Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum so please go easy on me
Anyhoo, I recently bought a bugle (I know ) and I'm a newcomer to wind instruments. The thing is, I can't seem to get many notes out of it, I've been trying to learn Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' (My faveeee song by a long chalk), but to no avail. Does anyone here have any tips for a young buglist? Old Lou, as the daddy of this site maybe you can point me in the right direction.
Yours blowfully,
Benny.
HarryMarks
First, are there valves on your bugle? If not, you are not going to be able to play anything chromatically. Valveless bugles don't work that way.
Second if you have valves, you will need to start slow. Brass instruments take time to learn and a lifetime to master. A good teacher would be able to get you going quicker than trying to teach yourself.
Contact local music stores and schools for references to a good teacher.
The Benaud
Thanks for the tips HM Took my horn down to my local music shop earlier, a place called 'Orton's Oboes & Co' in my native Coventry-on-Sea (I'm a lil' Limey ), the proprieter told me that he'd seen only a few of these before. He said that is was a 'mogglefied' trumpet, which had the valves removed and replaced with some bicycle brake components, which, although not giving the flexibility of standard valves, are easier to operate and give a 'tepid, yet bafflingly orange timbre' (his words not mine ). Apparently, one such instrument was used on Dexy's Midnight Runners 'Jockey Wilson's Head', to mixed reviews. He also told me that, although 'Uptown Girl' is achievable on my unusual bronze beast, BJ's 'We Didn't Start The Fire' is a more realistic target due to its pentatonic flavourings and motifs. So has anyone ever came across this kind of hybrid-horn before? Hope I haven't been sold a chicken!
The Benaud
Sorry, meant turkey obviously
OLDLOU
Your bugle
Bloody'ell, mate. I 'aven't evr set me lights on the likes of what you claim to have bought. Be'in a bloody yank, I 'avn't 'ad opportunity at the such like. On my side 'o the pond, we play trumpets and cornets,( the long bell kind ), and on the rare occasion, such as my grand da's old Boosey and Hawkes short bell,( shepherds crook ) cornet. I still use me grand da's old short cornet whilst playin' in one of the local community,( town ) bands.
I'm think'n that you done well in goin' to the local brassmerchant for advice on what your 'contraption' ,
'is and gettin' an advisory to you'n was good nuff from him, as he is on the scene and has had a chance to look at your purchase. By the by, how much 'jing' did you have to lay out to get the such horn? I'm hope'n you still have a few quid in your pockets for a repair or two, or, a replacement. We'uns don't rightly fancy losin' the like of you, that spend your silver so freely.
If you don't mind lowerin' your self too awfully much I would no mind hearin' back from yer on how this horn thing all came out.
OLDLOU>>
Diagnosis: Trumpet
OLDLOU
Your bugle
Bloody 'ell mate. That'n looks to be a much "mogrified" flugel. How in the name of all that's 'oly did you get your grubhooks onto that'n?
OLDLOU>>
Diagnosis: Trumpet
Lou, you couldn't be more correct. I actually mogrified this very flugel & I tells ya, it's a gubbins of a job lot cash back surprise.
Not half!
The wasn't much hope for this forlorn horn when I found it.
Cold, hungry, it missed it's mother (a tambourine ) intensely
I took it under my wing & shoveled a can of Puffin Chunks into it's trumpet blow area & vanished into thin air.
In the morning, there was a knock at the door: It was the ghost of Bill Cosby
Does anyone want to come to my party?
Its Clobberin' Time
Ha ha, you nutty lot are a real hoot (pardon the pun)
Old Lou, are you sure you aren't a Cockney, you certainly type like one. The burning question is, do you play like one ?
) and I'm a newcomer to wind instruments. The thing is, I can't seem to get many notes out of it, I've been trying to learn Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' (My faveeee song by a long chalk), but to no avail. Does anyone here have any tips for a young buglist? Old Lou, as the daddy of this site 
), the proprieter told me that he'd seen only a few of these before. He said that is was a 'mogglefied' trumpet, which had the valves removed and replaced with some bicycle brake components, which, although not giving the flexibility of standard valves, are easier to operate and give a 'tepid, yet bafflingly orange timbre' (his words not mine 
