Getchell question

[redhawktrumpet85]

So I finally purchased the Getchell book and have begun singing out of it, and wow...I didn't realize that I had such issue hearing the music! Is this just going to be a matter of sticking with it until I start hearing it better, or what can I do to improve my ears here...I mean, this is bad! Makes me think I should've worked harder in my sightsinging classes here .
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Matt Miller

[Billy B]

Yesssssssssss. Most people have no idea how much they rely on the instrument to find the pitch. Start with number 1 and go for it. Play 2 measures then sing it then play it again. Then on to measures 3&4. Just wait until he has you singing Charlier! You also wouldn't believe how many pitches some people sing to create a one octave "chromatic" scale! Sometimes 11, sometimes 13! Then when you get so you can sing/play the whole book, go back and do it in all 12 keys.
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Bill Bergren

[Derek Reaban]

Matt,

With the conversations that I have had with Bill Bergren on TH, he suggests that you should sing everything that you play (this is what Mr. Adam has all of his students do). I know in my own practice sessions, I found that while I was hearing the exercise that I had just played in my mind (to assure that I was resting sufficiently between exercises), this alone was not enough to gain the benefits of singing.

I was working on some Bach and Telemann etudes recently, and when I found some minor portions that were not centering well on the horn I tried to sing through the line to help fix the problems. Yikes! I had a really hard time singing the music that I was playing. It was very good (not great) on the trumpet, but it was not even in the ballpark when I tried to sing it. I uncovered a real deficiency in my playing that day!

I don’t have the Getchell book in my library. I will get it in the near future. I pulled out a book that I worked through backwards and forwards in college (N. Bousquet). I know these things so well, that I can sing them without any trouble. I decided that I needed to select some literature that was familiar enough that I could be successful adding some singing to my daily routine. Not only is singing important, the quality of the sound is important. You want the singing sound to be “forward” just like the sound that you are trying to achieve on the trumpet. Jussi Bjorling was suggested as a great model for this. I hear the altos in our church choir producing the exact opposite of this sound (covered, far back in their mouth). Know the extremes, and shoot for the Bjorling Model.

I’m certain that with diligent practice, this aspect of the Adam approach will become stronger as it becomes part of your regular, daily routine. I’m not there yet either, but I know how important it is after my experience with the Bach.

Good luck!
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[redhawktrumpet85]

I will definitely be spending a lot more time in the Getchell. The thought of singing Charliers right now is just plain scary...I mean, there are chromatic notes in those! I'm not trying to sound like a smart*** with that either....singing Getchell #1 without chromatic notes is darn near impossible right now!

On a positive note though, after I sing it through, then go to play it on my trumpet, I notice that I am playing a LOT freer than I would otherwise be playing. So I have the proof that this works...now I just gotta do it. Practice, Patience, Perserverance, Performance.
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Matt Miller

[robert_white]

One other thing, Matt, if you don't mind: as you're working on this, or anything else that is tough at first, be sure your mental energy is really on "full tilt" - i.e. really hearing the sound clearly in your mind. The clearer it is in your brain, the easier it is to sing it.

This type of effort helps us see how simple a task it really is, and is very helpful towards making progress.