How to Play in Tune

written by Bruce Chidester on April 29, 2024

Before we get to the “How Do I’s”, I need to address a few questions which are seldom asked but are equally important: Why is it important to play in tune? Playing “out of tune hurts”. It doesn’t hurt the player but it certainly hurts the listener. If you watch television programs such as “American Idol” or “So You Think You’ve Got Talent” or some equally popular show, you have experienced the horror of amateur singers trying to make it big. When they land on an out of tune note for any length of time, we all seem to have…

Sleep apnea – What they don’t tell you! (Part 7)

written by Bruce Chidester

Short but helpful suggestions: Handling the hose- To keep from being strangled to death with your hose, run it from your machine over the back of the headboard and down to your pillow. In this way it is controlled and you will not fight it all night as you move…

Sleep apnea – What they don’t tell you! (Part 6)

written by Bruce Chidester

Do you have to use your machine every night? NO! Knowing that involuntary habits can actually be retrained made me wonder if the Bipap/Cpap therapy is something that needs to be continued indefinitely. My answer to that question (in my case) is an emphatic No! I began my test to…

Sleep apnea – What they don’t tell you! (Part 5)

written by Bruce Chidester

#1 Complaint- Dry mouth After visiting with other sufferers of Sleep Apnea, the most consistent complaint seemed to be dry mouth. The dryness in my mouth each morning was so severe that I eventually developed a lesion in the back of my throat which progressed into a serious problem. After…

Be Careful What You Ask For!

written by Bruce Chidester

In our last post I invited comments on the subject “Why Brass at Christmas Time” and I did get a question. But it wasn’t what I expected. I thought I would have comments such as “What’s so bad about woodwind quartets”? or “You’re an idiot”, you know the usual responses.…

Christmas = Brass

written by Bruce Chidester

This morning while lying in bed and looking out our bedroom sliding doors at the sun coming up over Table Rock Lake, I began to wonder why the Christmas season is most often celebrated with brass instruments. Why do we hear more brass ensembles during this time of the year…

The Sound Check

written by Bruce Chidester

Every commercial musician has gone through this ritual before a show and no one has ever portrayed this tedious practice better than this. Thanks Paul for the heads up. Enjoy!

the Branson Trumpet Ensemble

written by Bruce Chidester

The History The Branson Trumpet Ensemble began performing in the Branson area in 2005 and has amassed a library of over 1,000 arrangements ranging from Bach to Rock. Its performances have included weddings, private parties, concerts, conventions, church services as well as special music for many different occasions. The Original…

The Correct Embouchure- “Why we teach it incorrectly”

written by Bruce Chidester

Why do we spend so much time and energy teaching the technical side of trumpet playing instead of the musical application of the trumpet? We, as musicians, write and lecture on every possible issue related to the technique of trumpet playing. Thousands of dollars are spent monthly on “the perfect…

The Most Overlooked Note Value In The World

written by Bruce Chidester

Many performers pay close attention to the note values in the middle of the range, i.e. quarter, half, whole notes but when playing the other note values, we tend to get sloppy. The notes I am speaking of are the sixteenths and the whole notes. The problem with whole notes…

A Musician Must Be Flexible- Part 2

written by Bruce Chidester

Flexibility in your surroundings Being flexible in your surroundings or environment refers to your interaction with the situation and people around you. Musicians at times can be moody, prideful, insecure as well as stubborn and arrogant. This is not a trait of all musicians but is true of many. When…

A Musician Must Be Flexible- Part 1

written by Bruce Chidester

Flexibility when performing Whether you play regularly in an orchestra or a jazz combo, each performing medium has its own playing expectations. If you are playing lead in a big band, you will be expected to play at the upper dynamic levels as well as in the upper range of…

I ran into an old friend today….

written by Bruce Chidester

While rummaging through my files today, I discovered a long lost friend from my past… The name of my old friend was Vassily Brandt “Etudes for Trumpet (Orchestra Etudes and Last Etudes), Edited by William Vacchiano. Not only are these excellent exercises to learn some of the most recognized orchestral…

Practice Plan #1- Part 2

written by Bruce Chidester

Lip Flexibility and Fingers This is the second of two posts which outline exercises written to be used for a suggested practice schedule. This not an all inclusive program but if you are searching for a multiple vitamin type of package, this should work. I will be posting a second…