Teaching beginning trumpet student

JazzCatDRP · Regular Member Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 89

Hi everyone. I just added a new student into my studio. He has only been playing for about a month or so now (learning via school band). This is the most inexperienced student I've had. I'm almost stuck on what I should teach him. With my older students, I can focus on more advanced ideas, but he's still in the process of learning fingerings. Are there any resources out there for teaching very new players? Also, what are some guidelines as far as etiquette between the band director and the private teacher. If he's advancing well enough, should I jump ahead in his book and teach him some new things, or should I wait until he learns them with the whole band?

trumpet4 · New Member Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 5 Location: Ohio

I follow along in the books being used by the school. Standard of Excellence or the Essential Elements books. I try to stay ahead of the band, if possible. These books lay it out in a nice easy flow and I supplement with my own ideas and suggestions.

As to the etiquette between the band director and I, I am careful to not "step on his or her toes". I never discredit or strongly disagree with their ideas to the student. I call them from time to time to share thots on a kid's progress or lack thereof.

I'd appreciate sharing ideas.
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JazzCatDRP · Regular Member Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 89

Thanks for the advice! Do you use any supplemental method books or anything? (Obviously, there'd be a limit on what I could use) Or do you just go along with the school's book entirely?

trumpet4 · New Member Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 5 Location: Ohio

For a long time I resisted using the schools books. I wanted to use something entirely different, but I never found anything I really liked. So, I went to plan B. As I said... I do supplement with some easy exercises of my own ( ie. long tones and flexibility exercises) I'll even write out songs they like...or add the chorus to songs in the band books, etc.

What are you using?
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RGale · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Dec 2002 Posts: 2818

Any book with lots of melodies will do well. I like the old pro art trumpet books, but the band books will also do well. For the exercises, Claude Gordon's Physical Approach to Elementary Brass Playing is good- if the student doesn't find it too daunting. It starts them out with a strong physical approach to the instrument.

AccentOnTrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 878

I used to give trumpet lessons to beginners when I was in 8th Grade. It was kind of fun to do, and I think I learned from it. There was one kid I began teaching who had never played in his life and after about 2 months or so he could pop out G's right above the staff, and he was pretty dedicated. The only thing was after the end of the school year I lost contact with him and I have not given lessons since then since I'm still in high school and I prefer taking lessons as of now, rather than giving them (I'm still young and have a lot to learn).

Make sure you can establish a personal connection with the students, and make them interested. Respect their questions and comments as much as possible, remember you're helping people, and be smart to their abilities and talents so that you can find out what they need to improve on and how that can happen.

Good luck man

MF Fan · Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2003 12:24 pm Post subject:

My 10 year-old son started playing in September of last year at school(4th grade). Being about 3 years into my own comeback after a 15 year layoff, I was anxious to pass along all the new things I had learned. Fortunately I had recently spent some time learning about the Bill Adams approach, and was getting back into CLaude Gordon's Systematic Approach to Daily Practice. Both these methods led me to take a "less is more" approach with my son. By that I mean:

1. I never talked embouchure. His natural set-up looked just fine, so I'd rather let his sub-conscious mind take care of it. I observe it as he plays just in case he starts heading in the wrong direction, but he's AOK after the 1st 7 months.

2. Deep breathing. I taught him what a deep breath looks like and how you exhale with power. We stand 5-6 feet away from a lamp in our basement that has a small tassle attached to the switch and try to get it to move by blowing air at it. We make a contest out of it, moving back a foot every week or so. I've taught him to always keep he chest up while playing, and have him hold notes at the end of exercises as long as he can until he's out of air, and then a bit longer, ala Claude Gordon. As a result he has always had a strong vibrant tone.

3. Practice with a metronome. Everything he does, exercises or music, are done with a metronome. I wish I would have done this at a child. Learning to play in a strict rhythm certainly helps you learn music and sight read better.

4. Demonstrate exercises. Ala Adams, I demonstrate the exercises for him providing a sound model for him to emulate. I'm no Bill Adams, but think if he can start with me as a model, he could do worse.

5. Range. I occasionally have him attempt etudes that take him to the limit of his range just to see how far he can go, but never push it. The model I've planted in his brain is: To go higher, move your lips toward the center of the mouthpice and blow harder. Don't push the mouthpiece into your lip any harder. So far so good. He plays up to D above middle C relatively effortlessly, which is better than any of his other band-mates. BTW, goofing around he started blowing some loud nonsense while moving the valves quickly just to make nose and was dancing around high C. I told him to STOP IT! and save his lip for the balance of his lesson, but it obviously impressed me that he has developed physical capability to do this so early.

With all that said, my biggest challenge is keeping him focused. Like most 10 year old boys, getting him to sit down and do 30 minutes of QUALITY practice a day is virtually impossible. When he does take the horn out of the case, he doesn't focus real well on playing things correctly unless I'm sitting next to him to have him redo things. The fact that he's off the an fast start, and seems to enjoy playing just for the fun of it (vs. doing the lesson I've prescribed) isn't all bad. My biggest challenge is not to be too critical. I've upset him more than once when he's obviously not focusing, and I keep having him redo things to get it 'right.' He's obviously not a prodigy, and lacks the maturity(focus) at this point to really go at it seriously, so I'm working to relax a bit myself and just let him enjoy playing vs. cracking the whip. So far, so good.
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JazzCatDRP · Regular Member Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 89

Trumpet4- He's using the Standard of Excellence series.

Here's a little question/topic of discussion for everyone. How do you go about keeping a new player interested? On a similar note, how do you and and the parent enforce practice time without "burning out" the child?

Strawdoggy · Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 8:21 am Post subject:

Jazzcat,

I would recommend the Ed Sueta Method (I forget the publisher) as THE BEST method for getting students to read rhythms - instead of guessing. I also like the Breeze Easy Method (Warner Bros. Publications) for its cumulative approach.

The Essential Elements and Standard of Excellence books are junk, in my opinion. They do come with a play along CD. Big deal. Too much extraneous information all over the pages. For some unknown reason (my guess is very good marketing) these two methods have gained popularity with band directors recently. I have private HS students who came up using those methods who can't sightread simple rhythms with any real accuracy at all. When the BD is using that method in class, I have them get the Breeze Easy method and supplement it with Sueta with during their lessons with me. I let them do the EE or SOE in school, and leave it at that.

I hold the same opinion of the Rubank book one, although I really do like their Intermediate and Advanced volumes.

Steve

[ This Message was edited by: strawdoggy on 2003-02-22 11:22 ]

Horn of Praise · Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 8:46 am Post subject:

When I was in high school I taught one beginning (grade school) student. I always stressed tone, phrasing, counting (tapping the foot), and being musical. I stuck with the lesson book his school provided him with.

He sat first or second chair through high school. Although he didn't major in music, he did play some "local theater" musicals.

I hope this helps.
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edbrass · Regular Member Joined: 15 Jun 2002 Posts: 46

Hello. I'm just jumping in here having briefly skimmed over the previous posts in this topic. I do not agree with just using Standards of Excellence or Essential Elements ahead of the band director. First of all, they are band methods - appropriate for school use, but lacking in focus for individualized private study. As a school band director, I use both in my program, and find them adequate. However, as a private instructor, I stress other method books.

I recommend the Sigmund Hering series of Method books (Carl Fischer). They progress from beginning to advanced. As my students become more advanced in junior high, I supplement with First & Second Books of Practical Studies by Getchell, 32 Etudes by Hering, Concert & Contest Selections (Rubank), and other well know supplemental methods. By the way, the quickest way to lose a student all together is to teach in the same book as the band director. It gets boring for them when they have to play the same things over and over again. I have seen this in both my public and private teaching capacities.

Good luck.

JohnL · Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 3:10 pm Post subject:

AMEN!!!

trumpet4 · New Member Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 5 Location: Ohio

Thanks for your input. I have had some concerns about my approach being boring for the kids. My problem has been the method books available at the store I teach at aren't that great. I appreciate the names of the books. I'll have them order in the one you mentioned.

Has anyone checked out "My First Arban"? Opinions?
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Strawdoggy · Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 10:33 am Post subject:

<<<By the way, the quickest way to lose a student all together is to teach in the same book as the band director>>>

Ain't that the truth?

Ed, do you have heterogeneous groupings when the kids come down for lessons? When I taught in NC, we used a "band method" because of the groupings (Alfred's). It was ok. Now that I am in a different situation, I have used the other books I mentioned because it is more of a one-on-one situation.

edbrass · Regular Member Joined: 15 Jun 2002 Posts: 46

Strawdoggy,

My students are scheduled to come to me for class two days per week. They are not pulled from other subjects to attend. Simply, band IS a class. My brass and percussion students report as single classes by grade, and my woodwinds report in the same fashion on alternate days. Ensemble rehearsals take place after school.

I much prefer EE over SoE; however, EE (Book I) does progress rather quickly. Although I have much respect for older methods such as Breeze-Easy and First Steps, I have found that my students respond better to methods that have CDs. They are, after all, the media generation. I always assume that no method book is entirely complete, and supplement as necessary. In fact, I too have used some of Sueta's rhythm methods. You must agree, though, that the rhythm charts presented in EE are more challenging and engaging to students than are those found in SoE and Accent on Achievement.

Although choice of method book is important, it is up to the teacher to ensure that the students receive proper instruction. Any dedicated student who has not met the basic proficiency level expected according to standards is not the victim of a poor method book, but of a poor teacher. I say dedicated because we all experience students who do not practice or make at best a minimal effort.

Strawdoggy · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2003 8:29 am Post subject:

Ed,

I've been away for a few days guest-conducting and gigging.

Read your last post and totally agree with you. Well stated. Especially the "dedicated" student comment. I, too believe that the success of a "dedicated" student is a direct reflection on the teacher.

The same can be said of instrumental programs - unless there are extraneous problems with the administration,etc..

bophead · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 2:27 pm Post subject:

Since September I've practiced the Maggio method. I've been through it a few times and its paying off. I'd felt that as it works better for me, and corrects lots of wrong information I had about playing. I have given it to a 5th grade 1st year player and he is doing well with it. He's range from pedal C to Ab (above the staff) and his tone is rounding out nicely. This student is my first, 1st year student. So I need to know if there is something I may be missing by putting him in that book at such an early point in his development? I am only giving him enough to keep him interested and challanged. Has anyone else introduced a student this young to the Maggio system? How has it worked for you??

[ This Message was edited by: bophead on 2003-03-17 22:26 ]

dales · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 3:56 pm Post subject:

My own teacher likes _Learn to Play the Trumpet/Cornet_ by Charles F. Gouse, as well as the _First Book of Practical Studies_ by Getchell.

So how do you teach a beginner to tongue? Specifically, do you teach tonguing on the lips, or not, and why?

James B. Quick · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 7:34 pm Post subject:

When I had students I used to start them out on the 'Breeze Easy for Trumpet' book, and I added elements of my warmup and breathing methods.