (For example – middle G, low G, or low C.)
3) Complete each interval set before stopping. If you need a place to rest, complete the
current interval and then rest for 10 seconds. After this time, pick up where you left off,
using precision timing to restart.
4) Go as high as you can keeping the same mouthpiece set, but do not force this exercise.
5) Do not play with pain.
6) Increase interval size every week. (For example – 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, up to 10ths).
!
q = 60 [Subdivision!]!
[Play as high as you can
without pain.]
Immediately after finishing the intervals, play the pedal F# three times softly for as long as
possible. This is an essential part of relaxing the chops after the intervals, or after any other
strenuous playing.
Play chromatics smoothly with ease. Never force any of these exercises, therefore choose start
and end notes wisely. Regardless of whether the notes speak, go for the action of the notes
without force.
{---Optional---}
!
! Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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IV. OPEN HARMONIC SERIES!
1) Choose the beginning that works with ease.
2) Ride the steady airstream.
3) Be strict with your subdivision, especially when establishing your upbeats.
4) Practice whistling! Notice how your lips and tongue move forward in your mouth when
you ascend.
q = 60!
Beginning 1 Beginning 2
Beginning 3
! Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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V. LOW REGISTER
1) As you descend, maintain even and equal pressure on both lips.
2) Do not let go of your lip contact and mouthpiece pressure as you descend!
3) Maintain mouthpiece contact in the rests and breathe through the nose. Take beats 3 & 4
to inhale and prepare for the downbeat.
4) Follow these low register exercises with the chromatic scale. (See INTERVAL STUDIES,
p.5)
These exercises may be used as a warm-down. Use of a tuner may help determine the
proper mouthpiece contact and pressure. Often players will let go of contact with the lower
lip [sometimes upper], however better results may be achieved with this technique of
keeping good contact with lips [and teeth!] with the mouthpiece, especially when dropping
the jaw.
Chromatics Down
[LT] = Legato tongue (keep it connected)
q = 60!
etc. go as low as you can
Arpeggios Down!
q = 60!
etc. go as low as you can
! Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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VI. FLEXIBILITY
Noodles
These exercises increase flexibility and help to “iron out” inconsistencies in embouchure set
and sound quality throughout the registers. Play as slowly as necessary to maintain
mouthpiece contact and tone integrity. The exercises below show suggested starting
pitches; feel free to start on any note, in order to work out break registers. Breathe through
the nose. Play slowly, then twice as fast. Always keep a double- or half-time relationship
between tempos.
Noodles Down
q = 30, 60, 120
Noodles Variation 1
q = 30, 60, 120
Pop-out Noodle
q = 30, 60, 120
! Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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Other suggested starting pitches:
G:
q = 30, 60, 120
E:
q = 30, 60, 120
C:
q = 30, 60, 120
! Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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FLEXIBILITY
Spider and Snake
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Spider – If a breath is needed, add a few beats and breathe through the nose, taking care
to leave the embouchure undisturbed. Subdivide, feeling upbeats.
First, start slowly:!
q = 60
Then once more, double-time:
q = 60
Snake – Add the snake when the spider can be executed smoothly in both variations. When
both the spider and snake can be executed smoothly in faster speeds, change the starting
note.
q = 60, 120
Variations for Spider and Snake
1) All Tongued attacks
2) Start on different notes.
***When using the tongue, be sure to use the same air flow as when playing
slurred.***
Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
!
Spider from E:
q = 60, 120
Spider from G:
q = 60, 120
Snake from E:
q = 60, 120
Snake from G:
q = 60, 120
Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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VII. REBALANCE AND RECOVERY
Through the practice of note tasting, your body learns to respond reflexively to a precisely
timed setup. The “taste” of a note includes the subdivision and timing, hearing it, visually
picturing the note, and feeling it in your chops. These are all right brain, high sensation-
based activities. All too often, players aim for notes with their brains and willpower. With
practice, you can train your body to respond in a reflexive manner to where that note lives
and what it “tastes” like. This can practically guarantee accuracy!
Note Tasting
q = 60
Continue upward as far as is comfortable…
*Use the Pedal #F as a recovery from fatigued chops.
Variations:
1) Breathe attack, mouthpiece stays on chops during rests
2) Tongue attack, mouthpiece stays on chops during rests
3) Breath attack, remove mouthpiece from chops during rests
4) Tongue attack, remove mouthpiece from chops during rests
The Recovery: Set up one measure of subdivided time. Ghost a “G” (measure 1) by
blowing air through the instrument while almost playing note. Subdivide third beat and
gently bring in ghosted note. Leave chops in place while inhaling for the next note.
air play
Pick notes based on ease (ex. middle C, E, G).
2"
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VIII. DYNAMIC STUDIES
Crescendo Diminuendo
q = 60
Keep the mouthpiece in contact with the lips throughout. The speed of the air determines
the volume. Increase the airspeed to play louder; decrease the airspeed to play softer. Tap
your foot to establish time, and subdivide during the rests.
If you feel tired after the dynamic study, play a few pedal F#s:
Copyright © 2014 Julie Landsman. All Rights Reserved.!
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