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museltof
Regular Member


Joined: 02 Jan 2018
Posts: 21
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 3:00 am    Post subject: How I Am Going... Reply with quote

I am a comeback player (a 42 year 'break'). I am doing well.
It's now about two months. I am now up to top 'C,' pretty reliably but not yet utterly perfectly. I play a Sonata cornet which I absolutely love and can play well on. I did also try a Tromba (partly plastic) trumpet but did not do well on it. It seemed to give me no high register at all. I am now selling it on ebay. But I think it would be good for a child beginner because it is so light.

For other comeback players let me say that I suddenly started making faster progress when I went through my scales, especially the chromatic, playing really softly. I like to play them completely legato and soft. It does not sound too exciting, but my progress gathered pace when I started to do that, probably because I entirely relied on my lip muscles to do the work.
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Comeback Horn at 73

Sonata Cornet

Bach Elkhart trumpet 100TR
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GeorgeB
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 20 Apr 2016
Posts: 1063
Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 4:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am a comeback player, too. I'm in my 80s and started playing again 22 months ago after a 50 year hiatus. If I recall correctly I was playing high C fairly comfortably after 4 or 5 months and by 7 months I was playing first trumpet in a local community band for seniors, although the average age is more like 58. Play with others as soon as you can. It helped me improve much faster than when I played by myself. All the best.
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GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
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museltof
Regular Member


Joined: 02 Jan 2018
Posts: 21
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi George.
Thanks for the comments. Wow, at 73 I now almost feel young! Congrats to you. Yes, I want to join a band but I'm currently working hard on improving my reading skills because that is a necessity before playing with others. My reading has become lazy but it is coming back now quite well.
Thanks again.
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Comeback Horn at 73

Sonata Cornet

Bach Elkhart trumpet 100TR
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ButchA
Veteran Member


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

PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome back to playing cornet and trumpet! I'm a comeback player too, but at 56, I could be considered a "kid"! Ha ha ha...

George is amazing and serves as an inspiration to a lot of us on these forums. He's been there, done that, and knows all the songs and how they go.

I played my childhood Holton Collegiate trumpet in school band, and then, after high school, I sort of set it aside. I spent the rest of my adult time, blasting out rock 'n roll on an electric guitar. It wasn't until I got married, had kids (2 daughters), that I decided to get back into playing my trumpet. My daughters took up music in the school band much like I did, and played a little of everything over the years, but mainly woodwinds. Once they were in high school, I was heavily into playing again and I'd play along with their band music (their school band director was a great guy, and would give me extra trumpet copies of their music).

About 7 or 8 years ago, I decided to join a Masonic lodge, after I learned another friend of mine was in it. They let me play trumpet (i.e. Taps) during a 4th of July ceremony, and things like that over the years. Then all of the sudden The Shriners heard about me (who are also Masons) and next thing I knew I became a Shriner and a member of the "Million Dollar Band" here in town and play 2nd chair trumpet with them! It was a little awkward at first, because I was unfamiliar with the arrangements and had to sight read on the fly. But I settled down and learned the music. It really helped me quickly return to where I was all those years ago in school band. We have a ball playing all sorts of tunes, and the older guys (like the sax player who is 82 years old!) routinely tease me over my desire to transpose a Led Zeppelin tune onto band instruments! Ha ha ha... One time the 82 yr old sax player was listening to me and the other guys joke about something during a break, and well, you know... Me being the way I am... He looked at me and was chuckling, "Son, you're not right! What's the matter with you?" and then he (gently) reached over and biffed me in the back of the head!! LOL!!! You had to be there!!!

But as you can see from my experience, playing in a "community band" type of environment is a lot of fun and really helps players return back to where they used to be. If I can do it, anyone can do it!
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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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museltof
Regular Member


Joined: 02 Jan 2018
Posts: 21
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's always great to hear about comeback experiences. When my daughters were younger they got into playing recorder at school (years and years after I gave up trumpet), that got me, for a few years, into playing tenor recorder. I became quite accomplished with playing baroque and that sort of thing, but I always thought the idea of returning to trumpet was a little absurd, I would never get the 'lip' back I thought - how wrong! No more than a few months ago I started to get the trumpet bug again after hearing a few great players on YouTube. My dear wife, now sadly disabled, gave me every encouragement - go for it! she said, then she bought me the cornet out of the blue! My wife had never heard me play because I gave up the trumpet about 5 years before I met her.
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Comeback Horn at 73

Sonata Cornet

Bach Elkhart trumpet 100TR
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GeorgeB
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 20 Apr 2016
Posts: 1063
Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

museltof wrote:
My wife had never heard me play because I gave up the trumpet about 5 years before I met her.


Love your wife and care for her. I lost mine in 2012, and trying to make a life without her led me back to the trumpet in 2016. She would be happy I am playing again. Some days in the summer I take my trumpet to the cemetery and I play A L W A Y S just for her.
Perhaps, soon, you should play a love song to your wife on that cornet she bought you. I'm sure it would make her feel very special.[/b]
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GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
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