A More Interesting Way to Learn New Music

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When setting into the task of learning new music, we usually put the sheet music on the stand and continue to bang out the notes until we learn it or start bleeding from the chops. Next time you are faced with this sometimes boring task, try this approach and see if it works for you. I have selected this exercise as our example for it is an exercise one of my beloved grandsons needs to learn for his school; but the concept can be applied to any new music you undertake. Printed sheet music- #102 – Trumpet in Bb Practice…

The Different Parts of Your Trumpet

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Many times those of us who have been behind a mouthpiece for many years forget that young players are just starting out on the trumpet and what seems obvious to us, may be new information to the younger player. For that reason I thought it would be helpful to the beginners in our audience to get a working knowledge of the parts of the trumpet. Mouthpiece- This is the removable section which you place to your lips to create a sound. Throughout your career as a trumpet player, you will collect many of these, each one being purchased in order…

Music Business Definitions‏

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No explanations needed…. AGENT: a character who resents performers getting 90% of his salary. ARRANGER: a guy who writes to support a drinking habit. BALLET: an art form for people with eating disorders. BANDSTAND: the area furthest away from an electrical outlet. BIG BAND: nowadays, an aggregation consisting of two musicians. BROADWAY PIT JOB: a prison sentence disguised as a gig. CABARET: a venue where singers do songs from shows that closed out of town. CATERER: a man whose hatred for musicians is unrivaled. CHANTEUSE: a singer with an accent and no time. CLASSICAL COMPOSER: a man ahead of his…

Practice- What?

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As I mentioned in our previous post, several areas need to be addressed during your daily practice sessions. Download- 60 Minute Practice Routine Warm-up Your warm-up will begin your lip development and I strongly recommend that the first portion should be done on the mouthpiece alone. I have included a short warm-up which includes buzzing on only your mouthpiece (5 minutes). Be sure to produce a full, rich sound on every note. Fill your lungs completely and begin each note with just the air. Do not tongue any of these notes. Arpeggio Exercises Begin these exercises slowly and as you…

Practice- When?

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What difference does it make when you practice? That is a very good question for little has been written on this subject. I will share some of my feelings on this in hopes that you can gain some insight into the affects of practicing at various times throughout the day. What is the best time of the day to start practicing? The best time of the day to start practicing is early in the morning. Your schedule will dictate if this is possible but if scheduling is not an issue and you could plan out your whole day around practicing,…

Practice- Why

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• Why do we practice? We practice to get better. • Why do we have to practice? We don’t but if we didn’t we would not be pleased with our performances. • Why are we concerned about our performances? We are motivated by pride, or fear of embarrassment. Some people do not practice because of their lack of pride or share an attitude that playing poorly is not all that important to them. To the rest of us, we are driven to prove our value in music and because of this pride; we are determined to spend many hours alone…

Practice- Why, When and What?

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One of the most distasteful and laborious chores I endure each day is practice. Whether you play a trumpet, trombone or the kazoo, we are all faced with this task if we want to improve or even retain what abilities we have. If you have ever been out for sports, you will remember those early morning routines on the track or the warm-ups you religiously participated in on the baseball field, football field or tennis court. When participating in sports, whether high school, recreation department teams or in a foursome on the golf course, you were motivated by the people…

Oooops!

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I just realized that I have not included any material on the great trumpet player Harry James. My apology to you all and do be amazed at what he was capable of producing.

Can I Play Cornet Solos On My Trumpet?

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Of course you can. And you could hunt elephants with a 22 caliber rifle also, but I wouldn’t recommend either. How are cornet solos different from trumpet solos? Literature which has been written especially to be performed on a cornet usually follows these characteristics- • Melodies are most often very lyrical and smooth. • Traditionally more vibrato is used in cornet solos. • Cornet solos many times have drastic tempo changes with grandiose retards and sudden accelerandi. • The cornet solo gives more liberties in the musical interpretation than in the trumpet literature. • Most cornet solos draw from a…