Practicing on the Road

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Much discussion has been raise over the noise factor when practicing on the road and for that reason I wanted to give just another suggestion for solving this problem. Next week I will be on one of our vacations and because of the luggage limitations, I will not be able to take my horn. *&%^%$#@#% I did plan to carry my mouthpiece with me but buzzing on a mouthpiece is not the same as buzzing on a horn. The resistance is such that I end up deciding I wouldn’t do that again. Also the buzzing sound tends to annoy my…

Required Listening Assignment

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As the interest in Trumpet choirs continues to grow, some ensembles seem to occupy the highest level of professionalism. Such is the case for the San Luis Obispo County Trumpet Alliance and their most accomplished director Warren Balfour. I have had the pleasure of knowing and following this remarkable ensemble for several years and continue to be impressed not only with their playing ability but also their range of music which spans everything from Bach to Rock. If this talented ensemble is new to you, be sure to check out all of their videos and if you happen to be…

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How to Play a Low F in Tune

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Not often, but enough to learn this trick, we are asked to play a low F. Usually it is required by someone who knows nothing about our instrument or acceptable orchestration practices. Or, in the case recently, where I arranged a number which required the first trumpet to exceed what I considered a reasonable high range and I decided to lower the key to solve the problem. Unfortunately by lowering the key it placed the lowest note in the fourth trumpet part down to a low F. Not being one to change the F to one an octave above, which…

Perfect Pitch and How You Can Develop It

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Perfect pitch, also known as absolute pitch, is a rare and highly sought-after ability in the world of music. It refers to the ability to identify and reproduce any musical note without any reference point. This means that someone with perfect pitch can hear a note and immediately know its name or sing it back without having to hear it again. Unlike this example of “absolutely NO PITCH. There is still much that researchers do not know about perfect pitch, but they believe that it may have a genetic component. In other words, some people may be born with a…

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More Interesting Assumptions Proven and Disproven

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In our never ending quest for truths and the American dream, I came across this assertion which sounded very plausible, yet questionable. On one of the more popular trumpet bulletin boards I found a reference to a trick which apparently Mr. Armando Ghitalla was given credit. The writer mentioned in passing that “Ghitalla did a lot of experimenting with paper clips, and various hand fashioned doodads, placing them in the backbore of the mouthpiece and other places”. Now I am not a strong fan of placing paper clips in my instrument but the name Ghitalla raised my interest. If this…

Trumpet Mouthpiece Placement

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“Where should I place my mouthpiece when I play my trumpet/cornet?” The placement of your mouthpiece can be affected in many ways. If you have scare tissue as I do, (a friend through a brick and hit me square on the chops) you will notice that the affected area does not vibrate as other tissues does. If your dental facial structure is less than ideal, (front teeth protrude or are highly irregular) you may encounter more comfortable or less comfortable areas to place the mouthpiece. The position of your jaw will also affect your mouthpiece placement. If the world was perfect…

Features to Consider when Buying a Trumpet- Reprinted from Earlier Post

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When deciding on which trumpet/cornet to buy, there are a few guidelines that need to be addressed. The bottom line cost is one of the most obvious questions for most people. Unless you are interested in the ultimate, hand fitted, custom made, work of art, one of a kind horn, you should expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,500 for a quality instrument. When I speak of the ultimate, one of a kind trumpet, I am reminded of a situation many years ago when a college first told me about  his friend who was making truly one of a kind,…

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