These posts are written by: Bruce Chidester

Trumpet Hand Playing Position

Sometimes the obvious can be overlooked as in the case of your hand position while holding your instrument. If you search on line for pictures or video of successful trumpet players, you will find a variety of hand positions ranging from the normal to several extreme positions. Each performer has…

Clark Terry (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015)

The following information was taken in its entirety from Wikimedia.com Clark Terry (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, composer, educator, and NEA Jazz Masters inductee. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–1951), Duke…

How To Learn A Solo (an easy way)!

This is the time of the school year when thousands of student musicians are spending countless hours in band rooms around the country trying to learn their solo for this year’s Solo Ensemble Contest. Anxieties are starting to set in and each performer wonders how they will play and what…

Can you cope with quarter tones?

Our harmonic and melodic system is based on half steps and other systems are based on quarter tones. When we listen to the quarter step system, we are uncomfortable because of this unusual pitch relationship. Our instruments are not capable of playing quarter tones. So why am I posting information…

Better Living Through Chemistry

When the PBone first appeared on the market, many trombone players were very skeptical as to the quality and sound this plastic oddity represented. Gradually the response began to filter in and player’s acceptance steadily grew. More and more professionals began to show up on the stage with these less…

Trumpet Players Toys Store

What trumpet play can resist the temptation to explore a business which features almost every new gimmick known to trumpet players? If you are one of the many trumpet geeks who spend more time searching for an aid to improve your playing, than you spend time practicing, you need to…