Hi Everyone... just picking it up (again)

[Untame]

In high school I switched from Alto Sax to Euphonium so my friends with brass instruments would let me play with them. Played Euphonium through college and off an on over the last 30 years (mostly just my church orchestra on Sundays). For a brief moment in my history (1 year about 20 years ago) I tooted on the cornet in my church orchestra because it was too heavily weighted in low brass.

(FYI... I play Cornet with my Euphonium fingerings an octave higher, non-transposing so open is B flat in my mind. Capeesh? This made it easy for me to read right out of the hymnal. Besides, I don't understand why two concert B flat instruments are in different keys just because they play in different clefs. For another thread...)

A few weeks ago someone gave me a King 602 Cornet (1957). I went through it (unstuck the slides, smoothed out wrinkles in the bell, straightened the lead pipe, stripped the lacquer and polished it, replaced springs, corks, and felts).

It came with a Bach 7C, but I picked up a Wick 4W (gold) because I thought it would make the transition easier from the Euphonium. I think this was the wrong move because it seems to require more embouchure strength to control the tone in a deep cup as opposed to the 7C. Been thinking about getting the Wick 4B (or 4BW), but I've seen a comment here that Wick mouthpieces are designed for BBB and not traditional jazz (my goal). For now I start practice with the 4W and switch to the 7C later in the day when my strength falters.

The King 602 isn't too beat up and has smooth and tight valves, but seems quirky on certain transitions. I noticed the valve alignment is not ideal, so I am actually hoping to quickly upgrade to a higher quality vintage instrument (I'll start another thread on that). I want to be able to focus on my tone and technique without wondering if the problem is me or the instrument.

Anyway, at 48 years old I played my first notes on the Cornet last Sunday, so today is day 5 of playing. Been doing as much as my lips/cheeks will allow, several times per day for 5-15 minutes at a stretch. Focusing on slurs and range. Trying to implement the 4-step embouchure setup I learned from Charlie Porter's YouTube. Also doing facial muscle exercises like the pencil drill and levitor/depressor crunches.

Love 1950s Cool/West Coast Jazz: Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Thad Jones, Clifford Brown -- this style is my goal. (Yeah, I know they all played trumpet, but I still love the mellow cornet sound.) Jazz is my happy place -- helps me unwind. When this cornet was given to me I realized that if I also played jazz I could maximize the chill.

I have been using OpenAI's ChatGPT to guide me in learning jazz Cornet. It had me pick up "How to Play Jazz and Improvise" (Aebersold) and Patterns for Jazz (Coker, et al). It also has me listening to the audiobook "Effortless Mastery" (Werner).

Anyway, my goal is just to play for my own private pleasure and enjoyment of music. No desire to perform.

Been lurking around here since I got the cornet, and decided it was time to jump in so I could better learn from all of the experts here. So... Hi!

[BreakFromTheHerd]

[Untame]

[BreakFromTheHerd]

[kehaulani]

Still talking about Chet?
I started working on My Funny Valentine from his Tokyo album. I could sing that solo in my sleep but play along with Chet? More than meets the eye.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn