Fingering Correctly?

Larry Smithee · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 4399

Hello Everyone,
I've been wondering about the "correct" method used in fingering the valves. I was taught (a long time ago) that we should use the pads of our fingers, and to be sure to push straight down with the valves. Also, important, according to my early teachers was the need to keep the pinky out of the ring when playing. However, it's easy to observe very talented pros who disregard all of the above when they play the horn and do so with great success. What are the current theories about this issue? Is it really all that important, considering the observable inconsistency among the trumpet community?
Larry Smithee

Guest · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2002 6:17 am Post subject:

Can't speak for theory,

but I find that when I remove my pinky from the holder (and just rest it on top of the holder), my speed and accuracy improve.

When I finger notes with the wrong curl in the finger (i.e. pressing to the left), I can get the values to stick (was especially a problem on my old Bach, not so much so on the Wild Thing).

In practical terms, I usually leave my finger in the holder for easy passages, but remove it to the top of the holder for the more difficult stuff and, of course, try my best to press straight down, not off to one side.

[edited to remove off-topic aside]

Cheers,
David

[ This Message was edited by: NCB on 2002-01-07 14:50 ]

rch-tech · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2002 9:43 am Post subject:

I have problems with my valves on my Bach as well. Usually I notice that its the angle I am using to press down.

However, bottom line always always is this:
Do what works for you and gets you the results you want.

Me personally, I am a finger switcher too, sometimes I use the pinky ring. Sometimes not.
Sometimes I've even used the middle of my fingers...but thats out of laziness...

BeboppinFool · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2002 11:03 am Post subject:

This topic has been of much concern for me for about the past 4 years.

Doc Reinhardt suggested to me that I flatten out my fingers to improve my technique. I have *really* big hands, and I'm not sure if that was why he directed me to adopt that right hand position.

After about 18 years, I took his suggestion (I'm a slow learner), and yes, my finger velocity increased, but I noticed on recordings that I was getting some unwanted half-valve effects (mostly when releasing the 3rd valve), and tried going back to my "old way."

Well, by that time, something had happened to my old way . . . I couldn't find it again! So I started just trying to forget about it completely, and then I saw photographs of myself playing, and noticed that my ring finger wasn't even on my third valve. It was kinda curled down against my palm (when not in use). Then I panicked, and decided I had to find a way to "trick myself" into keeping that from happening.

I had thumb-rings put on the leadpipe of three of my horns, and tried to keep my thumb resting on top of the lead pipe, which prevents my third finger from dropping down. That seemed to slow down my technique some, but at least my third finger was staying on top of the valve.

Now, I've just started playing a horn that has no thumb-ring, and it's interesting when I pay attention to my third finger and my pinky. When my thumb is above the lead pipe, my pinky goes into the pinky hook. When my thumb goes below the lead pipe, my pinky waves all over the place outside of the pinky hook.

I've watched many trumpet players, and have noticed that the ones with the best technique always have their ring finger sitting on third valve cap, and that's the only thing I'm striving for now. I'm tired of thinking about my thumb and pinky! In my case, I'm not sure those are the problems.

Also, I tried playing an Olds Recording trumpet, with the staggered valves, and that made a lot of sense (since our middle finger is the longest), but I just couldn't get used to the horn after several weeks and sold it.

I don't think that the way we hold the trumpet in conjunction to the way we push down our valves is in the least bit "natural." I haven't tried a rotary valve trumpet (yet), but I think it would be great if somebody could design valves that move in our fingers' "natural" path and don't require us to contort to any degree at all to achieve the 7 (optional

valve positions.

Great topic, Larry! I hope everybody posts their experience(s) on this subject.

Take care, folks!

Rich

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Rich Willey
www.boptism/com
4500 Broadway / New York, NY 10040
212-569-9329 / Fax 503 214 7155
KEEP ON BOPPIN!

[ This Message was edited by: BeboppinFool on 2002-01-07 14:04 ]

Quadruple C · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Nov 2001 Posts: 1448

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-12-15 19:37 ]

_bugleboy · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2002 11:44 am Post subject:

There are calisthenic exercises for fingering.

_Don Herman · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2002 5:26 pm Post subject:

Didn't Clausde Gordon say "raise 'em high, bang 'em hard!"? Fast strokes are needed for clean transitions. I have to watch my 3rd vlave, too -- don't push it all the way down, all the time. Not too noticeable by me, but my teacher can hear the difference in tone and snags me every time. Fortunately, I don't do it too often any more.

I think any technique which gets you striking the valves squarely from the top should work just fine. If you are off center (and we are all, but some of us are worse than others) you'll wear the vlaves unevenly, and the lateral stress will cause the valves to bind (stick) more frequently. I suspect a significant number of sticky valves happen because we slip a bit and don't push the valve down squarely, putting force at an angle so the valve is pressed to the casing wall, causing it to bind. Over time, this will lead to uneven wear and prematurely leaky valves.

Just my guess - Don
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Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

walter · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2002 8:37 am Post subject:

[ This Message was edited by: walter on 2002-09-20 06:50 ]

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2002 8:53 am Post subject:

"Bang 'em up, and bang 'em down."
- Doc Severinsen

I've found that keeping my thumb underneath the leadpipe in between the 1st and 2nd valves has worked best for me.

It is my understanding that the right hand pinky ring on a trumpet was put there to facilitate mute changes and page turns. However, more often than not, I find my pinky in there.

Hope this helps....
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Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada

tcutrpt · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2002 6:38 pm Post subject:

I have relatively small hands, so recently I started placing my thumb on the leadpipe instead of underneath it. It has helped me quite a bit. I have more flexibility now that my hand isn't stretched as far.

Matt

vivace · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2002 11:59 am Post subject:

MY teacher tells me to snap the valves really really hard. I sometimes fluff the notes, as he puts it. It makes this fuzzy sound inbetween notes.
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"All music is folk music. I ain't never heard no horse sing no song." - Louis Armstrong

Don O · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2002 9:36 pm Post subject:

Thumb under the leadpipe in front of #1 valve casing (occasionally over the leadpipe), pinky finger free-floating between #3 valve and pinky finger crook. With pinky always in crook it restricts movement of #3 valve finger, especially when one uses fingers arched over valves so that tips come straight down on valve stems. The arched approach compensates for the different lengths of the fingers which are more noticable when using a flat hand approach to the valves. I use the pinky crook only to turn a page, hold horn in the right hand while doing something else with the left or, to swat a fly. In the end, it's all the way you have learned as long as that way permits maximum and proper use of the fingers on the valves for accuracy and speed.
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"He who knows every note more thoroughly understands the effect".