Daily Routine, Scales, and Arpeggios for Beginning Euphonium Students (Bass Clef)

Micah Everett
University of Mississippi
olemiss.edu/lowbrass

1. Breathing Exercises q = 80-120

Each day's playing should begin with a few exercises to promote full and efficient air movement. The simple exercises here work, but can be replaced with
others at the teacher's discretion. Emphasize taking a full, relaxed, quiet breath, with a full inhalation and a full exhalation each time.

1a. Inhale four counts, exhale four counts (x2) 1b. Inhale four counts, exhale four counts (x2) 1c. Inhale four counts, exhale four counts (x2)
Inhale three counts, exhale four counts (x2) Inhale four counts, exhale three counts (x2) Inhale three counts, exhale three counts (x2)
Inhale two counts, exhale four counts (x2) Inhale four counts, exhale two counts (x2) Inhale two counts, exhale two counts (x2)
Inhale one count, exhale four counts (multiple repeats) Inhale four counts, exhale one count (multiple repeats) Inhale one count, exhale one count (multiple repeats)

2. Mouthpiece Buzzing q =60-80

Mouthpiece buzzing is a practice which, in relatively small amounts, adds efficiency and clarity to one's tone production. The exercise here can be
transposed to other keys or otherwise modified as desired. It can be supplemented if needed by buzzing other exercises from the playing exercises below,
or even buzzing familiar simple tunes.

,
? 44 ˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ
bw bœ bw

3. Long Tones q = 60-120

? bw w bw bw bw w bw bw bw w
0 2 0 1 0 1-2 0 2-3 0 0

? w w w bw w w w bw w w w w
w bw
0 2 0 1 0 1-2 0 2-3 0 4 or 1-3 0 2-4 or 1-2-3 0 0

? bw
w bw bw bw w bw bw bw w bw w bw
0 2 0 1 0 1-2 0 2-3 0 0 0
4 or 1-3 2-4 or 1-2-3

4. Lip Slurs q = 70-100

Blow a steady stream of air through each three-note group, changing vowels (ex. "tee-ah-oh") in order to effect note changes. Use the indicated positions, even
though some of them are alternate positions. The point here is to build embouchure strength and flexibility without worrying about changing slide positions.

? 44 b˙ ˙ b˙ Ó ˙ ˙ b˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ b˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
˙ Ó b˙ Ó ˙ Ó b˙ Ó ˙
Ó
˙
Ó
0------------------------ 2------------------------ 1------------------------- 1-2------------------------- 2-3-------------------------
4 or 1-3------------------- 2-4 or 1-2-3-----------------
2 Daily Routine, Scales, and Arpeggios for Beginning Euphonium Students (Bass Clef) (Everett)
5. Range Extension q = 60-80

The same changing vowels technique should be used here as on the previous exercise, perhaps "toh-ah-oo-ee-oo-ah-oh" for 5a and "toh-ah-eh-oo-ee-oo-eh-ah-oh"
for 5b. The specific vowels used are not an "exact science" so experimentation with alternative vowels can be fruitful. Most people find ascending lip-slurs
to be more challenging than descending ones; if necessary begin by tonguing the exercise, then tonguing up and slurring down, and then finally slurring entirely.
descending. Begin with the "a" version of this exercise, and progress to the "b" version when ready. The same principle can be extended to even higher ranges,
but this will be the usual upper limit for methods classes and for first-year students.

5a.
#œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ
? 44 œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ Œ œ œ œ
Œ
œ œ œ œ
2-4 or 1-2-3------------------------------------------------------ 4 or 1-3------------------------------------------------------- 2-3------------------------------------------------------------ 1-2------------------------------------------------------------

œ #œ bœ œ bœ œ
? bœ bœ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
bœ bœ Œ œ œ Œ bœ bœ Œ
2------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 0------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#œ œ #œ œ œ œœœ bœ b œ bœ bœ œ œœœ
? 44 œ ˙ Ó bœ bœ bœ œ
5b.
œ œ
œœ œ ˙ Ó œœ
bœ b˙ Ó œ œ œ ˙ Ó
4 or 1-3---------------------------------------------------- 2-3--------------------------------------------------------------- 1-2------------------------------------------------------------
2-4 or 1-2-3---------------------------------------------------

b œ œ bœ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ
? bœ bœ œ bœ b˙ Ó œ Ó bœ œ
b œ œ b˙ Ó
bœ œ ˙
1------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 0------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Tonguing q = 80-120

The puprose of this tonguing exercise is twofold. First, it provides a forum for emphasizing correct tonguing technique, saying "tah" (or "toh," or
whatever vowel is appropriate), without breath-attacking ("hah") or attacking with the lips ("pah"). Additionally, this provides a fine opportunity for
introducing new scales--the Bb major scale is given here only as an example. While this exercise can be used or perhaps modified in order to develop
tonguing speed, the main point here is technique rather than velocity.

? 44
bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

7. Scales and Arpeggios

? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ ˙
Bb
œ œ ˙

? bb b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ ˙
b œ œ œ œ
Ab
œ œ ˙

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
C
? œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙
 Daily Routine, Scales, and Arpeggios for Beginning Euphonium Students (Bass Clef) (Everett) 3

?b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ
œ œ ˙
Eb
bb

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
?
F (Two Octaves!)
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b œ œ œ œ w

œ œ œ
? œ œ œ œ
b œ œ œ œ œ w

?# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
G
œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙

? bb b œ œ œ œ
Db
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
bb

? bb b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ ˙
Gb

bb œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ
œ ˙
D

? ### œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
A
œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙

? ####
E
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

? #### œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ ˙
B

# œ œ ˙

nœ bœ nœ œ bœ nœ bœ nœ
? bœ nœ bœ nœ œ bœ nœ bœ
Chromatic (Two Octaves!)

œ bœ nœ bœ nœ bœ nœ œ

œ œ b œ œ b œ œ nœ bœ
? œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ nœ bœ
œ bœ œ bœ w