A Breathing Lesson With Don “Jake” Jacoby

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Voices from the past bring back wonderful recollections of people who have influenced our lives and for that reason I have posted this lecture given by one of my former trumpet teachers, Don Jacoby. The tone and mannerisms in this recording make it almost as if “Jake” were actually in the room. Only people who knew this very gifted player and teacher can really know what this recording can do to a person’s past memories. For those who knew Mr. Jacoby, enjoy remembering those good times and for those who never had the pleasure of meeting him, enjoy his lesson…

Easy Lip Control Exercise

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Being able to bend notes up and down can be very beneficial to a trumpet player. Adjusting notes a little in order to play them in tune as well as having the ability to bend notes in Jazz can be improved with this exercise. When practicing this exercise, try to land solidly on the false note and remain in the center of the pitch. With practice, this will be easier. Download practice sheet here- Easy Lip Control Exercise Listen to example here- easy lip control exercize

Do You Need A Music Riser?

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When I was first introduced to the MUSIC RISER I had no idea what it was. It was explained to me that it raises the music off the stand making it easier to read. My first question was, “Why can’t you just raise the music stand”? That seemed like a legitimate question and then I was reminded that when you play in a dance band, most of the times you are playing on painfully low dance band fronts which cannot be raised. That was true and then my interest was piqued. I tried one on a job that night and…

Do You Ever Suffer From Stiff Chops? Part #2

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Continuing with our discussion on the problem of stiff chops….. While teaching lessons at my university, I realized that many of our students were complaining about stiff chops or the lack of flexibility. Along with this problem invariably was the observation that their lips seldom felt good. After collecting information of such students practice habits, it became obvious that they were overdoing their time in the practice rooms in order to get all their lesson material accomplished. And because they were expected to practice one hour a day for every hour of credit, it was time to figure out a…

Do You Ever Suffer From Stiff Chops? Part #1

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The number of people complaining about stiff chops seems to be growing and for that reason, I thought it time to address the problem. Symptoms of “stiff chops”- 1. Each morning when you begin to practice, your lips seem to be leathery or inflexible. 2. Many times your tone quality seems airy when you begin to play. 3. Flexibility exercises seem difficult. 4. More air is needed to start a note. 5. Playing soft tends to be difficult while playing loud is easy. 6. Low notes are a problem at the same time your high notes must be played loud…

Are you suffering from Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis?

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Recent studies have found that musicians are subjecting themselves to mold and/or bacteria which may lead to the development of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), a lung condition characterized by shortness of breath and cough. The mold or bacteria has been found in virtually every instrument tested by Dr. Mark Metersky (University of Connecticut Health Center). His complete story can be read at – http://today.uchc.edu/features/2010/sep10/lungdisease.html Read also a brief News report published in the September issue of the professional journal Chest – WIND INSTRUMENT MUSICIANS AT INCREASED RISK FOR LUNG DISEASE NEWS BRIEFS FROM THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF CHEST Article | 09.07.10…

Your First Call to Sub………

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Some players look forward to that call and some begin to shake in their boots for your first call to substitute for another player brings up many questions such as- Can I play well enough to make the band leader/conductor happy? How good did the original player do and will I sound pathetic in comparison? What kind of job requirements are expected for the gig? Do I have enough chops? Will I be able to read the parts? Is this my big chance and can I perform well enough to be called back? The list could continue for some time…

Trumpet Tips Part 2- How To Use Straight Mute And Cup Mute

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In our continuing quest for the best information on playing trumpet, we sometimes run across some amazing material and I would like to say that this “IS NOT ONE OF THEM”. But sometimes we need to step back and take a very serious look at our area on interest and chill out a little. If you find this distructional video helpful, I would suggest you watch the Professor’s other video on The Trumpet’s Whisper Key.

Basic Maintenance Information For Your Trumpet

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Sometimes we assume that all trumpet players are experienced at trumpet maintenance and forget that there are players just starting out, and for that reason I thought this would be helpful for our new recruits.

Teaching An Old Dog A New Trick

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Who said the old can’t learn from the young? I am living proof that the youth of today are far more resourceful than we give them credit. If you have ever been performing with an ensemble when someone trips over the extension chord and all of the bands lights go out, you have experienced the helplessness we have all experienced. There is nothing you can do to get back into the action and the show stops. It has happened to me on more than one occasion and little can be done to resolve the problem. You can have the most…