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…

In my first post, I explained what circular breathing was and showed you two examples of the process. I also listed several exercises for you that would allow you to take air in and at the same time let air out. What we will be doing in this post will be giving you additional exercises to do in order to actually produce a note from your instrument which you should be able to sustain indefinitely. Getting a buzz going while inhaling. First we need to practice what we had accomplished in Part I of this post. 1.      Lower your jaw,…

The first time I viewed circular breathing was at a Duke Ellington concert and I was blown away with the ability of one of his tenor sax players using this technique. After that concert I began trying to duplicate the technique and apply it to trumpet playing. From what I have learned as well as observed from others, I will explain how it is done and give you exercises which will get you on your way to circular breathing. What is circular breathing? Circular breathing is a technique which allows you to take air in and at the same time…

We, as trumpet players are at a great disadvantage when it comes to expressing emotion in our performances. When we listen to a fine vocalist, we are impressed with the passion the song brings but when we perform the same song on trumpet, we fall short. Why does this happen? The difference is in the use of the words. If the same vocalist would substitute numbers or letters for the text, the trumpet and voice would be on the same playing field and I would tend to believe that the trumpet would win in a contest of emotions for we…

Recently I was asked if I had ever experienced a momentary shot of pain to the back of my head after releasing a loud, high note. Fortunately I have not had that pleasure for some time now but I distinctly remember the experience. After releasing a loud, high note (usually in about two to five seconds), it feels as if something climbs up the back of your neck and hits you in the back of the brain with a couple of pulsating shots, then goes away. If this sounds familiar to you, I may be able to help. Years ago…

This is a subject which seldom comes up for we all use our own method when marking our music. Your own system may work for you but in some cases, a more accepted notation could be more effective. I have prepared some examples of the most accepted notations for marking music and will explain each to help you understand their use. RULE #1- ALWAYS MARK IN PENCIL! Download example sheet here Common Markings in Trumpet Parts Example A One of the most frustrating occurrences in symphony playing for a trumpet player is counting measure rests. This is especially true during…