From Cellist to Trumpeter

grieshoptrumpet · New Member Joined: 28 Nov 2017 Posts: 5

One of my (9th grade) students is a very talented cellist and young musician. She has picked up trumpet in order to participate in Jazz, Marching Band, etc, and she truly enjoys the sound and playing of the trumpet. I am curious if anyone has advice to approach the trumpet for students who specifically come from a string instrument - whether it be good analogies that connect the two or what not.

She has been playing for almost 6 months - she has a solid low A to top line F range. Lip slurs have been the biggest struggle for her.

Let me know of any thoughts! Thanks!

Ed Kennedy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 3187

Lips are the string, air is the bow. Blow through the slurs, practice mouthpiece only, "portamento" up and down. Use sylables, "Ahh" in the low register, "eee" in the high. Bottom to top: "hawaii." Controlling tougue level using sylables. Slower wider air in the low, faster smaller air in the high.
PS I'm married to a cellist.

brassmusician · Veteran Member Joined: 25 Feb 2016 Posts: 273

I had a violinist start the trombone. Finding the right slide position was much like finding the note on the string. He picked it up faster than any other student I have had. I imagine being able to hear different pitches will come quickly to your cellist, plus the ability to read music already is huge.

JVL · Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 2:46 am Post subject:

Hello,
ask Teddy Mulet, plays (amazingly) trumpet and trombone for Gloria Estefan, among others, and strings, piano, drums....
best

SMrtn · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:44 pm Post subject:

I came from violin and then viola. If my experience is anything to go by, trumpet is going to be much easier for your cellist student. The fingerings are an idiot's playground - to quote something I read on the web somewhere.

Cello and trumpet are from two distinctly different families and as such there really aren't any similarities at all. Strings you can play the same scale shapes up and down the neck, but trumpet is all harmonic, and in my mind, a vertical construct, but if she has any number of years under her belt with cello, then her theory grounding is what will carry her with trumpet. Because the years I spent with a teacher learning classical music has become invaluable in sight reading and understanding how to piece it all together on trumpet.