Play a Wind Instrument? Watch Urban Agnas’s Warm-up.

If you’re not a brass or wind player, this could be incredibly boring, but if you’re curious about why a warm-up is so important, read on. Mr. Agnas’s video should be required watching for brass players.

Urban Agnas is a trumpeter from Sweden who has great tone and technique. He posted a great video of his warmup, and talks through the concepts and techniques he uses to get his air flowing, and his tone resonant. You can hear his tone and sound get better and better and as the warmup progresses.

Flow Studies are simple exercises designed to focus your mind on the flow of air through the instrument. As far as I know, the original “Flow Studies,” was first put together by Chicago classical trumpeter and teacher Vince Cichowicz, but of course, the concept of air flow with an instrument has been around for at least 40,000 years, probably longer.

At any rate, Mr. Agnas stops throughout the video to explain what he’s doing, what he’s thinking, and what his goals are. It’s good stuff. Hope it helps you.

Want to learn more about the best ways to practice? Get an e-mail with a discount code when The Practice of Practice by Jonathan Harnum is published (June, 2014). To learn more about the book, check out a sample from The Practice of Practice.

Golden Moments

Throughout: his attitude: accepting what comes, paying attention to the body, and to the tone.
5:05: I have a mirror here, so I can see myself. Tall, full-length mirror is a great practice tool, especially if you’re working on relaxing the body, embouchure, or if you’re a beginner.

Share your own golden moments and/or your warmup routine in the comments below.