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
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…
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…
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…
Many young students are faced with this decision before they graduate from a college or university and the decision can sometimes be difficult. I have had the pleasure to play on both sides of the music stand and will try to give you the pros and cons of both areas in music as best I can. Some advantages for teaching music in an educational setting- • If you love working with young people, you will have a very satisfying career. • Summer vacations time can be spent in rejuvenating yourself, writing or other creative activities. • Insurance benefits and many…
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…
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…
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.
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…