Long overdue book now in print for trumpet

[BeboppinFool]

Guiseppe Concone — Finishing Studies for High Voice is now available for trumpet.

The complete work is transposed for B-flat trumpet so that you could conceivably play along with the original piano accompaniments.

Doc Reinhardt used to preach Concone as a way to smooth out and hone our sound while building chops through sustained playing.

This collection has never been presented for trumpet in the original keys. I have seen several of them in easier, "high school" keys. And of course, nowadays, even high-school trumpet players are expected to have great upper registers.

So here's your chance to build real chops while playing beautiful, lyrical vocalises by the great master, Guiseppe Concone.

And if you're interested in the piano accompaniments for this work, look up: Masterworks Vocal Method, Kalmus Edition, published by Alfred Music Publishing (AP.K09154) — ISBN 0711976252.

Thanks, everybody!
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[BeboppinFool]

Here's what I wrote on the first page of this book:

Finishing Studies for High Voice is now transposed and adapted for Bb trumpet, something that up to this point, surprisingly, had yet to be done. Many Concone exercises have been presented in various books for trumpet players through the years, but in lower and “easier” keys. Now this full set of fifteen Finishing Studies for High Voice can be played on trumpet using the original piano accompaniments. In an age of increasing range demands upon trumpet players, this volume is an essential addition to trumpet literature. Unlike most of the popular etude books available, this book is intended to get trumpet players playing more tastefully, in a singing style, in their higher registers.
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[maw]

Thanks Rich, they are some great study books!
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That's another fine mess...

Taylor Chicago Custom II Large Bore with ML mouthpieceand I'm lovin' it!
YFH 6310Z Flugelhorn with Monette FLG4LD

[BeboppinFool]

maw, I will agree with you about this book.

I have spent quite a bit of time in it the past week or so, and it really paid on Friday night. I had a brutal 4-hour gig, and by the end of the last set I felt stronger than ever. It was a commercial gig with lots of blowing (improvising) on every tune, yet I seemed to get stronger each set. And by the end, I was ready to play another set. I was actually bummed out that the gig was over. That rarely happens with me on a long blow of a gig like this.

Granted, I've been using Reinhardt-style warm-ups for years, but since I've been playing these "high voice" cantabile drills later on in my practice days, my endurance and accuracy and range all seem to have improved dramatically in a fairly short time.

Plus, I was worried about last night's gig since I hadn't had a gig for over a week, but it went great and I think that's largely due to spending some quality time working on these Concone high voice studies.

I'm not one of those guys who can get away with not practicing, and if I have a 4-hour gig when I've not been playing hard (as in playing gigs) for several hours a day, I usually have trouble on a demanding gig in the middle of a period of no gigs.

If that makes sense to you, and you identify with that, you could definitely benefit from some time daily in these high voice studies.
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[tommy t.]

I have recently received the book and have formed an expectation that it will be both interesting and useful.

The term "High Voice" is just a statement that the exercises were written for training soprano singers, not tenors or basses. The demand of any given exercise on range for trumpet is about equal to the demand made by the lead trumpet part on "Stars and Stripes Forever." Most of the exercises do not go above the B above the staff and none of them go high and stay high for more than a couple of measures. (Fewer than ten high C's appear in the whole manual and 5 of those are in a single phrase with an ossia provided.)

This is not a complaint about the material -- just noticing that the emphasis on "high voice," "upper register" and "the demands of today's trumpet literature" may scare off players (like it almost did me!) who could well benefit from the material and, possibly, it could disappoint the studio jocks and big band leads hoping to increase flexibility and accuracy in the double octave.

Basically, I would describe the material as: 1) a series of lyrical pieces, 2) ranging between 30 and 100 measures in length, 3) concentrated around the top of the staff, 4) mostly in the quieter dynamics but requiring quite a bit of attention to dynamic phrasing, 5) at relaxed tempos, well below 100bpm, 6) without deliberately tricky passages, 7) and all intended to be performed by a young soprano in a chamber recital, not like an exercise or a fanfare.

In the context of other material made available by Rich Willey, this book sort of stands in the position that "The Art of Phrasing" does in the Goldman/Smith edition of Arban's. This book is a study in control, listening to yourself and phrasing.

I'll admit that I have some weaknesses in those areas and I think that I shall enjoy the material in "Fifteen Vocalises" for some substantial period of time.

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

[percivalthehappyboy]

When I read the subject line, I wondered whether the library already charged you for the replacement cost.

[Crazy Finn]

I'm wondering how is that different from this:

http://www.balquhiddermusic.com/BQ-51.htm
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LA Benge 3X Bb Trumpet
Selmer Radial Bb Trumpet
Yamaha 6335S Bb Trumpet
Besson 709 Bb Trumpet
Bach 184L Bb Cornet
Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn

[BeboppinFool]

The difference (well, one difference) is that this is Concone's Opus 12, fifteen Finishing Studies for High Voice (in the soprano range) that is a transposition of the vocal version of this work for B-flat trumpet. You can also use the piano accompaniments (the Masterworks Vocal Method, Kalmus Edition published by Alfred Music Publishing [AP.K09154] — ISBN 0711976252) to play these in performance, if you choose.

As Tommy pointed out, these do not dwell on the trumpet's lower register. Many etude books already cover that, and quite well. These will help you to become able to comfortably play in the middle and upper registers in a beautiful, singing style.

If you play these at the suggested metronome markings, they provide a solid workout that ought to help just about any trumpet player boost his or her endurance and range.

It sure has been great for me and my students.

Doc Reinhardt had us play cantabile (sustained) material in our daily practice to help smooth out our sound and help improve our endurance and range. These are the highest-pitched cantabile studies I have encountered all in one book.

The Balquhidder book does not present the "soprano" range as the Pivot Publishing/Boptism book does. I looked at the free zip file of the piano scores, and see that Balquhidder's "Finishing Studies" are down a perfect fourth from the high voice version.

Thanks, Tommy, for posting that nice review . . . you don't have to have great range to play this book. That is one of the things that this book will help you develop, and not in a screamy, obnoxious way. More of a controlled and "pretty" way to develop your upper register.
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[Crazy Finn]

Thanks! Just wanted to know.
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LA Benge 3X Bb Trumpet
Selmer Radial Bb Trumpet
Yamaha 6335S Bb Trumpet
Besson 709 Bb Trumpet
Bach 184L Bb Cornet
Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn

[dmb]

Hey Rich,

Received my book today. Ordered it a few days ago when I saw this thread. I have only played through No. I , but having done that and looking through the rest I can see where this will be a great addition the other studies I regularly use.
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Dan Burton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWuX9zPJWyY
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Olds

[Mark Curry]

Just ordered mine!

hopefully it will supplement my cantabile materials library.

Looking forward to it, Rich!

mc
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A mouthpiece never missed a note by itself!

[terpfan0512]

MC,

Just remember to play Finlandia every day in many keys, also! 😜

[BeboppinFool]

A heads up that Hickey's Music Center of Ithaca, NY, has the new Guiseppe Concone — Finishing Studies for High Voice books, and they will be on display at ITG. If you stop by, please take a look.

For my chops, this book has been one of the best things to come along in years. Thanks, everybody!
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[MikeyMike]

[BeboppinFool]

Yes, you guys are funny. A veritable riot.

But I wanted to let you know that you folks in the USA can get this book on sale with FREE SHIPPING until the end of this month by going to the bottom of this page.

The price of PDFs is also reduced as is the price for international orders who will still have to pay shipping.

I remember an old saying from when I was a kid, "A word to the wise is sufficient."

Thanks everybody.
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[BeboppinFool]

Bump . . . only two more days of the offer directly above.

Thanks, everybody!
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[John Mohan]

[BeboppinFool]

And when you get bored with Finlandia, this book will come in mighty handy.

(Some of you aspiring comedians might want to consider keeping your day jobs. )
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

[markp]

I ordered the book and am looking forward to working with it.

I have been trying to think of ways to actually play music in the upper register, rather than just banging away at it with scales and apeggios.

One thing I've been trying lately is playing tenor sax jazz transcriptions where they are written, not down an octave, Hank Mobley's in particular.

Needless to say, that's pretty difficult. I'd still like to do that, and maybe the more lyrical things in this book will pave the way to being able to do that.

[kidtwist]