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trickg Heavyweight Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2002 Posts: 5677 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:35 am Post subject: |
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HaveTrumpetWillTravel wrote: | Everything's going along fairly well. I've been playing on different mouthpieces. I got the JK 3b recently, which is both bigger diameter, wider rim, and maybe deeper cup. A generic 1.5 felt too big, but I think because the rim is wider/flatter, this feels pretty good. I've also been playing around some with my flugabone monstrosity and it probably is helping with mouthpiece awareness.
So... I'm working on goals to have. Some I've already made progress:
-Continuing mp search and finding what I like/what works.
-Have improved transposition and can transpose up to C on my Bb for many hymns. I think if really performing, I'd want to at least pencil the notes in above just to help out.
-Feel like I can play most hymns now with no problem.
My next dilemma is how to keep improving. Several ideas:
-I need to work on routine consistency. I'm considering the Arban duets since there's fun and someone has them on youtube.
-I saw some State community bands require an audition piece. This is a ways off, but I've wondered if there's something in Arban's or elsewhere that I could start working on. What would be a piece I could work away on for several months that's not super challenging? |
Looking down through your post above, I've got a few thoughts.
One, don't get too caught up in the hunt for the "right" mouthpiece. If you are playing something that is comfortable, at this stage you'll make far more progress by digging in to your practice of fundamentals than by changing mouthpieces.
A second thought is that the Arban's book is filled with great stuff for helping to improve. I've always enjoyed the etudes toward the back such as "The Blue Bells of Scotland," "Keel Row," or "Yankee Doodle." With that in mind, it might not hurt to order up a few conservatory style solos that are typically played by aspiring HS students. A few to consider:
Andante et Allegro - Ropartz
Air Gay - G.P. Berlioz
Petite Piece Concertante - Balay
Prelude et Ballade - Balay
There are more than enough resources online via YouTube to get you going on those for how to approach them.
Ultimately though, the best thing you can do is to dig in on your fundamentals.
Tone Production/Long tones (breath control)
Articulation
Flexibility
Fingers
There are a lot of ways to work on those things, and many times you can work multiple aspects at once. As an example, you can do Clarke's 2nd Study and work fingers, articulation, breath control, etc.
The stronger your fundamentals are, the better you will play and the more expressive you can be, and there are no shortcuts. It takes time, and focused practice. _________________ Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler
"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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HaveTrumpetWillTravel Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Jan 2018 Posts: 1021 Location: East Asia
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 6:51 am Post subject: |
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Haha--Smoke on the Water! I just watched about ten clips on youtube. I may be able to teach it to my son--he'd love it.
trickg, your advice is helpful too. I'm not putting a ton of time into mp, but just kind of fiddling around in the background. I think I'll probably settle on a wider, flatter rip, not too big, with a larger cup. Partly I didn't want to stay with the Carol mp and I was interested in what's out there.
The focus on fundamentals is good. First time around I played around a lot in band and various add-on bands (a couple semesters of high school jazz band, pep band, etc.) but didn't do much solo practice. This time I'm trying to do more fundamentals. I do long tones, scales, and some slurring, but probably need to make it even more routine. I also have done some of the Arban etudes. Thank you for suggesting solo pieces to practice. I'll check them out on youtube and then narrow in on one to chip away at. |
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RandyTX Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Posts: 5299 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:37 am Post subject: |
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Adding to the above, a lot of the 'standard' solo lit, some of it referenced above, is public domain now, along with a lot more, on http://imslp.org which is a collection of public domain sheet music.
If you search for the specific titles or cornet/piano and trumpet/piano you'll find quite a few of them. There are thousands of orchestral trumpet parts on there as well, should that interest you. _________________ "Music is like candy, you throw the (w)rappers away." |
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enviroman22 Regular Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2018 Posts: 66
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 4:06 pm Post subject: My best advice - Doc |
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Just click on this link for a great seminar
link
There are 2 other parts too. |
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HaveTrumpetWillTravel Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Jan 2018 Posts: 1021 Location: East Asia
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2018 5:18 am Post subject: |
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<---Kind of annoying to have the spam link above--wish there was an easy way to mark it as such...
Back to the music... I've now been playing several months and feel like I'm probably leveling off some. I'm on my Bb 95% of the time and use the Wick mouthpiece pretty much all the time. I'm still a little worried I should be playing something bigger, but that's okay. I'll be in the States in about two months and can try my old Bach then and will also keep an eye out on craigslist.
I've had no dramatic epiphanies, but do feel like it's a really fun hobby. I'm chipping away at Balay Prelude et Ballade. It's a tough piece, but I love the sound of it. I can now play it through roughly. Befitting my level, I make lots of mistakes--chipping notes, forgetting notes played as naturals earlier in the measure, rhythm is probably off, can't play the sixteenth notes fast enough, etc., etc. Still, playing parts of it musically and walking around with it my head are very rewarding. I have the feeling it's something that would take me months to really get to even a good level but may be possible eventually.
I may do another church play along in June, but I'm not sure.
I did realize recently that I live right near a Blues bar with open music nights. I've watched and they had bands that included a trumpet the last two nights. I'm going to check it out tomorrow night. I watched some of the performers there on facebook live and they're definitely beyond me. At the same time, it might be something to work towards. If anyone has a blues recommendation along the lines of the solos you gave me earlier, I'd be grateful.
I'm also reading a Miles Davis biography and just enjoying learning more about trumpet. I'm not sure how far I'll take this as a hobby, but I am learning from it and it's been a good escape/distraction, and I think maybe it's encouraged my kids in their practice to see me playing away. |
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Croquethed Heavyweight Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2013 Posts: 613 Location: Oakville, CT
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2018 5:54 am Post subject: |
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One Way Out as done by the Allman Brothers is a really good and fairly easy blues song for trumpet. You, too, can play like Duane Allman!
F-F-F-Eb-F-Eb-Eb-C-Eb/F-F-Eb-F
F-F-F-Eb-F-Eb-Eb-C-Eb/F-F-Eb-F
Bb-Bb-Bb-Ab-Bb-Ab-Ab-F-Ab/Bb-Bb-Ab-Bb
F-F-F-Eb-F-Eb-Eb-C-Eb/F-F-Eb-F
C-C-C-Bb-C-Bb-Bb-G-Bb/C-C-Bb-C
F-F-F-Eb-F-Eb-Eb-C-Eb/F-F-Eb-F |
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HaveTrumpetWillTravel Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Jan 2018 Posts: 1021 Location: East Asia
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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I've been playing about a half year now, and recently joined a community band. It's a lot of Sousa-type music and is pretty fun. I'm in a large trumpet section, playing 2nd and 3rd trumpet. The band has a fairly large repertoire and I'm only just getting up to speed.
I'm also finding that the speed of the music itself has thrown me a bit. I thought I knew my time signatures, but these songs are often fast with a mix of key signatures, and I have trouble keeping time and counting. I haven't totally embarrassed myself, and I'm enjoying it, but it's definitely not a place I can just coast. I need to keep working on counting and find a way to work on runs and complicated rhythms. I also probably need to do more listening.
Anyway, just a note to say that I'm enjoying this part of comeback playing. I didn't anticipate joining a band, or this type of a band, but am really having fun.
The band is also interesting. I sit next to two guys who are very friendly and will be good models. A kind of obnoxious first part player cornered me early on and sort of criticized my trumpet and mouthpiece and goals. It was more funny than anything else. I do hope to find ways to get advice from the other players on how to improve. |
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