TrumpetChat

trumpeteerdave · High C Joined: 29 Jul 2005 Posts: 88

What were some problems you had when you first started playing trumpet? For me it was endurance. How did you overcome these problems? The reason I'm asking is because I'm mentoring this kid who seems to have a lot of problems. Thanks.

OLDLOU · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:55 am Post subject: Starting out

IMHO, teaching the newby to concentrate on the low notes will allow for more endurance and build the muscles in the lips to make the higher notes available when needed. I have always thought that starting the student on second or third trumpet music has always been a good practice. It also teaches the beginning student to read the music as it is written, and, allows the new student to avoid the embarrassment of missing a critical high note. In my personal experience, it also works well for the comebacker.

OLDLOU>>

yamahadude · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 7:54 pm Post subject:

When I first started out, I had problems holding sustained notes and I had a very weak sound. It was all fixed with time though. Very Happy

bandman · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:05 pm Post subject:

I find the biggest problems with all beginners is finding a focus for their sound. Endurance??? How did you know when you were a beginner?

With my brass players I try to geta focused sound between concert Bb and concert F. Then we'll add in concert G, A and Bb (the octave).

I then focus on intervals between two notes with the same fingering or slide position. Once they can play the note they are shooting for we start to move notess one step at a time.

Getting a focused sound, with some air support, is the best thing to stress in the beginning. The rest tends to come easy after those characteristics of playing are learned.
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"To be a teacher you need to be as good a performer as you can be: you'll have more to impart to your students musically." - John Haynie

Bandchick14 · Low C Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Posts: 4

My lips were very weak and they would get tired easily. My sound was very airy and tight. I guess I had been pinching the notes out. Everyday is different now that I have been in band for 4 years. I sound a whole lot better. I just needed encouragement, practice, and patience.

Bandgeek1000 · Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:01 am Post subject:

Mine is that put my mouthpiece on my lips slightly off-center.....I still do it sometimes.I have it mostly fixed and I still need to work at putting it directly in the center.

silverstar · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:46 pm Post subject:

My biggest problem was not wanting to practice.

My parents helped me with that though...I had a set time to practice everyday...lol.

Also, air support was a biggie. Learning to breathe from the diaphragm instead of my chest was hard.

Actually, I still have that problem. lol.

Lara

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