You might wonder why these three techniques are grouped together. The reason I am discussing them as a group is because they are all three related. The shake is just an extension of a vibrato and the proper use of lip trills (tongue trills) is the bridge between an applied hand vibrato and a shake. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ EACH OF MY INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ORDER THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED. Introduction to the application and use of vibrato Performing a solo without vibrato is similar to eating a perfect steak without seasoning. Even the best steak will…

Some players look forward to that call and some begin to shake in their boots for your first call to substitute for another player brings up many questions such as- Can I play well enough to make the band leader/conductor happy? How good did the original player do and will I sound pathetic in comparison? What kind of job requirements are expected for the gig? Do I have enough chops? Will I be able to read the parts? Is this my big chance and can I perform well enough to be called back? The list could continue for some time…

Sometimes we assume that all trumpet players are experienced at trumpet maintenance and forget that there are players just starting out, and for that reason I thought this would be helpful for our new recruits.