The Ups and Downs Of Playing On A Cruise Ship- Part 2

written by on

I just got home from a cruise and spent some time visiting with the musicians on the ship. I asked them some questions that some of you may be interested in hearing. The ship was one of the largest and the band was from all over the globe. The instrumentation was two trumpets, one trombone, two saxes, a bass, keyboard, and drums. Every musician was a good reader and the trumpets were very fine solo players. The tenor, who you would expect to be the jazzer, was a little light. The best musician in the band, in my opinion, was…

Vibrato, Lip trills and Shakes made easy!

written by on

You might wonder why these three techniques are grouped together. The reason I am discussing them as a group is because they are all three related. The shake is just an extension of a vibrato and the proper use of lip trills (tongue trills) is the bridge between an applied hand vibrato and a shake. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ EACH OF MY INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ORDER THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED. Introduction to the application and use of vibrato Performing a solo without vibrato is similar to eating a perfect steak without seasoning. Even the best steak will…

20 Minute Warm-up (Version 2)

written by on

No one ever said that I was fast. After decades of teaching the same 20-minute warm-up, I have recently found something even better to add to my practice routine. I now play the same recording as before but have found added benefits to this routine by changing the tempo (doubling the speed) and form (playing the scales twice) of the original exercise. Included below is a copy of the updated exercise. The benefit of the original 20-minute warm-up was achieved by gradually increasing to higher notes as well as including lower notes to keep the lip flexible. By performing these…

Springs have sprung

written by on

To make sure your valves come back up after you press them down, manufacturers have furnished us with a set of springs which work very well for most of the time. Sometimes we are faced with valves which seem to hang up every so often and it usually happens at the worst time. Hesitant valves can be a real headache as I remember when I was in fifth grade and performing cornet solos with the Moline Boys Choir, of which I was a member. I had two solos to alternately perform in our concerts. It was usually when we had…

No One Is An Island

written by on

No one can succeed as a trumpet player without help from others. No matter how accomplished you have become, or how great you anticipate your future accomplishments, you will not become successful without the help of others. You may be spending countless hours in a small practice room practicing every etude known to man, yet you may be spending energy and time on the wrong exercises. Without help from others, your ability to play triple high “C’s” at tempi far beyond the speed of sound means nothing without help and guidance from others. I have listed below some of the…

On Which Paper Is It Best To Print Your Music?

written by on

Has this ever happened to you? You have a quick page turn in your concert and the next two pages are stuck together. Under the existing light, you suddenly realize that the notes on the reverse side of your music are showing through. As you quickly turn your page, the sheet gets stuck on the stand and tears in two. While erasing your previous pencil markings from your music, you gouge a hole where your notes used to be. These are very common situations and I have finally found the solution to these as well as many other problems caused…

The Three Levels of Accomplishment

written by on

Whether taking a test in English or performing on a recital, we can demonstrate one of three levels of ability. C level performers- C level performers expect to perform adequately and nothing more. If the passing grade is a C and you are content with that level of accomplishment, chances are very good that the C will be your final grade. Usually C students are content to spend the semester doing just enough to get by. Musicians are the same in that they will perform as well as they are expected, as long as the bar is not so high…

How to Practice- Petite Piece Concertante

written by on

Petite Piece Concertante has been one of the main staples in the literature of our instrument and also one of the most deceivingly difficult solos to perform in a true musical fashion. One reason for this musical deception is the fact that the solo is not an ordinary solo where the performer starts at measure one and continues to the final measure. This “warhorse” is actually a series of short, four measure solos, each extremely musical by itself. For that reason, I have decided to illustrate this collection of short melodic segments in the following manner in order to make…

Technology and Trumpet Playing

written by on

We live in a very fast passed world which includes constant innovations in all areas of our lives. Artificial Intelligence has changed the way we collect information, advancements in medicine is prolonging our lives as well as improvements even in our automobiles and manufacturing practices.  But who could have predicted that printing in 3D would be helpful in prolonging my Trumpet career? During a recent biopsy of my right upper lung, I was told that I had developed cancer. That was not the information I was hoping for but during this same procedure, I also incurred another disappointment. During the…

10 Indications That You Are Too Old To Play Trumpet

written by on

10 Indications That You Are Too Old To Play Trumpet. 1. People compliment you on your vibrato when you’re playing a straight tone. 2. Your mutes are green and fuzzy. 3. Your blood pressure is higher than your upper range. 4. You now use your gig bag to carry your medications. 5. Your wife is checking for a double indemnity clause for brain hemorrhages. 6. You find your dog burying your horn in the back yard. 7. You find your horn listed on EBay with your next door neighbors number listed. 8. When you play a loud note, the only…