Five Myths of Trumpet Playing
Extracted from SAIL THE SEVEN C'S
THE FIVE MYTHS OF TRUMPET PLAYING
MYTH #1 Only special freaks can play in the high register. Don't waste
precious time trying to duplicate their efforts. There are plenty of notes
below high C upon which to devote your time and effort.
FACT: Nearly
any player can dramatically improve his or her high register. What is needed is
the desire to do so, and a dedicated, systematic approach. The high
register will not succumb to the casual player.
MYTH #2 If I could find just the right mouthpiece, I too could be a high
note artist.
FACT: There are mouthpieces which facilitate brilliance and
intensity of sound. These mouthpieces, sometimes labeled high velocity,
are more "V" shaped as opposed to bowl shaped. Sometimes, usually at
the music store when we are trying mouthpieces, almost any mouthpiece
appears to be superior to the one we are now playing - hence the answer to
all our prayers. But pitch is determined by frequency of vibration of your
lip. If you can play a C4 on a Schilke 5a4a, you can also do so on a
Bach #1. Don't get into the drawer full of mouthpieces syndrome.
Choose a rim that is comfortable and learn to play it. I am convinced that
a larger cup diameter and a more open throat, which permits a larger
airstream, actually facilitates the development of the high register.
MYTH #3 I need a special trumpet.
FACT: Mouthpiece tapers, varying
bores, different bell sizes, and various alloys will alter the timbre and
playing characteristics of an instrument. But the instrument, in fact, has
even less to do with lip vibration, which determines pitch, than does the
mouthpiece.
MYTH #4 Playing and practicing in the high (G2 to C5) register will ruin
the middle and low registers, and make my tone brittle and laser-like.
FACT: Not practicing all registers equally will allow one-sidedness
to take place. Practicing the pedal register, especially, will serve to
counteract the extreme compression required to perform the high register.
More than likely, a piercing, laser-like sound and a too blatty
low register is really the fault of a too small, too shallow mouthpiece.
This combination leads to jambing the mouthpiece for the high tones,
which is sure to elicit the above mentioned complaints.
MYTH #5 You must play in all registers without changing your embouchure,
or play in all registers without re-setting your lips.
FACT: I don't
disagree in principle with the above statement. But I believe it has been
widely misinterpreted because of semantics and/or insufficient explanation.
The opening quote, taken literally, is nonsense! No two tones are played
with precisely the same lip setting, let alone an entire register.
What is required is a constantly adjusting embouchure, capable of moving
from the bottom register through to the top register without the necessity
of stopping along the way to regroup your chops.
Re-read the last
sentence and memorize it! It is of the utmost urgency that you understand
what is meant. The understanding which you believe that you have right now
will probably be altered as you progress toward the Constant
Adjustment Embouchure.*s
Clyde Hunt
Extracted from SAIL THE SEVEN C'S (C) Copyright B Flat
Music Production
PREFACE
It is with humility and even a bit of embarrassment that I offer
to you, dear trumpeter, yet another method book - generically known as
``how to blow the trumpet''. For I am reasonably sure that: (A) I have
no unique exercises. (B) I have no access to previously unknown ``truths''.
(C) I am not the originator of any of these principles. (D) All players
with a very great range play in essentially the same way, so that the only
unique aspect of this book is the manner in which the information is presented.
I had the good fortune, a few years back, to gain access to the
trumpet literature ``stacks'' at the Library of Congress. There I was able
to examine virtually all of the method books which dated from well into
the nineteenth century, through the early 1980's. I came away from the
project, in some ways, even more confused than when I began it. There were
books which were nearly illiterate, and others which really didn't attempt
to verbalize. The assumption seems to have been that the exercises were
enough in themselves. However, I did leave the library with a much better
idea of which questions are the important ones. I was especially intrigued
by authors who attacked each other's premises, but seemed to me to be
wholly in agreement - In other words, they did not disagree on ``how to do it'', but their
explanations seemingly clashed. I began by compiling a list of
``the most often mentioned parameters'', and proceeded to again go
through each book in an attempt to see what the author had to say on the
matter. The results of that compilation are available within these pages.
When we first heard Stan Kenton's ten-man brass section at
fortissimo in the high register, with Maynard Ferguson's trumpet
screaming an octave above in the altissimo register, our hair stood on
end and the goose bumps sprang forth! The high register, like the
proverbial mountain, is there and so we must climb. The charts have been
expanded to G3, with A's, B's, and C4's being used at endings -
so it is clear that a full octave has been expanded to the trumpet
literature from 1940 to 1990. But alas, we were told, as young players,
that ``we would ruin our `chops' if we attempted to play above high C''
(C3). ``There are many good notes between middle C and G2, and you should
concentrate on mastering them''. The truth is, very few people possess the
know-how to ascend into the alt register, let alone teach young people
how to do so. It becomes quickly apparent that the brute strength approach
will not master the instrument. ``There must be an easier way to play the
trumpet'' It is the author's premise that all good players play
essentially the same way, but due to human variation both physical and
mental, no single approach will be effective for all players. I have
further hypothesized that the greatest stumbling blocks to teaching
``what to do'' while playing are : (A) A lack of scientific evaluative
techniques. (B) A lack of standardized terminology, and (C) the difficulty
of trying to externalize, or verbalize, a process which is essentially
internal. In other words, most disagreements regarding playing techniques
are a result of several differing verbal descriptions of the same physical
much akin to the proverb of the blind men who gave conflicting
descriptions of an elephant based upon the examination of a particular appendage.
The range of the trumpet, as well as that of all other brass
instruments, is contingent upon the chops of the player. To this end,
we brass players have to devote considerable time to the physical
development of our embouchure. I doubt that anyone can promise that any
amount of practice will enable everyone to play the above-mentioned seven
octave range, anymore than we can guarantee that every jogger will
eventually be able to run the four-minute-mile. It is not given that all
should be able to do so! But I can promise that everyone who seriously and
conscientiously follows the regimen prescribed in this book will be able
to improve his range and endurance considerably. The high register will
not capitulate to casual practice - but it will yield to those who
correctly persist!
In this trumpet player's guide I have attempted to define, describe,
and label those "questions'' which did not seem to be addressed in
previous publications. At least they were not explained in a way which
made sense to me. What this guide offers, I hope, is a unique personal
approach which consists of: (A) A defined terminology to codify and label
the parameters of brass playing. (B) A consistently programmed series of
exercises which will address both the calisthenic and some of the musical
needs of the player. (C) A demo CD or cassette. While lecturing on the
principles of playing the trumpet in both the upper and pedal registers,
it became apparent that few people really have any idea whatsoever of what
all those ledger lines, both above and below the staff, feel like,
or sound like. Use of the recording also allows immediate feedback as to
the success of the practice session. The recording uses the ``call and
response'' approach, which automatically provides the correct amount of
rest, with the mouthpiece off the ``chops''. Also, the student is verbally
reminded of the importance of: deep breathing, compressing the airstream,
using the ``silent whistle'', and lessening the mouthpiece pressure.
The essence of good teaching lies with the articulation of information in
a manner which the student is likely to understand. This means that the
teacher should make every effort to say the same things in as many ways as
possible. One never knows which one will ``ring the bell''. It is my
sincere hope that some aspect of this guide might trigger the ``aha''
situation within the student. You, dear reader, will have to be the
judge of the extent to which I have succeeded.
