One of the most asked questions from students is this, “How can I learn to play high notes?” Seldom do players ask how they can improve their tone, endurance or any of the equally important areas of development. While giving clinics both with the faculty brass quintet as well as…
These posts are written by: Bruce Chidester
Old Trumpet Players
For those concerned about my current ability on the horn, let me assure you that even at the ripe old age of 78, I still have a few high C’s in my bag of tricks as illustrated by the following recording I did a few years ago shortly after my…
Why Do We Have To Practice?
In two words……we don’t. Why do we have to brush our teeth? In two words……we don’t. But, if we want to play well just as we may want to keep our teeth, we have to do things if we want a favorable outcome. As a young aspiring musician, I spent…
Trick or Treat at the Robson Ranch
Thanks for the photo Corky……
The North Texas Shuffle
While a student at North Texas, I was shown a very helpful trick which I still use every day in my playing. I called it the “North Texas Shuffle” and it goes like this. As we tap out feet, (when allowed by the director) most use one foot to complete…
How to Identify and Deal with Excessive Mouthpiece Pressure- Part 2
Mouthpiece pressure begins with the hands. #1. The easiest solution All mouthpiece pressure begins with the hands. Holding the instrument is the only way we can play the instrument so it is logical our first step to lesson the pressure on the lip would be to lessening the grip…
How to Identify and Deal with Excessive Mouthpiece Pressure- Part 1
Before we get into the how and why of excessive mouthpiece pressure, we need to identify what it actually is and establish how it is produced. What is mouthpiece pressure? When the rim of a brass instruments mouthpiece comes in contact with the lip, it produces mouthpiece pressure on the…
Upper cap screw down problems
Have you ever spent too much time trying to get the upper caps on your valves started? This is a common problem and the solution is very simple. Sometimes the threading on the upper caps is less than perfect as it is on my Yamaha Bobby Shew trumpet. Getting them…
Choosing A Trumpet On the Basis of the Material and the Coating
The following material was reprinted from…… https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/trumpet/selection/ “Timbre will vary with the quality of the material The timbre of a wind instrument is determined by the way in which the air inside it vibrates. Hence, the timbre depends not only on the shape of the instrument and the length of…
Patterns For Jazz by Jerry Coker
Here is a MUST for all you aspiring jazzers……….. Patterns For Jazz by Jerry Coker