How do you hold a Getzen Field Trumpet with the G slide?

[RP]

Alright, I feel a little silly for even asking this, but… I recently acquired a Getzen Field Trumpet for the sole purpose of sounding Taps at funerals. I had planned to use it with the G slide, both because I prefer the sound of Taps in G and, with the nerves that I know will be involved, it will be easier than playing in B-flat. However, I’ve encountered a slight problem. When I hold the horn with just my right hand, the G slide is in the way. If I put my thumb through the G slide and place my hand where it would be with the B-flat slide, I find that my hand and the slide both gradually slip backwards while I’m playing (and by the end of Taps I’m well on my way to being in F). There isn’t enough room to place my hand behind the slide. I can put my hand in front of the slide, but it looks and feels too far forward to me. I can also hold it with two hands and play just fine, but, to my way of thinking, that sort of defeats at least part of the purpose using a bugle. This doesn’t happen when I use the B-flat slide; only with the G slide. Is there some trick that I’m missing? Do any of you sound Taps in G with a Getzen Field Trumpet? If so, how do you hold it? Thanks!
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Bach Stradivarius / Curry 1.5C
Getzen Eterna Severinsen / Curry 70M / Curry 1.5TF
King 602 Cornet / Curry 1.5TC
Bundy 1537 Flugelhorn / Curry 1.5FL
Getzen M2003 Field Trumpet / Curry 1.5TC

[TrumpetMD]

I also have a Getzen Field Trumpet, and mostly use it with the G slide. It's a great horn.

I just hold it with my right hand, my fingers wrap around the top of the horn, and my thumb goes through the opening in the G slide. I don't have the same problem you described. Could you be gripping the horn too tightly?

Mike
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Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns.

[RP]

Thanks for the reply! It is indeed a great little horn and sounds fantastic. Holding too tightly may well be a contributing factor – I do tend to hold things with a death grip and frequently have to remind myself to relax. I played around with it some more today and easing up on my hold, along with some heavier slide grease did help…but it still wants to slip back unless I am conscious of not letting it. I also played with the B-flat slide again today and was able to hold it comfortably with no movement at all. There’s something about the extra tubing on the G slide that just doesn’t seem to work with my particular grip. That and the fact that the slide moves so much more easily than the main tuning slides on any of my other instruments. So far, holding it in front of the G slide seems to be the least bad option.
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Bach Stradivarius / Curry 1.5C
Getzen Eterna Severinsen / Curry 70M / Curry 1.5TF
King 602 Cornet / Curry 1.5TC
Bundy 1537 Flugelhorn / Curry 1.5FL
Getzen M2003 Field Trumpet / Curry 1.5TC