One week and still can't play Bb major Scale

[Hornwiz]

Hello guys can greatly use of your expertise ........ got a trumpet a week ago... I can play middle C and up D E F G very easy but when I start coming down G, F, E, C, D C Bb, A ... Here starts the issue... When i play valve 1 and 2 to get that A... Not sure if it's the pressure or what... But when i play the open G it doesn't have the same sound quality as A Bb and C which are all very nice....guess not transitioning properly... And besides that i still haven't been able to play C below the staff... When I blow "soft" as I see in all the youtube videos what I get is a G or A... Never a C lol ... if I relax too much what comes out is a very low F#.......Below A valve 1 and 2... That G,F, E ,D , the sound is airy not good.. as Valve 1 and 2.. A... and going up... I can do sirens on Mouthpiece... I can buzz the scale on the Lead pipe... But not sure if there is something missing with playing... Any tips , anything that I'm unaware of??...I have oiled the valves, it's a cheap trumpet but there is no excuse , should be able to play the bb major scale by now!..

[razeontherock]

You obviously really need a teacher or at least another player there with you, or by some type of video conference. I would suggest forget scale and valves, and practice slurring from G down to C. Once you can do that, slur back up to G. Work with that.

Clarke Technical # 1, starting on C in the staff down to F#. This is just chromatic, going down by 1/2 steps, then back up. That'd be a good thing for you to practice, too. (If you go 1/2 step lower at a time, B to F, then Bb to E, etc., you may "psyche" yourself into a decent low C? Worth trying.)

I don't know what you're doing with the leadpipe, but it may be counterproductive. Mouthpiece on face like normal, mouthpiece in leadpipe, tuning slide removed, there are very few pitches you should play like that. F in the staff. F and G an octave higher, at the top of the staff. Notes capable of being played properly above that are probably higher than you should try for now. There are great reasons for doing this, but only a couple minutes a day at most. Bill Adam taught this, and there is a sub-forum dedicated to his teaching here.

Good luck to you Sir!

[Crazy Finn]

Well, most of my beginner band students can play 5 notes after a week. Most can not play a Bb major scale.

It doesn't matter if you are 9 or 10 years old like my beginners usually were or older, it takes a while to be able to play the instrument well.

It's like...

- I've played 2 rounds of golf and sometimes my shots don't go straight and land off in the rough. What the heck?

or

- I picked up a tennis racquet about 10 days ago. Sometimes, I still make errors on my shots and they go in the net or wide or long. What the heck?

This is basically the same thing.
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[Ronnman]

Hornwiz - First, patience! The trumpet takes time and dedicated regular practice to in order for one the be proficient. One week at playing the trumpet is like a drop in the ocean. As others have mentioned, a teacher/instructor is important.

Also, a well functioning instrument. Where did the trumpet you are using come from, music store, handed down, other? Trying to understand if you have any issues with the horn. What trumpet, make and model and mouthpiece are you using? If an older trumpet, that’s not been checked out, I would inspect the spit valve corks for proper seal. They should not be cracked or have pieces missing, or have extreme indentations in them. Also check the spit valve springs for enough tension to make a good seal. Alternatively, if a used instrument not checked out/repaired, you might want to bring it to a music store that offers cleaning, inspection and repairs.
Ron
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Martin Committee #2 1954
Leblanc “Al Hirt” Model 1966
Olds Custom Crafted Ultra Sonic 1974
Edwards Gen II 2014

[wilder]

[JayKosta]

[Andy Cooper]

Please find another trumpet player to try your horn with your mouthpiece and perhaps to try their horn with their mouthpiece.

Sure sounds like a classic example of way, way too much mouthpiece gap. (The distance from the end of the mouthpiece shank to the MP end of the leadpipe.) This could be from a defective mouthpiece or a defective receiver.

The old adage of "It is a poor workperson who blames their tools" does not apply to trumpet players. We are artistes. As such we get to blame missed notes on fluxuations in the earth's magnetic poles, butterflies flapping their wings in Aruba and negative auras emanating from the clarinet section.

[Billy B]

Stop buzzing the mouthpiece and especially DO NOT play scales on the lead pipe. You are forcing the instrument to play a pitch not contained in the standing wave.

And be very careful who you listen to in this forum.
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Bill Bergren

[JoseLindE4]

This issue, or even if it is an issue, could probably be solved in about 5 minutes with a reasonably competent player or teacher. The application of that solution might take quite a bit longer, but the problem itself, if it is a problem, seems like it could be quickly cleared up. Trying to understand it via written posts here and sorting through the chaos of responses seems like it will never resolve the issue. Find someone who teaches or can at least play reasonably well and show them your problem.

As an aside, playing scales and notes that don’t resonate on the leadpipe is a thing. Ghitalla used it in his teaching and so does Javier Gonzalez. I personally wouldn’t recommend it to a beginner, but for the right player in the right situation, it can do wonders. Some players from certain pedagogical backgrounds would be horrified at the concept, but it clearly works for certain players.

[Hornwiz]

[Hornwiz]

[Hornwiz]

[Hornwiz]

[JayKosta]

[Hornwiz]

[area51recording]

No offense, but if after a week you're not transcribing and playing Clifford Brown solos, maybe this instrument just isn't for you....

[delano]

Maybe the 180 bucks brand new Cecilio trumpet does not possess a real C major scale....(which eventually will sound as a Bflat scale).

[Irving]

You said..."have been using 3C and 7C mouthpiece..."

That is why you can't play a Bb scale. You are only supposed to use one mouthpiece at a time.

[Hornwiz]

[Billy B]