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27 years later, i pick up my horn



 
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catdog
New Member


Joined: 12 Dec 2017
Posts: 3
Location: Harrisburg, PA

PostPosted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:23 pm    Post subject: 27 years later, i pick up my horn Reply with quote

Hi I'm new to TH. quick history, i had trumpet lessons when i was 11? it was in grade school, so nothing major. i played through grade school up til my first year of college. then quit. 5-6 months ago i started to watch maynard f. videos (rocky.. mcarther park.. w/lynn nicholson.. etc). i send my horn in to get it cleaned and fixed. i research tons of web pages about mouthpieces. i played mostly on a 7c. im currently using a brand new 3c. i've watched tons of charlie porter, kurt thompson, james morrison, harrellson trumpet peeps, trumpetgains guy, MF Protocol, wayne b, arturo, over the last 5-6 months. recently, ive been watching a lot of allen vizzutti and greg spence on air, relaxation.

Keep in mind, when i was playing 30 years ago, i was good, but i was doing everything wrong. and i mean EVERYTHING!!!! "smile" embouchure and thin lips killed my lips during the process. until very recently, i had no idea what this "Arban" thing was. just in the last few months, ive realized that there wasnt 1 thing that was doing right. i thought that i had recently self-diagnosed myself, but i could feel myself slowly slipping into bad habits. i have to give some preliminary kudos to greg spence. I've watched his 'free' vidoes over and over, and even fallen asleep to his voice talking..
(creepy?) but, it's finally starting to make sense me, to the point that im going to order his book and start his method soon. Within just a day of this writing, i was watching allen vizzutti seminar, and then watched him play with another top notch classical trumpet guy.

this is what was amazing to me and blew me away. it, literally, blew me away. he was playing these notes up and down.. and then was hitting notes above high c, a little above double c. regardless, what made me gasp with wonder was that here is a very thin, rather skinny and lanky guy, playing notes above high c and he (physically) stood there and showed absolutely NO tension in his body. it looked like he was just standing there waiting for his turn to play, except hes actually playing. it appeared to be totally effortless. also, i love that he doesnt 'show off' his upper register with all the body mannerisms that some 'macho' guys do before/during/after hitting a few high notes. what a humble musician. outstanding!!

however, i think im missing something. im only playing a few minutes a day, and probably 99% of the notes are low/middle line g and below. I mean, i can play a nice loud middle c w/almost ZERO tension!! leadpipe buzz occasionally just to refocus-retrain my brain to be as relaxed as i can be while exhaling through the mouthpiece/leadpipe/low notes. before i order MTM from mr spence, my concern to those that are either brand new to the trumpet or have played years ago and werent that 'good' (i mean a high c (1st c above the staff) was a struggle to me) and have either finished the MTM ebook 1 or are going through it now is: as i go from a low c to c#..d.. d# to e...f...then g, i feel like i need to add more support to sustain and play the middle g. i feel that my low middle c requires firming of my aperature corners more to support the g. or.. do i firm up the ap corners a bit? i can't visualize whats going on with the aperature. and im guessing this is going to be the same for every note as i ascend? From a low, below middle c, A to a middle line G, i'm thinking that MP pressure should be the same if i ascend to a above-staff high c? im still having a hard time visualizing myself doing that. maybe MTM will address this. I am totally willing to take the time to understand these concepts.
a. vizzutti says that blowing out a low note is the same as blowing out a high note. and when i watch him play, he eats what he sows. he looks so relaxed while hes spewing out these awesome 32'nd and triplet notes around double c.
im ordering claude gordon's book to read/digest, as i see a few have highly regarded it. Greg Spence is the first guy to really break down all the mechanics down in a very organized method. It's so contrary to most of the youtube 'how-tos'. It's so contrary to what i've ever done. Even all the other awesome players/legends on youtube/etc, still do not explain how the embouchure/body/tension/air works. "just be yourself.. and play, just play and have fun.. just play, little things like that will work itself out" too bad, i know first hand that those *little things* never *works itself out* to a TON of students. There are TONs of young students that do not get lessons and never get to learn how to TRUELY learn how to approach the trumpet. and the only way they learn is just brute force it with tension and air. thats why the majority of high school marching bands sound like high school marching bands. even as an adult, most of us adults cant afford $100/30min personal lessons. I'm really looking forward to working through the MTM method. I am looking forward to reading a lot of forums here at TH.
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catdog
New Member


Joined: 12 Dec 2017
Posts: 3
Location: Harrisburg, PA

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 5:46 am    Post subject: :o Reply with quote

I try to research things to death and try to summarize things in my head. I'm finding very little information from those that have either taken MTM course or those that are currently going through it. - especially from those that are new/newER/not-even-close-to-being-semi-pro. but even any reviews from seasoned vets would nice too. I don't play in any organized events/gigs/bands, etc. at least not yet. I think I need a couple years to get back to that level. There is one guy on youtube (dan?) and he's been posting youtube reviews sometimes weekly/monthly on his progress. Anyone else? I'd love to hear the nitty gritty of things that you are dealing with as you progress through the MTM method.. or any other method.
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ButchA
Veteran Member


Joined: 09 Dec 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Richmond, VA

PostPosted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am a "comeback player" and played trumpet way back in 4th grade.... Over the years I have gotten back into it and worked my way back, even after learning/relearning how to play again and compensate for a full upper denture plate.

I have a very good friend of mine who is the principal tuba player with the Richmond Pops here in town, and plays all brass on the side (tuba, euphonium, trombone, trumpet, etc...) and gives private lessons. Since he is a very good friend and fellow Shriner in our Shriners Band, he gave me a single "free" lesson a few weeks ago.

He watched me play and showed me how to play from the gut and use my diaphragm, which I never really did before. I never had anyone explain that to me in all the decades of my playing! In an instant, my tone changed dramatically!

Welcome to the forum, by the way!!!
_________________
1967 Holton Collegiate Trumpet --> my grade school band trumpet. I just can't part with it!
1975 Olds Ambassador Cornet --> my new/used eBay special. Sounds great!
2018 Regiment WI-800 Bugle --> my inexpensive Chinese made bugle from Amazon.
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gwood66
Veteran Member


Joined: 05 Jan 2016
Posts: 301
Location: South of Chicago

PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a thread on Mystery to Mastery:

https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=277899&sid=a8a93bdc3ea378dd0108fd629da965b3

It seems like its a "best of" that combines concepts from several different methods that worked for Mr. Spence. Its on my list of method to buy in future. Looking forward to hearing how it turns out for you.
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