Famous Solos for Young and Comeback Players

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Many times we would like to practice famous solos which we knew at one time or would like to learn but because of our limited strength and upper range, they are beyond our current ability. If you have the desire to play some of these beautiful solos, you are in luck. I will be adding to this series as time passes and I’m sure you will find some materials which will suit your current ability. Most of these solos will be lowered a third and in some cases a fourth to place the range within everyone’s ability. If you have…

Chet Baker at His Best

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  Chesney Henry “Chet” Baker, Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and vocalist. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian David Gelly described the promise of Baker’s early career as “James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one. His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame; Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and ’80s. At about 3:00 am on May…

Protecting the Finish of Your Instrument

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In an earlier post I covered the essentials for keeping your brass instrument in good working order. This post will cover the importance of keeping the outer service of your instrument in good shape. Whether you have a silver or gold plated instrument or a lacquered or even bare brass surface, it is important to protect the outside from damage and wear. Bare brass instruments Instruments without plating or lacquer will eventually turn ugly. The reason that bare brass changes with time is the fact that the brass, when exposed to the air over a given period will tarnish and…

Good News For Beginning Trumpet Players

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The market is full of band methods and to choose one as the most effective would be a daunting chore and for that reason I will only say that Essential Elements For Band, published by Hal Leonard would be at the top of my list. What measurements are required to single out just one method as the most effective? Let me list a few which I have found helpful. 1. Is the book attractive? When dealing with beginning students, the book’s appearance is very important. Methods which have been around for more than five years tend to be out of…

I Cant Get Air Through My Horn!

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This is a very common concern for many young players and the solution is very simple. If your instrument was working before you oiled your valves and then after oiling them your instrument will not allow any air to be blown through it, you either have one or more of your valves in the wrong valve casing or your valves are incorrectly positioned in its own valve casing. Solution to your problem- Check to see if your valves are in the correct valve casing- Check on each of your valves for a stamped number. Usually they can be found on…

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The Worst Instructional Video On The Internet

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Continuing in my limited series of disturbing videos I have selected this gem. YouTube has an ever increasing library of self help videos which strive to inform our world on various subjects. Many of these are very helpful and in some cases, they can be very destructive as in the case of this video- Please read this post completely before trying the above instructions. This could possible be the worst instructional video on the internet! If these instructions are followed as described in the video, I can guarantee that you will have ruined your instrument and for that reason, I…

How I practice- Lip Slurs for Improved Tone And Flexibility

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In our previous post we directed our attention to the chromatic warm-up and this post explains the benefit of lip slurs to improve flexibility as well as improving your tone. The more strength you developed in your embouchure, the more lip slurs will be needed to keep your flexibility in line with your increased strength. In order to accomplish this, time must be spent doing lip slurs. The amount of slurs you do will depend on the amount of time you are spending strengthening your embouchure. A very good way to evaluating your flexibility needs is to answer this question…

How I practice- The Warm-up

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The importance of warming up before hard playing cannot be over stated. Just as an athlete stretches, a ball player throws easy at first; the trumpet player is very similar in that a sudden blast of a high note may work for some but the more intelligent of the masses begin their playing with an easy routine of warming up gradually. I have incorporated my chromatic exercise into my warm-up and find it very beneficial. No matter how high we are able to play, improving our range is always a good idea. The chromatic warm-up I have included both as…

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How And What I Practice

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I have had a few readers ask what they need to practice to be a better player. Without hearing or visiting with these people, it would be impossible to suggesting what might work best for them. The best I can do is to share a typical hour practice session which I go through each day. I will be the first to say that what I do might improve your playing and with that said, let me explain how and what I run through each day. I am a strong believer that practicing the same material every day becomes boring and…