Chase Sanborn Brass Tactics

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Strategies for modern trumpet playing
C HAS E
SANBORN
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Copyright © 1997 by Chase Sanborn
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without
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permission in writing from the author.
Orders for this book or requests for permission to make copies of any part of this work should be sent to:
Chase Sanborn
115 Ferrier Ave.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4K 3H6
Telephone: (416) 463-1359
Fax: (416)463-5448
e-mail: chasesan@idirect.com
http://webhome.idirect.com/-chasesan
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Sanborn, Chase, 1956-

Brass tactics: strategies for modem trumpet playing
Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 1-895131-16-2
1. Trumpet-Instruction and study. I. Title.

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MT440.S198 1997 788.9'2193 C96-932332-8
Printed in Canada
4 5 6 7 8 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 99 98
Cover photographs: Diane Aubie
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For Ruth
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Breathing 7
Breathing Exercises 13
Posture 16
Hand Positions 18
Lips 20
Wanning-Up 27 , j
Pedal Tones 29
Buzzing 35
Sound Production 37
Flexibility 39
Attacks 41
The Tongue 45
Jazz Articulation 51
Note Bending 52
Long Tones 53
High Notes 54
Rest 58
Scales 60
Etudes 66
Vibrato 69
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Ornaments 71
Overtones 74
Intonation 78
Pedal Tones Routine 87
Buzzing Routine 101
Flexibility Routine J 05
Attacks & Long Tones Routine 111
Multiple Tonguing Routine 120
Range Routine 130
Constructing a Practice Routine 143
Trumpet Maintenance 148
Choosing a Trumpet 150
Choosing a Mouthpiece 156
The Flugelhorn 160
The Piccolo Trumpet 163
The Big Break 165
Life is the Pit 167
Recording 173
The Garden 176

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B-R-A-S-S T-A-C-T-/-C-S I
INTRODUCTION
7 he introduction. In which an author, even of a lowly trumpet textbook, gets to
\...t wax rhapsodic about all his noble reasons for writing a book. If you want to get
right to the nitty gritty, turn to the next chapter. If you want to know how and why this
book came about, or, if you just have too much time on your hands, read on.
WHY A BOOK?
Does the world need another trumpet text? Well, you'll have to be the judge of that.
Did I need to write one? I guess I did. I don't remember when the idea to write a book
actually took hold. One minute I had a life, and the next I was always trying to find time
to work on 'the book'. Is there information to be found in this book that can be found
nowhere else? Individually, no, but collectively, yes. I have attempted to round up all the
facets of trumpet playing that I consider necessary for a modern player, the tactics used
to achieve mastery over the beast, and to present them in as organized and concise a
fashion as possible, along with a plan to work them into your practicing schedule.
WHY ME?
I have always been a trumpet player. It has been my prime motivation for as long as I
can remember, reaching back to elementary school. It's all I've ever done professionally,
and all I've ever wanted to do. When I coach students considering this profession, I tell
them that this is the most important quality to posses: a single-minded obsession and a
will to persevere and succeed despite considerable odds. It's not an easy way to make a
living. A professional trumpet player must love this instrument, otherwise the work is too
tough and the rewards too few. I do.
Some years ago I started teaching for the same reason most players do: to supplement
income during lean gig times. In the process I discovered two things: teaching has made
me a much better player, and teaching has enriched my life immeasurably.
For instance, it has been a curious and wonderful phenomena for me to observe a
number of my adult students, many with high-pressure jobs outside of music. They have
returned to the trumpet later in life, recalling the pleasure it brought them when they
were younger. I am somewhat amazed when they describe how much they enjoy playing
long tones and flexibilities and all the other necessary exercises even though they don't
need to do it out of economic necessity. I am amazed, but I understand. These students
do it for the sheer love of making sound on a brass instrument. That sense of satisfaction
when we coax one perfect note out of a hunk of brass.
2. C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
I also love time spent with younger students, those with open eyes, ears and minds who
are sponges for whatever I give them. I know that I am planting seeds in people like
those that I have met all my life; who come up to me on a gig and say "I played the
trumpet in high schoo!." This is the greatest argument for continued funding for arts
education in schools: not to create artists (though certainly there will be some), but to
propagate a society that appreciates and values and supports art in their lives. I know
that these young students will always remember their many hours spent working on
music, and I am honored to be a part of those memories.
And my university students, the ones who are driven the way I was at their age. They
are going full-steam, learning as much as they possibly can. I want to give them, in four
years, everything I have learned in forty. I know that is an unachievable goal, but I try. I
realize that I am only now beginning to understand some of the things my teachers told
me years ago, and it will be the same for these young adults.
I am indebted to all my students, each of whom has given me at least as much as I have
given them. (Besides, they are the only ones who really want to listen to me rave about
all this stuff.)
HOWABOOK?
In trying to find the best ways to impart knowledge to students of all levels, I became a
serious student again myself. Although I have always been dedicated to my trumpet
practice, once I started teaching I immersed myself in it with renewed vigor, studying
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every trumpet and brass text I could get my hands on, talking to players and teachers,
constantly refining my own approach to practicing, playing and teaching. My goal was,
and is, to accomplish as much as possible, in the most efficient manner possible.
I continued to formulate concepts and routines based on all the great players and
teachers before me. I came to understand that there is nothing new about how to play
this instrument. Herbert L. Clarke knew as much about playing the trumpet at the turn
of the century as anyone needs to. I am merely a collector, assimilator, and disseminator
of information.
B·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S
3
As my collection of information grew, so did my file cabinet full of ideas and exercises.
When a new student came to me for the first lesson, he or she usually left with about 40
pages of miscellaneous information and exercises. At some point I realized that I could
cut down on my photocopy expenses dramatically if I could put together a package to
hand out to new students. Well, one thing led to another. What started out as a simple
little project turned into the epic production you now hold in your hands.
WHO SHOULD USE THIS BOOK?

Basically, this book was written with my students in mind. Because that covers a range
from absolute beginners to professionals, and everything in between, there is something
here for everyone. Although it is by no means a book for beginners, there is lots of useful
information in this book for them, and a few things are specifically for them. The
exercises progress from very simple to very advanced, while illustrating and working on
the same principles at both ends of the playing spectrum.
The basics of sound production, an understanding of the physics involved in brass

playing, and how to design a good practice routine are very important for players at all
levels, and are all too often misunderstood by even advanced players. If you read this
book and don't find anything you haven't thought about or understood already, you
have delved deeply into the world of brass playing, and are as hooked as I am.
Though I am primarily a jazz and/or commercial trumpet player, the concepts and
routines presented here are applicable to classical players as well. The exercises in this
book will help you gain or improve your control over the instrument to allow you to play
whatever music you desire. The sound that you hear in your head will ultimately
determine the sound that comes out of the trumpet.
Further, while this is specifically a trumpet text, much of the information presented is
applicable to all members of the brass family, and it can be used by other brass
instrumentalists as well as trumpet players.
4 C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
WHAT WILL THIS BOOK DO?

Producing the sound on a brass instrument is half the battle, from the time you start
playing until the day you hang up your hom for good. You must produce the sound by
setting a part of your body (your lips) into vibration. Therein lies the difficulty.
Brass Tactics primarily deals with concepts and exercises that develop and enhance
your ability to create and control the sound you produce on your instrument. It will
improve your tone, attacks, tonguing, range, and flexibIlity. It will make you aware of all
the aspects of sound production that should be considered when practicing, and give
you a practical way to fit them all in to whatever amount of time you have to dedicate to
the trumpet.
Of course, the point of all this is not to perform exercises. It is to make the mechanics of
playing become second-nature, so as to free up more mental energy for the true task:
making music.
REMEMBER
Our goal is to make music
with minimum interference from the trumpet.
I find that most students want me to help them set.up a practice routine, anrl ~o that i~ \ )
what this book sets out to do. I always explain why I recommend doing something, as
well as how to do it, and refer you to the sources that I found most valuable in
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developing specific concepts and approaches. In reading this book, you will learn about
many other books as well. In so doing, I am sending you down the same path that I have
trod in search of brass-playing knowledge.
B-R-A-S-S T-A-C-T-I-C-S
5
How TO USE THIS BOOK
SECTION ONE
Brass Tactics is divided into four sections. In section one, I thoroughly discuss all the
various playing and practicing techniques and concepts that will be used in the routines.
I explain why a specific technique is useful, what to expect in the way of progress and
improvement, and general instructions for the performance of each technique. You will
also find information on general playing considerations such as posture, hand positions
etc.
Also in section one, you will find information relating to the physics of the brass
instruments. While this information is not strictly necessary to learn how to play, it can
be very helpful to understand just what is going on when we blow air and get a sound.
SECTION Two
Section two presents the routines. Each routine is preceded by text that contains
instructions specific to the routine. Most of the routines are presented in phases, to
accommodate the varying and advancing needs of different students. Pick a phase that
seems appropriate to you, and work on that for a while. You will know when to move on
to the next phase.
After the routines are presented and explained, there is a chapter on suggested ways to
put together a complete practice routine, built upon these exercises, but incorporating
other musical work as well. It is a 'building block' approach, dividing the total routine
into smaller chunks that can be lumped together for a longer practice session, or
practiced separately at different times in the day, or rotated on a multi-day schedule,
allowing you to practice everything over two or three days. This system accommodates
however much time the student can devote to practicing, while making sure all the
necessary elements of a complete routine are regularly addressed.
SECTION THREE
Section three discusses buying and maintaining trumpets and mouthpieces. It also
touches on the flugelhorn and the piccolo trumpet.
SECTION FOUR
Section four is an appendix. For years I have been writing the brass column for
Canadian Musician magazine. In the optimistic early stages of writing this book I
believed that these columns would make up a large part of the text. Not so. Writing for
a magazine audience is quite different than writing for a book, as I found out. This
section, however, contains four articles that made it in almost intact. They talk about
achieving success in the music business, life in the theatre pit, life in the recording
studio, and the student/teacher relationship. These articles are based on personal
experience, and I think they provide useful information for students hoping to have a
career playing the trumpet.
ENOUGH ALREADY, GET ON WITH THE BOOK!

OK, OK. Just a couple more remarks. I have tried to write in an informal style, the
same way I would talk to a student. Hopefully this makes the text more enjoyable to
read (if occasionally grammatically dicey) and follows some logical thread of continuity.
As you progress you will see some basic concepts repeated in different chapters. If you
read something that sounds familiar, it is probably because the topic is important
enough that it bears repeating. So pay attention!
I have spent many long hours on this book, writing and re-writing, trying to be as clear
and concise as possible. If you get half as much pleasure out of reading it as I got out of
writing it, it will have been time well spent. Good luck wth your music!
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B·R·A·S,S T·A·C·T·I·C·S
7
BREATHING
1:1 reathing is the single most important aspect of producing a sound on a brass
~ instrument. It is responsible for range, volume, timbre, and projection of the
sound. Without serious consideration of the mechanics of breathing when you play, you
will never reach the upper levels of brass playing. If there is any 'magic formula' for
playing the trumpet, it is the control of your air.
PUT A TIGER IN YOUR TANK

Think of your body as an automobile. There are many factors affecting your enjoyment
of a car. It should be tuned up, have clean oil, good tires and hopefully a CD player.
But none of that matters if it is out of gas, or if the fuel lines are too constricted or the
fuel filter too clogged to let the gas flow freely. You ain't goin' nowhere. When you are
playing your hom, air is the gas in your car. To be an accomplished player, you must
master the ability to control the inhalation and exhalation of air. Alwa~ have enough
air, and alwa~ be in control ofyour air!
Fortunately, if you are alive enough to read this, you have already mastered the
mechanics of breathing, and all we need to do is to focus your attention on what is
currently being accomplished without any thought or effort at all on your part.
Do WHAT COMES NATURALLY

From the time we are born our lungs operate naturally and efficiently. As we breathe in,
our lungs fill up. This creates a pressure inside them much like a balloon that is inflated.
The fuller the lungs become, the greater the pressure to release the air. As we then
exhale to relieve the pressure, the lungs deflate, creating a vacuum that wants to draw air
back into them. This process repeats itself every minute of every day. To make yourself
more aware of this natural process, see BREATHING EXERCISES, #1.
By understanding this natural intuitive action, and learning to expand and control it, we
can harness the power of our air. This is the key that will unlock the secrets of trumpet
playing.
SIT up!
It may be that your grandmother taught you one of the most important aspects of
breathing: good posture. Read the next chapter (POSTURE) and make sure you are not
defeating the use of your respiratory system by improper playing positions.
How TO BREATHE
And you thought you already knew? In the study of brass playing you will come across
some elaborate schemes for breathing when playing. I believe that the simple answer is
often the best answer, and so I like the advice of Claude Gordon and Arnold Jacobs
and others when they say 'Just take a big breath and blowf"There are a few general
rules that are worth considering, however:
Let the air flow deep into your lungs. Fill up from the bottom, expanding the chest
at the end of your breath.
Don't lift your shoulders. They may rise as a consequence of your expanding chest,
but don't consciously lift them. This creates a shallow inhalation.
Whenever possible, take slow relaxed inhalations.
Fill up completely for each phrase. Air is free, help yourself!
High notes require greater air velocity but less air quantity, low notes require less air \'_ i
velocity, but greater air quantity.

Always blow very deliberately, right through your horn. Accept the possibility of
missing a note. (You will miss more notes from not blowing than from blowing.)
TALK TO ME , !
When speaking (or listening to somebody else speak), we are usually not aware of the
speaker's breathing. We never continue talking to the gasping end of our breath, or run
short of breath before finishing a sentence. We breathe comfortably and naturally,
whenever we need it, shaping the phrasing of our sentences with a relaxed breathing
pattern. The listener hears only what we are saying, not our breathing. Playing should
be the same. We want to breathe so naturally that the listener is unaware of our breath.
Watch a great brass player; you may not even see them breathing noticeably, yet they
seem to always have enough air to finish each phrase with confidence of tone and
delivery.
B·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C,S
9
IT'S NOT YOUR DIAPHRAGM THAT DOES THE WORK

Many methods over the years have talked about supporting from the diaphragm,
blowing from the diaphragm, lift the diaphragm etc. Though this advice has been
traditionally used to explain the concept of supporting your air, it is technically incorrect.
Simply put, when the diaphragm tenses it contracts. This occurs during inhalation,
drawing air into the lungs. During exhalation the diaphragm actually relaxes. The
muscles that send air out of the lungs are the muscles that surround them, in your rib
cage, back, and abdominal areas, specifically the intercostal muscles. They are the
muscles that you use to support the air, and they are the muscles that can be developed.
Not your diaphragm. I refer to all muscles that are involved with exhalation as breathing
muscles.
Practically speaking, it probably doesn't much matter whether you think of supporting
from the diaphragm or from the intercostal muscles. So don't worry about it. If you have
ever successfully blown out the candles on a birthday cake, you have used the proper
muscles. All you need to think to properly exhale is blowfYour body already knows
which muscles to use, and in fact will use them no matter what you think you are doing.
SPARE THE AIR, TOIL THE CHOPS

When we blow air through our compressed embouchure, we set the lips into vibration
and the magic begins. Just as the spark plugs ignite the gas to fire the cylinders. It helps
to have clean spark plugs, but if the gas doesn't get to them, they just sit there. Same
with your chops. No matter how perfectly your embouchure is formed, the air must be
flowing through them at the proper velocity for a given pitch. There is no way around
this. No air: no sound. Not enough air: not enough sound. (Or no sound or wrong
pitch.) Conversely, the stronger the air flow, the easier it is for the lips to vibrate. This is
an important rule.
REMEMBER
The more work your air does,
the less work your chops will have to do.
10 C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·O·R·N
By using the air to produce the tone and pitch, our fragile little lips are free to vibrate.
This helps range, endurance, sound quality, you name it. Air is the answer.
You should remember, however, that the greater the airflow, the greater the lip
compression must be to produce a steady tone. The development of your blowing
muscles goes hand in hand with the development of your embouchure muscles.
(See LIPS)
OPEN, AND SAY AHHHH!

Assuming that you are blowing the air properly, the next step is to make sure it is not
choked off on the way from the lungs to the lips. The place that most often creates a
bottleneck is the throat. You must learn to breathe in and out with an open throat.
When breathing in, think of a yawning sensation. The air should make an open AAA
sound going in, not a high pitched hissing sound. When blowing out, think of blowing
warm air. This helps to produce the sensation of an open throat.
A common bad habit when blowing is to constrict the throat in an unconscious effort to
increase the speed of the air for higher notes. (Grunting sounds are a sign of this.) This
is like squeezing a hose to increase the speed of the water. Any velocity gained by the
reduced aperture will be offset by the corresponding cut in volume. It is far better to turn
up the pressure at the tap. Closing off the throat affects tone, range, and dynamics, and
creates unwanted and destructive tension. Control the speed of the air with your
breathing muscles and your tongue level. (See THE TONGUE) Learn to recognize the tone
produced with an open throat, and then let your ears guide you. Accept nothing less
than pure, open sound at all dynamics, and in all registers.
VALSALVA SALVATION
There exists a bodily phenomena called the Valsalva Manoeuvre which we should be
aware of. When we tense the upper body muscles, our throat closes off. A downward
push is generated towards the pelvis. It can be experienced during body waste
elimination or childbirth. A similar sensation will occur when straining to move a heavy
object, i.e. pushing a stalled car.
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B·R·A·S,S T·A·C·T·I·C,S II
EXERCISE
Push up against a solid wall as if you wanted to push it down. Notice the way you tense
your abdominal muscles, hold your breath and close up your throat.
Sometimes, in a misguided effort to support or push out the air a player will stimulate
the Valsalva manoeuvre. This is obviously counter to what we are trying to accomplish,
as it creates a tense body and a closed throat. The player may think that they are
blowing like crazy, but little wind is actually generated, despite the tensed breathing
muscles. Check that all breathing muscle activity is used for generating wind, not for
tensing up. Blowing should be a flow, not a strain.
Most methods use the pronunciation of syllables to assist in controlling the air speed.
Typically we use 'haa' for the low register, 'hoo' (or 'hu') for the mid-register, and 'hee'
(or 'hih') for the upper register. Added to a tongued articulation we get 'taa', 'too'
('tu') and 'tee' ('tih'). More on syllable usage will be found in THE TONGUE.
KEEP THE AIR COMIN'

Once you start a passage, keep up a steady supply of wind. By doing this you will give
life to every note, no matter how long or short. This is true for tongued or slurred lines.
These should be blown as you would blow a sustained whole note, keeping a constant
column of air behind the tongue. The more impetus the air provides, the smaller and
lighter the tongue stroke can be, thus increasing speed without sacrificing tone.
STRIVE FOR TONE

Just as the start of a note should be thought of as coming from the air, not the tongue,
the tone is a function of the air, not the lips. The lips' only function is to vibrate. How
they vibrate is determined by your air. You control the pitch and dynamic level of a note
with your air. You control the timbre of your sound with your air. Though your tone
will be in part determined by your physical body, including your lungs, throat, palate
and lips, and to a lesser degree your instrument, you will optimize your sound and shape
it to your own liking through the control ofyour air.
Remember that a given note will need a specific velocity of air to produce it with a clear
centered sound. This velocity must be maintained at all dynamic levels. Some players
try to reduce air velocity as well as air quantity when playing softly. This leads to a
deterioration of sound.
Do YOU HEAR 111

Aside from blowing wind, the most important aspect of tone production is hearing the
sound you wish to make in your head, before and during the playing of a note. Always
have a concept of how you want to sound before you blow, and strive to reproduce that
sound. Don't just accept what is coming out of the end of the hom; take control of it!
FURTHER STUDY
Most books on brass playing contain advice on breathing and control of air. Check out
Claude Gordon's Brass Playing is No Harder Than Deep Breathing. Also, any
discipline that focuses on breath control, such as yoga, can be extremely beneficial to the
brass player.
B·R·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C·S 13
BREATHING EXERCISES
AI ow that you have some idea of the importance that breathing takes on when
playing a brass instrument, how can you improve your own breathing?
GENERAL PHYSICAL FITNESS

Run, bike, swim, row etc. Anything that is good for your cardiovascular system is good
for your air. Brass playing is a very physical activity, and it can only help you to be in
good shape. Needless to say, smoking is a non-recommended activity. Try to do some
basic stretching or light callisthenics before practicing, to get your body limbered up and
oxygenate your lungs. Breathe deeply while doing this.
The following is a compendium of exercises, from various sources, which help you
develop greater control over your breathing. The first exercises are done away from the
hom. Working on air in this fashion is useful because there are strong learned habits
associated with holding the instrument. It can also help break us of bad habits. Students
of Arnold Jacobs, the foremost authority on the function of respiration in brass playing,
often describe playing very little in their lessons. They spent time on various devices Jake
had devised to test and develop their air.
BREATHING EXERCISES WITHOUT THE HORN

EXERCISE #1 : To EXPERIENCE NATURAL RESPIRATION
Take a long deep breath. Now relax all your muscles. The air rushes out in a sigh. If
you want to keep the air from rushing out you must tense the breathing muscles, or close
off your throat or mouth. Now exhale completely, and relax all your muscles. The air
rushes in like a gasp. Again, you must tense muscles for the air not to rush in. In other
words, you must actively work to defeat the natural respiration process. When playing,
we want to work with, not against this natural system, by staying filled with air as much
as possible,
EXERCISE #2: To EXPERIENCE A FULL BREATH

With your feet spread apart, bend over at the waist, hanging your arms down in front of
you. While inhaling, slowly straighten up and bring your hands outwards over your
head. Your shoulders should be back, and your chest up. Hold your breath with your
abdominal and chest muscles, not your throat. Slowly exhale while bending back down
to the starting position. Take a short break before repeating to avoid dizziness.
EXERCISE #3: To EXPAND YOUR AIR CAPACITY (1)

Take a full breath and hold. Bend s/ightlyto the left and then to the right; each time
sniff in a little more air. Exhale. Repeat, but bend forwards and backwards this time.
Eventually combine into one continuous breath, bending in each direction to take in as
much air as possible. Bending expands your abdominal wall, allowing you to find a little
more space to put air. You may feel a slight ache in normally unused breathing muscles.
This is fine. It makes you aware of additional muscles that can be developed.
EXERCISE #4: To EXPAND YOUR AIR CAPACITY (2)

While walking: breathe in a full breath during five steps, hold for five steps, and breathe
out for five steps. Pace your exhalation and inhalation to completely fill and empty your
lungs during the five steps. Over time, gradually increase the number of steps per
inhalation/hold!exhalation.
EXERCISE #5: To DEVELOP AN OPEN THROAT

Acquire a piece of 1" plastic pipe about 5" long. Place the pipe as far back in the .)
mouth as is comfortable. Perform the following exercises:
Long slow inhales and exhales

Fast inhale, slow exhale, controlling the air with your breathing muscles. This is like
a quick breath in a quiet legato piece.
Fast inhale, the exhale separated by short bursts of air. This simulates playing a
detached marcato passage.
Inhale and hold breath before exhaling. Listen for noises from the throat area which
indicate stopping the air with the throat.
Repeat these exercises without the pipe, striving for the same open throat sensation.
EXERCISE #6: To INCREASE THE SPEED OF YOUR INHALATION

In a 4/4 bar: breathe out for three beats, in for one
In a 5/4 bar: breathe out for four beats, in for one
In a 6/4 bar: breathe out for five beats, in for one
In a 5/8 bar: breathe out for four beats, in for one
In a 6/8 bar: breathe out for five beats, in for one
EXERCISE #7: To CONTROL YOUR AIR COLUMN

Form a large 'C' with your hand. Hold it out about a foot from your embouchure. Try
to blow the air through the opening of the 'C', without feeling the air on your fingers.
Try combining this with EXERCISE #8, below.
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B·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S IS
EXERCISE #8: BLOWING EXERCISE WITH No RESISTANCE
Tape a piece of paper hanging down from the bottom of a music stand. From a couple
of feet away try to bend it back with your breath and hold it there. A harder variation is
to place the paper against a wall and hold it there with your breath.
EXERCISE #9: BLOWING EXERCISE WITH RESISTANCE

Take the glass tube from an eyedropper. Blow through the large end as long as you can.
Strive to increase the duration of your exhalation.
BREATHING EXERCISES WITH THE HORN

EXERCISE #10
Hold a note to the very end of your breath. When you are absolutely out of air, try to
crescendo. You should not actually hear a crescendo, but you will experience the
breathing muscles straining to push out air that isn't there, and this will develop these
muscles.
EXERCISE #11
Playa technical exercise at fortissimo level until out of air. Take a quick big breath and
continue in this fashion to the end.
WIND PATTERNS
When practicing a difficult phrase or passage, take the mouthpiece off of your lips and
blow into the air through a lightly compressed embouchure. (Not enough to buzz.)
Hear the passage in your mind as you blow, trying to duplicate the amount and velocity
of air {leeded for the notes and dynamic level. When you return to the trumpet, try to
blow in the same free manner.
FURTHER STUDY
I collected these exercises from the teachings of Claude Gordon, Louis Maggio, Arnold
Jacobs, Vincent Chicowicz, Marden Pond, Arturo Sandoval and others. Almost all
trumpet methods will have sections on breathing. Learn all you can about breathing, but
remember that in the final analysis, it is quite simple:
"Take a big breath, and blow!"

POSTURE
I t is often at the first lesson when I effect the quickest, most dramatic change in a
student's playing, and it usually occurs in the first ten minutes of the lesson. This is
where I show how much better their tone sounds, and how much easier everything is to
play when the student simply sits or stands upright and holds the hom up.
DON'T SLOUCH WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!

90% of students make their job so much harder by not helping their bodies to do the
necessary job; namely, to deliver a steady controlled stream of air through their lips. The
first step towards taking control of your air is to maintain good posture when you play.
Observe the following rules: - '\
STANDING POSTURE (LOWER BODY)

Feet flat on the floor, weight balanced on both feet.
Knees slightly bent for proper spine alignment.
Hips and buttocks firm for support.
SIlTING POSTURE (LOWER BODY)

Sit towards the front of the chair, as if you are ready to stand. Your back should not
touch the back of the chair.
Place both feet on the floor.
If chair seat slopes down to the back considerably, try placing blocks of wood under
the back legs.
If you have time on a gig, look around at available chairs and grab the one that feels
best to you. Adjustable height chairs are great.
STANDING AND SITTING (UPPER BODY)

Upper body upright and supported, but relaxed.
Chest up.
Arms away from the body, elbows in approximately the same horizontal plane.
Head held straight, chin up.
B·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S 17
HOLD THE BELL UP

Many players tilt the bell of the hom down, despite years of entreaties from band
directors. This not only cuts projection, but definition suffers as well. Further, it often
causes constriction in the throat, which leads to all sorts of playing difficulties. While
there may be times when the preferred sound is less directional, and aiming the sound at
floor is more appropriate, I believe that most players benefit by playing with their bells
up, aiming the sound into the hall or room. This leads to free airflow, which makes
everything easier, whether you are playing high or low, loud or soft, fast or slow. Listen
to the difference in your sound depending on where you point the bell.
EXERCISE
Sustain a note while slowly raising and lowering your bell. Listen closely as you do this.
You should be able to identify the ideal angle for your most open sound. Do this every
day until you get this sound in your head. Remind yourself to maintain this angle by
always listening for this open sound. When the going gets tough, resist the natural
temptation to lean forward and lower your bell. Do just the opposite: sit up straighter
and lift the bell a little higher. As you do this you will feel a natural inclination to
support the air even more with your breathing muscles. This is good! You are
concentrating on breathing and playing with your air, not your lips, and you will benefit
from this.
GET IT OUT OF THE STANDI

A common bad habit is to point the bell into the music stand when reading. This robs
the sound of resonance, and presents the player with a harsh picture of their sound. It
also irritates section-mates to no end. Players who play into the stand are surely not
trying to reproduce the great trumpet sound in their heads, like they are supposed to. It
can be tricky to figure out where to place the music stand, as the trumpet sticks straight
out in front of us. Still, we must make the stand a slave to us, not vice-versa. Set yourself
in good playing position, and then try placing the stand off to either side, or low in front
of you with the bell above.
GIMME A BREAK, I'M BEAT

As you get tired, the tendency is to droop your posture and lean against the back of the
chair. You cannot afford this, because the less work your breathing muscles do, the more
work your lips have to do, which will tire them out all that much faster. No matter how
tired you are, your body is much stronger than your lips. Maintaining good posture will
not be easy in all situations, but do not compromise your posture, or you will
. .
compromIse your muslC.
HAND POSITIONS
'7'" he position of your hands can impact in a very definite way on your trumpet
\.! playing. Though you may see many different hand positions used by fine players,
I have found certain rules to be logical, and therefore make the following suggestions.
THE LEFT HAND

The left hand is responsible for carrying all the weight of the trumpet. You must
therefore maintain a solid grip around the valve casing. You must be able to operate the
third valve slide freely, and still maintain the solid grip, so as to avoid transferring weight
to the right hand when using the slide.
The position I have found to be most effective to accomplish these goals is as follows:
the thumb and forefinger curl around the first and third valve casings forming the base of
the grip. The middle finger goes through the third valve ring. (This is your longest
finger, and it has more independent dexterity than the fourth finger, which is used by
many in the ring.) The fourth and little fingers grip the valve casing underneath the
third slide. I feel this gives a more confident grip when the slide is extended than the
common habit of placing the fourth finger on top of the slide, on the far edge of the ring.
When I switched to this grip it took a period of time for the fingers to stretch and
become accustomed to it, so expect this. If your hand cramps up, switch back and forth \ )
between your old grip and the new one to ease the transition. One bad habit to
eliminate is letting the forefinger rest on top of the bell, where it can interfere with bell
resonance. . J
". \
THE RIGHT HAND

The right hand operates the valves only! It shouldn't carry any of the weight of the
trumpet (except when inserting mutes or turning pages with the left hand). Therefore
you want to maintain a hand position which gives you the greatest dexterity for your
three valve fingers, while discouraging any carrying of the weight.
....:... :..::\
B-H-A-S-S l-A-C-l-I-C-S 19
The most important point is to get your Htde finger out ofthe flngfThe mobility of your
fourth (or third valve) finger is connected to the little finger. To illustrate this: place your
four fingertips on a tabletop. Now tl)' lifting your fourth (third valve) finger rapidly as if
trilling, while keeping the little finger on the table. Repeat the exercise with your little
finger floating in the air. This is much faster because the little finger can now move
sympathetically with the third and is not restricting its movement. The same principle
holds true with the ring. Let the little finger float in the air above the ring, inserting it
only when using the left hand for mutes or page turning. This will increase the speed of
your third finger measurably.
The tip of your thumb should ideally be lightly touching the first valve casing or the
lead pipe, not wrapped around it. This contributes to a relaxed hand with increased
finger dexterity, and discourages the bearing of weight by the right hand.
Your valve fingers should be curved, and the tips should be on the valve caps, not the
fleshy first joint, and definitely not the second or third joints. Picture holding a baseball
in your right hand.
Your fingers must snap up and down regardless of the tempo. This makes all your
articulations, tongued or slurred, much cleaner. Observe your fingers while fingering
(not blowing) a passage.
REMEMBER:
Your fingers should move from one valve combination to the next
with the same speed, whether the two notes are 32nd notes or
whole notes.
Is ALL THIS REALLY NECESSARY?

Many players ignore finger development, thinking, perhaps, that the fingers enjoy much
more natural dexterity than our lips, as we use them for so many other things. While this
may be true, advanced trumpet playing requires attention to all details, not the least of
which is quick, facile valve fingers. Just as proper posture will give you the best possible
breath control, proper hand positions will help you achieve excellent finger dexterity,
which will improve all aspects of your playing.
2.0 C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·O·R·N
LIPS
ur lips, that fragile bit of tissue necessary for eating, loving, smoking, and brass
O playing, are the crucial link between our bodies and our instrument. Nature surely
did not design them to withstand the daily onslaught that brass playing puts them
through. Yet survive they do, and in the hands of many fine brass players they even
thrive.
NICE CHOPS
Your lips, once formed to play an instrument, become your embouchure (or chops). On
a brass instrument they must not only be able to endure a piece of hard metal pressed
against them, but they also must be able to produce the essential vibrations that create
the sound. Everything we do to produce and control the sound is an action to control
the vibration of the lips. Simple, no?
Well, no. Show me a brass player who doesn't complain about their chops from time to
time, and I'll show you a player with low standards. (Incldentally, Ioften say that this is
the quickest path to playing satisfaction: lower your standards. Unfortunately, for this
plan to work you also must convince the listeners to lower theirs.) We all suffer good
days and bad days, and the embouchure usually gets the blame.
HIGHER, LOUDER,FASTER!
Much of the time, 'chop problems' have to do with the high range. To produce a given
pitch your lips must vibrate at a specific frequency, or speed. Higher notes require faster
lip frequencies. It is in the quest to make the lips vibrate faster (to play higher notes) that
bad habits often form at the embouchure.
SMILE!
In earlier days, brass players were taught to ascend by stretching the lips back as in a
smile. This works, but only to a point. As an example: stretch a rubber band and pluck
it and you hear a pitch. Stretch it tighter and the pitch goes up. Stretch it too tight and
it breaks. Your lip is subject to the same limits. It will (hopefully) not break, but it will
cease to vibrate once stretched too much. And that point will occur much lower in your
range than modem day music requires. Endurance will also suffer greatly. Stretching
the lip thins it out, and makes it more vulnerable to another deadly sin:
B·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S 2.1
PRESSURE
Pressing the mouthpiece against the lips causes them to vibrate faster, thus playing
higher notes. Unfortunately, too much pressure causes them to bruise and blister, taking
away much of the enjoyment of playing a brass instrument. (And often listening to one.)
Now mind you, there is pressure on the embouchure when playing. Pressure increases
with higher notes. I will add my voice to the chorus that states that no-pressure systems
are shams that have no place in the real world of playing. (After hearing Arturo
Sandoval playa huge double-C at a clinic recently, he was asked if he used pressure to
play that note. His reply: "You bet I did! If you can play that note without pressure, I
want to hear it right now!") The goal is to avoid using excess_pressure, and not to rely
on it for your high notes. The minimum pressure that is actually required to play is just
enough to maintain a seal between the mouthpiece and your lips, so that air doesn't leak
out under the rim. Any more pressure than this must be counter-balanced by muscular
tension in the embouchure.
PUCKER UP!
The puckered embouchure is the opposite of a smile. Pucker is not a completely
accurate term, as the lips are not pouted forward as if to receive a kiss. They are still
rolled inwards, as when saying the letter 'M'. The entire embouchure area contracts
forwards toward the rim of the mouthpiece, as if to grip it. The mouthcomers tighten
down firmly, though not rigidly, against the sides of the teeth. This forms them into a
natural pucker, which acts as a cushion between the mouthpiece and your teeth, the
better to counteract the pressure from the mouthpiece. It allows the lips to continue
vibrating further up into the range. As your tongue and jaw move during playing, your
facial muscles are also constantly moving, adjusting your lips so that they can continue to
vibrate on the airstream that is being sent through them.
In addition, your facial muscles compress your lips together. This compression will help
create the faster vibrations, as long as the air pressure being delivered from the lungs is
increased to overcome the added resistance ofthe compressed lips.
2.2. C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
CO-ORDINATION IS THE KEY

The action of your lips and your lungs are entwined together. They must work in unison
or you will not get the results you are looking for. When they are co-ordinated, all of a
sudden playing gets easier. If you watch a great player playa high note, you will
probably see a high degree of muscular effort. (Although with some players, the exertion
is not that evident to the observer.) But the muscles are working together, they are not
straining against each other. This is an important distinction: playing a brass instrument
is an act ofphysical exertion, but it is not about straining. If you feel you are straining,
and the note does not sound easy and relaxed, then you have conflict in your playing
that must be addressed.
You WANT ME TO PUT THIS WHERE?

The subject of mouthpiece placement has received much attention. You will find
reputable sources who recommend a vertical placement of SO/SO top and bottom lip,
others who say 2/3 on the top, and still others who recommend 2/3 bottom. Who to
believe? I feel the truth was spoken concisely by Arban in an early edition: "There is no
absolute rule for the position of the mouthpiece on the lips, for this depends on the
shape of the mouth and the evenness of the teeth." (Mind you, Arban later stated that
he personally thought that 2/3 on the bottom was best. Oh well.) There is a consensus
that extreme deviation from the center is probably to be avoided, but there are lots of
stories of exceptions, including players who could play anywhere on the embouchure
from one side to the other. Common sense rules here: place the mouthpiece where it is
most comfortable and sounds the best, and then forget it.
Do YOU SEE RED?

The one rule of mouthpiece placement that applies to everybody is: don't place the rim
on the red of the lips. This membrane will not vibrate or endure the punishment dished
out by brass playing. Playing 'on the red' will cause problems in range, sound, and
endurance.
If you posses this habit you must change your placement. This is never easy, but the
rewards will be worthwhile in this case. Any embouchure change should be done under
the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher. If this is impossible, look in a mirror to assist
you in placing the mouthpiece on the white of the lips, and start offslow. Play simple
lines at first, as if starting on the instrument allover, to gently teach yourself the new
placement, and to work on the vibrations of the lip. Don't push for high range too fast.
Though changing an embouchure is a process that takes time, in this case you are
replacing a very detrimental habit, and you will likely notice improvements in some
aspects of your playing very quickly. Other aspects may take a little longer, but
eventually everything will be improved.
REMEMBER
The 'P' words:
Perseverance and Patience.
You LOOK MAAVELOUS, DARLING

The worst thing you can do is change your mouthpiece setting because you think it
doesn't look right. Very few individuals really look good when playing a brass
instrument, and even fewer look alike. Look at pictures of great players' embouchures
and you will see a huge variation in the way they look, including off-center placement,
scrunched up faces etc. So don't worry about that. All that matters is that your lips
vibrate to make sound. Whatever facial contortions are necessary to produce a good
sound must be accepted. If you are overly concerned about how you look when playing,
get a haircut and trendy glasses. Or take up guitar.
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT

The bottom line is this: an embouchure placement that is working reasonably well, is
not on the red of the lips, and is not extreme in anyone direction should probably be left
alone. A beginning player should place the mouthpiece in the approximate center of the
lips, and let the structure of the teeth naturally shift the mouthpiece to where it is most
comfortable. If you are currently playing with any reasonable degree of success, you
should be loath to consider changing your mouthpiece placement. If you do, make sure
you know why you are doing it. If there is a real problem a change may help, but a
change of placement usually involves starting over from scratch, and benefits will have to
be weighed against drawbacks. It is probably better to stick with what you're using, and
work on all the other aspects of playing to improve your embouchure response. Note
that this doesn't mean you must be rigid in maintaining your current placement. If it
shifts naturally in the pursuit of better sound, so be it. Concentrate on air and sound,
and the mouthpiece will naturally gravitate to where it can vibrate the best.
2.4 C . H. A . S• E S . A . N . B . 0 . R. N
WETORDRv?
While wet and dry embouchures are both used by fine players, dry are in the minority.
Given a choice, wet is preferable. A wet embouchure helps the mouthpiece find the best
placement, while a dry one may grab the mouthpiece and make it stick where it is first
placed. A player who is used to playing dry, however, may feel that the mouthpiece is
sliding allover lips that are wet. So when starting players out on the instrument, have
them play wet. If you are using a dry embouchure currently and it doesn't seem to be
causing any problems, don't worry about it. Experiment if you like, but don't feel that it
is absolutely necessary to change.
PUFFED CHEEKS (GILLESPIE POUCHES)

The most famous practitioner of puffed-cheek trumpet playing was, of course, Dizzy
Gillespie. In the later stages of his life not only his cheeks puffed out but his whole face
and neck as well. The weakening of the muscles which resulted in this has been termed
by the medical profession as Gillespie Pouches. While this obviously worked for Dizzy
I i
(Manny Klein once remarked that "We should all have such bad embouchures!"), he is
the exception. In general, puffing out the cheeks, neck, or lips indicates incorrect or
incomplete development of the facial and embouchure muscles, and is to be avoided.
After all, any air that is pushing against the cheeks is air that is not being delivered to
the lips. Air under the lips can interfere with efficient mouthpiece placement, and
decreases vibrating activity.
To COlTect these blowing/muscular problems, strive to develop the strength of the facial
muscles through long sustained 'endurance' type exercises. Keep the mouth comers
snug against the teeth. Practice blowing exercises away from the hom to work on
delivering your airsteam in a directed path through the lips and on out. (See BREATHING
ExERCISES)
FACIAL HAIR & CLOSE SHAVES

I would leave this choice up to your girlfriend or wife. It doesn't seem to affect playing,
based on the large number of great players with and without beards and moustaches. (If
you are female, with any luck you won't be faced with this decision.) Being beardless as
I am, I do find that I don't like to go more than a half a day between shaving and
playing, as the stubble irritates my lips.
B·A·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C,S
I must admit that this need to be close-shaven may be psychological, as the following
anecdote would seem to suggest: I have been known to keep an electric razor in the
theatre pit for last minute touch-ups. (This also sets up a great gag: holding the razor
near the microphone during the sound check. Sound techs love this kind of humor.)
Anyway, one Christmas, trombonist AI Kay returned to me the blades from my razor.
They had been removed months earlier, and all the brass players (who were in on the
joke) had been watching me 'shave' away, night after night.
THINK SOUND AND AIR, NOT CHOPS

Often, too much focus is put on the embouchure; how it looks, where the mouthpiece is
placed, what you do with it to play high etc. This doesn't always do much good.
In fact, we don't even have control over the vibrating area itself. The manipulation of the
embouchure is controlled by the muscles surrounding the mouth, and the facial muscles
connected to them.
We can't always accurately identify for ourselves, let alone describe to someone else,
exactly what is going on when we play. Much of what is done at the embouchure is
done at a sub-conscious level. We should take a fair bit of the time and energy that we
spend focusing on our lips, and devote it to developing the processes that will facilitate
the sub-conscious, and let it make some of the decisions about the muscular action. This
process is simply to hear the note before playing it, and strive to reproduce the sound
that you hear in your head.
The function of the embouchure is to anchor the mouthpiece, and to form the lips into a
position that will allow them to vibrate, not to cause them to vibrate. The vibration is
caused by the air as it moves past them. That means that the vibrations are created and
.controlled by your air, not your chops. If you are having embouchure difficulties, look
first to your air and make sure that it is moving freely, and with control over its velocity.
(See BREATHING.)
In the end, the only thing that matters is the sound you produce. There are many
different ways to play. If you put the mouthpiece to your nose and playa great double-
C, that's fantastic. (Though potentially messy.) Make sure you have a strong mental
image of the way you want the note to sound in your head before you play, send forth
the air, and let your lips do what they must to make that sound.
C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·O·R·N
Remember
If it feels good and sounds good, it's right.
FURTHER STUDY:
It is very difficult to describe in a book what an embouchure should look or feel like.
Pedal tones and mouthpiece buzzing are excellent for developing a correct embouchure
formation. Studying with a good teacher is invaluable.
Photographs of various professional embouchures are found in Philip Farkas' book,

'The Art OfBrass Playing: and other publications. Descriptions of embouchure action
can be found in many different methods, but heed the earlier advice that conflicting
theories abound, and each is usually presented as absolute fact.
Ie j
B·R·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C·S
WARMING UP
WHY WARM UP?
."" hough the answer to. this seems to lie in the realm of common sense, I have heard
\,/ fine trumpet players put forth theories which play down the positive aspects of a
regular warm up. Though some players may in fact find that they can perform well
without much warm up, I think they do students a disservice to suggest that a warm up
is not desirable. No one debates whether it is beneficial to an athlete to warm up before
a competition. It is ridiculous to suggest that high-jumpers show up three minutes before
the event, take off their track suits and charge the bar. Yet I have seen this approach
suggested for trumpet players. Reasons given for suggesting little or no warm up
include:
"You WIll hecome addicted to it and he unahle to play WIthout It. "
"] don't have time to warm up hefore the gig, so ] need to he used to performing
WIthout It. "
'7 am so depressed hy the sound] make first thing in the day that It puts me in a
negative headspace to warm up. "(This is the most creative. I read this attributed to
one of the finest trumpet players playing today.)
I have two opinions about warming-up. First, I feel that different players need varying
degrees of warm up, and that all players vary daily with respect to this need. Some days
you pick up the horn and everything is working right within a few minutes. On other
days everything feels rotten no matter what you do. Sometimes players will vary their
warm up with the variations in their chops, warming up more on the 'bad days'. The
problem with this is that we don't know what to do to feel better. We don't know how to
turn a bad day into a good day, because the good days just seem to 'happen'. But if we
warm up up the same way on all days, there is a point of reference. We have played the
same exercise with good chops, so we have something familiar to strive for when our
chops are not feeling so good. This contributes to developing consistency. Playing the
same routine at the start of each day also helps to channel our mental energies into the
task at hand, and focus us on our playing.
Secondly, starting with the first note I play in a day, I am striving for great sound, and
overall musicality at all times. I can not really say when my warm up ends and practicing
starts. It's all practicing. As I warm up, I strive to co-ordinate all the physical elements
of playing, and get them all working towards the end goal: music.
How TO WARM UP?

There are almost as many warm ups as there are players. I recommend that you try out
different approaches to see what works best for you. Almost every method book will
describe some form of warm up. You will find a description of my warm up in the
section on ROUTINES.
HEAR THE SOUND FIRST.

I believe that trying to reproduce a sound that you hear in your head will lead you most
efficiently to the proper manipulation of the physical elements involved in playing. As
the famed tuba player and teacher Arnold Jacobs describes it, you have two instruments,
one in your head and one in your hand. The one in your head is a collection of all the
great trumpet sounds you have ever heard or imagined. You must strive to make the
trumpet in your hand sound like the one in your head. You should harness the power of
your subconscious by taking a moment to visualize the sound you want to make before
putting the mouthpiece to your lips. Then try to make the first note, and all that follow,
sound like the notes you hear in your head.
BLOW
After focusing my brain on what I want to hear, the thing I am concentrating on most
when first picking up the hom is my air. I want to feel the air cycling in and out of my
body, oxygenating my lungs and chops. The low and pedal registers use more air than
anywhere else on the hom, and thus are excellent for warm ups.
'j
MVWARMUP
In designing my warm up, I aimed to meet several criteria. A warm up is not for the lips
only. It should focus on all the elements of playing: brain, air, embouchure, tongue and
fingers, and get them all working together to produce the best sound possible. It should
be as rapid as possible. It should cover the entire range of the hom. Finally, it should ".'r~"?
utilize some practice techniques that need to be encompassed in a full practice routine
anyway, so as to make the most efficient use of time. To satisfy this criteria, my complete
warm up is in two parts, takes about 20 minutes, and utilizes pedal tones, mouthpiece
buzzing, and finger exercises, which are extensively discussed in the next few chapters.
Before moving on, I want to emphasize once again that these routines are not just to get
the chops working before the real work begins. They are a part of a total practice .' .
routine, which happens to begin in an intelligent and muscle-friendly manner.
B-R-A-S-S l-A-C-l-I-C-S 29
PEDAL TONES
7 he playing of pedal tones, that is, notes below F# at the bottom of the hom, was
V once a neglected topic in most methods. Now it is common to find methods that
use them, and several celebrated chop-building systems build high range by working up
from the pedal register.
I have never met anyone who, after developing pedal tones properly, did not feel that it
improved his or her overall trumpet playing. This does not mean that there are not fine
trumpet players who don't use pedals, just that they seem universally beneficial to those
who do.
Some of the advantages of correctly practicing pedal tones include.:
Improved response
Bigger, more full bodied sound
Improved use of air
More confidence
Better control
Better high range
Better endurance
Open throat
Correct embouchure formation
THE USE OF PEDAL TONES

There are many incorrect ways to play pedal tones. To achieve real value from the
playing of the extreme low range, pedal tones must be an extension of your regular
playing range. They are a foundation upon which to build all the rest of your playing.
They must, however, be played properly to reap all the benefits. Hearing someone play
pedal tones is invaluable for understanding what they sound like, and how to play them.
Search out a teacher who uses pedals and can demonstrate them. Methods produced by
Arturo Sandoval and Clyde Hunt both include recordings of the authors playing in the
pedal register.
AIR
The greatest contributing factor to playing the pedal tones is lots of air. As you play into
this register, take long full breaths. Fill your lungs to capacity for each phrase, and play
to the end of your breath. Follow immediately with another big inhalation. You should
be conscious of air cycling in and out of your lungs in great quantities. This is one
reason why pedals are so beneficial in the warm up; they get you focused on breathing
right off the bat.
EMBOUCHURE
You must play the pedals with a similar embouchure setting to the rest of your range.
Pushing the mouthpiece way up on your top lip and playing extremely low tones is not
what we are after here. Your lips will have to be puckered forward and relaxed enough
to vibrate slowly, but your mouth comers should remain firm. Some manipulation of
your chops and mouthpiece is likely necessary, especially on pedal C and lower, but you
must connect the pedals to the rest of the hom, by using an embouchure that is a logical
extension of your normal low-range setting.
This is a crucial aspect of your success with pedal tones: You must be able to descend
into the pedal register or start there, and travel into the upper register without removing
or resetting your mouthpiece. For this reason, as we develop the pedal register, we
extend our reach down gradually, always playing into the normal range on the same
embouchure, and on one breath.
PEDAL REGISTERS & PEDAL EXERCISES

There are three identifiable ranges in the pedal register: pedal F down to C#, pedal C
down to G, and then pedal G and below as far as you care to go. Each range feels
distinctly different on your chops. The pedal exercises immediately following this
chapter are designed to familiarize you with the pedal tones, and then the WARM UP
ROUTINE will expand upon them, and connect them to the upper registers.
F-C#
The first pedals are the notes immediately below F#. We will start by playing pedal F,
a half-step below low F#, to get the feel of playing below the range of the hom. To play
this note initially, take a huge breath, and slur down chromatically from low C to F#.
Play these notes with full volume and maximum resonance. While holding the F# with
1,2,3 fingering, bend the pitch down with your air one half-step to F, without changing
the fingering. (EXERCISE #1) This should not be hard to do.
31
When you can bend the pitch down and hold it on an F, repeat the same exercise, but
change to first valve for the F. (EXERCISE #2) You should not have to change your
embouchure much to slur from the F# to the F, but there is a definite feeling in your
chops when leaving the range of the horn, a sensation that you have to blow a bit harder
to produce these notes.
When the F is sounding OK with first valve, try descending chromatically down to C#,
using the fingerings of an octave above. (EXERCISE #3) Strive for the same fullness of
tone that you get in the normal low register. The slots do not exist for each pitch when
playing the pedal notes as they do for notes in the normal playing range, but it is
possible to play them with much of the same resonance and power.
PEDALC
Things get tougher at this point. This is the elusive note that has driven so many of my
students crazy. On the trumpet, pedal C simply resists your efforts to play it. (An
interesting phenomenon to note is that this note plays quite easily on the flugelhorn,
because of the difference in bore.)
None-the-less, play it you must if you are to reap maximum benefit from the pedal
register. It must be played open (no valves) to get the proper feel. Don't be tempted to
play it 1,2,3 as on the C# and bend the pitch down. This is easier, but does not
accomplish what we want. Playing the pedal register is a case of mind-over-trumpet,
using our air and lips to make the trumpet play the notes we hear. This conquering of
the instrument contributes to confidence in our overall playing. Louis Maggio said:
"Play the trumpet, or it Will play you."
Despite valiant efforts, for many players this note still refuses to sound, initially. The
best approach to developing a reluctant pedal C is found in the Maggio book. He
advises you to let the pitch drop down below the C to wherever you can get a sound
again. (For most people, this is somewhere around pedal G.) Play this note, and pull
the pitch higher by bloWing the air faster. (EXERCISE #4) Do not blow past the point
where the pitch flips up, stay just below it, always tugging up on the note. Have
patience, it will come in time. As mentioned before, try to hear someone play this note,
in person or on a recording, so you know what you are after. (Considering the ugly
sound of this note, even when played well, it is somewhat humorous to observe the
excitement in students when they play their first good pedal C.) The extreme registers
on the trumpet are hard-won, and you are justified in feeling a sense of accomplishment
when reaching a new note, high or low!
When you can successfully pull the pitch up to the C, tongue an arpeggio from low C
down to pedal C, accenting each note. Attempt to attack the note several times and then
hold it. (EXERCISE #5)
C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
PEDAL C TO G
All the notes from pedal C down to pedal G are played with the same embouchure
feeling as the open pedal C. ([his may be good news or bad, depending on how your
C is coming!) These are the hardest pedal notes to play, but they do the most good for
developing your control over this register, and all the rest of your range as well. Stick
with it!
AND DOWN WE Go
Below this point the notes become easier for most people to play. My routine goes down
to G below pedal C. Some methods advocate going much lower than this, and I agree
that there are advantages to be gained by going lower, but in the interest of time, I feel
that we can reap most of the benefits if we reach the first pedal G with good solid
sound. For those with lots of time, bombs away! If you can play pedal tones with full
sound, and travel up into the regular regist~r without resetting your chops, you may rest
assured that you are building on a strong fouq.dation. All your playing will be enhanced.
FINGERING , . '\
You will find that playing the pedals is more a function of your air and lips than your
valves, and that most pedal notes can be played with numerous valve combinations.
Initially I recommend that you use the same fingerings as an octave above, for simplicity
and to help you keep track of where you are. When you have good command of the
pedal register, you may wish to experiment with other fingerings to see if they provide a ( J
more resonant sound.
As an example, I have found some increased sound by fingering the first group of notes,
from F down to C# as if they were one half-step lower. Thus F is 1&2, E is 2&3 etc.
C# must still be 1,2,3. Further, sometimes I play the notes from pedal C down to G all
open. (See chart.) The lower you go, the less difference the fingering makes. You can '.1
experiment on your own ....
.. .. HOWEVER .....
.... the one note that cannot be changed is pedal C. It must be played open!
33
REMEMBER
When playing pedal notes, it is the process that counts, not the
end result. Strive for the correct pitches, but don't worry if they
don't come immediately.
FURTHER STUDY
s
Claude Gordon Systematic Approach is probably the single most comprehensive
system built on pedal tones, containing 52 different lessons for a full year (or ten) of
study. All lessons follow the same pattern: descending into the pedal register, and then
ascending from the pedals as high as possible, to double C and beyond. (He also refers
you to other methods i.e. Arban's and Clarke's for work on tonguing etc.)
Another well known pedals method is The Original Louis Maggio System for Brass,
written by former student Carlton MacBeth. Both of these methods have produced
students with phenomenal range and power. In addition, the aforementioned methods
by Arturo Sandoval and Clyde Hunt work on pedals and include recordings by the
authors.
PEDAL TONE DEVELOPMENT
Pedal tones from pedal F down to double pedal C (Upper octave shown for reference)
Notes may be fingered as an octave above, or try alternate fingering shown.
~ q
1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 a
#
2 3 3 2 2 0 1 2 1
3 3 2 3 3 0
Exercise 1 1
2
3
~ = Bend this note down

11& with your air.
1
Exercise 2 2
3
\ )
1
Exercise 3 1
2
2
3
1
3
2
3
Exercise 4
0----
Play any pitch below pedal C, and pull

_ - - - 0" up on the pitch by blowing your air
faster. Aim for pedal C, but stay below
Exercise 5 the point where the pitch 'flips up'. The
C will come with time.
0-----
J II
34
35
BUZZING
V uzzing is the term applied to playing the mouthpiece alone, or just buzzing the
~ lips alone. The subject of buzzing, with or without the mouthpiece, is subject to
some differing opinions. (Like everything else in the brass world.) There are those who
say you don't perform on the mouthpiece, so why should you practice on it? At the
other end of the spectrum are those who feel you should be able to buzz complete tunes
on your lips alone.
My own opinion is that your embouchure is not formed until you place a mouthpiece
rim on your lips. Thus buzzing your lips alone does not replicate the sensation of
playing the instrument. Therefore, I do not use or teach it as a technique. Buzzing on
the mouthpiece, however, can do wonders for your consistency, range, sound, and pitch
awareness, and I enthusiastically recommend it as part of your daily practice.
BENEFITS OF REGULAR MOUTHPIECE PRACTICE:

It allows you to concentrate on the air and the lip vibrations, without some of the
variables associated with playing the hom, i.e. backpressure, room acoustics, different
instruments etc. The more you become aware that your instrument is really your
body, not your trumpet, the better off you will be.
Forcing yourself to hear the pitch and reproduce it, without the aid of the instrument,
improves your ear, and will help you to center your tones when playing the trumpet.
The mouthpiece doesn't lie. A good controlled buzz on the mouthpiece will produce
a great note on the trumpet.
The embouchure adopts a correct formation more naturally on the mouthpiece alone
than when playing the trumpet. This allows you to avoid or eliminate bad habits.
Practicing regularly on the mouthpiece will allow you to warm up more efficiently on
those occasions when you cannot use the hom, i.e. in the car on the way to the gig.
WHAT SHOULD I BUzz?

Mouthpiece buzzing can be a great warm up routine. For beginners I simply
recommend buzzing simple tunes like nursery rhymes. (National anthems often make a
great buzzing exercise.) It is important to let the ears drive the chops, encouraging them
to play the notes we are hearing in our head. Even if the resulting melody is something
(or entirely) different than we are striving for, the workout of the chops is still excellent.
Other techniques that work well with early students are to imitate sirens, or animal
sounds.
My ROUTINE
The mouthpiece routine that I use employs simple arpeggios to eventually develop range
on the mouthpiece from the pedal register to your top notes. Added to the notes of the
arpeggio is a smooth gliss between the tonic notes, like a siren. This is a great analytical
tool for finding 'glitches' in the chop response, or breaks in the transition between
registers. (See BUZZING ROUTINE)
B.E.R.P. (EXCUSE ME!)

The B.E.R.P. is a brand name for an adapter that allows you to buzz your mouthpiece
while holding it in your trumpet. There are a number of variations around, but all
accomplish the same thing: setting up your body to play the mouthpiece the same way as
when you play the trumpet. I recommend their use. Holding the trumpet seems to make
the whole exercise seem more pertinent to actual playing. You should finger the notes as
you play them, although the valves will not affect the sound, as no air goes through the
instrument. This will help you practice co-ordinating the change of pitch with the )
change of fingering. If playing the mouthpiece without an adapter, you should hold it .
with two hands, to imitate as closely as possible the posture when playing the trumpet.
PAY ATTENTION!
As with all elements of practice, you will get much more out of buzzing if you
concentrate while doing it. Try to make the pitches as accurate as possible, and the
sound as beautiful as you can. Observe all posture and airflow concepts. If you can get
the mouthpiece sounding good your horn will sound great!
FURTHER STUDY
Probably the most well known and elaborate mouthpiece routine is the method designed
by James Stamp, and used by many well-known trumpeters. Another excellent
mouthpiece routine can be found in a book called' The First Trumpeter: by Jimmy
Maxwell.
B-R-A-S-S l-A-C-l-I-C-S
37
SOUND PRODUCTION
11 ~en Philip Farkas was asked what was the most difficult thing about playing the
W French Hom, he replied that it was the fact that he had to practice the basics all
over again every day, in order to play at a professional level. This is true of all the brass
instruments. And it seems that the more advanced the player, the more important the
basics become.
WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
The first thing any beginning brass player must learn is how to produce a sound on the
instrument. From that day on, producing sound each day will be a combination of
torment and delight. (To hope for a 50/50 split would be unflappable optimism.) In
order to make a sound on a brass instrument we must set a part of our body into
vibration, and maintain and control that vibration. This is what makes our instruments
so difficult, and on occasion, so satisfying, to play.
WHAT DO YOU PRACTICE?

Often, when great players are asked what they practice, the reply is something like:
"Oh, the usual: lip slurs, long tones, tonguing." These are the basics, the techniques
that improve our ability to produce and control the sound on the instrument. And they
must be re-Ieamed every day, even after one has achieved tremendous success as a
player.
SOUND PRODUCTION ROUTINE

I define sound production as the ability to start a note cleanly with any articulation, to
maintain a pure steady tone at any dynamic, to play in tune, to move smoothly between
notes, and to have control over sound characteristics such as timbre, vibrato etc.
I have gathered the types of exercises that I find to be most beneficial to work on the
elements of sound production, and I have combined them into an efficient routine,
which I call the SOUND PRODUCTION ROUTINE. This routine is comprised of four different
exercises: Rexibllities, attacks, note bending, and long tones. These are techniques that
are integral to the development of sound and control. They improve your ability to start
a note cleanly and on pitch, to control the subsequent tone and dynamic of the note, and
to move smoothly from one note to another.
Because these techniques affect all other aspects of playing, the most beneficial use of
this routine will be to play it every day, during the first hour of practice. This assumes
the availability of at least two hours of practice time daily. For players with less time to
devote, it may be performed every other or third day, alternating with technical and
musical workouts. As with all elements of practicing, concentration must be applied
throughout. Focus on what you are trying to achieve with each exercise, and make a
beautiful sound at all times.
The following chapters will deal with the practice techniques that make up my SOUND
PRODUCTION ROUTINE. Further specifics will be found in the section on ROUTINES.
B·R·A·S·S I·A·C·I·I·C·S
39
FLEXIBILITY
~lexibility is the underlying technique in many different brass instrument exercises. I
iT have had students show me 90 minute exercise routines that consisted of almost
nothing but flexibility. While it is possible to have too much of a good thing, doing some
regular flexibilities is healthy for all brass players.
UP AND DOWN AND UP AND DOWN AND ...... .

Flexibility on a brass instrument is just what it sounds like: the ability to move
throughout the various registers in a fluid, elastic manner. Though this naturally comes
into play whether tonguing or slurring, most of what we think of as 'flexibility exercises'
are slurred. Typically they maintain one valve combination throughout the line, slurring
up and down from one partial to the next. Each line is performed in seven keys, utilizing
each valve combination. As the exercises progress in difficulty, the lines are expanded
up and down one note in each direction, so that the line grows in a spider web fashion,
encompassmg more range.
AND UP?
Flexibilities can be used to expand range, but I do not usually use them for this in my
routine. I suggest that the upper note of a line be kept within your comfortable, playing
range. Straining for the top notes in the line seems to inhibit the smooth flow between
the notes in the rest of the line.
BLOW THROUGH THE LINE

A flexibility exercise might be termed a study in air flow. You should feel that you are
blowing a continuous stream of air throughout the line, increasing the speed as you go
up, and decreasing it as you go down. Allow a natural crescendo to accompany the
ascending lines, and relax going down. Strive to change pitch not with your lips, but by
controlling your air velocity. Flexibilities are excellent for identifYing and working to
eliminate mouthcomer stretching to ascend (smiling). Watch in a mirror. Keep your
mouth comers tucked in to your teeth, and blow faster to go up, slower to go down.
AA-OO-EE-OO-AA
The tongue arch level helps a great deal in controlling the air speed. Use a lower
position (AA) for lower notes, and arch up (OO-EE) as you ascend. More on tongue
levels will be found in THE TONGUE.
~<:> C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·O·R·N
LIP TRILLS & SHAKES

A lip trill is a study in flexibility. It is simply the rapid slurring back and forth between
adjacent notes with the same fingering. Despite the name, it is produced mainly by
manipulating the air with rapid tongue arch level changes, as you might do if whistling.
(See THE TONGUE and BREATHING)
To work on lip trills, play softly. Find the break point between two adjacent partials,
and slur back and forth between them, staying close to either side of the break. Use little
or no embouchure manipulation to change pitch, just your tongue.
A lip trill played in a wide or broad manner produces the shake (Sometimes the
shakes!) It is used mostly in big band style playing. To learn more about lip trills and
shakes, see ORNAMENTS.
FURTHER STUDY:
)
The flexibility exercises printed in this book are typical of those found in most other
methods. The most well known book of flexibility exercises is Advanced Lip
Hexibllities, by Charles Coliri. It is a compilation of three earlier volumes, and is an
exhaustive study of these techniques. Another widely used book of flexibility studies is
Lip Hexibih'ty on the Trumpet or Cornet by Walter M. Smith. You will also find \ ·o,J
flexibility exercises in most brass methods.
\ J
".A
B·A·A·S,S l·A·C·l·I·C·S 41
ATTACKS
/ h i s section deals with the initial sound that is produced after the mouthpiece is
V placed on the lips. Commonly called the attack, it is more accurately described as
a release.
PLEASE RELEASE IT, LET IT GO

The term attack to describe the start of a note has an aggressive sound to it. In fact, to
start a note we release the air into (and through) the horn. Vincent Chicowicz compares
the start of a trumpet note to a bow being pulled across the strings of a violin, rather
than to the hitting of a vibraphone, to describe this smooth flow of sound out of the
horn. From the start of a note the air should flow freely, as if you were to take the
mouthpiece off your lips and blow into the air.
No DELAY
Many players are in the habit of holding in the air for a split second before playing the
first note. Some students have strongly defended this habit to me. It seems to impart to
them a sense of confidence; a chance to 'set' everything before committing to the flow of
aIr.
This 'bottling up' of the air creates two problems. One, as soon as you finish inhaling,
any delay of the exhalation creates tension in your body, especially your throat. Two, it
leads to explosive releases. Both of these can be easily demonstrated by the following
exerCIse:
EXERCISE
While speaking normally, pause at the end of each inhalation before continuing, and
hold your breath. Notice the immediate build up of tension in your chest and throat.
This is because you are defeating the body's natural inclination to follow each inhalation
with an exhalation and vice-versa. If you fill with air and relax, you will immediately
exhale. You have to use muscles to keep it in. That muscular action causes tension.
When you resume speaking again notice the little 'bump' in your voice as the initial
build-up of air is released. No matter how short you make the pauses, the tension build-
up and small explosive release will take place.
A release should follow your inhalation with no delay. You must time your inhalation so
that the start of the note occurs immediately following it. There is an analogy that I like
to use to illustrate this principle:
42. c· H ·A· s· E S·A· N· B· o· R· N
THE GOLFER
A golfer brings the club back over her head and immediately starts the swing down.
Were she to stop at the top and 'brace herself for the swing, it would upset the flow of
energy she is releasing into the ball.
Your inhalation and exhalation are one connected activity. Use your inhalation to
'gather steam' for the exhalation, and release it immediately following. Remember that
we are trying to make breathing while playing as similar to natural everyday breathing as
possible.
BREATH ATTACKS
A breath attack is a tone that is started with the air alone, without any help from the
tongue. Practicing breath attacks can help in improving tone and lip response, which
will improve your regular tongued attacks as well. Done properly, they will expose
inefficiency in your embouchure, and any throat tension that exists.
To improve lip response, breath attacks should be performed softly. Don't give in to the
temptation to play them loud in order to make the note sound more easily. This can
mask problems in your embouchure and throat. Inhale normally in a relaxed fashion,
and immediately exhale lightly into the hom, giving a little push on the air from the
breathing muscles. Place your hand on your stomach and whisper "Hey!" Do you feel
the light snap of your breathing muscles as they push out the air? This same action
should take place when performing a light breath attack.
The breath attack should sound like a very light tongued attack: soft but defined. If the
note doesn't come out, remove the mouthpiece, hear the note in your mind, and try
again, but no louder/Often there is a delay between the exhalation and the start of the
note. Strive to eliminate that delay, trying to make your chops 'speak' quickly. After 3-4
tries on one note, move on. Your response will improve over time. Stay out of your high
range with these, low to upper middle ranges only.
Generally we use breath attacks only as a practice technique, to develop the immediate
blowing of air and to improve lip response. There are some players, howeve~, who have
perfected them to the point that they use them in performance for soft, quiet entrances.
TONGUED ATTACKS
The tongue works in conjunction with the breathing muscles to determine the intensity
of an attack. Depending on the syllable pronounced, the speed of the tongue's
-j
backstroke, and the force of the air as it is blown, we can create a large diversity of
attacks.
43
To PRODUCE A SINGLE TONGUED ATTACK
In the creation of the attack, the tongue is acting as a valve. It helps to control the
amount and intensity of the air flowing to the lips. The tongue reaches up from the floor
of the mouth; the tip contacts the top of the upper teeth or the gums above; and it snaps
back and down from there. At the same moment, the breathing muscles send a burst of
air from the lungs. The air passes through our compressed embouchure, and Voila! A
note occurs. (Sometimes even the right note!)
If you had to consciously co-ordinate all that, you wouldn't have a prayer. Fortunately
you learned to do it when you learned to pronounce the syllable 'tu'. Like breathing,
tonguing is something we do unconsciously every day when we speak.
Variations on the tu syllable may be 'tee', 'dee', 'taa', 'daa', etc., depending on the
register, but the tongue stroke is the same for all of the variations. To clarify: The tip of
the tongue lets the air through, the back of the tongue arches up or down for the
different syllables, aa for low register, 00 and ee for higher registers. The tongue stroke is
the action of the tip pulling away from the upper gums or teeth to let the air pass
through the lips. More on this in the next chapter.
CO-ORDINATE THE ELEMENTS

SO all you have to do to improve your attacks is to concentrate on the syllable ('tu' for a
harder attack, 'du' for a softer attack, 'hoo' for a breath attack), blow a solid stream of
air, and make sure your embouchure is formed to buzz the desired pitch. If your attack:
is faulty, the problem is found in one of these three areas: air, embouchure, tongue. If
your breath attacks are sounding good, that eliminates air and embouchure from the
equation, and you can focus on the tongue syllable.
When examining your tongue stroke, make sure it is a nice clean 'tu' sound. (Perfect
your 'tu' attack before working on the softer 'du'.) Repeatedly remove the mouthpiece
from your lips and whisper 'tu' to compare the stroke. Work on your attacks one at a
time, removing the mouthpiece between each note. Listen critically to each attack. If it is
faulty, or missed, articulate the syllable and blow the air without the mouthpiece a few
times. Hear the pitch and sound in your head. Put the mouthpiece to your lips and play
the note. Be critical of your initial attack, it will affect all the notes that follow it.
NEVER MIND THE BEGINNING, HOW DOES IT END?

While much thought is given to the initial attack, often not enough attention is paid to
the tail end of a note. This is unfortunate, because this is the last thing a listener hears,
and it leaves an indelible impression.
44 c- H-A-S-E S-A-N-B-Q-R-N
The most common error is to stop the sound with the tongue. This gives a harsh, abrupt
ending to a note, i.e. 'tut'. While there are times that this may be musically appropriate,
most of the time this is just a bad habit.
The simple and logical way to end a note is to stop blowing air. That's it. This provides
a tiny, but desirable decrescendo at the end of a note. The note vanishes into the air, it
does not screech to a halt.
It is extremely important not to lose your concentration until the sound stops. Many
players seem to be thinking about the next note before finishing the one they are playing
at the moment. This can result in a loss of tone or intensity, or even a dropping of pitch
just before the critical moment of silence following a note.
REMEMBER
Don't worry about what has happened or what is to come. Make
the note you are playing now as beautiful as you can.
When a note is played with life and beauty, and ended properly, the sound of the note
is replaced by the ambient sounds of the room. These sounds seem to rush in to fill the
vacuum of silence. This indicates that the listener has been intensely focused on the
sound created by the player. Just as we want another bite of something that tastes good,
the listener wants to hear another note. Now we're communicating. Old but sage ")
advice: always leave 'em wanting more.
LET YOUR EARS SHOW YOU THE WAY

This section has dealt with some of the physical manipulations that must take place to
start a note. Though it is wise to understand and work on these individual elements of
playing, let us remind ourselves once again that the most potent tool at our disposal is
our brain. It gives us the ability to picture what we want to do before we set out to do it.
The sub-conscious mind will do everything in its power to cany out the brain's orders, if
they are focused enough.
FURTHER STUDY
Phil Smith's recording of Orchestral Excerpts on Summit records (part of their
Orchestra-Pro series) is an excellent place to hear beautifully executed attacks. Every
trumpet player should have this CD.
45
THE TONGUE
7 he subject of tonguing is a part of every trumpet method. The tongue has two
\.I main functions in brass playing: 1) It controls the intensity of the attack, or start
of a note. 2) It plays a major role in controlling the pitch of the note. Let's talk about
the second function first.
AAOOEEOOAAOOEEOOAAA!
The pitch of a note is controlled by the speed of the vibrations of the lips. The faster the
vibrations, the higher the note. To speed up or slow down the vibrations we tighten and
relax the lips (See LIPS) and vary the speed of the air that passes through them (See
BREATHING). While air speed is largely controlled by the breathing muscles, the tongue
can help out as well. When you say the syllable 'aa', the tongue is low in the mouth and
the air can travel unimpeded to the lips at whatever speed the lungs are sending it. If
you arch the middle/back of your tongue up, as when saying the syllable '00', the air is
restricted somewhat, but the air speed is increased. (Picture holding your thumb over
the end of a garden hose to spray your sister, or ex-husband.) This effect is even greater
when using the syllable 'ee', which arches the tongue up higher in the mouth.
By affecting the air speed, the tongue can be a help or hindrance when trying to play in
different ranges. Being aware of the proper usage of syllables to manipulate your tongue
arch level will greatly increase your ability to hit the pitch you want, when you want it.
In general, 'aa' is for low notes, '00' for the middle register, and 'ee' for the top register.
Of course, there are no strict guidelines for this; one person's middle range is the top for
others. It will also depend on the range covered in an individual phrase. If you have an
octave jump, for example, you might use an 'aa' tongue position on the low note, and
move to 'ee' for the top one to help make the large interval, though both notes might be
considered mid-register notes. Experimentation will be necessary on your part.
EXERCISE
The effect of syllables on pitch can be readily demonstrated with your voice. Sing a low
note with the syllable 'aa'. Slur up to a high note with the same syllable. (aa-aa) Now
try the same thing with an 'ee' syllable for the high note. (aa-ee) Now reverse it, starting
on the high note and slurring down with ee-ee, and the with an ee-aa. (You should be
sounding like a donkey at this point.) It will be obvious how much easier it is with the
change of syllable, and how much more strain is involved, especially in the throat, when
you don't change. The effect will be exactly the same when playing.
As your range increases, you will probably find that you can ascend higher without
using the extreme 'ee' tongue position. This may be good, as the lower tongue syllables
emphasize the lower partials, and can provide more resonance in the sound. On the
other hand, when playing in the very high register, a bright piercing sound is often more
appropriate than a deep resonant one. The higher tongue position will emphasise the
upper partials in your sound, giving it more edge and bite. You must always listen to
your sound, and try to make it as appropriate to the situation as you can.
CLOSED-THROAT ALERT
Be careful not to let the tongue rise so high with the 'ee' syllable that you constrict the
air in your throat. The air must at all times travel through an unconstricted throat or
tone quality will suffer greatly. Check this. (See BREATHING)
TAATOOTEETOOTAATOOTEETOOTAA!
To playa more definitive attack we use a 'T' or '0' syllable in conjunction with the
above described syllables. This gives us taa, too, tee and daa, doo, dee. The 'T' and
'0' affect the start of the note, and then the other syllables affect the air flow that follows
as described above.
PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS?
Most trumpet books recommend the syllable 'too' for beginner players to attack a note.
This makes sense, as it is the middle or compromise position for the tongue to adopt. \ }
This syllable is usually printed as 'tu'. The difference is small but discernible. 'Tu', as
the French pronounce it, provides a lighter sound, and the tongue strikes further
forward in the mouth, permitting more rapid attacks. (See ATTACKS).
You WANT ME TO PUT MY TONGUE WHERE?

To understand the action of the tongue when starting a note and where to put it, say the
syllables tu and du out loud. The action is basically the same for either: the tip of the
tongue starts with a placement behind and above the top teeth, and snaps back to
release the air with a definite burst. (This is why an attack is more accurately described
as a release.) The tongue is acting as a valve to let air pass. You will find you can say tu
or du by setting the tip of the tongue in place first (cocking the gun, so-to-speak), or you
can snap your tongue up and back in one fluid motion. Notice that when pronouncing
the 'T', the tongue snaps back faster. This produces a harder-edged attack, while the
'0' produces a softer-edged attack, and is used for legato playing.
B·A·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C·S ~~
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

A technique that used to be taught, and which is unfortunately still used by many
students, is to tongue between the teeth, rather than up and behind the top teeth.
Students were told to 'spit seeds from the tip of the tongue'. This produces an explosive
attack, and it sounds less pleasing than when the tongue strikes inside the mouth. It is
also very ungainly when multiple attacks are needed. Notice that we place our tongue
between the teeth to produce the syllable 'TH' (as in 'therapeutic 'J. This is a thicker,
woofier sound that is undesirable. If you have this habit, you will be happier in the long
run if you make the effort to change it.
HERBERT L. CLARKE
Herbert Clarke kept the tip of his tongue anchored at the bottom of his mouth at all
times, using the middle of the tongue to strike against the roof of the mouth. While this
obviously worked for him (and I have heard of it working for others), he admitted it was
unique. I feel that most players will achieve the best attacks by striking the tip of the
tongue against the roof of the mouth as described.
IF YOU'RE NOT USING IT, GET IT OUT OF THE WAY

Following the attack, many players allow the tongue to hover in the middle of the mouth
while sustaining or slurring notes. This can cause the tongue to interfere with the
smooth flow of air, and may lead to a loss of tone, inaccurate pitch, and missed notes. A
better technique to adopt is to keep the tip of the tongue behind and below the bottom
teeth whenever it is not being used for attacks. At the moment of attack it snaps up,
contacts the gum above the top teeth with a 'T' or '0' syllable, and snaps back down
again. While the tip is anchored below the bottom teeth, the rest of the tongue is free to
arch up or down depending on the register.
This method of tonguing may feel very foreign at first, but will result in the greatest
amount of tone. Diligent practice will make it second nature. The following exercise will
get you started.
EXERCISE
Practice tongue strokes in the air first, without a mouthpiece. Form your lips into a loose
embouchure. Place the tip of your tongue behind your top teeth where they meet the
gum or higher. Take a relaxed inhalation through your nose. At the moment of
exhalation whisper the syllable 'tu' and snap your tongue down behind your bottom
teeth as you sustain the sound. Practice this until it feels natural. Next, keep your tongue
behind your bottom teeth while breathing in, and snap it up to contact the upper
gumline at the moment of attack and snap it back down again. When these two actions
feel comfortable, try them on the mouthpiece and then on the hom. Practice only single
attacks until you are starting to get the sensation of tonguing this way. Listen hyper-
critically to your attacks, and let your ear guide you to the best sound.
TUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTU
The exception to the above guideline about keeping the tongue at the bottom of the
mouth occurs when playing rapid repetitive attacks. Between attacks the tongue will not
drop to the bottom of the mouth, but will hover in space inside the mouth. This reduces
the travel of the tongue and increases potential speed. As soon as the onslaught of
attacks is over, however, it drops back down to its low position, waiting to strike again,
and allowing the air to fill out the sound.
DON'T STOP BLOWING NOW!

The tongue acts as a valve, operating on the air that originates in the lungs and is sent
\ )
out by the breathing muscles. The more directed the air column, the less the valve has to
open to let a given amount of air pass. This reduces the workload on the tongue, and
serves to increase tone on each individual note. When playing a tongued passage, you
should be blowing right through the entire passage, just as if you were sustaining a
whole note. Check this by blowing in the air while fingering and tonguing the passage.
TUKU-TUKU-TUKU-TUKU-TU: DOUBLE TONGUING

No matter how fast you develop your single tonguing, sometimes it is necessary to play
much faster. To tongue more rapidly, we use a technique called double tonguing. This
introduces the syllables 'K' and 'G' (as in 'good luck'.) Say these syllables out loud and
you will find that they are produced with the back or middle of the tongue, not the tip.
'K' is a harder syllable, and 'G' is softer, but the action is similar. By alternating these
with the 'T' and 'D' syllables, i.e. T u-Ku-Tu-Ku or Du-Gu-Du-Gu, we can get two
attacks for every tongue stroke. This obviously has the potential to speed things up
enormously.
This is easier said than done, however, and lots of practice is necessary to master double
tonguing. The problem is that the 'K' and 'G' are much harder to produce, and
49
produce an inferior attack, when compared to the tongue tip attacks. The secret to really
successful double tonguing is to practice slowly until the 'K' and 'G' match the 'T' and
'K'sounds.
TUTUKU-TUTUKU-TUTUKU:TRIPLE TONGUING
By using two tu's for every ku, we get groupings of triplets. This is called triple
tonguing,
TONGUE LIKE THE WIND

The first step to learning multiple tonguing techniques is to get the tongue used to the
rhythm involved. This can be done by walking around all day whispering 'tu-ku tu-ku
tu-ku' and 'tu-tu-ku tu-tu-ku tu-tu-ku' This can be done quietly enough that no one can
hear, or can be combined with basic ventriloquism techniques to get other .students in
trouble. Try to get a smooth rhythm going at various tempos. Stick with it, as it will
eventually become quite natural.
MIND THOSE DIGITS

Often, what seems to be sloppy tonguing is actually poor co-ordination between the
tongue and the fingers. The fingers must change at exactly the moment the tongue snaps
back, otherwise the resulting sound will not have a crisp edge to it. This is also more
tiring on the chops, as there is a minute amount of backpressure if the valve is moving uP.
or down at the moment of attack.
To work on this, practice tonguing scales lightly in the air (no mouthpiece) while
fingering them on the hom. Listen for the click of the valves occurring simultaneously
with the stroke of the tongue. Any deviation will be obvious, and will interfere with
clean articulation. (See SCALES)
How TO PRACTICE MULTIPLE TONGUING

When the basic double or triple tongue action is starting to feel natural, it is time to start
practicing these techniques on the hom. It is up to you whether to start learning double
or triple first, or both simultaneously. Generally, triple tonguing seems harder to grasp at
first, but sounds better for most players since there are fewer K's in a given number of
notes.
I have two methods that I apply to the practice of multiple tonguing. You will find both
explained in the MULTIPLE TONGUING ROUTINE.
FURTHER STUDY
You will find advice on tonguing in virtually every book on brass playing. Read as many
as you can, and listen to any great classical trumpet player for examples of various
articulations.
)
B-R-A-S-S l-A-C-l-I-C-S
5I
JAZZ ARTICULATION
ff azz articulation is tricky to learn, and to teach. One of the things that gives each jazz
brass player his or her own voice is the development of a unique articulation style.
There is no real alternative but to listen to various players and try to reproduce what
they are playing. (When you transcribe and play jazz solos you are doing just that,
which is what makes that activity the most important aspect of learning improvisation.)
Through imitation, you will eventually develop your own style of articulation.
MIND YOUR ARBAN'S

Of course, the more proficient your tongue is, the better able you will be to reproduce
the jazz styles you are hearing. That is why I recommend practicing all forms of classical
tonguing from the various method and etude books. In particular, Arban's studies on
triplets and 16th notes, starting on page 132, closely simulate the alternated tongued
and slurred notes that make up the typical jazz articulation.
CREATE YOUR OWN STYLE

While classical articulation is usually pretty defined by the written music, jazz has much
more latitude. Many different approaches have been used to great effect, from the
classically-trained Wynton Marsalis, to the crisply articulated lines of Clifford Brown,
the silky-smooth Freddy Hubbard, or the doodle-oodle-oodle of Clark Terry. Listen to_
everybody, and strive to make articulation part of your own distinctive jazz voice.
FURTHER STUDY
There are a number of books that provide tonguing exercises in a jazz style. 'The First
Trumpeter: by Jimmy Maxwell, uses syllables to try and convey the feel of simple jazz
tunes, and how they would be artic~lated naturally by a jazz player. 'The Art of}azz
Trumpet: by John McNeil, includes a variety of jazz exercises with the articulation
clearly marked.
NOTE BENDING
~ 1 ote bending is the act of bending the pitch of notes without changing valves.
IV These are sometimes referred to as lip bends, but they are produced with your
air. Start by just blowing the note flatter, and then letting it return back up to true pitch.
Over time you will develop the control to bend the note further and further away.
Try to make a note bend sound like a valved pitch change, with no smearing between
notes. This is quite difficult, but it is possible to move chromatically down a number of
half-steps. In my routine we bend the pitch down a half-step, and then let the pitch
'snap' back up. The lower the pitch, the easier it is to bend.
WHY?
Our goal in all playing is to establish control over the instrument. We want to hear a
sound in our head, and then reproduce what we are hearing on the trumpet. When we
bend notes in the above fashion, we are making the hom play something it does not
want to play. Anytime we make the hom do our bidding, we are establishing control. A
further benefit of note bending is that it improves the pitch center. When the note is
released back to the original pitch, it usually corrects any off-center pitch that may have
existed on the original attack. Listen closely to what you are playing. t -,.J
FURTHER STUDY: I J
Note bending exercises can be found in Trumpet Lessons with DaVid Hickman and
The Bing Book, by William Bing, among others.
53
LONG TONES
" ong tones. Ugh. The very mention of them causes most brass players to shiver
-<v with boredom. Are they boring? They certainly can be. Do they have to be? No.
Should you do them? Without a doubt.
WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?

If we accept control of the instrument to be a number one priority, there are potent
advantages to be reaped from playing long tones. Control of the instrument is about
control of our air. There is no exercise that focuses on the controlled delivery of air like a
tone sustained from the beginning to the very end of the breath, starting and ending
pianissimo, with a crescendo to our loudest volume in the middle. This puts our air
through all its paces. I'll describe the individual stages of a long tone in the section on
routines. (See ATTACKS & LONG TONES)
In the meantime, accept that any exercise has the potential to be boring or not,
depending on how you approach it. A challenge I put to students is to develop a sound
that can send shivers up the spine of a listener with just one note. Have that goal in
mind as you play your long tones.
FURTHER STUDY
One doesn't have to look far to find testimonials in favor of long tones. Cat Andersons's
method recommended playing tones for 20 minutes each! Listen to Phil Smith on his
Orchestral Excerpts recording to hear just how good a single trumpet note can sound.
You should feel shivers.
54 C·H·A,S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
HIGH NOTES
PUT UP YOUR HANDS ...
... if you flipped to this section first. For the majority of players, the pursuit of high notes
accompanies the study of trumpet playing from the first day to the last. No matter how
high we can play, we would always like to have another note or two under our belt.
How HIGH CAN YOU GO?

There seems to be no definable upper limit to the range of a trumpet. At one time, high
C was the crowning note at the end of a chart. Today, double C (an octave above)
seems to be the standard goal for high playing. (And some players go higher than this.)
This is a reasonable goal for someone who aspires to play lead, because the standard
written range for a lead trumpet is G or A above high C. In order to play these notes
with total control and consistency, you will probably need to work your playable range
up to at least double C, so that you are not playing at the very top of your range when
performing a chart.
EVERY PLAYER NEEDS A DOUBLE C?

No. The ranges described above are for a lead trumpet player, A reasonable goal for a
classical player or a jazz soloist might be to have a good playable F above high C on a
Bb trumpet (although many players in both of these styles have developed their high I )
range beyond this). The more musical bases you can cover, the more likely it is that you
will work, so it is unwise to decide that high range is not important to you because your
current workload doesn't require it. What gigs might you get if you had those notes?
CAN I PLAY HIGH NOTES?

Yes, and no. The ability to produce high notes varies with individuals. For some, the
lips seem to vibrate more naturally at the faster frequencies and high notes come easier.
(Though other aspects of playing, e.g. tone or technique, may come harder.) If you have
been playing for quite a while and are still struggling to get out of the staff, it is unlikely
that you will become the nextlon Faddis or Arturo Sandoval, setting the standards for
high playing. It is entirely possible, however, to improve your range, and in most cases
get it up high enough to be a working player, covering the range required of you, even if
your specialty is not necessarily playing high notes.
B-A-A-S-S T-A-C-T-I-C-S
55
In any case, as you study and practice, you should only be competing with yourself. You
can and should continue to improve all aspects of your playing, including high range,
throughout your playing days. Your goal is not to be the best player the world has ever
known (though that would be nice), but to become the best player you can be. If you are
practicing regularly and are stronger than you were a year ago, then you are doing fine.
Stick with the program.
SHOULD I PLAY HIGH NOTES?

Yes, and no. Yes, because having the ability to play comfortably in the upper register
will enhance your playing throughout the entire range of the instrument (assuming the
high notes are not acquired at the expense of other playing attributes). It will give you
confidence, knowing there is a reserve. And, as mentioned, players who can play these
notes, when needed, are always in demand.
No, if it is not musically appropriate to use them. There is an old joke about a new
player in town:
"The good news is he has great chops.

The bad news is he has great chops. "
The potential problem with developing your high register is the temptation to overuse it,
either to show off, or to re-assure yourself that the notes are still there, or because you
have run out of valid musical ideas when improvising. The solution lies Mt i:n
eliminating high notes from your repertoire, but in refining your sense of musical taste,
improving your ability to conceive musical ideas, and basing your high register on the
registers below, so that you can feel confident about the high notes even while playing in
the low register. Learn how to play the notes, but even more important: learn when to
play them.
How DO I PLAY HIGH NOTES?

Ah, finally. There is no shortage of books out there telling you how to acquire high
range. Some make wildly optimistic promises about how long it will take, and some are
more realistic, explaining that is a slow but sure process that will take patience.
DOUBLE HIGH CIN TWO DAYS

In the next paragraph I will give you the magic formula that produces instant high notes
for everybody:
I ALREADY TOLD YOU.

Ha, tricked you. Unless you skipped to this section first, you already have the
understanding of what is needed to produce high notes. First, your embouchure must be
properly formed and controlled so that the ability to vibrate your lips faster is not
impeded by pressure from the mouthpiece, or from incorrect working of the facial
muscles controlling the embouchure. (See LIPS) Secondly, the air must be delivered
from the lungs at the velocity needed to make the lips vibrate at the faster frequencies.
(See BREATHING). The tongue can also be a help in creating the faster air speed, by
arching up higher in the mouth. (See THE TONGUE).
Your high register is dependent on the way you play in the middle and low registers. By
diligently working on your sound production basics, your range will automatically
improve. If you are stretching your lips back in a smile, or delivering the air in an anemic {- .,
fashion, no amount of high note exercises will make an appreciable difference in your
range. Further, work on the basics will improve all aspects of your playing, enhancing
your abilities as a musician, not just as a trumpet player.
Used properly, high notes are beautiful and exciting. But they are just part of the total
picture. A player with great range but bad time, pitch, and tone is not much good to
anyone. When practicing, high notes need to be added gradually, always integrating
them into your playing in as musical a fashion as possible.
BUT I NEED TO PLAY HIGH NOW!

OK. If your sound production mechanics are reasonably correct, you can hasten your
acquisition of better high range by doing some specific exercises. There are a number of
systems published that develop your high range. Probably the best known are Louis
Maggio, Claude Gordon, and Carmine Caruso. Maggio and Gordon both build up
from the pedal register, resting as long as you play on each line, while Caruso keeps the
mouthpiece on the lips continuously until no sound comes out, followed by a short rest
and more playing. While Caruso's method has produced some very fine players, I base
my teaching on the Gordon/Maggio approach.
FROM THE BOTTOM UP

Played properly, the pedal register has a lot in common with the high register. In both
registers, your lips must be puckered forward in order to vibrate at the necessary
frequencies, and air must be delivered to the lips with substantial velocity. (See PEDAL
TONES)
B'R'A'S,S l·A·C·l·I·C·S
57
For this reason, I use the pedal and/or low register as the foundation for all the other
registers, especially the upper. We start on the low notes, and ascend up from there,
keeping the feeling of a puckered embouchure and smooth air flow, with steadily
increasing air velocity as you ascend. The exercises move up in half-steps, going only as
high as you can continue to produce notes with a big, solid sound. There is little call for
high notes to be played quietly, so we practice them like we will have to play them. We
need to be able to tongue and slur in the high register, so the exercises are performed
both ways.
The result of this approach is that the majority of the range exercise is actually played in
the lower to mid registers, reaching to the top of our range only at the end, and not
accepting squeaked high notes. Playing all the notes big and solid builds strength, and
opens up sound throughout the hom, not just in the upper register. See RANGE ROUTINE
for more specific instructions on the high-range exercises.
PUT YOUR FEET UP AND BUILD SOME CHOPS

Building your high range involves developing muscles. With any kind of muscular work-
out the process is the same: you are tearing down muscle tissue when working-out, and
letting it re-build stronger while resting. The time to re-build must be allotted. This
means taking the necessal)' breaks during the routine to allow the chops to rest and re-
fresh. Never practice on swollen chops. It also means doing range exercises evel)' 2nd or
3rd day, to provide a period of rest, and to work on more musical aspects of playing.
You must also consider when to work on high notes. It is not good to do them too early
in a routine, or too late when your lips are fatigued. I like to do my range routine in a
separate workout at the end of a day that I am not playing that night, so that I have the
night to rest afterwards.
FURTHER STUDY
There are many books on range development. Claude Gordon's Systematic Approach
is an extensive system, incorporating many variations. Carmine Caruso's Musical
Callisthenics for Brass has turned out some vel)' strong players. The On"ginal Louis
Maggio System was written by former student Carlton McBeth, and has many
devotees. Jay Zorn has authored a concise text called "Explonng The Trumpets
Upper Register'. Clyde Hunt's Scullng the Seven Cs presents a series of exercises and
an accompanying recording to help you build your high register.
Remember, high notes are not magic, they are the product of many dedicated hours of
intelligent practice. There is no escaping this rule, so do your best and have patience.
This is tough work. Put in a solid effort and then have a beer and listen to some music.
REST
11 est time is as important as playing time in your trumpet practice. Building your
f\, embouchure and breathing muscles is like developing any other muscles. While
playing you are wearing them down; when resting, they are re-building stronger.
REMEMBER
You are building muscle strength while resting.
This is crucial information. I find that many students dQ not rest enough. This actually
slows your progress down. It is much better to practice in three one-hour segments
throughout the day, than in one long session. The important thing is not how long you
practiced the last time, but how long it has been since you last practiced.
In particular, never practice on sore or swollen chops; that is counter-productive. Spend

the time listening or playing the piano while your chops are recuperating.
How MUCH SHOULD I REST?

A good general rule while practicing is to rest as long as you play. If you are playing
short phrases, such as flexibilities or range exercises, sing the next exercise in your mind \. )
before playing it, or finger something short like a scale pattern. If you are playing
something longer, like an etude or a concerto, finger and blow in the air the whole
section before playing it. (Even better is to listen to a recording of the music as you
finger and blow.) If you are playing along with Aebersold records, practicing jazz, rest
every other chorus as if you were trading with another player. While resting, think of the
chord changes, or try to scat sing.
One of the best techniques I have for assuring that I rest long enough during the
practice routine is to always have a series of scales or patterns that I am working on. I
finger them whenever I am resting. This has the side benefit of putting these things into
my head and under my fingers almost by magic. It also keeps my mind focused while
not playing. This benefits the entire practice routine. (More can be found on this in the
chapter on SCALES.)
59
WHEN IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE A WHOLE DAY OFF?
In some respects, never. No matter how beat up or tired your chops are, it would
probably be better to do some soft long tones or quiet 'popping' attacks than to take a
whole day off. Realistically, however, some times we just want a break. When to take
one is just common sense: when you have had a tough week and another one is to come;
when you have a painful sore or blister; when it is a beautiful day outside; when you
have won the lottery. (Perhaps a few days are in order here.) Arnold Jacobs said:
"Remember that sitting under a tree is good for your playing too. "
How ABOUT LONGER?

Most brass players are loath to take a week or more off, dreading the idea of getting
back in shape. Thus we often bring the horn to the cottage, where, despite our best
intentions, it usually just sits in the case. Upon returning, we typically take a day or two
to get limbered up again, but then carry on from there, showing no ill effects. Often
there even seems to be an improvement, owing mainly to the rejuvenating effect of
getting away. A musician with a particularly gruelling work schedule can probably
benefit most from extended time off.
On the other hand, the old saying goes: "IfI take one day off, I know it. Two days, and
the other musicians know it. Three days, and everybody knows it. "Another saying is:
" You have to be a slave to this instrument, ifyou want to be its master. "When we took
up a brass instrument we got married, in a sense. Like any marriage, it takes constant
work to keep it alive, but maybe separate vacations now and then is a good idea, just to
refresh the relationship.
SCALES
7 hough scales are the bane of every student, they are the building blocks of music.
\ / As such, to ignore scales is to ignore the very foundation of the music you play.
For a jazz improviser, the knowledge of scales is crucial. While it is not necessary to
have mastered hundreds of scales in order to play an improvised jazz solo, the more
practiced material you have at your fingertips, the better equipped you will be to realize
the lines which you (hopefully) hear in your head. In the course of reading music, you
will find that many tricky passages are actually derived from a scale, so the more scales
you have practiced and mastered, the easier it will be to sight-read.
SPARE ME
Practicing scales for hours on end can be difficult on a trumpet. Other instrumentalists
have the dubious advantage of being able to practice scales and scale patterns for hours
I '1
a day. I say dubious, because this sometimes leads to solos that sound like scale
exercises. We brass players do not have the chops-to-burn that are necessary to practice
these exercises, which are so often printed in improv books. None-the-Iess, we can
benefit by them. This has led to my approach to scale practice, which is never to play
them!
• i
DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP

You still have to learn them. It is possible, however, to learn your scales without playing \ )
them. Scales are meant to develop your fingers and your brain. Why waste your chops
on them, when other material is so much more suited to sound production development?
Therefore, I practice all my scales by fingering them on the horn (not blowing) and
lightly tonguing them as I play. (I use double and triple tongue as well, giving these
techniques a workout at the same time Listen for the precise click of the valves going
down and up, and for the co-ordination of the tongue stroke and fingers.
Learning scales this way provides the following benefits:

You are forced to think, as painful as that may be.
You can concentrate on the task at hand, namely fingering the proper notes, without
worrying about actually producing the notes.
You can practice them during all the little breaks in your playing routine, or even on
the bus. This makes use of previously wasted time.
You can do all of the above without wearing down your chops.A further benefit of
this practice technique is that it maintains concentration throughout the many rest
periods in a typical trumpet practice session, which will in turn benefit your whole
sesSIOn.
WHEN SHOULD I PRACTICE THEM?

One of the best times to finger through scales is during the short rests in your practice
routine. While resting, pick one scale. Finger each scale up and down two octaves
perfectly once, no matter how slow you need to do it. Try it slurred and lightly tongued,
double tongued if you can. Then move on to the next scale, all the while paying
attention to the feel of your chops. Resume playing as soon as your chops feel rested.
This is usually about one or two scales.
MAJOR SCALES
Major scales are the root of all other scales and chords. Before you can know what the
flat 7 is, you need to know what the natural 7 is. As an improviser you need to have this
information at your fingertips; by the time you figure it out the chord will have passed.
Therefore major scales are the first order. Practice them until you know the notes of the
twelve scales better than most people know the alphabet.
ADD SOME MORE

As soon as you know your major scales, add a couple more scales, such as Dorian,
Aeolian, and Mixolydian. (See list following.)
SO MANY SCALES, SO UTILE TIME

Rome wasn't built in a day, and you are not going to learn a kazillion scales in all keys
in a week. Start with one or two, and add more over time. You're in this for the long
haul, aren't you? Your goal is not to practice all your scales every day, but to work on
some of them every day, while cycling through all of them over a period of days. Slow
and steady progress gets you where you want to go.
KEEP THINKING
When you find that the scales you are practicing are not causing as much brain-strain, it
is time to add a few more, so that you are always challenging yourself. It is a good idea
to add them in groups of 2 or 3, as the practice of one scale always benefits others as
well.
KEEP TRACK
It is important to remember the last scale that you worked on in a day. This will allow
you to start where you left off. This way it is an ongoing process, rather than a feeling
that you must slog through X number of scales per day. Do each scale once at a tempo
that allows you to play it perfectly and in perfect time, and then move on. Some will be
easier than others, and those should be played faster to challenge you. Do not accept
sloppy or imprecise lingering! It is not how many scales you played today that is
important, but how you played the ones you did play. Over time you will get faster on
all of them. Strive to make this a lifelong habit, adding scales and patterns as others
become absorbed.
WHAT SCALES SHOULD I PRACTICE?

In a classical routine, the scales most commonly used are the major and minor scales.
Minor scales typically include natural, melodic, and harmonic minor. In a jazz routine,
scales take on even greater importance, as they are vocabulary to draw from as you
improvise. Therefore, jazz players tend to practice many different scales. On the next
page is a list of scales that are learned by most serious jazz students, and some of the
chords that they might be used over.
PATTERNS
Playing a scale in its entirety is not the goal in most jazz improvisations. We want to be
able to pick out little snippets of the scales to use in our melodic lines. Therefore we ()
need to be able to play any part of any scale, starting and ending on any note. To
develop this ability we chop the scales up with patterns. (See SCALE PATTERNS following
the list of scales.) When you can finger through all major scales without rivulets of sweat
pouring down your forehead, it is time to apply a pattern to them. Practice each scale
with patterns as you did before, fingering and tonguing only, during breaks in your
practice routine. As you learn each new scale, start phasing in patterns to further extend
your knowledge of that scale.
)
B·R·A·S·S T·A,C·T·I·C·S
LIST OF COMMONLY USED SCALES
Major: all other scales are derived from these, so thorough knowledge of all twelve
major keys is crucial. These will be used over all types of major chords. Called the
Ionian mode.
Lydian: a major scale with a #4. (1 ,Z,3#4,5,6,7) The raised four (more
commonly referred to as # 11) is often added to a MAJ7 chord in jazz, calling for
this scale. It is the 4th mode of the major scale.
Dominant or Mixolydian: a major scale with a flat 7. (1 ,Z,3,4,5,6,b7) If you
play this scale going up, and then add the major 7 th as a passing tone going down,
you have a Dominant Be-Bop scale, used over dominant 7 th chords, and II-V's.
This is perhaps the single most important scale in jazz. Mixolydian is the Sth mode of
the major scale.
Minor: jazz players think of the minor scales as modes, and the two most often used
are the Dorian and Aeolian. Dorian has a flat 3 ed and flat 7th (I,Z,b3,4,5,6,b7)
while the Aeolian has a flat 3 ed flat 7th and a flat 6 th (1 ,Z,b3,4,5,b6,b7) These are
both used over minor 7 th chords. Dorian is the znd mode and Aeolian is the 6 th mode
of the major scale. There are other minor scales to be learned later.
Jazz Minor: simply a major scale with a lowered third. This scale and its related
modes is the basis for much of modem jazz harmony.
Major Pentatonic: 1,Z,3,5,6 A five-note scale. Used over all types of major
chords.
Minor Pentatonic: 1,b3,4,5,b7 Another five note scale. It is the Sth mode of the
major pentatonic. If you add the #4 passing tone, it becomes the blues scale, one of
the first scales learned by many improvisers.
Locrian: 1,bZ,b3,4,bS,b6,b7 Used over half-diminished or min7bS chords. it is
the seventh mode of the major scale. It is also commonly played with a natural two,
called a Locrian #2. This is the 6 th mode of the Jazz Minorscale.
Diminished: a scale built from alternating whole and half steps. It can start with a
whole step, which works over a diminished chord, or with a half step, which works
over a dominant/flat 9 chord.
Altered: this scale is built like this: half-step, whole-step, half, whole, whole, whole,
whole. (1,bZ,b3,nat3,bS,b6,b7) Spelled more logically using upper tensions it
would be: (1 ,b9,#9,3,bS,b 13,b7) This scale provides the 3 ed and 7th plus all
altered tensions, and is used over an altered or flat S chord. It is the 7th mode of the
Jazz Minor scale.
Mole- Tone: comprised of all whole steps, this is used over a +S or augmented
chord.
There are many other scales, but learning all of these in twelve keys will be a good start! .
SCALE PATTERNS
Pattern #1
Pattern #2
I' jJJjJJJJ IJJJJJ3Jj IJJJjjJJJ 1[[[rUFF 1

I' rrr rrr Er Irr Ert F1J IrfErrut I~ Ii
I' E£fEEnt IFErEUrF IrurHer IfEEFEur I
I' JJJJJ3JJ IJJJJJJjJ IJJ]JJJJJ I.. I \ )
Pattern #3 3 3
J. ~ ~ d:j rl1 .• e:rm-

nJflJmw Iw C£1EIf I[EfE£1EtFEfE
3 3
Ii W
3 3 3 3 3
1
I' _ IWEpEfJfp IEEfEEfEUEU 333 3

1
I' HJJn Do nol mJib; I
SCALE PATTERNS
Pattern #4
I~ DJJEJJ IDJJBJJ IDJJ urr I[FUUIT I

I~ crrlcrEf [fEfrECr I(CWE IFErrErU
I I
I~ ff[JEr[J IEf[JCf[J I[[u JJ ]] IiJJJiJjJ I
I~ fJJ3RJ) Inn; I
Pattern #5
..
I~ j3JJiJJ3 IfJ>cra I[[ria a IE:
~~ ~uu~-rf~
I~ frfrfr[j I[r[fUa IJJJ]i]J] If]1J; II
B·H·A·S·S I·A·C·I·I·C·S
65
ETUDES
8 tudes are the perfect place to combine articulation techniques, phrasing, dynamics,
and style. There are many, many etude books on the market, suited to all levels of
players. You should work on etudes that challenge you and will require some work to
perfect, but that don't send you into the depths of depression trying to make it through
the first line. When practicing etudes, I have several rules that I insist upon.
MAKE MUSIC
This really says it all. While everything we play, including the first notes of the warm
up, should be played musically, when we move to the etudes we are playing a piece of
composed music containing much more than the printed notes. Far too often, I hear
students race through an etude, content to achieve some success with the technical
challenges posed. As in all music, there are many more considerations, such as tone,
phrasing, dynamics, style, and emotion. Anything played without these elements is just
notes, not music.
REMEMBER
The world doesn't need more notes,
but it can always use more music.
( )
WHOA, NELLIE
To practice an etude with some of the above named musical considerations it will be
necessary to start with a tempo substantially slower than the recommended one. (If you
can sight-read an etude up to tempo, "you need a more difficult etude.) The tempo at
which you play an etude should be the tempo at which you can play the most difficult
part. Search out the toughest parts of an etude, and work on them first. Then set your
metronome at that tempo and work on the rest of the piece. Little by little, you can
bump up the tempo, confident that you can make it through the whole piece without
slowing down.
.!
B·R·A·S,S T·A·C·T·I·C·S
IRON OUT EVERY MISTAKE

This is a big one. You cannot Jet any mistake go by. This includes not only glaring
errors, but every little kack and mis-centered note. If you get in the habit of allowing
sloppiness into your playing, then that is how you will always play. Listen to recordings
of yourself critically, to find out how many errors you are letting go by, and then develop
.... the ability to listen just as critically as you practice .
When you do make an error, fix the mistake first, and then roll back a bar or two and
play from there. Ninety-nine times out of a 100, a note is missed as a result of what
came before it. If, as many players do, you stop and re-start on the note you missed, you
are not addressing the problem, and will more than likely miss the same note again next
time. Think of it as ironing pants: you get rid of the individual wrinkles first, and then
run the iron up and down the length of the fabric to smooth out the whole leg.
Practicing in this way is tough and requires determination, but you will improve much
more by really working out three lines of an etude than by slogging through the whole
thing in a sloppy manner.
PLAY AS IF SOMEONE IS LISTENING

Even if you can only get through a few bars at a time at a slow tempo without stopping
to fix a mistake, perform those bars. Listen to someone else practice. It is more satisfying
to hear someone work over and over at something until it is right, than to sacrifice
accuracy in order to keep going.
MORE, PLEASE
Maintain a stack of books nearby and keep working on new material in different styles.
Work on an etude until you have a pretty good grasp of it and can play it in a musical
fashion, and then move on to another. Etudes are excellent for working on your
sightreading.
FURTHER STUDY:
The following is a list of some of the most well-known etude books.
Sigmund Hering: Hering has a number of etude books, many suited to the
intermediate player. While not as musically inspiring as some of the others on this
list, for many players these are at just the right level.
Arhan's and St. Jacomes: The grand methods. They contain everything,
including many wonderful etude studies. I tell students that when they can play
everything in these books, I will study with them.
Herbert L. Clarke Technical Studies and Characteristic Studies: The

Technical Studies contains a series of exercises and a short etude based on each
exercise. Study #2 from this book is probably the most familiar trumpet exercise of
all time. The Characteristic Studies contains an etude in each major and minor key,
and some of Clarke's famous comet solos. Though challenging, these are well
designed for the instrument and are great to play.
Vassily Brandt-Etudes for Trumpet: These well-known etudes provide
excellent practice in tonguing. Good work-outs in an orchestral style.
Guiseppe Concone-Lyrical Studies: Lyrical studies should be a part of your
daily routine, to develop a flowing style and beautiful tone. The Concone studies are
so well known that all lyrical studies are sometimes referred to as Concone.
Marcel Bitsch-Wngt Etudes
Theo Charlier-Etudes Transcendantes: These two French etude collections
are in a more modem style and are very challenging. They are so musical, however,
that any effort expended in working on them is well rewarded, and players often
enjoy playing out of these books even if they are above their level. An excellent
resource is David Baldwin's recordings of both of these etude books, distributed by
the International Trumpet Guild.
The Complete Hany Glantz: An excellent book of etudes by T oscanini's
favorite trumpet player. Includes memoirs and some great pictures.
Edwin Franko Goldman: Practical Studies for the Trumpet: Though not
as well known as some of the others in this list, this book contains some nice etudes
that present a challenge but are not exceedingly difficult.
I )
Walter M Smith-Top Tones for the Trumpeter: Despite the title, this is not
a book of high-note exercises, but a collection of very tough etudes. Think you've got
it all together? Dig into these.
Max Schlossberg-Daily Drills and Technical Studies:
William Vacchiano-Routines: While neither of these books is technically an
etude book, they are so good that they should be included in any list of this type.
Sclossberg has been around since the earlier part of the century and is the bible for
many players. The book consists of eight groups, each of which contains many drills.
Picking one drill from each group provides a great workout in a variety of styles. In
Routines, Vacchiano (a student of Schlossberg at Julliard) has done the
organizational work for you, providing nine practice routines which each contain
short pieces in many styles. He incorporates many excerpts from the classical
repertoire into the routines and stresses key fluency. This is a fabulous book.
The above list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a good start towards a well-rounded
collection of etude books. You should certainly aim towards owning some or all of these
books.
S·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S
VIBRATO
V ibrato is typically produced in one of three ways: the jaw, the hand, and the bottle
of scotch. Let's shy away from the third approach and discuss the first two.
WA-WA-WA-WA
Vibrato is a wavering of pitch, above and below the true center of pitch. Used
appropriately, it adds character and beauty to a note. Used inappropriately it can make
a player sound terribly amateurish.
THE HAND VIBRATO

The hand vibrato is produced by moving the whole right arm back and forth, in a front-
to-back motion, pivoting at the elbow. (Not side-to-side or circular.) This movement
alternately increases and decreases pressure on the embouchure, which raises and lowers
the pitch correspondingly. Every time the pressure increases the pitch should rise, and
when it decreases the pitch should drop. Make sure the pulses of your vibrato are
correlating to the hand movements; I often see hands waving away without affecting the
sound in any controlled fashion. The amount of rise and fall is determined by the
amount of hand movement and good taste.
The advantages of the hand vibrato are that it is more easily controlled, works better in
the upper register where the embouchure has enough to do already, and is somewhat
easier to control.
THE JAW VIBRATO

The jaw vibrato is produced with a chewing-like motion, with the jaw moving up and
down to create the pitch fluctuations. The advantage to this technique is that'it seems to
make the vibrato a bit more a part of the tone, and less like something added on.
Further, it can serve to reduce mouthpiece pressure, as it is hard to produce a good jaw
vibrato if there is too much pressure on the chops.
The disadvantage to the jaw vibrato is that some players let it become an unconscious
habit, and lose the ability to play without the jaw moving. Make sure that you are always
aware of and in control of vibrato. Purposefully practice with and without it to develop
this control.
~<:> C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·O·R·N
WHICH TO USE?
Most players use both at different times, or a combination of the two. You should strive
to master both, and let your unconscious guide you to the sound you want to hear.
How TO PRACTICE VIBRATO

Start by playing a straight tone, then putting vibrato pulses on the quarter-notes,
quarter-note triplets, 8th notes, 8th note triplets, and 16th notes. Then slow it back
down in the same fashion. You need to acquire control over the intensity and speed of
the pulses. When you have mastered the mechanics of producing a vibrato, long tones
are an excellent place to practice it. (Use it only on every other tone, so as not to lose
the ability to hold a straight tone.)
WHEN AND HOW TO USE VIBRATO

There are no hard and fast rules here. Each player develops his or her own unique
vibrato style; it is part of their sound. Typically it would only be used on notes of a
certain duration, say maybe a half-note or longer. (Of course this varies with the
tempo.) Also, typically, the note is started without vibrato, and then it is eased in.
Different styles of music will call for a different intensity and speed of vibrato. There is
no substitute for listening to lots of players and focusing on their use of vibrato. I do find
that most players use too little, rather than too much vibrato, though I admit that this is a
dangerous statement, as it can easily be overdone.
I )
Be careful that you do not use vibrato to cover up pitch inadequacies. Vibrato added to
a note that is in tune to begin with sounds great, but if there are underlying pitch
problems, vibrato will just mask and compound the problem. Learn to play in tune with
straight pitches before adding vibrato.
FURTHER STUDY
Probably the best place to hear proper use of vibrato is to listen to singers. We are all
trying to sing through our instruments anyway, so listen to lots of singers for the way
they use vibrato, and the pure musicality of their approach.
7I
ORNAMENTS
, n classical music, fancy little figures like trills, mordents, and appoggiaturas are
commonly referred to as ornaments. I place them in a general category which I call
impediments, and as such, I am not going to cover them here, no matter how much you
plead with me. You should go back to the roots, and look in Arban's or St.Jacomes to
find exercises dealing with these pesky little techniques, if you find playing without them
to be just too darn easy.
fI such
azz music for brass instruments has its own set of ornaments or embellishments,
as shakes, rips, bends, faJl-offs, growls, and doits. The shake is the one that
inspires the most questions, and I will discuss it here.
SHAKES
A shake is simple an exaggerated lip trill, which is a rapid slurring between a note and
the closest note above it with the same fingering. Lip trills can be useful in many kinds
of music, sometimes to facilitate a trill that is too awkward with valves. The more
exaggerated shake is found mainly in jazz-oriented material.
Although we refer to it as a lip trill, this technique should involve the lips as little as
possible. To playa shake properly, there must be a minimum of embouchure change
between the two notes. Instead of changing your embouchure, work with your tongue
syllables and your right hand.
OO-EE-OO-EE-OO
Here are those syllables again. (See THE TONGUE) The tongue arch level is the most
crucial aspect of performing a shake. An advanced player can execute a rapid lip trill
using only the tongue movement to change the pitch. The following method will help
you develop your lip trills, and expand them into shakes.
To DEVELOP SHAKES
Playa G on top of the staff mezzo-forte. While blowing a bit stronger, raise your tongue
level and slowly bend the note up until the pitch 'breaks' to the next note, which is open
Bb. Start again on the Bb and bend the pitch down until it falls to the G. Do this
again, but go back and forth between these notes a few times. Try to stay as close to
either side of the break between the notes as possible. In other words, the G should be
sharp, and the Bb should be flat. The closer you can play these notes, the easier the trill
will be. At slow speeds, the pitch will be obvious, but as you speed up the notes, the
sound of the trill becomes more acceptable.
Keep practicing this small quiet lip trill on the G, and then try F# and F.
When you are able to slur rapidly between the notes, you may try expanding the
distance between them, playing each of them a bit more in tune. It is not necessary, or
even desirable to play them too far apart, however.
\ )
WAH-WAH-WAH
To expand the lip trill into a shake, the right hand can help out. Once you have started
the lip trill, move the hand back and forth, as you do for a hand vibrato. (See VIBRATO)
The hand movement is quite a bit stronger than with the vibrato. If the hom were not
anchored at the lips, it would move around quite a bit. The co-ordination between the
hand and the pitch change is usually awkward at first. The pitch should go up when the
hand comes back, and down when the hand goes forward. Some practice will help with ~ )
the co-ordination.
This hand movement helps to create a much wider trill, turning it into the shake. Note,
however, that this back-and-forth motion of the hand adds considerable pressure against
the chops. To counteract this pressure, maintain strong mouthcorners, tucked against
the teeth, to provide a bit of cushioning for the mouthpiece. Solid air support is also
vital.
TAKE IT EASY, BIG FELLA'

Lip trills and shakes, performed properly, are not particularly taxing. As you are
learning, however, they can be very strenuous while you try to balance the needed
actions. Use common sense, and practice them in moderation.
B·A·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C·S
73
How DO I PLAY A SHAKE ON A LOW C?
When a shake is written in a chart, it is the lead trumpet that primarily provides the
sound. Most lead trumpet parts, particularly if a shake is called for, will be near the top
of the staff or above it, where shakes are most effective.
The under parts will also have shakes written in them, however, and this can present a
problem. For instance, if the lead player is shaking a high C, the next adjacent partial is
a D. If the fifth part is on a low C, the next adjacent partial is the G, a 5th up. In this
case, the lower part should use a traditional trill, changing valves to match the lead
player's interval. Sometimes, only the lead player will shake. Remember that your job as
a section player is to match the lead player as closely as possible. Who knows, maybe
she'll buy you a beer.
FURTHER STUDY
As for the other mentioned ornaments, it is difficult to describe these in print, but Jimmy
Maxwell has done a great job of it in his book: ' The First Trumpeter: I suggest you
pick it up, and then do some listening. One listen is worth a thousand words.
OVERTONES
."., his chapter describes, in basic detail, the mechanical functioning of a brass
\,/ instrument, and then discusses the overtone series, upon which all brass
instruments are based. The next chapter will then discuss the effect of the overtone series
on intonation.
VALVES, SLIDES, POSITIONS

Each valve on a brass instrument has a slide attached to it. When you push down the
valve, air is channeled through its slide, effectively lengthening the tubing of the
instrument. The longer the tubing, the lower the pitch. On a trombone, the slide itself is
pushed out to lengthen the tubing.
The second valve slide is the shortest, and will lower pitch by one half-step. The first
valve slide is twice as long, and will lower pitch by one whole step. The third valve slide
is one-and-a-half times as long as the second, and lowers pitch by one-and-a-half steps.
It can be seen that the length of the third slide equals the length of the first and second
slides put together. These are theoretical ratios, however, and in reality the slides are
made just a bit longer to adjust intonation, so the two valve combinations are not
identical in length, and 1&2 is the standard fingering in most situations. You will find
more on this in the next chapter.
\. )
There are seven possible valve combinations. (3rd valve alone is not used in standard
fingering.) Not coincidentally, there are seven positions available on a trombone slide.
-)
The descending order of valve combinations is:
o (open)
2
1&2
2&3
1&3
1,2&3
Each combination adds additional tubing in a length roughly equivalent to the second
valve slide, thus dropping the pitch a half-step. Starting from any open note, running
through this series of valve combinations will drop pitch progressively by half-steps,
which produces a chromatic scale. In theory this is a great system, but in practice it is
flawed. (See INTONATION)
7S
OVERTONES
All brass instruments are based on the overtone series. This is a series of pitches, called
harmonics or partia.ls~ extending up in progressively smaller intervals from the
fundamental note. When you hear any pitch (with the exception of a pure electronic
tone), you are hearing not only the fundamental note, but also upper harmonics that
give the pitch its timbre.
EXERCISE
Sit at a grand piano with the lid up, and hold down the sustain pedal. With your
trumpet, playa loud, short note right into the piano. Move your ear near the strings and
listen for other pitches than the note you played. These strings are vibrating
sympathetically in response to the upper harmonics in your note.
When you play all the open notes on a trumpet, you are reproducing the overtone series.
The only note missing is the fundamental, which, on the open horn, is pedal C, an .
octave below low C. This note is not on the instrument (though we can play it, after a
fashion. See PEDAL TONES). SO the first note in the overtone series that we use is the
second harmonic, an octave above the fundamental, or low C. The next interval in the
series is a perfect 5th, which gives us the next open note: 2nd l,ine G. F ollo'wing that is a
4th, which sounds third space C. Next a major third: E; a minor third: G; a very flat
minor third: Bb, and a major second: high C. Let's number the partials, all played open
(no valves.) Note that each successive interval becomes smaller, and the notes become
closer together.
1st partial: Pedal C

2nd " LowC
3rd " 2nd line G
4th " 3rd space C
5th " 4th space E
6th " Top staffG
7th " High Bb (very flat)
8th " HighC
9th " High 0
10th " High E
11th " High F# (very flat)
12th " HighG
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
During the Baroque period of music (1600·1750) trumpets had no
valves. This limited them to the notes of one harmonic series.
Certain players, called clarini (plural of clarino) became
specialists at playing in the upper register, because it provided
many more available notes, closer together. This increased the
melodic possibilities, not to mention the risk of hernias.
BRING THEM DOWN

When you press down the 2nd valve, it lowers all the open tones one half-step,
effectively creating another complete overtone series a half-step lower than the open one.
Multiply this times the seven valve combinations, and we get seven different overtone
series. Put together, this allows a three-valved brass instrument to produce all of the
notes of the chromatic scale, and in fact there are a number of overlaps where a given
pitch can be produced with more than one fingering.
LOOK MA, A VISUAL AID!

A chart of all the overtone series will be found on the next page. You will see that some
notes show up in more than one series. This means that these notes can be produced
with more than one valve combination. For all notes, however, there is a standard
fingering. The standard fingering is marked below the notes when it differs from the
fingering of the given series. The other possible combinations are called alternate or false
nngenngs. In most cases, they will produce the note slightly sharper or flatter. They will
sometimes be used for this reason, when it is desirable to pull the pitch one way or the
other. At other times they may be used to facilitate a tricky finger passage, or to create
an effect.
You will also notice that the number of preferred or alternate fingerings increases as we
add more valve combinations. This is because the natural intonation of a valved
instrument gets worse as we add more tubing, and a note will usually be more in tune if
it can be played with another valve combination using less tubing. It is important to
understand why this is so, if you wish to play in tune, and it will be explained in the next
chapter, INTONATION. Stay tuned.
THE HARMONIC SERIES (OVERTONES)
Partial 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
OPEN (NO VALVES)
1 1 or 0 2
(Standard fingerings)
2ND VALVE
1&2 1&2 1
1ST VALVE
2&3 o 1 OR 0 o
1&2 VALVES
o o 2 2 o
2&3 VALVES
o 2 2 1 0 10RO 2
1&3 VALVES
o 2 1 1 o 1&2 2 1&2 1 OR 0
1,2&3 VALVES
2 1 1&2 o 2 2&3 1 o 1&2
77
INTONATION
1 play in tune! If this describes you, you may comfortably skip this chapter. Oh, and
don't stop buying lottery tickets.
For the rest of us, good intonation is a constant pursuit. Raphael Mendez stated: {ITrue
intonation is one thing that the average listener demands ofa performer. It is taken for
granted that any brass player appearing before an audience WIll at least play in tune. "
Seems reasonable, but in reality it is not that easy to playa brass instrument truly in
tune. This chapter will shed a little light on why a valved instrument is naturally out of
tune with the rest of the musical world (not to mention itself), and will present some
advice on overcoming these intrinsic problems. I will also discuss intonation problems
that originate not with the instrument, but with the player, and what you can do to
improve your own pitch.
EQUAL TEMPERAMENT VS. THE OVERTONE SERIES

The modern piano is tuned on the basis of equal temperament. This means that each
octave is divided into 12 equal semitones. This produces a tempered scale. Because
piano players have historically been too lazy to tune their 88 keys to match anyone else,
we instrumentalists are stuck with equal temperament. Therein lies a problem for brass
players.
)
The overtone series does not produce a tempered scale, it produces what is called a
natural or just scale. This scale is derived from a system of tuning based on intervals of
pure 3rds and 5ths. This means that if we tune our instruments so that our open C
matches the Bb on a piano, some of the other open pitches are not going to match up
exactly with the corresponding notes on the keyboard. This illustrates why you should
tune on more than one note, to find the best compromise position for your slide.
AH, THAT IT WERE SO SIMPLE

If the open notes were all that concerned us, playing in tune would be much easier. In
fact, modern instruments are engineered so well that it is pretty easy to play all of the
open partials in tune, with the exception of the 7th (Bb) and 11 th (F#). (Refer to the
chart preceding this chapter.)
79
THE PROBLEM WITH VALVES
The real problem comes as a result of adding tubing via the valves. While a system of
three valves does provide all the notes of the chromatic scale, it falls short of providing
exactly the right amount of tubing for each individual note. I'll give an example to
illustrate why this is so.
EXAMPLE
For the sake of clarity, let's imagine that the length of tubing in a trumpet with no valves
depressed is 20 inches. (Remember that these figures are arbitrary, and are not
accurate. The illustration remains the same, however.) Let's also assume that depressing
the second valve adds one inch of tubing, and that the one inch length of tubing lowers
the pitch exactly 1 half-step. (For example: lowering a C to a 8.) The length of
additional tubing required to lower the sound is 1/20th of the total length.
Now let's imagine we are playing a low G with valves 1 & 3 depressed. With the
additional tubing the length of the hom is now 25 inches. When we press the 2nd valve
to lower the pitch a half-step to F#, we are adding the same one inch of tubing,
however it is no longer 1/20th of the total length, but is now 1/25th. It will therefore not
drop the pitch exactly the same amount as when added to an open note. To add the
same proportionate amount of tubing, the slide should now be 1.25 inches long. This
shortness of length will produce a note that is sharp.
NOTE TO STICKLERS FOR ACCURACY

Depressing the second valve to lower the pitch one half-step
from low Gto low F# results in a total instrument length that is
17% too short for correct intonation. You can work out the other
proportions yourself if you have too much time on your hands.
TROMBONES HAVE NO EXCUSES

A trombone extends its slide to lower pitch, rather than pushes valves. The further the
slide is extended, the farther apart the positions become, compensating for the above
situation. Thanks to the infinite ability to adjust the pitch of a note, trombone players
have none of these great excuses for playing out of tune.
MORE TUBING, MORE PROBLEMS

The more valves that are depressed, the more out-of-whack the proportions become.
This is why, in the overtone chart, the series with increasingly more tubing (more valves)
produce more out-of-tune notes. These notes can be played better in tune by using
fingerings derived from other harmonic series. (Note the standard fingerings printed
underneath the notes.)
This illustrates why a trumpet cannot be built so that all notes are exactly in tune. In the
first place, the overtone series upon which it is designed produces a different scale than
equal temperament, upon which modem intonation is based. Secondly, depressing
various valves puts the trumpet out of tune even with its own natural scale.
SO THAT'S IT, WE'RE SCREWED

No, the situation is not hopeless. If it was, valved brass instruments wouldn't be around
today. (There are a few viola players who think that would be just fine.)
First of all, instrument manufacturers did not wait around for this book to find this stuff
out. They have known about these acoustical problems for a long time, and design their
instruments to effect a compromise. Specifically, they make the slides proportionally a
little longer, to minimize the increasing sharpness that occurs when valves are combined. \ i
This may make single valve notes a bit flat, of course, especially in a harmonic partial
that was flat to begin with. It also means that the 3rd valve slide is now too long to drop
the pitch exactly 3 semitones. (This is why 1&2 is substituted for 3rd valve alone in \ )
normal fingering.) These are all variables that must be dealt with by the player.
The manufacturers do all they can to make the natural intonation of the overtone series
work within the context of equal temperament, and instruments have improved greatly
over the years, but there is still much left up to us. Vincent Bach said: '7t is not a
question of whether an instrument is in tune, but whether it can be played in tune. "
The actual design and resulting pitch compromises will vary from hom to hom. This is
one reason it can be an advantage to have horns from the same manufacturer in a
section: they will generally have the same intonation profile and may be more in tune
with each other. On the other hand, it may make all of them out of tune with everybody
else on certain notes, so it is not necessarily the only desirable situation. A fine player
can make any well designed hom play in tune, but it will not happen by itself.
B·H·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S 81
LIPPING
Most brass players are aware that they can playa note sharper or flatter depending on
the way they blow. Although this is done primarily with the air, it is commonly referred
to as iippinga note. Note bending is a great way to work on this ability, as well as to
find the dead center of a note. (See NOTE BENDING). Lipping a note up or down slightly
is something that fine players do constantly and instinctively, matching their pitch on a
given note to the other players around them.
SLIDES
Lipping up or down too far, however, forces you away from the center of the note,
which will adversely affect the tone. This is why instruments are made with moveable
slides on the first and third valves; to help you correct for the worst notes on the
instrument. Even the beginning player soon learns about the extension of the third slide
for low D and C#, which may be as much as a quarter tone sharp without extending
the slide. There are also some other notes that can benefit from the use of slides. Having
moveable slides available means that the manufacturers do not have to lengthen the
slides as much in their attempt to even out the intonation profile.
Some instruments employ a fourth valve, with its own slide which may be tuned and
used in place of the 1&3 and 1,2&3 combinations. This is especially common in the
lower brass, where the pitch problems are magnified due to the greater lengths of tubing.
Among thetrumpets, the fourth valve is most often found on piccolo trumpets and on .
some flugelhorns. On lower brasses, there have also been elaborate compensating valve
systems designed, utilizing different slides when certain valve combinations are
depressed. (As if carrying around a tuba wasn't bad enough in itself.)
ALTERNATE FINGERINGS
Because of the overlap in the overtone series, many notes can be played with more than
one fingering. An alternate fingering will likely affect the pitch of the note slightly, and
this can be useful when trying to adjust intonation up or down. Becoming familiar with
the various fingering options and the resulting pitch variations can only help you to play
in tune. Following this chapter is a chart of standard and alternate fingerings.
Another common use for alternate fingerings is to facilitate tricky finger passages or
trills. During a fast passage or trill the pitch discrepancy produced by an alternate
fingering may go unnoticed, especially in the light of smoother execution of the figure.
Often, when playing a trill, the first couple of notes are played with standard fingering,
and the alternate fingering is phased in as the trill speeds up. Trills are usually easier to
execute if the longer tubing is on the lower note.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY

The more you know about the tuning of your own instrument, and which notes tend to
be sharp or flat, the quicker you will be able to adjust the pitch with your ear when
playing with others. Practicing with an electronic tuner can help a lot with this. The
goal is not to make every note register dead center (an exercise in futility, anyway), but
to play down the center of each pitch and notice which notes tend to be sharp or flat
naturally, and by how much. The more you internalize this information, the better
equipped you will be to overcome the natural tuning deficiencies of a brass instrument,
using lipping, slides, and alternate fingerings.
( )
B·R·A·S·S T·A,C·T·I·C,S
SPECIFIC INTONATION PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE REMEDIES

As RELATED TO THE HARMONIC SERIES
The third partial (G, F#, F) tends to be slightly flat. Lipping these notes is usually
sufficient, but there are some alternate fingerings available.
The 5th partial (E, Eb, D) tends to be noticeably flat. Play high on the pitch on
these notes, or try alternate fingerings, possibly in combination with slide extension.
The 6th partial (G, F#, F) tends to be sharp. This is most noticeable on the G,
which can be lipped down or played 1&3 with the slide pulled. (The tone quality of
an open note may be found to be unsatisfactory when played with a valve
combination, however.) F# and F are better in tune due to the slightly longer valve
slides, but may still need slide compensation or alternate fingerings in some
situations.
The 7th partial (Bb, A, Ab) and 11 th partial (F#, F) are so flat as to be unusable
in their natural fingerings, and substitute fingerings are always employed.
As RELATED TO VALVE COMBINATIONS

1st, 2nd, and 2&3 combinations are generally in tune. They will not usually require
compensation, but don't assume. Listen and correct if necessary.
The 1&2 combination is usually sharp. This can be compensated for by pulling the
first slide, or by using the 3rd valve as a substitute fingering, possibly in combination
with the third slide, if the note is still too sharp.
1&3 and 1,2&3, when playing low C# and 0, are the worst valve combinations on
the instrument. The third slide must be used. Try extending the slide as far as
possible for low C#, a bit less for low D. Many students underuse the slide on these
notes.
Out of habit, many players instinctively throw out the slide on low G and F#.
Although these notes should technically be sharp, often the relaxed embouchure
used for the low range causes them to be on pitch or even flat. Use of the slide in this
situation is counter-productive. Check these pitches for yourself and do not use the
slide unless you really are playing them sharp.
On an instrument with a fourth valve, substitute 4th for 1&3, and 2&4 for 1,2&3.
Tune the fourth slide to put these notes in tune.
OTHER FACTORS IN INSTRUMENT INTONATION

First of all, let's assume you have a well-built instrument in good condition. Leaky or
mis-aligned valves or slides, or major dents can adversely affect pitch. Don't carry
loose objects in your trumpet case: one well-known Toronto trumpet player went for
weeks wondering why he was kacking and mis-pitching notes. Turns out a clothespin
in his case had lodged itself in his bell. Stuff happens, you know.
Keep your instruments clean. Although we play an instrument that requires
ridiculously low maintenance, most players are notoriously lazy about cleaning their
horns and mouthpieces. Sometimes it gets so bad that when it finally gets cleaned, it
feels like a different horn.
Work on your first and third slides until they move very freely, so that it will be easy
to adjust them as much as is necessary. (Add a little valve oil or woodwind key oil to
the slide after greasing it.)
Be aware of temperature changes. The colder a horn is, the lower its pitch will be.
Often a stage will heat up in the course of a performance, and adjustments may be
necessary.
Now IT'S UP TO YOU

Beyond this seemingly endless series of problems inherent to the instrument, pitch is also
strongly affected by how you play. The most important element in getting your )
instrument to play in tune is your ear. You must constantly listen to those around you,
and adjust to make the whole chord 'ring'. Music is a living, breathing thing, and there
is never anyone right way to do things. There are always variables and options, and
pitch is one of them. Never assume that you are in tune and somebody else is out; work
together to constantly adjust and improve pitch.
It is very important to learn to play down the center of each note, for pitch and tone. In
fact, pitch and tone are closely connected, working on one will improve the other. Don't
adjust pitch with your air or embouchure so much that you adversely affect the tone.
Use slides or alternate fingerings.
Study the basics of sound production. In particular, make sure you are producing and
supporting the notes with your air, not your embouchure. If you are playing properly,
and are hearing the correct pitches in your head, only then can you start to deal with the
limitations the instrument throws at you.
Spend some time with an electronic tuner, to help you find the notes on your instrument
that need adjustment, and to help you hear where the pitches should be. Develop your
brain and your ear in the practice room, but rely on the latter when performing. Pitch
adjustments should ultimately be made almost unconsciously, as you concentrate on the
musIC.
TUNING UP
When you tune to another player, have them sustain a given pitch while you play the
same note. Re-attack your note repeatedly while they sustain theirs; it is easiest to hear
whether you are sharp or flat on the initial comparison between pitches. Adjust the
tuning slide above and below the pitch while narrowing in on it. (It is usually easier to
tune up a flat pitch, than to tune down a sharp one, so you may want to purposefully
extend your slide too far at first.) Repeat the whole process on several notes, to even out
the pitch over the range of your horn. Open notes are the most reliable, tuning to
concert Bb is better than concert A, if possible. Try to get several pitches.
I SAID LOUDER, NOT MORE OUT OF TUNE!

There is a common tendency to blow the pitch sharper on crescendos, and flatter on de-
crescendos. To check for this, keep your eye on the tuner while playing long tones with
varying dynamics. Make sure you stay right on pitch throughout the note. If the pitch is
varying, look first to your breathing; chances are that you are not supporting the air
properly.. Find the center of the note, where the tone is the richest, and direct your air
column right down that center, no matter how loud or soft you are playing.
IN THE END
It is not easy to playa trumpet in tune, but it is possible, and it is absolutely crucial to
your success. (Just ask Raphael Mendez.) Be prepared to put in lots of time and hard
work, and you will be rewarded with music. (Maybe even a gig.)
FURTHER STUDY
The Brass Anthology, published by The Instrumentalist magazine, is an excellent
resource for articles on brass intonation. For work on alternate fingering, try the exercise
in Vol. 4 of Trumpet Lessons with DaVid Hickman, or Vol. 2 of The Art of}azz
Trumpet by John McNeil.
STANDARD &ALTERNATE FINGERINGS
Standard fingering is notated first, followed by possible altemates with resulting intonatbn
changes. Where an alternate fingering is listed sharp or flat, it is in relation to the standard
fingering, and in some instances will be more in tune. Listed in order of increasng sharpness or
flatness. Experimentation will be necessary to find out exactly how much each fingering affects
the pitch. Above high E there are many fngerngs for each note, and pitch is mainly determined
by the air. Standard fingering is normdly used.
I~i Ig b I) ill
J
1.2,3
J
1,3 2.3
qJ
1.2
3 (flat)
qJ
2 0 1.2.3
I~ J &J IJ il I#J j I,j j

1.3 2,3 1.2(sharp) 2 (flat) o (flat) 2,3 1.2(sharp)
3 (flat) 1.2.3 (sharp) 1,3 (sharp) 3 (flat)
I~ ~r §r Ir uir IE ~r Ir r
1 2 0 1.2 1 2 (flat) 0 (flat) 1 (sharp)
1.2,3 (sharp) 1,3 (sharp) 2.3 (flat) 3 (flat) 1.3 (sharp) 2,3 (sharp) 3 (sharp) 1,3 (flat)
1.2,3 (sharp) 1.2 (sharp)
1:2,3 (sharp)
r #f
I~ #r F I #F I #r ~
If
2 0 2.3 1,2 (sharp) 1 2 0 1.2
2.3 (flat) 1,3 (sharp) 1 (flat) 3 (flat) 2,3 (flat) 1.2 (sharp) 2,3 (flat) 2 (flat)
1,2.3 (sh ar p) 3 (flat) 1.2,3 (sharp) 2 (flat) o (flat)
I~ r I
1 2 (flat) 0
It
(flat)
~
1 (sharp)
I~ 2
IT
0
II
o (sharp) 2,3 (sharp) 3 (flat) 1,3 (flat)
1.2 (sharp)
1 :2,3 (shar p)
B·A·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C·S
PEDAL TONES ROUTINE

7 his is a guide to my pedal tone routine, which develops the pedal register, and
\ / connects it to the registers above. It is the first thing you play every day, and
constitutes the first half of the warm up. It will get lots of air flowing through your body
and your horn, and will get your lips vibrating freely, Make sure you read the chapter on
PEDAL TONES. Refer to the printed exercises following this chapter as you read through
these instructions.
HEAR THE SOUND FIRST

Before putting the trumpet to your lips, take a second to visualize the sound that you
want to make. Don't just blow! Make music with that first low C, and extend it right
through the phrase.
BREATHE!
Take a huge breath before the first two bars of each phrase, and then another before the
arpeggios. Use all your air for each phrase. As the exercise progresses, the starting notes
descend, and the lines lengthen. This requires increasingly more air. You may find you
need to play the later lines faster than the earlier ones, in order to finish each phrase on
one breath.
BIG SOUND
You should strive for a big, full sound on all notes in this routine, especially the bottom
ones. Keep your throat wide open with an AA syllable, as when yawning. Let each
note ride the flow of air into and through the horn. Snap your valves up and down to
avoid any smearing between notes.
FINGERING
All notes should be fingered with the proper fingering (not enharmonic fingering as with
the flexibilities). Pedal notes should be fingered as an octave above.
REST THYSELF
Rest time is crucial in trumpet practice, especially during the warm up. The general rule
is to rest as long as you play. The simplest way to do this is to sing each arpeggio before
you play it. Another technique is to finger something simple, like a scale or pattern in
the key of each arpeggio.
REMEMBER
Rest as long as you play.
PEDAL TONES
Each phase of the warm up uses starting notes ranging from low C to pedal G. It may
take some time before you can get all the way down to these notes, especially pedal C
and below. Don't waste energy trying to decipher all those ledger lines; each line is just
a major arpeggio and you should be able to figure them out without looking.
PHASES
The different phases of this routine expand the range covered in one breath. Phase 1
starts with one octave, and Phase 4 starts with two. Play each arpeggio on one breath
and on one mouthpiece setting. Do not move onto the next phase until this is
comfortable.
• ~~ .I
PEDAL TONES PHASE 1
I~ i ]8 ~ r;l~ , I]qij I j iiJ;J..
I~ mJJi~ 'IJilW I#J ntrf~
1* sJ#r;lt~ 'I a-M IpfDsf~~

1* JJJ1+& 'lsJri IJ J ij?t&
I~ SfJ Jfi~& 'IJJili3 IJ d J J 1iJ?Tg
I~ mJ#li~ 'lim IJ J J J 1iJ)
B·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·t·S
PEDAL TONES PHASE 1
• 1
. ;
,
- -
~o ~o
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\ )
--1/
,
/~
'j
, 1
,
-- -
--
6- 6-
PEDAL TONES PHASE 1
91
PEDAL TONES PHASE 2
14 f JO;t31~ ,1J1iF1 r r r r iii)
14 mJri~ ,13m IIF r Fr GI;io

14 J1 ~ifj~<> ' Iii1¥ IPr F r azra
I4 Ui~ ,IyIfir rrr lfij;fr..
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PEDAL TONES PHASE 2
....
,
-
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-
6-
93
PEDAL TONES PHASE 2
( I
,
C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B··O·R·N
94
PEDAL TONES PHASE 3
• 0-
,
-
0-
95
PEDAL TONES PHASE 3
-
0"
( 1
,
, ;
,
- -
9- 9-
PEDAL TONES PHASE 3
...
97
PEDAL TONES PHASE 4
()
" 1
,
-
0"
-
0"
PEDAL TONES PHASE 4
,
-
9-
-
9-
,
-
0-
,
-
0-
,
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9-
B'R'A'S'S T·A,C·T·I·C·S
99
PEDAL TONES PHASE 4
( )
6- ~6- .\
( )
,
f \
~6- 0-
,'0 ,
.J
roo C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N

BUZZING ROUTINE
",., his routine is played on the mouthpiece only. It is the second part of the warm up.
V See BUZZING for more information on this technique.
Hooo?
Playing on the mouthpiece focuses our attention on using air to control the vibrations of
the lips. Do not use your tongue to start the notes, but a breath attack: 'hooo'. You
should feel a controlled snap of the muscles from your breathing muscles. To experience
this snap: hold your palm against your ribcage and shout "HEY!" Once the note is
started in this fashion, maintain the flow of air, and increase its velocity when ascending.
(See ATTACKS/RELEASES)
REMEMBER
BLOW the notes out, and BLOW the pitch up.
Focus
An important element of this routine is the expansion of your range 'focus', that is, the
intervalra.nge that yOu are comforta.ble working in without resetting your embouchure:
The goal is not to play every note with an immovable embouchure setting, but to
develop an 'elasticity' in your chops that will allow you to travel through different
registers without having to remove and reset the mouthpiece. Within your focus range
you can travel down or up and always feel centered on each note. Your eventual goal is
to bring your entire range into one focus.
STARTING PITCHES
You will likely need a pitch to start each phrase, to keep you on track moving up in half-
steps. You can play the note on the trumpet, and then remove the mouthpiece to
perform the exercise. Better yet is to play the starting and ending notes of the arpeggio
on a piano as printed. Notice the way neither note on the piano sounds strained, they
are just different pitches. (Piano players don't elicit much of a response just because
they playa high note.) Strive for the same approach on the mouthpiece; you are not
necessarily playing high or low notes, just different pitches.
ARPEGGIOS
Strive to play these pitches as accurately as possible, with no smearing between the
notes. Co-ordinate all factors involved in changing pitch so that the note changes
instantly as it would if played on a piano. Give the listener no audible clue as to where
the note will move until the moment of pitch change. If using a mouthpiece adapter
(B.E.RP.), finger the arpeggios as you buzz them, co-ordinating the fingers with the
pitch change. Snap the valves up and down.
GLiSS
The gliss is an excellent indicator of your focus range. It sounds like a siren, smooth
uninterrupted sound from one pitch to another. Compare the way the starting note of
the gliss feels and sounds with the same note at the end of the gliss. They should feel
and sound exactly alike. If you are straining to get back up to the note, you have traveled
outside of your focus range. Try thinning out your sound as you go down, and then
open it again as you go back up, and/or reduce the expanse of the gliss by moving back
one phase as you work on the elasticity of your embouchure. Ultimately aim to play the
entire gliss with the same centered sound. As you ascend back up from the bottom of
the gliss, constantly increase the speed of your air. BJowyour way back up.
PHASES-EXPANDING RANGE
This routine is learned in six phases, as the player's range on the mouthpiece expands.
Even advanced players who have previously not done mouthpiece work would be ()
advised to start with the first phases and move on as feels comfortable. Each phase
expands the range that is contained within the exercise, starting with one octave, and
ending up at three.
It is important to feel that you have total control of the range expanse contained in each
phase before moving on. Spend at least a few weeks (and maybe much more) on each
phase before moving on. If you are shifting your embouchure during the arpeggio or
gliss, move back a phase. Each arpeggio and each gliss must be played on one
uninterrupted airflow, and without re-setting the mouthpiece.
BUZZING·
All phases are to betaken up by half-steps as high as you can go.
Phase 1 Mouthpiece
Piano ,
-
1'1 t: I
Phase 2 Mouthpiece Smooth gliss
, ~ano
-
Phase 3 Mouthpiece Smooth gliss
r...
, Pia...
-
" ( . . J/) I
103
BUZZING "
Phase 4 Mouthpiece Smooth Gliss

Piano
I \

Piano
• 1':\
~Q
1& ]g J j J J r r F f i ~j/f I -
~&

Piano 1':\
~Q
j rFfjR 11 - II
.'
1& ~ g Jj j = r = = • \~/ .j
C" H" A" S" E S" A" N" B" 0" R" N " i
104
B·R·A·S·S l·A,C·l·I·C·S 105
FLEXIBILITY ROUTI'NE
~lexibility exercises improve your ability to slur between notes with the same
V fingerings. They also focus your attention on the relationship between air velocity
.. and pitch. (See the chapter on FLEXIBILITY.)
Each line in this routine is slurred, holding down the valve combination printed at the
beginning of the line. (A valve change must be used to play the third of the arpeggio in
the bottom octave as marked.) Progressing through the phases expands the range
covered, adding a note on the top and bottom to expand the line. Since we are not using
these exercises for range expansion, start with a phase that stays below the top of your
comfortable playing range in the key of C. Do not move on to the next phase until your
range expands.
RIDE THE AIR

Make sure you take a big breath before each line, and keep the air flowing throughout
the line. Let the notes 'ride' the column of air, travelling smoothly from one to the next.
Put a small breath accent on the top note of each ascending phrase, to 'blow you over
the top'. Smooth Rowand accurate placement ofnotes is more important than speed of
execution. If you falloff of a line, start again from the beginning of that line. It is
important to play each phrase on one breath.
FLEXIBILITY-PHASE 1
1,2,3 ~
I' I #d W I#<> I
( )
II
1,2 ~
• i
I' J j I.. II ( )
1 ~
~J il I~o
I'
"
2 ~
j
#il 0
I
I' 1
0 ~
I' r J I,D II
106
FLEXIBILITY-PHASE 2
1,2,3.
~.
I' i #3 #J 3#J ,.. I

1,3
~
I' j J j J I.. I
2,3 ~
I, kJ d J J I.. I
1,2 _______________
I' J j J #J I.. I
1 _______________
I, ~J J J J r" I
2 _______________
I' J #J J Ie I.. 1\
o _________
I' J j J J I Q II
B·R·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C,S
107
FLEXIBILITY-PHASE 3
1,2,3
1 ~
Ii iD J Iii}J 1_
2 ,,---,,0'
I
I, ~r J r r I~r J J ~ I.,
1,3 "---"
o
I' rjrr Irjj) 1& II ....
.
\
)
1,2 "---"
108
FLEXIBILITY-PHASE 4
1,2,3
I' ~rJrr l~rJJJ I~rrrr l~rJJ11..-

~~
1,3
I
II
109
FLEXIBILITY-PHASE 5
1,2,3
II
Ii @iifd~JJI (err I~~:Jj I~Jtr l~rfEFir;ql~& \ )
o
1,2
, !
\ )
1,2,3
I4 r~rrr Ir~rJr Irrn Ir~rJJ IJ~rrr Itrtm Ir~rJJ I~..- I

1,3
14 'rrdr IArf'jlJr IAdm l'r~4J I#Jffr IlWr l'r~4J 1.,-

2,3
o
14 rrrr IrrJr Irr~fi IrrJJ IJrrr I~ft IrrJJ I & I
1,2
110
B·R·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C·S III
ATTACKS &LONG TONES ROUTINE

7his exercise combines three important practice techniques into one routine. Played
V properly, this will do as much or more for your overall control over the instrument
as anything else you can do. It is the crux of my SOUND PRODUCTION ROUTINE.
AlTACKS
When starting to playa phrase, the first note is the hardest. Often you will hear a player
'kack' the first note, then immediately re-attack successfully. The first sound, though
missed, started the chops vibrating and made the second attack easier. A mark of a great
brass player is one who can sit for 177 bars rest, pick up the hom, and come in on a
beautiful pianissimo note. This is why I recommend practicing individual attacks as part
of the basic sound production routine.
To be effective, the attacks must be played quietly, and with utmost concentration given
to the quality of sound. Although it doesn't look like much, this routine is very difficult
to do properly. It should have an almost meditative quality to it. It should never be
rushed, or played too loud. Constantly strive to get your attacks softer. Let me just yell
this out one more time:
"This exercise is played quietly and gently!!!"

Ahem. Before beginning, read the chapters on ATTACKS & NOTE BENDI~G.
··I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP, MR. DEMILLE"

Before beginning these exercises, use the following procedure to focus yourself.
Take a few deep breaths to remind yourself of the sensation of air flowing freely in
and out of your lungs.
Hear the note in your mind; not just the pitch, but the dynamic and quality of the
note.
Try to conjure up the terrifying sensation of coming in on a soft exposed solo, maybe
picturing a conductor giving you a downbeat.
Hear a phrase or melody in your head, beginning on the attacked note, and play the
note as if you were playing the whole phrase.
These are visualization techniques, letting our minds transport us from the practice
room to the concert stage. If we can successfully do this, perhaps we can reverse the
process when on the stage, which can help tremendously with nervousness during a
performance.
HOD ...
Now place the mouthpiece on your lips, take a relaxed breath and release the air into
the hom, playing the first note of the exercise with a soft but defined breath attack. It is
very difficult to eliminate the momentary puff of air before the sound starts, but that is
your goal. There should be no delay between the inhalation and the exhalation-they are
one connected activity. Re-attack the note at least twice, completely removing and
resetting the mouthpiece for each attack, and repeating the visualization exercise.
BEND DOWN... ••...••..... . .. AND BACK

On the third or later attack, keep the air flowing and hold the note. Not too loud! Once
the note is firmly centered, bend the pitch down a half-step without changing valves, and
then let it snap back up to the original pitch. Hold again. Listen! (If you can't bend the
pitch down a half-step, just blow it as flat as you can without 'breaking' the note.)
ADD THE TONGUE

Now repeat the line, but with a light tongued attack. The tongue stroke should be
)
addedto the initial puff of air from the lungs-it should not replace it.
REMEMBER
Notes are started and maintained with your air,
not your tongue.
As before, listen for a light, but clear and defined attack. Strive to eliminate any delay in
the start of the tone. If the note does not speak, remove the mouthpiece and try again,
don't just grab a breath and re-attack. Resist the temptation to attack harder, that's too
easy. Focus your attention on what you want to hear. Make several tries at the note, and
then move on. Some days our response is such that we could spend several hours trying
for the perfect attack and never get it. Giving it several sincere tries is good enough. Like
all other aspects of playing, it will vary from day to day, but improve over time. On the
third or later attack, hold the note and bend it down as above.
AIR SPEED
The key to playing a perfectly centered note is to get the air moving at the proper speed
right from the beginning. If you find yourself hitting under the note and smearing up,
the air is moving too slowly. If you are over-shooting it, the air is moving too fast. Try
blowing into the air through your compressed embouchure at the speed you expect is
needed for a given pitch. Then blow the same speed air into the horn and see what you
get. If the pitch is incorrect, adjust the air speed accordingly and make a mental note of
what it feels like to play that note. Try to get the air moving at the needed speed right
from the initial attack. Having a good concept of how fast the air must move for a given
pitch will dramatically improve your ability to hit your notes accurately, with less 'clams'.
LISTEN CLOSELY
The 'C' word, concentration, is never more important than it is here. Be your own
harshest critic, and never be completely satisfied with anything other than the perfect
attack. Listen to the attacks of great players, and have that sound in your mind as you
approach this exercise.
LONG TONES
The long tones are to be combined with the attacks & long tones, one in each key. Here
is a description of the various stages of a long tone:
1) FirSt, the inhalation. This is a perfect excuse to take the biggest breath youcantake~
Fill every nook and cranny with air until you feel like you are about to burst.
2) Now start the note. Very, very softly. When we are totally filled with air, in the
absence of any muscular action on our parts, the lungs will rapidly and forcefully
expel the air. (See BREATHING) But in this case, you don't let that happen. You use
your breathing muscles to control the delivery of air to start the note quietly and
gently.
3) As you continue to blow, allow the note to crescendo gracefully. This is the easiest
part of the long tone, as your body is trying to expel more air anyway, and the action
is one of relaxing the muscles which are holding back the air. Continue to crescendo
the note up to your loudest controlled tone. Do not change the timbre of the note as
you crescendo-it should sound like someone is turning up the volume knob, not
fussing with the tone controls. There is a tendency to make the note more edgy as it
gets louder. Sometimes this is the musically correct thing to do, but for this exercise
all you want is more volume, nothing else. Also, don't crescendo to the point that
you hear buzzing or distortion in the tone. Keep your sound under control.
4) At the loudest point you should be about half-full of air, and the breathing muscles
start pushing out the air, instead of holding it back. As you crest the peak of the
crescendo and start your decrescendo, make it very subtle. The listener should not be
immediately aware that a decrescendo has started. The sound just washes out and
over them and slowly starts to recede.
5) As the note continues to gently fade, the muscular action of the breathing becomes
tricky. You must blow harder and harder, as you have increasingly less air in your
lungs, therefore requiring more deliberate effort to keep it moving at the same
velocity. At the same time, you must also continuously reduce the amount of the air
to reduce the volume. This conflict in the air requirements sometimes makes it
difficult to control the vibrations at the lips, allowing a buzzing or distortion to creep
in under the rim of the mouthpiece. Keep the air flowing, and try small
manipulations of the mouthpiece or the embouchure to maintain a pure sound.
6) Continue to decrescendo the note until you have expelled the very last remnants of
air. If the lips cease to vibrate before you have used all your air, keep blowing
anyway. If, when you take the mouthpiece away from your lips you do not ( . }
instinctively gasp air in, you have not played to the very end of your breath.
VIBRATO
Long tones provide an opportunity to work on another aspect of sound control: vibrato.
Play only every other tone with vibrato, so that you do not lose the ability to play with a
straight tone. Maintaining the same rate of vibrato at the lower dynamic levels can
present a challenge, but is all part of playing with control. (See VIBRATO)
PITCH
It is a good idea to sometimes watch a tuner as you play and make sure you are keeping
the note in tune. The majority of the time you should close your eyes and listen to the
sound as intently as you can.
PHASES
In each phase, the exercise is played on seven starting notes, in ascending half-steps.
Phase 1 starts on F# in the staff and rises to C. Phase 2 starts on C# and rises to G.
Phase 3 is one octave above Phase 1, and starts on F# on top of the staff. (As the
range ascends, the exercise becomes much harder.) Phase 4 adds a lip trill before the
attacks. (See FLEXIBILITY) Phase 5 adds a one octave slur into the long tone.
ATTACKS & LONG TONES·PHASE 1
Attacks
REMOVE MOUTHPIECE AND RESET COMPLETELY FOR EACH ATTACK
PLAY WHOLE LINE lWICE: HOO ATTACKS FIRST T1ME/TOO ATTACKS SECOND TIME
BEND PITCH DOWN WrrH JlJR-NO VALVES

>
- :11
Long Tones
THIS CRESCENDO MUST BE VERY GRADUAL, AND WITH NO CHANGE IN TIMBRE
KEEP BLOWING TO THE VERY END OF YOUR BREATH.
TOO
I~ •. ~ II
PP'--================== ff.f ============--- ppp
PLAY ON: F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, & C
B·R·A·S·S T-A-C·T·I-C-S
lIS
ATTACKS & LONG TONES-PHASE 2
Attacks
PLAY WHOLE LINE lWICE: HOO ATTACKS FIRST llME/TOO ATTACKS SECOND TIME
:11
BEND PITCH DCMfN WITH AIR-NO VALVES
Long Tones
I,#.. TOO
1<> [~ 10'"" l:{i II

ppl--================ .Iff ==============--- ppp
PLAY ON: C#,D,Eb,E,F, & F#
. \
116
Attacks
PLAY WHOLE LINE lWICE: HOD ATTACKS FIRST llME{fOO ATTACKS SECOND TIME
>~
I -r Rr I -r - :11
BEND PITCH DC7vVN wrrH AIR-NO VALVES
Long Tones
TOO KEEP BLOWING TO THE VERY END OF YOUR BREATH.
~_e_ ---=------ ----------. ---=------- ---=------. ...-------.1:;\
1_
£._
!j I - e I~ - Ie II
w ~========~==-~
PLAY ON: F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B & C
B·H·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S
117
ATTACKS &LONG TONES·PHASE 4
Lip Trills
3 3
P PLAY UPPER NOTE WITH THE SAME FINGERING AS THE LOWER NOTE
PLAY THESE LIGHTLY, MANIPULATING THE AIR WITH YOUR TONGUE SYLLABLES.
PLAY CLOSELY TO THE 'BREAK' BETWEEN THE NOTES.
Attacks
REMOVE MOUTHPIECE AND RESET COMPLETETL Y FOR EACH ATTACK
PLAY WHOLE LINE lWICE: HOO ATTACKS FIRST llME/TOO ATTACKS SECOND TIME
- :11
BEND PITCH DONN WITH AIR-NO VALVES
\ )
Long Tones
II
W-===~=========~=======~==~!~
118
Lip Trills
P 3 3
PLAY THE UPPER NOTE WITH THE SAME FINGERING AS THE LOWER NOTE.
PLAY THESE LIGHTLY, MANIPULATING THE AIR WITH YOUR TONGUE SYLLABLES.
PLAY CLOSELY TO lHE 'BREAK' BETWEEN lHE NOTES.
Attacks
PLAY WHOLE LINE lWICE: HOO ATTACKS FIRST 11 ME-TOO ATTACKS SECOND TIME
- :11
BEND PITCH OWN WITH AIR-NO VALVES
Long Tones
THIS CRESCENDO MUST BE VERY GRADUAl. AND WITH NO CHANGE IN TIMBRE
KEEP BLOWING TO THE VERY END OF YOUR BREAlH
TOO
8·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S
119
MULTIPLE TONGUING ROUTINE

"7his routine is an approach to practicing single, double and triple tonguing. Read
\ / the chapter in this book on THE TONGUE for more information.
FAST AND ACCURATE

There are two facets to successful multiple tonguing: speed and accuracy. One without
the other is not of much use. Therefore we must practice slowly for accuracy, and again
fast for speed, and then strive to combine the two. I use two methods to practice multiple
tonguing. (The practice techniques are the same for double or triple tonguing.) In both
methods, I practice the exercises first with a single tongue, and then with multiple
tonguing. This provides the single tongue with a work-out, and gives something to
compare the multiple tongue to.
! .)
The following exercises will give you a start at practicing these techniques. Try both
methods on each exercise. Also transpose to other keys as range permits. Many more
double and triple tongue exercises can be found in Arban's starting on pgs. 175 and
155, and in many other method books. Constantly challenge yourself with new
exercIses.
TIP
Whenever you find a new exercise suitable for tonguing, copy it
and keep the copies in a separate folder. That way you never
have to look around for tonguing exercises, and you can play
, ,.
something different each day.
TONGUING PRACTICE METHOD 1:

Each exercise is played five times:
1. Single tongue, as fast as possible cleanly.
2. All ku tongue, as fast as possible cleanly. Play staccato!
3. All double (or triple) vel)' slowly. Each note should be attacked separately. Think
quarter notes, not 8ths.
4. All double (triple) as fast as possible cleanly. Put extra emphasis on a clean tu
syllable to begin each grouplet.
5. All double, as fast as you can go, sacrificing some accuracy for speed.
B·R·A·S·S T'A'C'T"'C,S 12.1
TONGUING PRACTICE METHOD 2:

Each exercise is played four times:
1. Play the whole exercise with a fast single tongue. Push yourself a bit for speed, but
play it cleanly and accurately.
2. Play the first bar or phrase with your fast single tongue. Then double/triple tongue
the next bar or phrase. Work your way through the entire study this way, alternating
bar for bar single and double (triple). Strive to make them sound the same. Keep the
tempo consistent throughout.
3. Double (triple) tongue the entire exercise as fast as you can play it cleanly. (This
may not be any faster than your single tongue at first.)
4. Double (triple) tongue the entire exercise as fast as you can, sacrificing some
. accuracy for speed.
Method 2 is especially helpful for eliminating the 'grey area' of tempo where something
is too fast for single, but too slow for double. There should be an overlap area where you
can do it either way comfortably. As a general rule of performance, however, if
something can be single-tongued, it probably should be. This will almost always be the
superior sound. Save multiple tonguing for when it's really needed, but practice it at fast
and slow tempos.
REMEMBER
Double or triple tonguing should sound like a very fast single
tongue.
SINGLE/DoUBLE TONGUING
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B·R·A·S·S r·A·c·r·I·C·S
12.3
SINGLE/DOUBLE TONGUING
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B·H·A·S·S l·A·C·l·j·C·S
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SINGLE/TRIPLE TONGUING
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I'
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127
SINGLE[fRIPLE TONGUING
1* WJ JWJJ WJJWJ J Ia- I WJJWJJWJJWJJ 10
WJJWJJWJJWJJ 10 I ccrccrccrccr I"

1*
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1*
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1* I
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128
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0
12.9
RANGE ROUTINE
7 his routine is like weight lifting for the trumpet. Like weight lifting, it is not to be
\.I" done every day. Every second or third day is a reasonable schedule. This gives
your muscles time to rest and re-build stronger. Read the chapter on RANGE before
proceeding.
PLAY THAT TRUMPET ONE MORE TIME,

AND I'LL BREAK IT IN HALF!
You will not make any friends with this routine (at least not those within earshot.) It is
to be played strongly and loudly, with forceful accents on the tongued notes. The sound
on everynote is to be full, never thin or pinched.
BUILD THAT FOUNDATION I· I
The exercises in this routine always start from the bottom and build up. Make sure the
starting notes are solid, don't thin them out in order to favor the high register. This
provides a solid foundation for the high register, eliminates the feeling that we must keep
playing high to reassure ourselves that the notes are still there, and opens up the sound
in all registers.
AIR AND COMPRESSION (. )
Remember that the secret to high notes is a tightly compressed embouchure, and highly
pressurized, fast moving air. Concentrate mainly on blowing faster for the higher notes,
and manipulate your embouchure very slightly to try to get the lips vibrating on the
airstream. For downstream players (those with a natural overbite, which is the majority
of the population), pivot a little mouthpiece weight onto the lower lip, to let the upper
lip keep vibrating. For upstream players (those with a natural underbite) it is the
reverse.
THREE TIMES AND OUT

This is Claude Gordon's rule. Make three attempts at the highest note you can play
strongly, and then call it a day. Although all the exercises are written up to high G and
higher, you should not go this high unless you can really play these notes. Don't squeak
them out. Go only as high as you can play under control and with strength. Of course,
don't stop here if you can go further. Always push yourself, a little bit.
'-.
PHASES
Phase 2 and 3 don't necessarily go any higher, as each phase is to be taken as high as
you can go. They just start lower, and cover more range in each individual phrase,
expanding your focus range. Phase 3 is written to double C, but your own range
determines the highest note for you. Move to Phase 2 and then Phase 3 as your
strength develops.
FOLLOW WITH LOW NOTES

High playing should always be followed by low playing. Pedal notes and low
chromatics are good. My personal favorites are the Low Note Etudes, found in Allan
Vizzutti's book of Meloch'e Stuch'es. These are tongued and slurred etudes mostly below
low C, and they are wonderful following a range work-out. Remember that the
barometer of a trumpet player's health is the low range. Big, fat low notes are almost
always a good sign.
REST
No surprise here. You need rest after strenuous playing. Don't play these exercises just
before, or possibly even on the day of a performance. You might save them for the last
thing in a day before putting the hom away for the night. Serenade your neighbors to
sleep. It'll make them appreciate your work on an etude in the morning.
As you perf()rm the exercise, play the two lines in each key (one tongued and one
slurred), then rest for an equivalent amount of time, or longer if necessary. As you go
higher the rest periods may get longer. That's fine, wait until your chops feel refreshed
before proceeding. Do some finger exercises during the rests.
USE COMMON SENSE

High range work is strenuous, and can easily be overdone. If you follow the above
advice about playing under control and resting enough, you should be OK. The high
register must be added gradually for it to have a positive impact on the rest of your
playing. Remember about Rome, and have patience.
RANGE-PHASE 1
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C-H·A,S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
RANGE PHASE 1
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133
RANGE-PHASE 1
RANGE PHASE 1
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\
135
RANGE-PHASE 2
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RANGE PHASE 2
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8-H-A-S-S T-A-C-T-I-C-S
137
RANGE-PHASE 2
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138 C·H·A·s·e S·A·N·B·O·R·N

RANGE PHASE 2
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B-R-A'S-S T-A-C-T-I-C-S
139
RANGE-PHASE 3
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RANGE PHASE 3
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B·R·A·S,S T·A,C·T·I·C·S
141
RANGE-PHASE 3 .
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II
B·R·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C,S 143
CONSTRUCTING A PRACTICE ROUTINE

'11 ow t~at you have read abou.t all the practice techniques, and tak~n a look at the
IV routmes, what do you do WIth them? In what order do you practice them? What
other things do you want to include in you routine, and when do you practice them?
These are the questions you need to ask when setting up a practice schedule for yourself.
Everybody has different amounts of time to devote to practicing, from a half-hour a day
to three or more hours a day. (Most players never feel they have enough.) I recommend
a minimum of one hour every day. It is impossible, however, to practice all the
techniques I have outlined in this book in one hour, let alone get to practicing music,
which is the whole point of playing an instrument. Rather than leave some things out, I
have devised a system that lets you cycle through various parts of the routine, not
necessarily doing everything every day, but rotating them so as to get to everything at
least once every week, usually more than once. It also allows you to devote more time to
the things you are interested in working on the most, while not ignoring any of the basics
of sound production. The key to this system is to divide the assignment into groups.
GROUPS
On the next page you will see a typical lesson plan for one of my students. I have
divided the routine into six groups. (Six is typical, though it will vary.) The student will
do at least two or more groups a day, depending on how much time they have. They
will then rotate through the groups in subsequent practice sessions. This has the double
advantage of allowing more items in the routine than they may have time for on a daily'
basis, and creating diversity, as they are not practicing the same thing every day.
TYPICAL LESSON PLAN
GROUP 1 (WARM UP:)

Pedal Tones: Phase 1
Mouthpiece: Phase 1
GROUP 2 (SOUND PRODUCTION)
Flexibilities: Phase 1
Attacks/Long tones: Phase 1
GROUP 3 (TECHNICAL)
Clarke #2 or other flow study:
Tonguing:
Etude:
GROUP 4 (CLASSICAL)
Concone or Lyrical study:
Major Piece:
Other:
GROUP 5: (RANGE)
Range: Phase 1
Low-Note Etudes
GROUP 6: (JAZZ) I)
PlayinwLeaming tunes:
Listeninw'Transcribing solos:
12 key work:
Theory/Harmony:
First, I will discuss each group,and then suggest some sample practice routines that can
be created from these groups.
GROUP 1 (WARM UP)

This is the one group that must be done every day, the first thing you play in the day. It
utilizes pedal tones and mouthpiece playing, and covers your entire range from the very
bottom to the very top. It focuses your attention on breathing and sound. This group
should take about 20 minutes, and needs to be played only once a day. If you practice
again later that day, you should only need to playa few scales or flexibilities to feel ready
to'continue playing. (See WARMING-UP, PEDAL TONES, BUZZING)
145
GROUP 2 (SOUND PRODUCTION)

This group utilizes flexibilities, note bending, attacks, and long tones. It is the crux of
my emphasis on control over all aspects of producing the sound. (See SOUND
PRODUCTION, FLEXIBILITIES, NOTE BENDING, ATTACKS/RELEASES, LONG TONES)
GROUP 3 (TECHNICAL)
This group starts with Clarke Technical Studies (or similar equivalent) to work on a
smooth flowing approach to playing lines. It also includes work on all forms of tonguing,
and etudes, which place technical challenges in a musical framework. (See THE TONGUE,
ETUDES)
GROUP 4 (CLASSICAL)
This group combines work on lyrical etudes, and any classical pieces you are working
on, i.e. concertos etc. Even if you do not consider yourself a classical player, you should
have some familiarity with the major pieces in the classical repertoire. While not
included in the focus of this book, I consider some work on classical playing crucial to all
trumpet students.
GROUP 5 (RANGE)
This group really consists of just one routine to strengthen your upper register. It is a
strenuous enough exercise that I believe it should be performed at a separate time from
other practicing, and should be followed by a period of rest. High notes should always
be followed by some low register work before putting the horn down. Al Vizzutti's Low
Note Etudes are ideal for this. No matter how much time you have to practice, this is
one group that should not be performed every day. Every 2nd or 3rd day is ideal. (See
HIGH NOTES)
GROUP 6 (JAZZ)
This is another category that is beyond the scope of this book, but is a large part of the
work I do with many students. I'll briefly discuss how I divide the study of jazz into four
categories:
PLAYING/LEARNING TUNES.
The most obvious. Jazz players learn hundreds of tunes over time, and are always
looking for new things to play and improvise on. Keep a pile on hand that you are
working on and memorizing.
C·H·A·s·e S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
LISTENING/TRANSCRIBING SOLOS.
The only way to really learn any music is by listening. This is especially true with jazz
improvisation. You can be told, for example, that the # 11 sounds good on a dom7
chord, but unless you really hear what it sounds like, you won't understand how to use it
in an improvised line.
Transcribing is the most important aspect of learning to improvise, because it is

intensive listening. It makes you learn through your ears, rather than your eyes (as when
learning solos or patterns from a book).
Start slowly. Find easy solos that you like, and make yourself sit down every day for at
least a short while. (Getting started is the tough part. Once you get into it, the time
usually flies.) Consider that the time spent listening and transcribing is what is
important, not the end result. Keep a tape with the solo on it, a pencil & eraser, and
music paper in one handy spot so you can just sit down and start transcribing. If you
cannot easily notate the rhythms of what you hear, just put down the note heads. You ( )
will know the rhythms by the time you finish transcribing anyway, just from having
heard the solo so many times. Try to play along after you have transcribed a solo, or
part of one. Strive to match the player's sound, articulation and time feel.
12 KEY WORK
Taking songs, patterns, II-Y's etc. through twelve keys can be tough work, but it is
worth the effort. Any key may appear in any tune at a given moment, especially when
you get into chord substitution for harmonic richness and complexity, so you really need
to be fluent in all of the keys. Although twelve keys may seem like a lot at first, it is a
finite number. There are on.(ytwelve. Most people are weakest in three or four of them.
They are the tough keys, and rate extra work. Work your way through all the keys on
something during a jazz practice session, and then reward yourself by playing some
tunes.
THEORy/HARMONY
This is the most unpopular part of learning music: the rules and rudiments. To master
jazz improvisation you need to understand a wide variety of chords and the scales that
accompany them. The piano is the ideal place to work on this stuff, or by fingering
through the scales on the hom without playing. (See SCALES) Sit down and dig into it in
the practice room, but when it comes time to play it is best to forget it, and play from the
heart, not the brain.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Now you must sit down, look at the group list, and figure out how to adapt it to your
own lifestyle and practice schedule. I will make a few suggestions.
You will probably have things to practice in addition to those on my list. You may
want to add them to one of the groups, or create another group.
Always play the warm up first, even if you have to get up 30 minutes earlier to do it.
No matter how hard this may seem, the playing improvements will be worth it. It is
perfectly acceptable to play the warm up in the morning, and then do the rest of your
practicing later in the day or after work at night.
Try to play the second group (flexibility, attacks, long tones) no less often than every
other day, as the techniques used in this routine impact so heavily on all other
playing.
In the classical, technical, and jazz groups you do not need to play the same things
each time. For instance, I have many different etude and lyrical studies books that I
work out of, and I pull out different books each session. I also have 3 or 4 concertos
on the stand all the time, and I may choose to devote one whole classical session to
working on that alone. Variety is the spice of life. The more things you have to play,
the more you will be drawn to the practice room. Build a library of books and music.
It is money well spent.
Consider starting your practice session by listening to some music. It will help focus
and inspire you.
Many shorter practice sessions are more beneficial than one long one.
Consider that your daily responsibility is to play the warm up and at least one group.
After you have done this, you can do another group, or you can work on whatever is
of most interest to you. If there is a specific group you want to work on every day,
that is fine, as long as you are cycling through the others. For instance, a student
learning jazz improvisation will probably want to work on the jazz group every day.
If you have music to learn for a band or performance, you may need to work on that
every day. As long as you are cycling through the groups regularly, you will know
that you are not ignoring any of the essential elements of playing the hom.
TRUMPET MAINTENANCE
."" he trumpet is a vel)' simple instrument to maintain. The only replaceable items
V are corks for the water keys and felts or rubber washers in the valve tops, and
these last a long, long time. Short of dropping the instrument, it should require no care
other than the following routine maintenance procedures.
OIL THE VALVES

Do this evel)' day. Unscrew the valve from the casing at the top to remove it. Note that
the valves are numbered 1,2,& 3. They must be replaced in the proper casing, or no
sound will result. Removing only one at a time will help prevent confusion. Place 4 or 5
drops in various places on the valve and return it to its casing. To align it correctly, look
at the top of the valve. You will see a spring inside the valve. Under that spring is a little
piece of metal or plastic that sticks out on both sides. Each side has a tab, and one tab is
bigger than the other. That bigger side fits into a slot that can be observed by looking
down into the valve casing. As you insert the valve rotate it slightly. You will feel it
'click' into position. On most trumpets there will only be one position in which it clicks
0
into place, but on some it will also click into the incorrect 180 position. Use only valve
oil on the valves, and do not let dirt get onto them. The tolerances in the casings are
vel)' tight, and even small particles can interfere with smooth operation.
GREASE THE SLIDES ( I
The trumpet has four slides: the tuning slide, which is the largest, and 3 smaller slides,
one connected to each valve casing. The slides are usually greased when the hom is
washed, but it can be done whenever they become dl)' or stiff to move. Slide grease is
best to use, but Vaseline can be substituted, maybe mixed with a little lanolin. Just use a
bit and spread it evenly over the tube with your finger. Work each side of the slide in
and out of its casing individually until it feels smooth, and then replace the whole slide.
Make sure you depress the valve when inserting the slide, to avoid a build-up of
pressure. The tuning slide (the largest) should move smoothly, but should require
definite pressure to move it, so that it doesn't get blown out while playing. The first and
third slides should move as easily as possible to facilitate moving them in and out while
playing. You may wish to add a drop or two of valve oil, or woodwind key oil, to thin
out the grease and make the slide move faster.
WASH THE MOUTHPIECE

This should be done every day before playing for sanitary reasons, and because the bore
of the mouthpiece is the smallest opening in the air passage, and small particles inside it
can cause noticeable playing difficulties. Small mouthpiece brushes are available, and
the brush that comes with electric razors works great as well.
WASH THE HORN

How often you do this depends on how much you play, and what you eat before
playing. (Brush your teeth first, please!) A not-unrealistic goal might be once a month.
Remove all the valves and slides (noticing what goes where), and lay them out on a
clean table. Place the valves on end, rather than on their sIdes, and take care not to
knock them over. Run warm (not hot) water through all the pieces, including the bell
and valve casings. You should have a cleaning brush, which is a coated piece of flexible
wire with brushes on each end. Run this brush through all the slides and tubing, but
don't use this brush on the valves or valve casings, as it can scratch them. Grease and
replace the slides first, then oil and replace the valves. Be careful not to get grease on the
valves (if you wish to play anything faster than whole notes.) Finally, take a soft cloth
and dry the re-assembled hom. Pick it up and observe how easy it now is to playa
double-Co
THE FINISH
Many players never polish their horns, and in fact the dull, raw brass finish ispopular
today. If you wish to keep your hom in shiny, new condition, use silver polish on silver
finishes, and try (believe it or not) lemon furniture polish on lacquered finishes.
THAT'S IT.
If you follow these simple guidelines and watch out for soft gig bags (the 'repairman's
friend'), your instrument could very well last the rest of your life. Better start practicing!
ISO C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
CHOOSING A TRUMPET
w e are in a golden age for trumpet manufacturing. At no other time have there
been so many great trumpets being made, by so many different manufacturers.
There is some irony to this, as few would describe today as a golden age for work
opportunities for trumpet players, but none-the-Iess, it is to our advantage when it comes
time to buy a new horn.
MODERN HORNS VS. VINTAGE HORNS

The horns made today are better than the horns made years ago. This is a simple fact
due to improved design and manufacturing abilities. This is not to say that some players
won't prefer the sound and feel of a vintage horn, but they are definitely in the minority.
Modern horns are more in tune, the valves and slides work better, and the sound
projects better.
WHO ARE THE MAJOR MANUFACTURERS?

Certainly the single most influential trumpet manufacturer was and possibly still is Bach.
A Bach trumpet has stood for quality ever since Vincent started making horns half a
century ago. There was a period where quality control and consistency were
questionable, but in recent years the Bach trumpets I have played have all been
excellent.
\ )
Yamaha is another major manufacturer. In the 80's Yamaha revolutionized the

manufacturing of brass instruments with computer design. They continue to be world
leaders, making great instruments and doing unprecedented amounts of information
gathering from players around the world, to be incorporated in their designs.
The other major brands are mostly names that have been familiar for many years:
Schilke, Getzen, Benge, King, Conn, & Holton are all still producing quality
instruments. Jupiter and Blessing are brands that have been associated with budget
horns, but have recently begun manufacturing pro models that are winning some
converts.
There has been a minor movement to name trumpets after famous trumpets of the past.
Boosey & Hawkes has resurrected the famous French Besson name for a line of
trumpets and flugelhoms that has been well-received. LeBlanc has given re-birth to the
Martin Committee, a famous jazz horn. Who will be next, to bring out, perhaps, the
new Selmer K-Modified?
S·R·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S 151
There are also a number of small custom manufacturers who account for a sizeable
percentage of horns being played professionally. The most well-known is Dave
Monette, partially because of the radical design of his instruments and partially because
of their breathtaking cost. Those who play them swear by them, and that includes some
of today's finest players. Other smaller and/or custom manufacturers include Lawler,
Edwards, Kanstul, Calicchio, Blackburn, and there are more.
WHAT'S A PLAYER TO DO?

With such a selection, where do you start? Well, let's start with the premise that the
trumpet is only going to account for about 10% of your total performance. The
mouthpiece probably makes a bigger difference than the horn, and both are greatly
outweighed by the influence of you, the player.
Have you ever noticed that given players sounds like themselves on any horn they play?
(That's good or bad, depending on the player.) Tone is most greatly influenced by your
physical make-up: your lungs, your throat, your palate, your tongue, your lips, the way
you blow. The real instrument is your body. That is why, after the initial euphoria of a
new instrument wears off in a few weeks, you sound and feel like you again. Sigh. Back
to the practice room.
ALL TRUMPETS ARE THE SAME?

Not really. But, all trumpets are built according to a set law of physics and design. They
are almost always made of brass. They posses a largely cylindrical length of tubing, with
tapers in the lead pipe and the bell. The tubes have to be a certain length to produce an
instrument in a given key. There are variables: bore sizes can differ; bells can vary
slightly in size; tapers in the lead pipe and bell can open up at different rates; the
composition and weight of the brass can differ. But the fact remains that all trumpets are
more alike than different.
SO DOES IT MATTER WHAT I PLAY?

Well, yes. You are going to be spending a lot of time with this instrument, so you may
as well try to find one you like a little better than the others, if possible. And of course,
there is an inspiration that comes with a new instrument, so you might practice more.
(For a couple of weeks, anyway.)
C-H-A-S-E S-A-N-B-Q-R-N
Besides, they are cheap. (Except Monettes, and even they are nothing compared to a
good violin, or rapidly depreciating electronic gear.) I don't believe that there is a
cheaper instrument to purchase and maintain than the trumpet, with the possible
exceptions of recorder and harmonica. So why not splurge now and then? Over a
lifetime you'll probably spend less buying your instruments than woodwind players
spend maintaining theirs.
NICE GUYS
Despite the reasonable cost of instruments, trumpet players must be the bane of the
professional retailers existence. We demand professional discounts, reducing the already
meagre profit margin. And then we are mostly loath to make a decision, preferring to
borrow the instrument long enough to realize that it is not a miracle worker, and then
trying something else. It's a good thing we've got such winning personalities.
WHAT ABOUT BEGINNERS?

You can buy a well-made student trumpet for about a third of the cost of a pro hom.
And you can probably get about 80% of the quality. It is unlikely that beginners are
going to be able to tell the difference between the two, so go for the student hom.
Receiving their first pro hom a few years down the road will be good incentive to work
hard on this instrument. Students are often surprised, however, to find that the pro hom
really doesn't make life any easier; high notes are just as high, and fast notes are just as
fast. The differences are more subtle, such-as better intonation, richer timbre, more
)
'weight' and 'body' to the sound. It takes some playing experience to appreciate these .
differences. The case is usually nicer with a pro hom, if that's any consolation.
(Although usually the cases -that come with the instruments sit in the closet, as most of
us carry around our horns in soft gig bags, so as to remain in close contact with our
repair person.)
SO HOW DO I CHOOSE?
OK, you're in the store, you've budgeted the money, and you are looking at a rack full
oftrumpets. You can close your eyes and point, or you can do it the hard way.
When playing a trumpet for the first time I playa few long open tones, trying to hear the
basic timbre of the instrument. Point it in different directions to hear the sound reflected
off of different surfaces. Listen for the comparison between notes. Do they all share a
similar tonal concept?
B·A·A·S·S T·A·C·T·I·C·S 153
'- .
Next I play some mid-tempo two-octave scales. Here I am searching out the 'feel' of a
horn as it moves from note to note. I want all the notes to feel the same; I don't want to
perceive a difference in blowing resistance between two adjacent notes, or to hear notes
that sound noticeably different than the others.
After that, the temptation to try out the high register is usually too great to resist. The
problem is that once you have tried out the high register on a few different horns, you're
done for the day.
After annoying the other customers and sales people with the high notes, I'll settle down
and actually play some music, a song or an excerpt. I'll do some tonguing. I'll improvise
a little. I'll take a tuner and check some of the key problem pitch areas on a trumpet, to
try and determine the characteristics of the horn I'm trying. (See INTONATION)
The qualities I might look for in a horn include:
Do the notes lock into each pitch, or does the horn provide a little latitude?
(Different players prefer different approaches.)
Does the horn respond best to soft playing or forceful playing? (Good response for
both would be a very good sign.)
Does the sound seem dark and mellow, or bright and cutting? Does this vary
depending on how hard I am playing?
How loud can I crescendo before the sound starts to 'break up'?
The next thing is very important: get someone else to play the horn while you listen.
Have that person play the horn you are considering, and then your own horn. You can
tell how a horn feels by playing it, but you can tell more about how it sounds by hearing
someone else play it. Don't stand right in front of the bell, move off axis. If possible,
listen from five or six feet away, and then from a distance, such as at the back of a hall.
(This is a good test for projection.) Have that same person listen to you and make
comments. Don't introduce too many horns into this equation; just one new horn at a
time and a control or reference horn. When you line up six different horns in front of
you and try to determine the differences by playing one right after another, you will get
totally confused. Remember, they're more alike than different!
If, after all this, you are still interested, see if the store will let you borrow or rent the
horn for a week or two. It will feel different on different days, and in different locations.
Try it on all your gigs or rehearsals. A horn that had a big, rich dark sound in the store
may turn out to be exhausting on a four-hour gig. Or a horn that had a searing high
register may turn out to be too bright and brittle for some of the gigs you do. The more
you play the instrument in different situations, the better you will be able to judge the
instrument.
While practicing on the new horn, I don't do a lot of A-B comparison with my horn. I
play the new one exclusively for a few days, and then get out my horn again. Often this
will give me a renewed appreciation for myoId horn, and I've saved $1500. If I still like
the new one, I start eyeing the bank account, cursing the day I picked up this trumpet.
USED INSTRUMENTS
Because there is so little to go wrong with a trumpet, used instruments can be a great
deal. They are typically for sale just because the owner tired of it or found something
they liked better. And used horns will be broken-in already: the valves and slides should
be working smoothly, and the molecular structure of the brass will have loosened up a
bit. Pay particular attention to the valves, however, and play some things that use a lot
of finger combinations. Most players push down the valves slightly askew, rather than
,. I
straight up and down. The valve can get worn in to this path, and it's possible that the
valves will stick when played by another player, even though they work fine for the
player who broke them in. ( )
Look over the general condition of the horn. If it looks to be in great condition, it
probably is. Still, it won't hurt to take it in to a repair person to get their opinion. If you
like the horn, it's in good shape, and the price is right, grab it. You will most likely be
able to sell it for the same amount or more down the road when you fall in love with
something else.
CHOOSE PRACTICING OVER SHOPPING

Buying a new instrument can be fun, but also tricky. There are no miracle horns. It
obviously pays to play the best instrument you can, but ultimately your sound, and your
success as a player are much more dependent on your study and practicing, than on
what instrument you play.
B·R·A·S·S l·A·C·l·I·C·S ISS
FURTHER STUDY
There is no way to form an opinion about different trumpets other than to play lots of
them. Whenever you are with other trumpet players, ask to try out their instruments. An
excellent idea (though perhaps bordering on the anal retentive) would be to keep a
notebook in which you jot down your observations about horns that you have tried. It
can also be useful to find out what instruments are being used by players whom you
admire. Remember, though, that they will sound like they do on almost any other
instrument, and you will sound like you on the hom they play.
CHOOSING A MOUTHPIECE
(7\ espite the difficulties in determining the differences between horns., and what is
' - ' best for you, the process is a walk in the park compared to choosing a
mouthpiece.
WHAT DOES THE MOUTHPIECE DO?

The role of the mouthpiece is to take the vibrations produced by the lips and transfer
them to the trumpet, hopefully to be turned into music. Being the part of your
instrument that actually contacts your fragile little lips, it is logical that it is the most
crucial aspect of the physical sensation of playing a brass instrument. Changing
mouthpieces will also affect your performance more than changing instruments.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I CHANGE?

The big problem with changing mouthpieces is that most of the time, it will change the
feel of your embouchure while it adapts to the new sensations. This means that you can
probably expect a period of deterioration following the initial euphoria of finding a
mouthpiece that seemed to be 'the answer' at first. You might get lucky and avoid this
uncomfortable period, but you should be prepared for it. Therefore, a decision to
change mouthpieces must be done with an intelligent approach, so that when you make
a commitment to a new piece, it is a well-founded decision that justifies working through
the painful transition process. I oJ
WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE?

Some of the answers I have received to this question are as follows:
'7 want a douhle-C "(Instead of the high-C the player now possesses.)
"J\.1y chops are feeling rotten these days. "
"'1 want to play like Wynton" (Or Maynard, or Clifford, or Doc or ....... )
"This guy 1met said that 1should"
'7 don't really knOw. "
These are all poor reasons to change mouthpieces. While the mouthpiece may assist you
in reaching your musical goals, it will not transform your playing. In general, any gains
you achieve in one area may take away from another, so it is an exercise in compromise.
It is for this reason that most beginners start on a 7C. It is a middle-range mouthpiece in
all regards, and it is logical to start there while developing.
Before you even think of switching mouthpieces, consider what aspect of your playing it
is you hope to change, and how that change may affect other areas of your playing. In
particular, a period of bad chops is never the time to change. You will likely just mess
yourself up further. Get yourself back on track with your current mouthpiece through a
proper practice regimen first. Changing mouthpieces can fine-tune existing playing
abilities, but only in rare, extreme mis-match cases will it effect major changes in your
playing.
I'M GOING FOR IT

Assuming that you have decided to change mouthpieces (you poor devil), how do you
go about it? Your best bet is to have a clear outline of what qualities you are looking for
in a mouthpiece, and then acquire an understanding of how the different mouthpiece
design elements affect those qualities. I will briefly outline them here.
THE RIM
The rim is the ring of metal at the top of the mouthpiece that contacts your lips. As it is
the point of contact, it is the most crucial aspect of the mouthpiece. The inner diameter
of the rim is described by the number designation of the mouthpiece. (1,2,7,13 etc.)
Generally the higher the number the smaller the diameter, but there are exceptions to
this. (One thing you will find is that there are no standards from one manufacturer to
another.)
A general rule is that the larger mouthpieces produce a bigger darker sound, and
smaller ones produce easier high notes, but these are relative terms that will vary with
players and their unique physical makeups. The actual rim itself has various contour
elements: the width of it, the outer curve, and the inner curve. Each element affects the
feel and response of the mouthpiece, as well as the perception of size. Each
manufacturer will have its own rim designs and some will feel better to a given player
than others.
THE CUP
The cup is the bowl-shaped part of the mouthpiece that sets the air into a swirling
motion. The bowl is described by the letter designation of the mouthpiece: C,D,E, etc.
A is typically the biggest, and size decreases from there, usually down to E. The shape
of the cup can vary from bowl shaped to V shaped and anything in between, and even
combinations of the two. V shapes are most often used on flugels.
THE THROAT, BORE, AND BACKBORE

At the bottom of the cup, it tapers into the small hole you see when peering into the
mouthpiece through the cup. This tapering section is called the throat, and the hole is
the bore. From there, it tapers back out to the diameter seen at the end of the
mouthpiece. This section is called the backbore.
These three elements all affect the blowing resistance of the mouthpiece. When working
with a knowledgeable mouthpiece maker, one can vary the combination of these to
achieve the personally desired result. Most likely, however, you will be dealing with a
few combinations pre-determined by the manufacturer, and assessing the results on your
own.
How DO I CHOOSE?
You can see that the possible combinations available in a mouthpiece are staggering.
The differences between mouthpieces are usually too small to be seen by the naked eye,
but they can definitely be felt. It can be very difficult to figure out which way to go on
your own. Try to enlist the help of a knowledgeable player or teacher in the search.
As a starting point, try to decide on a manufacturer first, based on recommendations

and availability. Try different sizes within one manufacturer's line. Do their rims feel
comfortable on your lips? It is safe to say that a mouthpiece that feels wrong to begin
with can probably be ruled out. If it feels good initially, however, your exploration has
jusL Leguu. I always Lry Lo playa mouLhpiece from a manufacturer's stock line, rather i )
than custom pieces. This makes it easier to try a slightly different rim or cup, and also
makes it easier and quicker to replace if something happens to yours.
Be clear about what you are seeking from a new mouthpiece. If you can communicate
with the manufacturer it may be able to steer you to those pieces in its line that offer
what you are after.
Beyond that it is a very personal exploration. The shoes that someone else wears won't
necessarily suit you, and it is the same with mouthpieces.
FURTHER STUDY
I am personally indebted to John and Phyllis Stork, of Stork Mouthpieces, for the hours
they have spent helping me sort out the jungle that is trumpet mouthpieces. John has
written a great pamphlet called' Understanding the Mouthpiece: which provides a lot
of information about choosing a mouthpiece. They can be contacted at:
Stork Mouthpieces
Rt. 2 Box 1818
Maple Hill Road
vr
Plainfield, 05667
160 C·H·A,S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
THE FLUGELHORN
.."., he flugelhorn is an instrument played by almost all trumpet players, because the
V two are so similar. The total length of tubing is the same as the trumpet, which
puts it in the same key, and the fingerings of the valves are identical. The rim of the
mouthpiece can (and should) also be identical, so that there is little or no problem
switching back and forth between instruments.
CYLINDRICAl/CONICAL
Physically, the difference between a trumpet and a flugelhorn lies in the bore of the
instrument. The trumpet is constructed of mostly cy/indncal tubing, maintaining the
same diameter throughout the length of the tubing. The flugelhorn is composed of
mostly comcal tubing, continually tapering larger and larger towards the bell, which is
much larger than a trumpet bell. Musically, this gives the flugelhorn a mellower quality,
more like a French Horn. In fact, flugels are often used to give the effect of a French
Horn in a brass section. They also blend extremely well with lower brass instruments.
OOOHH, THAT SOUNDS NICE

The mellow quality of the flugelhorn contrasts beautifully with the bright, sharp sound
of the trumpet, and immediately expands any player's range of expression. They are
often favored on ballads, though some players also use them on up-tempo pieces as well.
And of course, a trumpet can also sound gorgeous on a ballad. \ )
I HEAR THE CASH REGISTER JINGLlN' . \
Another popular aspect of the flugelhorn is that it is a double. That means that if you
play trumpet and flugel on a show or a recording, you earn a higher hourly rate. This is
good. And it is often what I call a 'gift double'. The parts are not usually difficult for
the flugel (though there are exceptions). It is generally used as a blending instrument,
rather than the lead role often played by the trumpet. And it requires little extra practice
time to play it adequately (though substantial time may need to be devoted if you hope
to be a flugel soloist.) Also, like the trumpet, it is not particularly expensive to own or
maintain. So generally, the flugelhorn causes minimum stress in a player's life, unlike its
ugly cousin, the trumpet.
DON'T DEPEND ON IT
The warm, forgiving sound of the flugelhorn entices many players to spend too much
time working on it, to the detriment of their trumpet studies. Though time should be
spent developing the unique characteristics of the flugelhorn sound, the trumpet is your
primary instrument in most cases, and the bulk of your practice time should be spent
with it. Chops developed on the trumpet will adapt naturally to the flugel, but the
reverse is not necessarily true. In most cases, too much extended practice on the flugel
will impact negatively on your trumpet playing.
LAME ATTEMPT AT POETRY

The flugel is your friend, the trumpet is your spouse.
Don't mix them up or you may lose your house.
(And you thought there would be no poetry in this book. Hoped, even.)
THE SOUND
The sound of the flugel should be dark and mellow, with as much character as possible.
Practice ballads and lyrical etudes on it, to allow yourself to hear the sound and savor it.
Time should be allotted each day to the flugel, to emphasise and develop its unique
character.
INTONATION
If you have read the chapters on OVERTONES and INTONATION, you know that we are up
against substantial difficulties playing the trumpet in tune. Well, they are worse on the
flugel. This instrument requires even more adjustment by the player to play in tune.
This is another reason that it is important to practice it every day rather than just picking
it up on the gig. You need to be very familiar with the intonation tendencies of your
instrument.
162. C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·B·O·R·N
WHICH FLUGEL?
Almost all of the manufacturers listed in the chapter on CHOOSING A TRUMPET also
manufacture flugelhorns. Two old flugel brands are still sought after: Couesnon and
French Besson. The old horns often have questionable pitch and clunky valves, but
many players put up with these drawbacks in order to get the rich character of sound
that is found in these instruments.
Still, modern instruments have come a long way towards replicating the rich sound of
the old flugelhorns. They, of course, offer the advantages of vastly improved design and
engineering. Boosey & Hawkes manufactures a new model using the French Besson
name that is an excellent horn. Also very popular are Yamaha, Benge, and Kanstul
models. As with trumpets, try to playas many different models as possible, to see what
feels right to you.
FURTHER STUDY I I
If you want to be a soloist on the flugel, just as with the trumpet, it is important to listen
to great players to file their sounds in your head. This will ultimately help you develop a
recognizable flugel sound of your own. Most flugel players are trumpet players who
double, sometimes with spectacular results on both instruments (Freddie Hubbard and
Bobby Shew, to name a couple). There are, however, some players who have
specialized in the flugelhorn. Some that come to mind are Art Farmer (though in recent
years he has played a hybrid instrument dubbed the Rumpel), Chuck Mangione, and in
Toronto, one of the great flugelhorn players of all time, Guido Basso. To hear the range l J
of expression possible on this instrument, listen to Guido play 'Portrait ofjenny' with
Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, on ' The Jazz Album : For that matter, just about
any of Guido's features during the 2S-year existence of this band feature his beautiful
flugelhorn sound.
THE PICCOLO TRUMPET

7 he piccolo trumpet is often used in classical trumpet playing. This book will not
\..t delve into its extensive use in that idiom. But it is sometimes called for as a
.. double by a commercial player as well, so I will just touch on the basics of this
instrument.
IT'S SO CUTE
Yes, just like puppies, piccolo trumpets are very cute. (Also like puppies, they can have
sharp teeth.) They tuck neatly under your arm for easy hauling, especially in a gig bag.
(My piccolo gig bag has also come in handy as a pillow during long breaks in the
theatre pit.)
A piccolo has exactly half the length of tubing of a Bb trumpet, so it sounds one octave
higher. This means that the lowest note on the piccolo, low F# (fingered 1,2&3),
sounds F# in the first space of the treble clef. Low C on the piccolo sounds third space
C. If you are picking the hom up for the first time, find the low C first. Then try to play
a C major scale up from there, fingering up from low C just as you do on the Bb
(although it sounds an octave higher). This will help you get your bearings.
MAYNARD, LOOK OUTI

Many players are disappointed to find that their range does not go up an octave after
acquiring a piccolo trumpet. The reality is that you still have to vibrate your lips just as
fast for a given pitch, so the task is really no easier on a piccolo. The advantage the hom
does give you is that the partials are farther apart, which makes it easier to lock in to the
pitches in the upper register.
THE FOURTH VALVE

The majority of piccolo trumpets have a fourth valve, which provides two benefits. First,
it creates many more alternate fingering possibilities to adjust pitch. Notably, low Dean
be played with 4th valve, and low C# with 2nd and 4th, and the 4th slide can be tuned
for these notes. (Piccolos have no moveable third valve slide.) Be aware that the smaller
the trumpet, the greater the intonation difficulties. The piccolo will take diligent effort to
learn to play it in tune.
C·H·A,S·E S·A·N·B·Q·R·N
Secondly, the fourth valve lets you playa little lower. From low F# on the piccolo
(sounding 1st space F#), push down the fourth valve and hold it down while fingering
normally to descend chromatically down to C#. Some players operate the fourth valve
with the little finger of the right hand, and some players use a finger from the left hand
on the fourth valve. Whatever works is OK.
THE MOUTHPIECE
As with the flugel, it is desirable to playa piccolo mouthpiece with the same rim as your
Bb mouthpiece. Some piccolos accept standard trumpet mouthpieces, and you can use
the same one as on your Bb. Many players, however, prefer a shallower cup on their
piccolo mouthpiece, both to facilitate the upper register, and to achieve the characteristic
small, bright piccolo sound. Some piccolos require a mouthpiece with a smaller shank,
and for these you must have a separate mouthpiece.
THE A LEADPIPE
Most piccolos come with a second, slightly longer leadpipe that lowers the pitch of the
hom a half-step to A, instead of Bb. A given passage will usually be easier to play, or
more in tune, in one key or the other. Try both to see for yourself. Often a piccolo will
respond better with one or the other lead pipe, so you should play both of them when
trying out a hom.
FURTHER STUDY ( )
The master of the piccolo trumpet is Maurice Andre, and any self-respecting trumpet
student should have some of his many recordings in their collection. Listening to the
ease with which notes flow from his piccolo can be a revelation to anyone who has -:
wrestled with these little devils. Many other classical trumpet players also specialize in
the piccolo.
David Hickman has written a book called ' The Piccolo Trumpet: which provides lots
of practice material in the proper register, as well as advice on playing this instrument.
Highly recommended.
THE BIG BREAK

~e inspiration for this chapter comes from a quote from vibist and teacher, Gary
\..t Burton that I read recently. I'll open with that quote.
"There's nothing sadder than a person who's, say, forty years old, and he's sflil
practicing every day and still talking about how he's going to get his big break any
moment. Or a person who becomes bitter and says that 'I never got the opportunity that
everyone else got. / never got a big break, for one reason or another: The troth is
everyone gets breaks and everyone gets the same breaks. My way ofexplaining that is:
every time you play, every time you are heard by anyone, every time you play at a
session, at a gig, take your lesson, or in the school band, you are being seen and heard
by other people. And Ifyou make a good impression, it WJil lead to more opportunities.
There is no big break. There are lots oflittle opportunities that keep adding up to more
and more favorable response from people, and gradually you work your way up to things
that are exciting. You may have the impression on the surface that 'what a great thing, /
got hired for this gig, that this guy heard me: but in fact, what got you to that point was
already a succession ofmaking good impressions on people. "
(Gary Burton)
Truer words were never spoken. I am amazed by musicians who seem to be unaware of
this concept, or ignore it, and play or behave in a manner that seems to indicate that
they feel that they have been guaranteed work for life. Given the reduced amount of
work available today, and the number of competent musicians vying for the jobs, having
a gig is a privilege, not a foregone conclusion. In addition to playing your instrument
extremely well, you need to do everything possible to make yourself a desirable person to
have in the band. This includes playing in a manner appropriate to every situation,
arriving on time, wearing the proper attire, and representing yourself with your playing
and general deportment as someone who takes your career, and the music which you
have been hired to play, seriously.
This means you must play to the peak of your abilities at all times. The reality of the
music world is this: you never know who is going to have a gig for you next. The
musician who is a sideman today may be a leader tomorrow. If you develop a reputation
for showing up late, or screwing around with the music on a gig you deem not to be
important, you may be making a bad impression on someone who will someday have an
'important' gig. Consequently, you will not be hired. Many musicians have learned this
the hard way. If you take a look at the busiest players in any town, you will find that not
only are they extremely accomplished performers, but that they do their best to
contribute what is needed to the situation. They will listen to and blend with the other
musicians. If they don't like the music, that will in no way affect their playing. They will
strive to tum in a polished performance regardless of the setting. In addition, they will
take care of business. In general, they are a pleasure to have around, both musically and
personally.
As Gary pointed out, becoming successful doesn't happen overnight. Your reputation
will be founded on your playing history. When a player shows up on the scene who I )
seems to be doing everything right, the word spreads fast. This doesn't translate into
immediate rewards, though, because people generally exercise more loyalty than to drop
their regular players in favor of the new kid on the block. (You will appreciate this
loyalty when the shoe is on the other foot and somebody else wants the gig you waited
patiently to get.)
Occasions arise, however, when jobs occurs simultaneously, and more players are
needed. Usually the regular players will recommend subs for the gigs they cannot do. ( )
Those recommendations will be based on having heard the players they are
recommending. (Or having heard about them through others. It can be a long and
complicated grapevine. People will talk about you. Give them only positive things to
say.)
As you progress in your career, one gig leads to another. The friendships you build .,
,"
along the way translate into more and more recommendations, and hopefully better jobs.
It may take patience. It may be hard to sit and wait for some of the gigs you think you
should be getting already, but the best tactic is to use your time to practice and continue
to improve. When you do get a chance to show what you can do on an important job,
you will be ready, and the impression will be even better.
BOTTOM LINE
You never know who is listening or watching, so always do your best, and always make
sure your 'best' is getting better. If you practice a lot, maintain a good attitude, and try
to sound great everywhere you play, the gigs will come to you.
(-
LIFE Is THE PIT

H aving logged many, many hours in the theatre pits of Toronto, playing long-run
musicals, I will offer some thoughts about this kind of work, and some advice for
those hoping to get into (or avoid) the pit.
DON'T YOU GET BORED?

Yes. Musically, this is as stagnant as it gets. Let's face it, once you have played a show
exactly the same way 50 times, the magic has worn off. I have often described our
existence there as Groundhog Day (referring to the Bill Murray movie where he lives
the same day over and over). Sometimes when I head for my seat, I hope for anything to
be different, a new stain on the carpet, anything! With few exceptions, not much ever is.
We start at 8:00 P.M., intermission at 9: 15, out at 10:50. In between, all the music is
played in the same order, at the same tempo, and the same volume every night.
Absolute consistency is what they strive for in the theatre.
So WHY DO IT?
Well ...... .let's see, there's the house payment, car payment, credit card payments, utility
bills, kid's braces, hockey equipment, valve oil, the list goes on and on. Of course the
paycheck is the driving force behind theatre work, and it can be a very good one. Even
more impGrtantly, it is predictable; you know when and how much you are going to be
paid this week, an all too seldom seen situation in the free-lance music business.
MONEY ISN1T EVERYTHING

True. There must be some other advantages to theatre work, and in fact there are.
Usually the music is well written and it is always well played. In general, some of the
finest musicians in the city can be found in the theatre pits these days. Another
advantage is that we are treated with respect, and are valued (and rewarded) for our
contribution to the overall production. It is also an excellent opportunity to work on
other musical projects on the outside, without worrying too much about money for a
while. Your schedule is predictable, and you will usually be done by 11 :00 P.M. Once
you have some substitutes available (more on ·this later), you will be able to get out of
the show on occasion to do other things, knowing it will still be there next week.
THE PLAYING
First of all, it is a given that your part must be played extremely well, and with energy
and consistency. Letting any boredom or negativity come through in your playing is a
quick ticket back to free-lance gigs. You must be a great player to begin with, and
maintain that level of playing through an extended run.
THE SITIING
I find that I am not bored while playing, only while waiting to play, so like most of the
musicians, I am never without something to read during tacet numbers or dialogue on
stage. When you have heard the music played many times, you develop the ability to
hear aural cues as to when to pick up your horn and play, even if you are right at the
climax of a Tom Clancy novel. (More than one musician has been observed trying to
play with their book open on their lap, or held between their feet on the floor as they are
loath to put it down at a crucial moment.) Other pit activities include sketching, chess,
anything that is discreet and quiet and occupies your mind until the next entrance. I
have found it an excellent place to read computer and other owners' manuals that might
otherwise gather dust.
THE ATIITUDE
I find most musicians have one of two attitudes about theatre work:
''Man, I could really use some money right about now. " ( )
'7 don't think I could handle doing the same thing night after night. "
With many other avenues for work drying up, the first comment is heard most often.
Thus there is serious competition for the theatre jobs that exist, so you better maintain a
reasonably good attitude about what you are doing, or somebody else will be happy to
do it for you.
CONSISTENCY
Musically, a theatre musician must have excellent command of their instrument. They
must be able to perform anything expected at a professional level, and be able to
perform it every day, twice on matinee days. The simplest part can get quite difficult
when subjected to the eight-show-a-week schedule. You must also be able to perform at
that level with bad or sore chops, or when deathly sick if all your subs are unavailable.
SIGHT-READING
Even though you will have ample time to become familiar with the music in the course
of the run, you must be a crack sight-reader. You will be expected to nail the notes early
in the rehearsal period, so the music director can then concentrate on tempos, volume
levels, and co-ordination with the action on stage.
PITCH
Intonation becomes critical in the pit, and you must be able to properly tune-up and
continue to play in tune. Over time, pitch often seems to get worse in the pit, as people
become more inflexible, and perhaps listen less. Fight the tendency to feel that you are
in tune, and it must be someone else that is out. Remain a team player. Listen.
STYLE
Each show will have its own musical style, and you must be able to play within that
style. General knowledge of different styles is obviously a good thing, and you may need
to research a given show a bit before rehearsal, to know what will be expected of you.
EMOTION/TEMPERAMENT
Emotionally, you must be able to deal with the boredom inherent in playing the same
music over and over, without letting it affect your performance. You must be able to get
along with people, as you will be working in dark, cramped accommodations with the
same faces night after night.
You must also·be able to accept criticism, as the conductor will invariably have notes on
your performance for you. Actors are used to these notes, but musicians generally are
not. You may feel you are playing well, but if the conductor says to do something
differently, you must accept that and tl)' your best to do it. They are the ones
responsible for the running of the whole show; you are just a small part of it. (Being a
musical director on a long-running show can be a thankless job, as they he or she must
tl)' to inject or maintain freshness into players that have been playing the music for
months or years.)
As a player, remember that this show too will end, and you will once again be
unemployed, and hoping to get hired for the next one. Your attitude may remain in
people's memories as much as your playing. If you were a pain-in-the-butt, you may not
get that call, no matter how well you play.
RIGHT THEN, LET'S GO!

SO if you've gotten this far, and still feel that you are cut out for this work, how do you
proceed? Each theatre will have a contractor who is responsible for hiring, paying, and
generally dealing with the musicians on non-musical matters. Calling these contractors
daily to remind them of your availability will probably not have the desired result.
Perhaps one call and a resume at most, but this is not how you will get your initial jobs
in the theatre. They will come from subbing for the contracted players.
GET TO KNOW ME!

If you don't know the players who are working regularly in the theatre, try to find out
who they are. Contact them and indicate your availability for subbing if needed. By and
large, the regular players will already have their subs, and sometimes must clear their
choices with musical directors or contractors who may have their own preferences.
Nonetheless, it is perfectly acceptable to let players know of your interest in subbing for
them, while implying no obligation. If the players don't know your playing, they will be
reluctant to send you in, because they are in essence guaranteeing the conductor that
you can do the job. So you've got to do your best to get around, and get to know and
play with the musicians doing the theatre work in town.
SWALLOW YOUR EGO rj
Even if players do know your playing, they may determine that another player is better
qualified to represent them on this particular show, and you must accept that. Subbing \ )
in to a show that you are not really qualified or prepared for can be a horrible and
humiliating experience.
VIEW THE BOOK

If you are talking to a regular player, ask if you might come sit and watch the show. (In
the pit, not the house!) Then do it! This indicates that you are serious about putting the
time in to learn and prepare for the show. If you have been in once to see the show, your
name is more likely to come up when it is necessary to train an additional sub.
PREPARATION IS CRUCIAL
At some point, you may be called to playa date, and you must arrange to view the show
again, maybe more than once, and hopefully take home a copy of the book and a tape.
Study them! Playing the show the first time is not the time to be struggling with a tricky
finger passage. Work that out ahead of time. Use the tape to reinforce tempos in your
head. Having a sub do a mediocre job reflects badly not only on that sub, but on
subbing in general. Therefore the contracted players are looking for people who are very
interested in this work, and who understand what is required. If, after two viewings you
still don't feel that you understand everything in the show well enough to play it nearly
perfect, make the time to come in again. Consider this an investment in the future.
DON'T LOOK FOR APPLAUSE

Once a show has been running smoothly for a while, the orchestra is like a machine with
greased gears. Not only does everybody know his or her own part cold, but they have
had time to adjust to all the other parts of the orchestra and everything starts to fit like a
jigsaw puzzle. People agree on the exact interpretation of a conductor's downbeat,
volume levels are second nature, and a wrong accidental is practically unheard of. This
places a lot of pressure on someone stepping in and sight-reading the book for the first
or second time. No matter how much preparation you have done, there can be a terrible
moment of fear when the conductor gives you the downbeat for your quiet solo entrance.
Is it the right spot? Was that 33 bars of rest you counted or only 32? Because everyone
around you has heard the part played countless times before, nothing will be noticed but
your mistakes. The greatest compliment you as a sub can receive is that the other players
didn't even know you were there! So you need nerves of steel, and unshakeable
confidence.
ASK QUESTIONS
Ask other players around you about your volume levels and interpretations compared to
the player you are subbing for, and any other advice on fitting your part into the whole.
Remember that your job is to sound as much like the regular player as possible. And be
prepared for the fact that having just sight-read a million notes, with your adrenaline
pumping the whole time, the conductor will invariably comment on some seemingly
insignificant note that was too loud, or too soft, or too long, or too short. Consider that if
this is the only comment you get, you did a great job.
C·H·A·S·E S·A·N·S·Q·R·N
GAUGE REACTIONS
It is usually pretty obvious when conductors are unhappy with your performance. It may
not be as obvious if they were happy, as they may not mention anything. Don't read too
much into their silence.
If the conductor suggests you watch the book again before playing it, you are on shaky
ground. If another viewing doesn't improve your next performance, the regular player
may be instructed not to use you again. Once this judgement is passed, it can be
difficult to ever get hired again for that leader. If you do pass the 'probationary' period,
you will eventually get to know the show and can relax a bit. You will have a new source·
of employment, as the regular players like to sub out as often as they can to keep current
in the market. Meanwhile, the contractor will get to know you and your playing, and
will add you to his or her list of players for future shows.
Life in the pit has its up sides and down sides. You can decide if it is an area you want
to explore.
()
- \
B·H·A·S,S l·A·C·l·I·C·S 173
RECORDING
YAWN. YIPES!!
7 he old line goes that recording session work is 95% boredom and 5% sheer
\.I' terror. For brass players, the percentages are probably skewed a bit more towards
the terror side. This is because we, perhaps more than any other instrumentalist, must
deal with daily fluctuations in our basic ability to produce a sound, let alone read,
improvise, or any of the other aspects of playing music. After a late night of loud high
playing, or perhaps with a big pimple on your lip, it can be tough just to get a decent
tone in the morning, let alone playa difficult exposed part.
Yet in the recording studio, that is exactly what we may be faced with on any job. Often
the part is easy to play, and everything goes fine. But you never know what will be
thrown at you: Most of the time, when we book a session, we do so without having any
real idea of what will be expected of us until we get into the studio. The person paying
for the session does not make allowances for your tough gig last night, or the early
morning call. You need to play the part now.
If you are getting called for recording gigs, you have probably already established a track
record of performing to a certain level, which presupposes your ability to perform what
has been written. Still, we all know how fickle chops can be, and no one is immune to
the insecurities that come with playing such a difficult, yet prominent (loud) instrument.
These feelings are compounded when performing under pressure. And the studio can
be a pressure-cooker situation.
THE BUCK STOPS HERE

The reason for the pressure in the recording studio comes down to two things: time and
money. Actually these two are the same thing; time is money. Everything about
recording tends to cost a lot: the studio, the tape, the engineers, the writers, arrangers,
copyists, and musicians. This means that everybody involved in the recording process
had better be up to scratch, or the session gets behind schedule and winds up costing
even more money. Which makes producers cranky.
ACE MUSICIANS
This is why the recording musicians are generally among the best players in any town.
They must be able to perform to the most taxing standards. They must be able to
consistently play their parts on take after take while somebody else screws up. (It's
always somebody else.) They must be able to keep their cool while others around them
may be losing theirs.
WHAT GIGS ARE LEFT?

While the term 'studio trumpet player' may not be heard much any more in these
synthesized times, there are still some recording gigs out there, and they can be as
difficult as ever. In fact, a lot of the gigs that have been lost to machines were the ones
that didn't cause grey hair, the simple little 'sweetening' sessions that are mostly done on
synthesizers today. These days, when they hire real brass players, it is all the more likely
that there will be a serious part to play.
.)
CAN YOU SOUND MORE LIKE THE TRACK?

There are also some difficulties unique to the times. For instance, there are more and
more writers that have been raised on machines (synthesizers, not dialysis), who do not
often get the chance to work with live horns. They are used to perfection of pitch and
absolute consistency from the synths and samplers, and sometimes strive for that to
unrealistic levels with real players. They may need to be (gently) reminded that they
have brought live horns in not to duplicate the sterile perfect machines, but to produce ()
that living, breathing imperfection that is humanity. (Of course, I am not referring to
any writers whom I personally work with, just some guys I have heard about.)
BE PREPARED!
If you want to feel comfortable in the studio, you must be confident that whatever you
are asked to play is easily within your ability. If you are struggling with a part, it will
usually be obvious to the ears in the booth, especially when they solo your track.
(Grimace!) If you can really play your instrument, in tune and in time and in the right
style, and can get along with people, you'll do fine. If you are a bull---- artist, making
excuses for your inadequacies, that will' soon become apparent. So when practicing, be
your own harshest critic. Work on things that are difficult for you to do. Try to replicate
real playing situations. And don't ignore any of the fundamentals. Sure you need range,
but you also need sound, pitch, attacks, dynamics. You need to be familiar with various
musical styles. Your sightreading has to be at least excellent. In short, when you show
up for the gig, be ready for anything.
. \
. \
B·R·A·S·S T'A,C'T'J'C,S 175
Of course, this is good advice for all kinds of gigs. The simple answer to getting work is
to be able to play what you are asked to play. Being able to scream a killer double C
means nothing if what is written is a lyrical solo in the mid register. Opportunities will
appear to show what you can do. If you nail the part, it may lead to another
opportunity. If you screw up, it's back to square one, with a big demerit point hanging
over your head.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
While studio work is mostly about being the best player you can be, there are a few tips
that I can offer.
When called for a session, ask a few questions about the music. Gather any
information you can about what might be in store. Forewarned is forearmed.
Once you arrive (early, of course), sit down and get out your horns, oil the valves,
and make sure everything is working right.
Warm up thoroughly, but unobtrusively.
Look over the music and practice whatever looks hard. (Perhaps with a mute in, so
as not to unnerve the writers.) Inquire about anything unclear. See how it will feel to
play the part in this particular studio. Believe me, it won't get any easier with the
headphones on and the tape rolling.
Most brass players play with one headphone off their ears to hear some acoustic
sound. I prefer to wear both sides of light open-air phones, and I will ask if they have
a pair in the studio. Sometimes I'll bring my own.
When rehearsing with the track, listen closely to what you are hearing, and don't be
afraid to speak up if the mix could be better for you.
Get a glass of water.
Relax. Breathe. Think about how you want the part to sound. Play it like that.
If you are faced with a part that you are not comfortable with, and there is another
player on the session for whom it is better suited, don't be too proud to pass the part.
A session that goes smoothly reflects well on everyone. Egos are to be avoided. Get
the job done, collect the check, and move on to another battle.
"Rolling!"
THE GARDEN
1 was reflecting recently on the nature of the teacher/student relationship, and was
struck with the analogy of planting a garden. (My students know I love analogies.)
Think of the instruction that you receive as planting a garden. I, as your gardener
(teacher), can give you only seeds for your garden. These seeds represent the different
elements of a practice routine. They will be unique to each individual, as you all have
different ideas of what you want your garden (playing) to contain. There may be
common elements in most gardens (routines), because all gardens need soil, light and
water, if they are to be healthy. All brass players need sound and control if they are to
be prepared to play whatever music they wish.
Your gardens will vary a great deal. Some of you want to have a little backyard plot and
some want a 1DO-acre farm. Some of you play for your own amusement, and some of
you want to be well known jazz soloists. In all cases, the common element is the pleasure
that tending your garden gives you. You cannot put in all the work of tending a garden
merely to save a few dollars on vegetables, or pursue a career as a brass player in order
to be rich and famous. (Yuk yuk.) You must do it because you love it.
I can help you to grow the garden you wish to have (to become the player you want to
be). I will try to determine what kind of garden appeals to you (what kind of music you
\ )
would like to play) and how much time you can devote to your garden. I can suggest the
right seeds to plant (the right things to practice) to grow what you want. I can make
suggestions where to plant them (when to play them) and how to plant (play) them, so
that your garden achieves maximum growth in the allotted time.
This is all I can give you, however. Seeds and advice. Instruction without practice will
react like seeds without water: it will wither and never take hold. The advice that I give
you will be based on my own experiences, and the combined experiences of the students
that have already been working on their gardens for a while. While many of these
experiences will be applicable to you, your garden (playing) is unique to you, and you
must experiment for yourself to find out the best approach. Just as you rotate crops to
maintain the soil, you will want to add and change elements of your practice routine
from time to time to constantly challenge yourself in new directions.
Finally, patience is not only a virtue, but a necessity for the gardener. If you look for
progress every day, you will not see it. But if you stick with it, watering those seeds every
day, in time you will see your seeds sprout and flourish, and one day you will have a
lush garden where once was barren land. This will happen so gradually that you may
not notice it. By that time, you will not even remember the empty plot of land. You will
be looking forward to the future, and your increasing knowledge of gardening will only
heighten your desire to grow more, and make you aware of the possibilities for
improvement. One day you will hit the high Q you have been striving for, and will
think: "If only I could hit Q sharp!" And the process will continue, planting more
seeds, trying new crops, playing more music.
Only you can do it. I can help keep you on the right path, but it will be your blood,
sweat and tears that will get you where you want to go. You reap what you sow.
Practice hard and think and hsten!
REMEMBER
One hour of practice with concentration,
is worth ten without.
Happy gardening!
(With apologies to Peter Sellers (Chauncy Gardener) in 'Being There')

THE INTERNATIONAL TRUMPET GUILD
."., his is an organization to which all trumpet players should belong, whether
\.I' beginner or professional. Members receive the following:
4 Journals each year, packed with articles, interviews, reviews, product

announcements and ads of interest to trumpet players.
Free supplements to the journals which include music for trumpet solo or groups of
trumpets, CD's (always fantastic and often available nowhere else), and other
tidbits.
Annual membership directory of over 7000 of the world's foremost professionals,
teachers, students, and enthusiasts of the trumpet.
Index of past journals including hundreds of articles.
Annual book of recent trumpet/brass programs.
Official membership card
All of the above, not to mention membership in this prestigious, 7000+ organization
are available at velJ'moderate cost, with discounts for students and seniors.
The Guild also hosts yearly conventions featuring brass performers from around the
world, clinics, instrument manufacturer demonstrations etc. I urge you to join ITG right
away and make an effort to attend one of the conventions. You will never regret your
-I
decision.
To request an application for membership: I )
Bryan Goff, Treasurer

International Trumpet Guild
School of Music
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Fl. 32306-2098
ITG WWWSite
http://www.itg.dana.edu/ -itg
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank the members of my family who have so
graciously put up with all the long tones and lip trills which resonate through the house
daily. Diane, Natalie and Cooper, I love you all more than words can say. Also to my
parents, Howie and Peg, who have supported my love for music unconditionally from
the earliest days on. (Though they were no doubt happy to pass on the lip trills to a new
family.)
I would also like to extend thanks to two early and influential teachers: Angelo Merola,
and Doc Reinhardt. I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today if not for the inspiration
provided by these two men.
To John Coppola, Arnie Chycoski and Guido Basso, three of the most influential
trumpet players in my life: you guys have all been tremendous inspirations to me and
I'm the richer musically and personally for knowing you.
To Steve McDade, Dave Dunlop, Charlie Gray, AI Kay, and all the others with
whom I have logged so much time in the pit, and who watched me carry in foot-high
stacks of brass methods every night during two years of Crazy For You.
To the Britts, Sophocles and Griff: many thanks for all the good times. I know there
will be lots more. You've made life fascinating.
To Byron Wall, who has been with me since the beginning, gave me my first computer,
and helped out so much with the realization of this project, I extend my most sincere
thanks. (Except maybe for that 286.)
Thanks also to Soda, who lets no student arrive un-heralded.
And last, but by no means least: to all my students, past, present and future, without
whom this book would never have been written, my heartfelt thanks and a few familiar
words: Hold your hom up! Listen! Concentrate! Blow!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chase Sanborn is a trumpet player and teacher who has played and studied in New
York, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. He currently makes his
home in Toronto, along with a photographer, an actress, an artist, a dog, a cat, two
birds and a turtle. Chase is an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music, and has
performed as a featured jazz artist and/or lead trumpet in musical situations ranging
from the Toronto Symphony to Ray Charles to Gil Evans. He is an active player in the
theatre pits, recording studios and jazz clubs of Toronto, and is on the faculty at the
University of Toronto, where he teaches trumpet and improvisation, and coaches
ensembles in theJazz Performance Degree Program. Chase is a clinician for Boosey &
Hawkes, featuring French Besson trumpets and flugelhorns.
Chase is available for private lessons, as well as clinics and concerts. He welcomes
comments on this text. You may contact him directly at the address below:
Chase Sanborn
115 Ferrier Ave.
Toronto, Ont. M4K 3H6
416-463-1359
416-463-5448 (fax)
e-mail: chasesan@idirect.com
http://webhome.idirect.com/-chasesan ()
, .)
.'
.J

Chase Sanborn Brass Tactics

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Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

Sanborn, Chase, 1956-

Includes bibliographical references.

1. Trumpet-Instruction and study. I. Title.

Cover photographs: Diane Aubie

Pedal Tones Routine 87

Buzzing Routine 101

Attacks & Long Tones Routine 111

Multiple Tonguing Routine 120

Range Routine 130

Constructing a Practice Routine 143

Trumpet Maintenance 148

Choosing a Trumpet 150

Choosing a Mouthpiece 156

The Flugelhorn 160

The Piccolo Trumpet 163

The Big Break 165

Life is the Pit 167

The Garden 176

WHO SHOULD USE THIS BOOK?

The basics of sound production, an understanding of the physics involved in brass

WHAT WILL THIS BOOK DO?

ENOUGH ALREADY, GET ON WITH THE BOOK!

PUT A TIGER IN YOUR TANK

Do WHAT COMES NATURALLY

velocity, but greater air quantity.

IT'S NOT YOUR DIAPHRAGM THAT DOES THE WORK

SPARE THE AIR, TOIL THE CHOPS

OPEN, AND SAY AHHHH!

KEEP THE AIR COMIN'

STRIVE FOR TONE

Do YOU HEAR 111

GENERAL PHYSICAL FITNESS

BREATHING EXERCISES WITHOUT THE HORN

EXERCISE #2: To EXPERIENCE A FULL BREATH

EXERCISE #3: To EXPAND YOUR AIR CAPACITY (1)

EXERCISE #4: To EXPAND YOUR AIR CAPACITY (2)

EXERCISE #5: To DEVELOP AN OPEN THROAT

Long slow inhales and exhales

EXERCISE #6: To INCREASE THE SPEED OF YOUR INHALATION

EXERCISE #7: To CONTROL YOUR AIR COLUMN

EXERCISE #9: BLOWING EXERCISE WITH RESISTANCE

BREATHING EXERCISES WITH THE HORN

"Take a big breath, and blow!"

DON'T SLOUCH WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!

STANDING POSTURE (LOWER BODY)

SIlTING POSTURE (LOWER BODY)

STANDING AND SITTING (UPPER BODY)

HOLD THE BELL UP

GET IT OUT OF THE STANDI

GIMME A BREAK, I'M BEAT

THE LEFT HAND

THE RIGHT HAND

Is ALL THIS REALLY NECESSARY?

CO-ORDINATION IS THE KEY

You WANT ME TO PUT THIS WHERE?

Do YOU SEE RED?

You LOOK MAAVELOUS, DARLING

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT

PUFFED CHEEKS (GILLESPIE POUCHES)

FACIAL HAIR & CLOSE SHAVES

THINK SOUND AND AIR, NOT CHOPS

Photographs of various professional embouchures are found in Philip Farkas' book,