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Who gives a sheet



 
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Croquethed
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Joined: 19 Dec 2013
Posts: 609
Location: Oakville, CT

PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 10:19 am    Post subject: Who gives a sheet Reply with quote

My playing took an interesting direction a while back. I asked my wife for one of the big fake books for Christmas a couple years ago, figuring just about anything I wanted to play would be in there. Evidently not. I found myself thwarted time and again when I would hear something I wanted to play, only to find it was not included in the 1,200 songs in the book.

So I would sit and noodle until I eventually figured it out myself in a key that sounded close enough for government work. And I found I have gradually just about stopped looking at sheet music for the most part. I've gone from NRBQ's "Ridin' In My Car" to "Davenport Blues" to "Begin the Beguine" to Ronnie Lane's "April Fool." And on and on and on.

The daily routine, if you can call it that, is completely unstructured but I make sure to get my scales and chromatics and chord work in along with the song discernment. The improv skills, whch started at zero, are coming along OK. Not quite as fast as I would like, but once I get it, I get it with no confusing differing guidance - I've found a lot of "here's how to improv" advice to be like the "here's how to play better golf" advice. You gotta find your own swing and groove it consistently.

I have also adopted the "one note a year" to the high end philosophy, just stretching out until the top note is comfortable as can be. The last one took 16 months but now it is solid in most contexts and I am in no hurry.

And, interestingly enough, all this "play as the spirit moves me" stuff has resulted in picking up the horn being the most enjoyable part of my day. There is nothing I would rather do than play. So I would say my approach is working out well for me.
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GeorgeB
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Joined: 20 Apr 2016
Posts: 1063
Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 4:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like you are playing for your own pleasure, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if you drop reading sheet music all together playing with a conducted orchestra will be out of the question. Timing is everything when you play in an ensemble.
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GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
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gabriel127
Veteran Member


Joined: 02 Nov 2005
Posts: 218
Location: Southern U.S.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 5:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wouldn't count on the "one note per year" theory. It doesn't work like that. If your embouchure isn't operating efficiently, you're going to hit a plateau and you won't budge from there unless some kind of change is made that improves upon the mechanics and the efficiency of the embouchure. When that happens, range will increase with multiple notes, not one-at-a-time. Another fact is that once you get above a high G, the notes are closer together, thus getting from a high A to double C is not nearly as difficult as getting from a high D to high G.
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Croquethed
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 19 Dec 2013
Posts: 609
Location: Oakville, CT

PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll test that theory out, Gabriel. I am working very loosely off an observation John Mohan made a year or so ago in a thread about the range professionals need; he indicated a lot of studio and show players he knew had a solid E to F above high C. I have a solid D now, and will be happy with that E or F, because I am as far from a professional as can be. That said, I am taking the same approach to it as I used to take when training for a road race. Gradual increase in speed work and average pace, etc. If there's a multi-note breakthrough, OK. I accept plateaus, and if the D is as high as it gets, it's still better than I did as a kid. The journey is the destination at this point.

George, my "aspirations," such as they are, are limited to occasionally jumping in with friends' rock bands, and the timing on those things is all on the fly. If the community band bug bites, I assume my years of experience counting seemingly endless measures of rest as a 2nd trumpet player will not have abandoned me.
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GeorgeB
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Joined: 20 Apr 2016
Posts: 1063
Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Croquethed wrote:

George, my "aspirations," such as they are, are limited to occasionally jumping in with friends' rock bands, and the timing on those things is all on the fly. If the community band bug bites, I assume my years of experience counting seemingly endless measures of rest as a 2nd trumpet player will not have abandoned me.


Understood. Have fun.
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GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
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