Double C after 4 months of comeback playing

jcmacman · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:16 pm Post subject:

I hit a double C last night!!
Mind you I did not have control etc...but I hit it!

I have been off the trumpet for about 15 years and started playing again back in Sept. when my wife's friend asked me to join a community band with her.
I have been practicing soft long tones and petals along with Clarke and now Arbans. When I was playing back in college my range was around a strong double A, able to do lip slurs, tongue the note and it sounded musical. Since coming back, my range, tone and technique have been improving very rapidly, more so then when I was playing in college.
Do other comeback players notice that their chops are improving faster now then when you were playing?
Now, I must get my double and triple tounging back.

John

WxJeff · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:37 pm Post subject:

Fun, ain't it? I agree with your assessment, John, it surprised me how I was able to get back into shape relatively quickly.

Two additional advantages we comebackers have: 1) this forum, that gives you quick answers to ignorant questions and ideas and "things to try" and 2) a lot more patience and wisdom than I had when I was 18! I think the overall attitude I had as a teenager was, "C'mon, I gotta get this!" whether it was a technical section of a piece of music or a particular high note. Now, I'm much more likely to slow down, think about what I'm doing, play the technical piece slowly over and over and not worry about the high note on a particular day. But then, I'm a tad less distracted than I was back then

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valvepimp · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:23 pm Post subject:

Congratulations on your watershed high note. You said that your range was high A before your comeback, but you didn't mention what your range was during the beginning stages of the comeback. I'm curious what your range was when you returned to the trumpet, and by how much it increased over the months until your recent milestone.

You know, it's tempting to say that range doesn't mean anything, that musicality, technique and sound are far more important. I think we can all agree that they are, but for CB players, especially ones who used to hit the high notes in the old days, hitting them again with consistency, volume, and beauty can be as inspiring as all get out, and can really serve to counter those days when we feel frustration. In other words, the dubba is a good thing!
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WxJeff · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:48 pm Post subject:

My experience was that for the first few weeks I felt like I was in the 5th grade all over again. I was actually more frustrated with the dull, fuzzy tone than I was with range... I believed the range would come back with time. Still, running up a simple F scale and having just air come out at the top was a bit disconcerting. Of course, I "messed with the data" that you're asking about because during the same period I was tinkering with different horns and mouthpieces before settling down with one of each. I'd have to guess and say that G at the top of the staff came back fairly solidly after eight weeks into my comeback experience, while C above the staff took over six months to be available on any kind of routine basis. It's amazing that there are still "good" days and "bad" days that affect range and tone.
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UsedBits · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:56 pm Post subject:

I've never 'performed' a double C. A number of Fs and one G, but never up to the C. Even in college when playing 3 or more hours a day.

With only a few exceptions, I've been able to return to my Alumni Band reunions and still pop the F. Not as many nor as long, but it is still definitely there.

At least a few of the current college players soil themselves when hearing this 'old guy' part their hair like that. The terriffic part is that I'm not the only one of us 'old farts' capable of doing it - there are at least 5 of us - I'm just the oldest. Still, I feel as mean and "top o' the world" when piercing the air and hearing that F echo off the other side of the stadium, especially when followed by the miserable attempts of the current crop of trumpeters in my old college band.

A wry smile can usually be seen growing slowly on my face after a particularly good one.
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jcmacman · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:12 am Post subject:

When I picked up my horn again, September 5, 2003, it was not pretty.
I had a very airy tone and I could not hold a note without the pitch going all over the place. I purchased a Korg digital tuner and started out playing long tones from G on the staff and worked my way down. Those tuners are great! My range when I started playing again was E above middle C and down to low A. These notes I could play consistantly. I was not able to play any type of petal tones.
I gradually started working my way up the staff to high G with lip slurs and concentrated on playing petals. I found that the petals helped me with intonation and in relaxing my lips, it also causes me to take real big breaths. I was practicing lip slur excersises like, Middle C E G E C E G E C E G E C then arpeggios trying to get down to petal C. I practiced these excercises down chromatically and my flexibility came back real fast. This is when I started noticing my range coming back. After a few weeks I was able to slur to High C.

Last month I started working on my range. I started range excersise which I learned in Drum Corps. They are based alot on Claude Gordon studies. I played them every other day. I found that the notes came alot easier now then what I remembered back then. It surprised me. I am able to play chromatically from petal C# to double G without changing my embouchure. I am still having problems locking in that petal C though. When I hit my 1st Double C, I was playing lip slur arpeggios to double G from low G. That day the G came so easily I figured why not try for the C and it just poped in. Boy was I excited. I told my son what just happened and he told me that I play to loud! Kids....go figure.

After hitting "THE NOTE", I tried to warm down with soft low long tones but my lips were shot, no buzz. I put the horn down for 1 hour and came back and played soft petals for 15 min. Well practice last night went well, my warm up routine and Clarke, and my lips felt good. I only played to high C from one of the Clarke excersises and it was nice.

Playing up in the land of ledger line is real fun and it does bring back some real good memories. But, right now I think I will concentrate on getting back my technique and air supply. I play a LA CG Benge and that horn needs alot of air. Plus, my double and triple tonguing is practically non-existent and that is almost as much fun and playing high.

John

Chaser · Veteran Member Joined: 01 Nov 2003 Posts: 441

Almost 15 year layoff.

Stated playing again 6 weeks ago. Day one, tone cleared up and sounded as good as ever after 40 minutes of frequent long tones with lots of rest. Range was shot, as well as endurance. I felt weak playing a G (below high C.) 8 days later, my endurance still wasn't 1/2 of what it used to be, but the tone was fantastic and I added a full octave to my range. The only difference at this point (and now) is that I just don't have the hours to put in to get the endurance I had in HS/College, so I do the best I can with the limited time I have.
So, basically after a 15 year layoff, inside of 8 days, other than endurance issues, I played as well as I ever had.

trumpettyler · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:34 am Post subject:

I'm with you on the 'available time to practice' problem. With a full time job and two sons under 7 years old, my wife and I barely have time for each other, let alone the time I need to get the endurance/range thing in gear. I was never a lead player back in the day, but I suppose the same could be said for other distractions I had back then too. Girlfriends, Calculus, etc... Guess I just need to get my priorities in order

Seriously, for someone who only has a limited time each week to practice, what should I be focusing on?

When I do get time to play, after I warm up I find myself improvising because my ear for it is better than it ever has been. That's the one advantage I have over myself at 18 years old - I've listened to alot more music since then. I took up the guitar in college and learned to play songs by ear, which has really translated well to the horn. Whoa, I'm getting off topic...

What can I do during a limited practice time that will get me the greatest result for endurance and range?
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INTJ · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 7:08 pm Post subject:

Some believe you need to practice several hours a day to have any hope of developing range. Others believe you can do playing smartly and don't need the marathong playing sessions. I am trying the "playing smartly" approach. That is all the time I have to devote to trumpet.

I think the best bet is to find a teacher whom you "connect" with and follow their guidance.

Blaine
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