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PEDAGOGICAL TOPICS
JON BURGESS, COLUMN EDITOR
THREE STEPS TO DEVELOPING A BETTER SOUND
BY SPENCER ASTON
June 2008 Page 60
60 ITG Journal / June 2008
2008 International Trumpet Guild
Ideas and suggestions for Pedagogical Topics should be directed to: Jon Burgess, Pedagogical Topics Editor, School of Music, Texas Christian
University, Fort Worth, TX 76129 USA; pedagogy@trumpetguild.org
THREE STEPS TO DEVELOPING A BETTER SOUND
BY SPENCER ASTON
library. Expand your knowledge beyond the trumpet world.
Listen to great singers like Anna Moffo and Luciano Pavarotti.
Study and compare the classic cello suites of J.S. Bach played
by Mstislav Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, and Pablo Casals. Each
performance can help shape your musical soul.
Find the center of your tone
This is not pitch related. If you find the center of your tone,
good intonation will be a much-appreciated byproduct. This is
the point where most trumpet players struggle to describe their
sound without demonstration. Maturing players dont always
realize that their tone is not centered until someone works with
them to open up and develop their inner voice. Different
teachers will approach this topic with different methods but
the end result is often similar from studio to studio.
Be flexible
Flexibility should include more than the standard set of slur-
ring exercises we all know and love. Our sound, mind, and body
must be capable of adapting to any situation. Big bands, quintet
recitals, and orchestral playing all put great demands on differ-
ent aspects of our playing. Consequently, a different sound con-
cept for each situation will help us to adapt to the demands of
each environment. When we have achieved a true sense of bal-
ance in the center of our tone, it becomes possible to adapt to
whatever challenges have been presented to us. This level of flex-
ibility takes us into a level of playing that is effortless and fluid.
I am on a journey to understand my sound and to become a
more effective teacher. This journey will continue until I put
my horn down for the last time. The farther I get on this jour-
ney, the better player and teacher I hope to become. We have
a great resource in each other. Being able to talk about all
aspects of our playing will continue to raise the level of trum-
pet playing around the world.
If you would like to participate in a survey on tone quality,
please visit Astons web site (http://www.spenceraston.com) to
download and complete the questionnaire.
About the author: Spencer Aston is an active freelance musi-
cian in the greater Boston area. He is currently on faculty at
the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts and
is working towards his doctorate at Boston University. Aston is
a former member of the New Mexico Brass Quintet and has
given recitals and masterclasses in Europe, Asia, and all across
North America.
PEDAGOGICAL TOPICS
JON BURGESS, COLUMN EDITOR

rumpet players like to talk. We talk about mouth-

pieces. We talk about horns, we talk about mutes,
valve oil, high notes, and even psychoanalyze each
other to justify our own practice habits. When it comes to our
sound, we arent as open, simply saying; Hey man. I like your
sound. The truth is we do not like talking about sound con-
cepts. Our sound is something personal and guarded as a sen-
sational extension of who we are as a person.
In early 2007, I began distributing a survey about sound
concepts. I asked questions designed to stimulate thought
about recipients own conceptualization of what his or her
sound is. My hope was to identify trends throughout the trum-
pet world, perhaps even be able to trace their origins to specif-
ic teachers and/or schools of thought. The answers I received
were surprisingly mixed. I quickly realized the scope of my
project would not be adequately explored with the limited
number of responses I had received. However, when observing
the details within each response, we can make general connec-
tions and begin to understand what is an ideal sound for
todays trumpet player.
Many one-word answers were given to describe sound. A
sampling of the typical answers include very centered, vibrant,
energetic, big (not loud), relaxed, spin, resonant, elegant, flex-
ible, strong, full-bodied tone, stability, versatile, clear, open,
unencumbered, bright, brilliant, wide, clarity, balance, even-
ness throughout the registers, effortless, ring, not dull, dark,
sparkles, rich, and free. These descriptive words have different
meanings to different teachers. Some can be grouped together
and some are considered polar opposites. They all, however,
work towards a sound that is able to add color and texture to
any musical situation.
When asked to expand on these descriptive words with illus-
trations or further detail, several similarities emerged as consis-
tencies in producing a professional sound.
Engage your ear
Listening is a vital part of developing your sound into some-
thing beautiful. As you practice, listen to the sound that is
coming out of your bell. Be critical of its warmth and color.
Does it fill the room the way you want it to? Does it cut the
way you want it to? Make sure it is a representation of what
you want to sound like.
Use other musicians as a source of knowledge. Listen to as
many other players as possible. Go see live concerts. Build your
CD collection. Listen to recordings from your local or school