Your Best Advice Ever

jhatpro · Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 7:18 am Post subject: Your Best Advice Ever

What's the best trumpet playing advice you've ever received? Here's mine:

As a comeback player in 1987 I was taking a lesson with Brad Goode and he took a piece of staff paper and drew a picture of what he calls "the grip." It showed a set of lips with arrows all around pointing to the center. He added a series of triplets up and down the C scale, and a series of instructions: 1) Crystal clear sound with no noises 2) Tight corners with minimal movement 3) Continuous, relaxed, even air 3) Tight lips.

Finally, he wrote a reminder to work on Arban Characteristic Study #13.

That was 25 years ago. I still have that piece of paper in my case. I'm still not playing at the Jazz Showcase but I'm getting closer.

Thanks, Brad!
_________________
Jim Hatfield
Glen Ellyn, Illinois

"Unfortunately, music is not my first language."

bg · Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 8:10 am Post subject:

Funny how we keep some things and change others while we learn and grow.

I'm still basically doing the same thing, but I would now say "Continuous, concentrated and compressed airstream" rather than "relaxed". Years of experience now have me believing that trumpeters must blow differently than low-brass players to achieve efficiency. (Strive to make your airstream the size of the hole in the mouthpiece, BEFORE it gets to the mouthpiece.)

However, I'm very happy that I could be of assistance!
_________________
Brad Goode
www.bradgoode.com

jhatpro · Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 8:59 am Post subject:

"Continous, concentrated, compressed." I like that! Reminds me of what Mark Twain wrote about language: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.
_________________
Jim Hatfield
Glen Ellyn, Illinois

"Unfortunately, music is not my first language."

burnsa_92 · Regular Member Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 24

While I'm still young and I'll probably get a lot more good advice on playing the trumpet, the best advice I've received so far has come from my teacher. "If all you did was focus on singing through every piece of music you have to play before you play it, you'll be well on your way to being a great musician". Obviously he was exaggerating a little, but it's still a great piece of advice nonetheless.

MikeyMike · Heavyweight Member Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 1579

I forgot who said it but it was "You can never have enough mouthpieces."

That and "It's impossible to buy a trumpet that's too new or too expensive."

Seriously, the two best things I've learned so far are...

a) Leadpipe buzzing. Learn to get the air flowing and keep it flowing.

b) Whatever you do, don't screw up the time. Ever. Screw up a note but don't screw up the time. Play the whole piece - don't stop if you make a mistake, EVER. Get in the habit of continuing to play though AND IN TIME because TIME COUNTS MOST. One bad note screws YOU up but playing out of time SCREWS EVERYBODY UP. Don't play out of time. EVER.

Learn the whole piece. Get the time DOWN. Don't stop to correct a note. EVER. Learn to play in time by ignoring mistakes and keep going. When you practice, finish out the piece, ALWAYS. Then go back and start again and play the piece. The whole piece. In full. In its entirety. All of it.

Play it until you learn it. Work on a tough passage separately if you have to. Start from the back and work to the front. Just don't screw up the time. EVER. Or the bass player might just unscrew the neck from his J-bass and smack you over the head with it. Maybe more than once. Whatever you do, don't screw up the time. Ever.
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By the way, on this corner right here, I stabbed a bum.

trumpethead · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:27 pm Post subject:

"You don't have to make the trumpet scream, to be a good player!"
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Peter Uppman
Melbourne, Australia

Kofipoiss · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:50 pm Post subject:

Wind and song
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Harrelson Bravura Bb
Zeff ZTR-300 pocket trumpet
Harrelson SWE 1 1/4 C
Curry 3C.

stanton · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:11 am Post subject:

p-nut · Regular Member Joined: 21 Mar 2011 Posts: 47

I have 2 pieces of advice.

The first:
If you want to be a professional trumpet player, be the best all-around player you can be. Be able to play some lead, improvise well, good legit, and above all, READ WELL. If you work on this, all trumpet gigs are open to you.

The second:
Don't ever listen to Rush Limbaugh

drewtpt · New Member Joined: 10 Jan 2012 Posts: 2

my 2 cents for best advice from a teacher....

Always show up ready to play. Play in tune, in time and don't play louder than Tpt 1 when in a section. Finally, don't act like an A-hole, who wants to work with one of those.

cheiden · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:47 am Post subject:

kanemania · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:58 pm Post subject:

"Stay away from the bridesmaids."

dershem · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:19 pm Post subject:

Practice makes better - nobody's perfect.

Craig Swartz · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject:

Big Dave88 · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:25 pm Post subject:

"SHHHH!!!!!"

(while learing picc)
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"If a composer could say what he had to say in words, he would not bother trying to say it in music."
-Gustav Mahler

Benge 3 Bb
Bach Chicago C
L.A. Benge D (no Eb slide)
Dillon 3+1 Picc modified
Blessing Flugelhorn

RNJTrumpet · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Dec 2009 Posts: 398

tommy t. · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:04 pm Post subject:

Scott Englebright said it:

"It's a WIND INSTRUMENT, damn it."

Tommy T.
_________________
Actually, I hate music. I just do this for the money.

Peter Bond · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:15 pm Post subject:

DmitriMatheny · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:36 pm Post subject:

lower, softer, slower
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Dmitri Matheny
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tommy t. · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:45 pm Post subject: