Click Below..
Do I have your attention?
How about this one……
And don’t forget the Jazzers…..
Doesn’t it make you want to hang it up?
These kids are hitting notes I have only dreamed of.
My encounter with one so gifted…..
I began performing on my first Cornet when I was nine years old. I am now eighty-two, have taught and performed on Trumpet for seventy-three years and still do not have a solid G above high C. What’s wrong with this picture?
How is it possible that a 12 year old, who has been practicing for only a couple years, is able to play higher and with less effort than I? Where is justice in this world.
Perhaps this short tail I am about to share with you will shine some light on this dilemma..
While attending North Texas State (University of North Texas) and working on my Master’s degree, I was also teaching 80 students in the area in private brass lessons.
One summer as I was waiting on my next victim to arrive, a young (approximately eight years old) boy sauntered into the open door of the band room. “What are you doing he asked”? I responded by saying I was teaching music lessons. He looked at the Trumpet in my hand and enquired, “What’s that”? I showed him my instrument and again the little inquisitive munchkin asked if he could try it. Knowing that this could possibly turn out to be an increase in my annual taxable income, I showed him my Trumpet and guided him on how to hold it. Then I showed him how to form the proper embouchure, inhale for good air support and encouraged him to “pucker and blow”.
The first note coming from my horn was a perfect F…..above high C. Needless to say, I contacted his parents, signed him up for lessons and after his third lesson I was finally able to get him to play notes within the staff. It was if his physical makeup enabled him to play naturally two octaves above my range.
You may ask how this is possible. This question was discussed regularly in my lessons with Mr. John Haynie at the time and the final conclusion was, “it happens”.
So, if you have been depressed, as I have been with the number of hours and even years spent in struggling to get that next half-step higher, find comfort in the fact that sometimes “it just happens”.
The supper gifted should not be hated for their uncanny abilities just as we, mere mortals, should not be faulted for our lack of high range playing. Remember, we all belong to the same fraternity and being able to play a triple high X does not mean that it has any more value than a beautiful tone or an amazing technique. It only means that some a blessed with amazing abilities which can be appreciated; even from a distance. I know of several friends who are nose bleed range players who have been envious of the tone of fellow Trumpet player.
With that said, our next post will deal with the less gifted high note player who is realistic enough to be content on regular practice and a consistent increase in upper register playing.
That by the way constitutes approximately the other 90% of the Trumpet world where I still live.
An Addendum to all of the above.
There are two possible answers to the question of why some can and some of us can’t.
- The overall construction, placement and material in each person’s dental, facial and muscular components as well as mouthpiece pressure / placement and ones air pressure / velocity could also be affecting upper register performance.
- Reincarnation could also be a factor.
Example #1 could be a reincarnation of….. “Bud” Brisbois
Example #2 could be a reincarnation of…..”Cat” Anderson
Example #3 could be a reincarnation of….. “Dizzy” Gillespie
