Why Do Trumpet Players Pass Out? Part II

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Five possible causes of passing out with similar conditions to playing and releasing extended high notes on a trumpet. Material taken from Wikapedia.com 1. Syncope (faint) is a sudden fall of blood pressure resulting in loss of consciousness. 2. Valsalva maneuver or Valsalva manoeuvre. The Valsalva maneuver is performed by attempting to exhale against a closed airway. This can be done by keeping the mouth closed and pinching the nose while trying to breath out. This maneuver greatly increases pressures inside the chest cavity – which stimulates the vagus nerve and increases vagal tone. 3. Orthostatic hypotension, also known as…

Why Do Trumpet Players Pass Out? Part I

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No, this is not a joke for if you have ever had it happen to you, you will agree that it is a possibility. The high range exercises which I and several of my friends are practicing at this time may find us in a possible situation which should be addressed at this time. Most often the dizziness and possible blackout comes shortly after releasing a sustained high note and is seldom present when performing in the middle and low range of the instrument. Some players are more susceptible to this condition than others. Also, those performing in the upper…

Bent Mouthpieces- Good or Bad? Part 2

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I felt it was only fair to share others musicians views on this subject and to do so I visited the Internet to collect these thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of bending a mouthpiece. Some responses agree with me and some do not. It is not my job to argue with anyone on their experience in this area or in any area but just as Fox News advertises, this is a fair and balanced report. Please consider the source for not everything on the internet can be accurate, including my views. Related comments from the Internet on bent mouthpieces…

Bent Mouthpieces- Good or Bad? Part 1

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This past week the advantages and disadvantages of a bent mouthpiece surfaced again. To those of you who may not be familiar with the term “bent mouthpiece”, let me explain. Many years ago in a far off land lived a very good trumpet player who wanted to play in a local band. When attending his first rehearsal, the conductor recommended to him that he should play with his bell above the stand so that he could be better heard. Knowing that his existence in this fine ensemble was in jeopardy if he did not comply, the young man obliged by…

Using Technology to Improve Your Trumpet Playing- Using a Metronome

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A Metronome is defined as “an instrument of the devil which speed up in difficult passages and slows down in easy passages”. To prove my point, try playing the last page of W. Brandt Concertpiece # 1 with a metronome and you will realize how much a metronome can increase in tempo. And on the other hand, play Lil Darlin’ by Neil Hefty and observes that after only eight measures, the same time keeper has slowed down. Interesting phenomenon isn’t it? Keeping a steady tempo has always been a challenge to musicians and solving this problem requires patience and regular…

Finding the Correct Mouthpiece Placement

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When first starting out as trumpet players we have to locate the correct position for our mouthpiece. This sounds simple enough but after teaching for more years than I care to remember, this decision is more important than most people realize. The exact location can be determined by luck, comfort, or even the set up of your teeth, lips and jaw position. What I will describe here is a very easy way to get started as a beginner and may also be used as a guide to see if you, as a seasoned veteran, have been doing it correctly or…

Which Flugel Horn Is The Best?

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While trying to complete my coverage of the flugel horn, I decided to see what typical trumpet/flugel horn players say about the many instruments available on the market today. I have included only the material found on one site in a span of two weeks- “The Yamaha Flugels are great all around flugels”. …”the Adams line. I truly believe they are making hands down the best flugelhorns and also the most diverse flugelhorns in the world”. “I play quite a bit of flugel and I sold my Couesnon when I got the V1 (Conn). I also played as many other…

Looking For A New Trumpet Case?

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From time to time we all get a little antsy when it comes to our equipment and this is my case at this time. I have a perfectly good original hard case for my Bobby Shew Z trumpet but still “lust” for something new. This is the reason I have decided to explore the possibility of a new trumpet case. I have never been a strong supporter for the trumpet bag approach and after doing some extensive research into the next step up for trumpet cases. I decided to look at the Protec Trumpet Contoured PRO PAC Case, Black, Model…

Remembering Don Jacoby

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Jake is gone but not forgotten by many of us in the trumpet world who were fortunate enough to have known him. If you are interested in his background and accomplishments, I highly recommend Clint “Pops” Mc Laughlin’s site . If you are interested in what Jake was really like, I can share two stories which might give you some insight into the real Don Jacoby. When first locating yourself in a new area, it is to your advantage to make contact with one of the more active players in order for them to help you get work. This is…

Big Mouthpiece or Small Mouthpiece? That Is The Question. Part 3

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What advantage is there for the use of two mouthpieces? This is a question which comes up often for many times we are faced with contrasting performance styles, i.e. Classical music and Jazz compositions. Generally the Classical music requires a darker, more “legit” timbre and the Jazz music requires a more commercial or brighter tone quality. It seems logical that two different mouthpieces would fit the needs of the performer and this is what we will be covering in this posting. What should I consider when switching between two different mouthpieces? • Two mouthpieces with the same cup diameter cause…