Do I need a chop doc or a better "basics" teacher?

[ATrumpetBrony]

I'm at the point where I'm REALLY frustrated with my playing - more than enough to be willing to drop a bit of money on a years' worth of lessons.

I've been able to build a decent-enough range for an advanced beginner and honestly I feel like I understand some of the "knack"as far as air, tongue, etc. for being able to increase my range, but lately I've been SO frustrated and disgusted by my low and middle range tone, inaccuracy, frequency of airballs, and lack of endurance when doing things like improvisation.

I was hoping that by just practicing enough, putting in enough time on and off the horn, letting the system 'work itself out', and being critical and analytical enough, it'd all be fine and I'd get a natural killer-embourchure.... This is all coming from my previous experience being a decently successful amateur trombonist even never having had lesson there.

Question is, do I need a chop doctor in the beginning (or perhaps the whole way?) to help me get on the right path? Or should I look for someone who can get my fundamentals in order?
Thoughts?
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ATB

It's not what you play...
It's HOW you play

[Richard III]

Special Studies for Trumpet by John Daniel
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Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[Steve A]

Sorry, I'm not clear on this - have you had any meaningful trumpet instruction so far?

If the answer is no, I'd encourage you to ask around here and see whatever percentage of people got any results they found satisfying without regular, substantial instruction. I'd be willing to bet it comes very close to 0%.

The likelihood you're spinning your wheels, or, worse, making bad habits you'll later have to unlearn, without trumpet lessons is very high, and even higher if you're drawing on uninstructed trombone experience as a jumping off point.

[dstdenis]

If you were having serious embouchure afflictions, then yeah, I'd recommend you find a good, experienced, knowledgeable chop doc. Not every good teacher is necessarily a good chop doc (though some are). Some very good teachers will admit this and refer you to a specialist if you're having serious problems.

But the problems you've described don't sound like embouchure maladies to me, or at least, they probably aren't. You just might not be practicing the right skills the right way.

Focusing mostly on range development won't help with things like tone, accuracy, sound production (i.e., no airballs), etc. In fact, a beginner going on a fast-track crash-course to chase high notes can actually mess up his/her playing and make these other problems emerge.

My suggestion: find the best teacher you can for lessons and follow his/her guidance in good faith. If you need a chop doc, an honest teacher would tell you that and refer you to a good one, or, if the teacher didn't want to admit that he/she didn't know how to help you, you'd start to sense this after awhile too.
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[Ed Kennedy]

The OP is in Detroit. Who would we recommend in the Detroit area for a teacher?

[homecookin]

I'm not sure how much teaching he does, but Mike Williams,
the lead player with Basie's band lives in Detroit.
Unless he's moved.

[Andy Del]

I cam see a number of problems. First up, you have been unwilling to learn from anyone before this (your comment on NOW being willing to pay for lessons, 'a bit') This means you are assuming you can teach yourself to play trumpet. Secondly, you are trying to now diagnose yourself, with remote, online help, to determine what your future strategy should be - a teacher or a 'chop doc'. Thirdly, you have put a time frame onto this - 'a year'.

I would suggest you forget the entire post you just made and do one simple thing. Get a GOOD teacher.

Why? You do not know what you need to learn. So stop trying to decide what you need to learn and put your trust in a good teacher.

I could illustrate this with medical and legal examples fools and clients, kneed bones are connected to the thigh bones, etc. but I hope you get the idea. (OK, I just illustrated) Just go get a good teacher and see where it leads. This is a journey, not a destination.

cheers

Andy
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so many horns, so few good notes...

[BGinNJ]

I can relate to several of your problems, and I waited a lot longer to deal with them before I sought out a teacher. That was partly because I couldn't find anyone locally for what I thought I needed help with. Fortunately with Skype lessons, now there are lots of choices, and you don't have to decide on fundamentals vs. chop dr.

While I still have a long way to go, I do think that a chop doctor will have to address fundamentals anyway. Things like breath support, keeping the neck & shoulders relaxed, having a good set, not using too much pressure are all basic to playing in any register.

[Robert P]

[Steve A]

[cheiden]

The problems you describe I attribute to a daily routine that's out of balance. I would think a few lessons with a competent pro should help you construct a balanced daily routine based on your current playing level and where you're trying to get.
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[Pops]

[chuck in ny]

i have taken lessons from pops and thus have some idea of the process.
let's put this in mathematical terms which are easy to understand. if your lip setup was quite good, and it almost certainly is not and needs to be adjusted, someone like pops would be able to get you adjusted yet better, not just one issue, but a good variety of stuff. as not to overstate things it is at least a 90% shot.
if your mechanics are responsible for your frustration it's a 100% shot that pops could walk you through the maze.
a few lessons well spaced would get you on your way. it will not go over a few hundred to get you pretty happy, and from there you could either take more lessons or not.
the main problem with the world's notorious problem child instrument is simply blowing it properly and it isn't some simple straightforward affair. getting your chops together is first business and comes before musical appreciation and such.

[Trumpetingbynurture]

[JoseLindE4]

No disrespect to the many fine teachers with reputations as "chop docs" but the whole concept seems absurd. Certainly every teacher has their strengths and focus, but to separate out specific fundamentals seems unhelpful. I think you'll find that the successful "chop docs" are simply good teachers of trumpet fundamentals. It may take different forms based on teacher and student, but the students will ultimately just learn how to blow the horn.

[dstpt]

[Steve A]

[TKSop]

[Craig Swartz]

The OP is essentially a trombone player who is learning trumpet, correct?

[Clot Gorton]

Mike Williams
Patrick Hession
Walter White

All live around Detroit.