Download exercise sheet Trumpet Vibrato Basics I mentioned in my previous post that I feel the best vibrato for trumpet playing is the hand vibrato. Some of the reasons I feel strongly about this form of vibrato over other techniques are- 1. It does not interfere with the basic sound of the note. 2. It is easier to control. 3. It can be turned on and off much easier than other methods. 4. Even though it might not be the best technique for other brass instruments, in my opinion, it is the best technique for the trumpet.…
It Could Only Happen To A Musician-The Jokester in the Section
There is always one in the crowd who has to mess it up for someone else. It might be from a neglected childhood or a over active imagination, but for whatever the reason, practical jokers are a threat to society. The reason I am including this information is not to…
It’s No Wonder We Have Junk Horns on The Market!
I think all serous trumpet players will find this interesting. I did several searches for a list showing the most popular and talked about trumpets on the Internet today and found this one…… The following was taken from one such “Most Popular” on the Internet lists… Hold on to your…
Good Trumpet Players Are Full Of Hot Air
No, this is not going to be another trumpet bashing article, although we sometimes deserve one. The amount of warm air you exchange through your instrument can be an indication as to how well you are playing. A great way to tell if you are playing with efficiency is to…
Here are 10 reasons most of our bands are playing out of tune- #3, #4, #5
3. Tune your band before, during and at the end of every rehearsal! The need to tune your ensemble at the beginning of a rehearsal is obvious but what about during your rehearsals and again towards the end. The more often you bring up good intonation, the more conscious your…
Here are 10 reasons most of our bands are playing out of tune- #2
Stop relying on your electronic tuner! Too many directors have continued to rely on the little tuning box and have forgotten or possibly never learned to used their ears. That statement reminded me of a Faculty Brass Quintet clinic we were giving in a small town in Iowa. One of…
Here are 10 reasons most of our bands are playing out of tune- #1
1. You can’t tune your band to a tuba! Read…….. http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/why-are-we-still-tuning-our-bands-to-a-tuba/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/scientific-proof-tuning-to-a-tuba-can-be-hazardous-to-your-bands-intonation-2/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/continued-discussion-on-tuning-a-band-to-a-tuba/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/recent-comments-on-the-topic-why-do-bands-still-tune-to-the-tuba/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/continuing-discussion-on-why-do-the-bands-still-tune-to-the-tuba/
The Westerlies- Revisited “REQUIRED READING FOR ALL MY READERS”
Earlier, I posted an article describing a fantastic brass quartet which I introduced as “Possibly The Best Quartet- Period”. Photo taken by Sasha Arutyunova After posting my material, I was lucky enough to get in contact with this ensemble and they agreed to answer a few questions I had about…
Band Directors! Learn to Tune Your #%@&*%$# Bands!
“I have had it with out-of-tune bands”! The more I listen to concert bands, the more I get upset and wonder where we have gone wrong in instrumental music. As my readers have learned, I am a very patient yet sometimes out spoken person. I try to understand other opinions…
The Perfect Practice, Rehearsal, Recording Studio- Part 2
Now that we have the basic room and have found it to be sound (pun intended), we will need to fill it with equipment. If you were expecting a long list of the ultimate recording equipment in both hardware/software, let me remind you that I am a retired professor of…

