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Things you didn't learn way back when



 
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BGinNJ
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 379

PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 10:27 am    Post subject: Things you didn't learn way back when Reply with quote

I think it's a sign of growth and advancement, but I've been thinking lately about what I didn't learn, what I missed, when I played as a young man.

That is, I'm at a comeback stage where I'm realizing, I'm not just brushing the rust off, I'm covering stuff I didn't do enough of, or at all, before. It's both humbling and satisfying.

What things have you discovered you aren't as great at as you once were- and never were??

Chops would be the number one thing for me, followed by my sound. Other areas would be the nature of & amount of group playing experiences, and music theory applied to jazz.

It makes sense I had these gaps- I was avid about jazz as a teenager, but I wasn't a band geek, didn't go to school for music, stopped private lessons when I went to college. I only got so far, and though I kept on playing for a long time, mostly by myself, I didn't get any further.

I can't say I'm better than I was back in the day, but I realize now that sometimes I'm working on new challenges, not old ones.
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dcjway
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Joined: 16 Sep 2011
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Location: Wilmington, De

PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 11:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was in school, way back when, playing came easier and it seemed I could do it without even thinking about it. I got back into playing through collecting and trading trumpets, so several years ago I went to the local Music and Arts and started taking lesson, and at the urging of the guy that started me on trumpet in 1970 I joined a community band. It was a mix of musicians of different abilities, but it was fun and a way for us to all keep playing and learning, unfortunately I had a career change. So now I take a weekly lesson through Skype and follow direction and daily practice and try to be grateful for the small hard won progress I make. I'm hoping to retire in 2 years and find another community band to join, in the meantime I'll enjoy the journey and try to stay away from the shouda, coulda, wouda's.
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GeorgeB
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Joined: 20 Apr 2016
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Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

PostPosted: Fri Jul 28, 2017 8:11 am    Post subject: Re: Things you didn't learn way back when Reply with quote

BGinNJ wrote:
I'm covering stuff I didn't do enough of, or at all, before.


Same with me. How I sounded was one thing I didn't spend time on, but probably the most important thing now is a new found appreciation of the songs I am playing. I play them with more emotion and feeling now because I have learned to take the time to understand what the music and the words are trying to say.
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ShishakTIU
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Joined: 09 Dec 2017
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Location: Tucson AZ

PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not to play Devil's Advocate... but I'm going to bring up the other side of the coin.

I am a perfectionist. Looking back, one of the reasons why I stopped playing was that I was comparing myself to the top two chairs in the college band I was in and never really stopped to listen to what other people said about my sound. All I could focus on when I was in band was how I wasn't as good as the guy who could play all the way up to F above high C, or how I couldn't double or triple tongue as well as this other guy. That way of thinking can be really toxic to your ability to perform. It gives you an excuse not to be your best.

With age and maturity I've come to accept that maybe it was my own self-talk that kept me from excelling in my performance. I had several teachers tell me a lot of good things about my sound, just that I needed to work on one or two fundamentals and get to the next level in my playing.

Band was a lot of work back in the day. 3-4 days out of the week at a couple of hours a pop, plus 20-30 minutes (ideally) of practice and private lessons... I burnt myself out.

You have to want something to get really good at it. I hit a point where I didn't appreciate the results of my labor and it wound up breaking my morale.

I've had a couple of opportunities to play in bands after college, but nothing very challenging. Band Flight during military tech school was solid in terms of getting my basics back, but the music never challenged me enough to really motivate me to stick with it afterwards.

That's something to think about for Comeback players.
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fsabella
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Joined: 05 Feb 2016
Posts: 2
Location: Mill Valley, CA

PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I played for a a couple of years after college and then more or less put the horn down for 30 years. A couple of years ago I became an empty-nester and all my friends said, "find a hobby", so I started playing again.

All the good and bad things about my playing came back fairly quickly. The difference now is the wealth of information available on the web for technique (a confusing amount of information actually) and that has been helpful to identify methods and exercises.

I was fortunate in that I had some natural ability on the trumpet when I started out. So I ended up as first chair through high school, but I think I was advanced too quickly by my teacher and I started to have embouchure trouble with braces and then continued problems after the braces came off. I could still play, but had lost the progression of endurance and range, as well as confident consistency in tone production. I sort of muscled through the music. This has also defined my playing for the past two years, but I am going back to fundamentals, real front of the book stuff, to work on the basics of tonguing, slurring and so on.

It is helping. I read Clark's introduction to single tonguing and he says it can take years to develop the proper technique. For the first time in my playing I am working hard on the basics and relearning air control and working carefully with my embouchure. In some sense, I am relearning everything, but in much slower, more methodical approach.

It is going to be a lifelong journey, but it is such a great instrument to play that it will be worth it to rebuild. I have received some positive feedback that my overall sound and technique are improving, so I will continue with developing the basics and then start to layer in the more challenging articulations, range and endurance. I hope to get it right this time.
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shastastan
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Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Posts: 1405
Location: Redding, CA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been enjoying reading about your experiences and discoveries. I've been back for 12 years now since I was 65 after 50 years off. I stopped because I had some physical limitations such as an overbite and receding jaw. Thanks to motivation and equipment advances, such as the Wedge mp's, I can play a lot better than when I quit at age 15. Range and endurance are okay now---if I practice regularly which I don't do enough. Seems that the more groups I was in the more I played and practiced. Now I'm just down to a brass quintet and playing occasionally at church and monthly at a retirement home. If my chops become flubbery, I do a lot of lip slur exercises. From my personal perspective, my main accomplishment has been getting over performance anxiety. Sure is nice not to have butterflies. Most of all, I'm thankful for the enjoyment and opportunity to play for others. Playing with the quintet is really fun because we play well together and everyone enjoys playing our rehearsals. Our main venue is church services around town. I've also enjoyed playing a few solos and playing with the organ and choirs. Relax and enjoy!
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OldKing
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Joined: 26 May 2017
Posts: 89
Location: Boerne, TX

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm more forgiving of myself and don't see that horn as an adversary that needs to be "attacked" anymore. I put away the metronome sheets that showed how fast I could play the exercises (in Haynie's book) in college and I concentrate on playing things cleanly at a speed that's acceptable.

It may be my addled old mind, but I'm pretty sure there are a couple of things, nuance/small things, that I actually play better now.

One huge regret though - if I hadn't been such a #$%^&*! romantic, and just HAD to marry my 1st wife in college, I'd be a helluva lot better trumpet player right now!
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shastastan
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Joined: 17 Dec 2004
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Location: Redding, CA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I heard that a kid went to Dizzy Gillespie for lessons. The first thing that Dizz asked the kid was if he could play the piano. When the kid said no, Dizz told him to come back when he could play the piano. I don't know if that's a true story or not, but it is poignant to me. I really wish that I had learned to play the piano as well as the trumpet and that's my main regret.

OldKing wrote:
I'm more forgiving of myself and don't see that horn as an adversary that needs to be "attacked" anymore. ...snip...
It may be my addled old mind, but I'm pretty sure there are a couple of things, nuance/small things, that I actually play better now.
One huge regret though - if I hadn't been such a #$%^&*! romantic, and just HAD to marry my 1st wife in college, I'd be a helluva lot better trumpet player right now!
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INTJ
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Joined: 25 Dec 2002
Posts: 1986
Location: Northern Idaho

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Things I didn’t learn in 1970-78, that I have leaned since I started playing again in 2001.

1. I DO have what it takes to be a trumpet player
2. How to play notes from Ab on top of the staff to E above DHC
3. That large bore horns work much better for me than medium large or medium bores
4. That small mouthpieces are much better for me than large MPs in ALL ranges
5. How to properly use air support
6. Tongue arch
7. How to play in tune over my entire range
8. To play a lot of high notes but NEVER play tired
9. To put the horn down when things aren’t going well and come back the next day
10. That a full resonant tone is the best sound
11. To buzz in the aperture tunnel
12. To NOT use an open embouchure
13. The the key is to keep researching, asking questions, and PRACTICING until I figure it out
14. That proper jazz style is just about opposite of everything I was taught in school
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oregonmac
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Joined: 12 Aug 2015
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Location: Salem Oregon

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 6:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The main thing I did this time around was to play for more people more often.

Back in school, elementary thru college, we’d spend a whole semester getting ready to play one or two performances. Everything was so critical because the pressure to be perfect for that one show was intense. It took a lot of the fun out of playing and made it nerve wracking.

This time around, I took every opportunity to play out. Church, open mics with a few friends, a little gigging amateur combo. Anything.

Playing out so often changed my approach. Much of your energy can come from the audience. I stopped worrying over every note and started having fun connecting with people through the music.

Funny thing is, I also became a much better player! I’m not looking to extend my range or technical ability for its own sake, but it is happening anyway!
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kehaulani
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Joined: 23 Mar 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That no matter how effective an exercise might be, it's useless if your fundamentals aren't sound. Or don't try to build your house on sand.
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Morogan
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Location: Maryland

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My biggest epiphany since coming back is that, while it may be common, my long-held belief that "the smaller the bore the higher the relative perceived resistance/back-pressure" is far from absolute given a skilled design and properly balanced components.
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