Your exposed entrance is coming up and your chances of hitting the high C at a pianissimo dynamic level has been improving but is still at the 50% success level. Here’s the down beat and all eyes are on you. Oops! If you have ever been faced with this humbling situation, I may have the solution to your problem. Beginning an exposed entrance in the middle of your range is not a problem for the vast majority of your entrances begin with these notes. In contrast, the upper as well as the lower notes are less frequently played and because…

Few people have realized the importance of my recent discovery of the perfect item of support for every musician. But don’t let that upset you for most people do not understand many of the things I do or say. Ask my wife. This is an update to my first post on the perfect stool/chair and not only do I still believe the benefits of this stool, I have also broadened its virtues to something even more of you may not try or understand. After switching to my backless chair, I have noticed several changes in my life. 1. My posture…

One of the most common offense to the trumpet occurs when a player over compensates when playing notes. When I speak of overcompensating I’m directing my criticism to mainly the embouchure area. When most players attempt to reach a high note, the mindset is usually “give it your all” and when doing so, the player exerts too much energy to attain their top note. This became clear to me a few years ago when I watched one of our best trumpet players playing a show in town. I was amazed at how effortlessly he maneuvered among his notes; seemingly unconcerned…

We have been very busy responding to your comments on the subject of improving tone quality and this makes me very pleased for all musicians should be concerned with their sound. In this the third installment on the subject of a focused sound, we will be addressing two related and equally important elements in producing an impressive sound. The first will be the size of the aperture between your lips and the second will be direction of the air stream through your instrument. 1. Aperture size and shape. How often have you thought about the size and shape of the…

I Never Wanted to Be An Old Trumpet Player- “And Now I Are One”! Tone is something every musician should be concerned about for it is the only product we have to offer our listeners. Some tones are small and intimate, such as Miles Davis. Some tones are intensely focused and centered as in the case of Rafael Mendez. To say a person has a beautiful sound seems to be the ultimate compliment but this beautiful sound may not be appropriate for a horn player in a Rock and Roll band. Rather than debate the question of what is a…

Many years ago I shared my view of old trumpet players with a friend after watching an elderly man struggle to play his part during one of our rehearsals. The thought of struggling to play a once easy passage deterred by advancing years concerned me. Now I relish every opportunity to pucker and blow for not only are the hard notes easier but all aspects of playing are easier than they were twenty years ago. What, you might ask, made the difference and I will explain in full detail…… As I got older, I got smarter! As aspiring young musicians,…

When speaking of flexibility in this case, I don’t mean that you can do back flips and hand stands. Flexibility in this case refers to the ability to adapt to your surroundings and situations. Another word I could use to describe this valuable trait for musicians could be adaptability. I will try to cover a few examples of adaptability or flexibility which you may run into in your journey down the page. Flexibility when practicing- Many times we find a groove in which we enjoy pleasure in our playing. We search for just the right combination of loud and soft…