Dan Jacobs: Writings

Goeff Winstead is an exceptional trumpeter who studied for eight years with Cat Anderson and was able to clarify some of the omissions and alterations of the original version of the method book by Cat Anderson. The link to this updated version is at the bottom of this writing. Following is my short review of the 20-minute 'G' warm up that is essential to the Cat Anderson Trumpet Method.

THE REAL CAT ANDERSON TRUMPET METHOD

The 20-minute “G” the warmup/focus exercise of each of the study sections of the Cat Anderson Trumpet method as follows.

This is from the book: "Take a full breath, play a middle G as soft as possible (like a whisper), breathe when necessary, repeat this for 20 minutes."... See More

Note that this is only the first exercise in a whole series of other exercises which follow in the book.

Some advocates spend entire practice sessions playing a G in the staff. They say that it adds focus and strength, as well as efficiency and resonance to your playing and embouchure.

Others claim that they can’t do it because it requires too much discipline and concentration. (but isn't that the point?)

For me, it does take both elements but can be done and without effort.

I’m pleased with the initial results and will incorporate it into my regular practice routine.

Here is the link to the original book:

The Cat AndersonTrumpet Method
http://www.r-o-d-d-y-t-r-u-m-p-e-t.cc/catindex.html

And this book by Goeff Winstead is highly recommended as it corrects some of the mistakes and provides secrets not in the original. Click on this link:
http://therealcatandersonmethod.com

OVERBLOWING, UPPER REGISTER, MOUTHPIECES
by Roger Ingram

It’s amazing what backing off on volume can do for accessing the upper (or extreme upper) registers. However, getting a player to back off seems to be one of the hardest tasks for me to accomplish as a teacher.

Of course once done, (from what I've learned through my teaching experience) this seems to be when progress, and/or rapid progress with developing range extension occurs.
It is important in the initial stages of this development to practice the glissando exercises softly (or "not too loud", depending on how you like to think of it. ;-)

This allows the student to do many repetitions on the glissandos without becoming unnecessarily fatigued. Practicing this exercise in a repetitive manner allows the necessary "muscle memory" to be established.

This is NOT to say notes in the upper register need always be played at a soft volume. Eventually, after sufficient muscle memory has been established, I highly suggest the player experiment with ALL dynamic levels.

In addition to establishing muscle memory, practicing at all volumes helps a player find and/or establish their boundaries with regard to overblowing or underblowing the instrument.

This further helps the student find their "sweet spots" with respect to the optimal point of resonance for each note in their comfortable register.

As I said in my book, I find I project best when I play backed-off from my 100% blowing point. For ME, I find my optimal point to be approximately 70-80%. This optimizes sound projection and eliminates the possibility of becoming unnecessarily taxed on a physical level.

With regard to your mouthpiece question: I'm glad you have worked through mouthpiece sizes down to the 1.25 Shew. Playing the smallest mouthpiece (that a player can handle) for lead trumpet playing in the commercial arena optimizes efficiency.

To answer your specific question about the V-cup mouthpiece I showed you during our lesson: this is not available through the Marcinkiewicz company (or anyone else... yet.) and yes, this mouthpiece is loosely based on the "MF-1" originally machined by Bob Giardinelli for Maynard in 1962.
When I designed this mouthpiece I asked Joe to machine a prototype for me.

He sent the 1st prototype to me in the mail and it was PERFECT. Of course, because of the possibility of there needing to be corrections with this prototype, Joe did not take specs at this point.

As I have been using this mouthpiece on a consistent basis since its inception, I have not yet had the opportunity to send it back to Joe (or another manufacturer?) in order to take specs for mass production.

We hope to do this soon. When the mouthpiece is available for purchase, I will post information about it on my website.
Because of your desire to move to an even more efficient mouthpiece, since you've become accustomed to the Shew rim, I would suggest making the effort to move into the "Shew 1" available through the Marcinkiewicz company.

Another mouthpiece you could try is the Roger Ingram model E12.4, also available through Marcinkiewicz. The Roger Ingram model is basically a Bobby Shew #1 with a downsized inner and outer rim diameter. ;-)

You certainly are not intruding on my time. Education and my students are a high priority for me. ;-) Feel free to contact me anytime and when my schedule allows, I'll always reply to your inquiries.
Keep swinging, and all the best,

Roger

Check out my new book Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ingram

WHAT IS A GOOD EMBOUCHURE? by Carl Saunders

What is a good embouchure? Good question. Embouchures are like snow flakes, golf swings and finger prints. None are the same. I've seen many different approaches and positions that trumpet players use to place a trumpet on their face that work. Some have the horn pointed down or off to the side. These to me are unnatural positions, but have been made to work by a lot of very good players.

In my view, the reasons for these unnatural positions are:

1.Poor or no fundamental training when starting out
2. An unnatural bite
3. Uneven teeth.

I contend that people who fall in the categories of 2 and 3 should be discouraged from playing a brass instrument from the beginning.

So what is a natural embouchure?

To me a natural embouchure is placing your lower jaw out far enough so your lower teeth align evenly with your upper teeth to make a wall where the mouthpiece can comfortably rest without tilting up or down or to either side. 60% of the pressure should be on the lower jaw and 40 & on the upper. With this position achieved, the upper lip should be free to vibrate (of course your lower lip vibrates, too) and your horn should be pointing straight out (even with the ground.) More results with less effort should ensue.

On hard and long pounding gigs one should make sure that the pressure and abuse should be directed to the lower jaw and lip not the upper. The upper teeth can't move or do anything to help the positioning. The lower teeth (jaw) can move and must be set in a position to achieve proper alignment of the teeth and take responsibility to protect the upper lip.

With your lower teeth (jaw) dropped back and behind the line of your upper teeth, your horn will start pointing down, your upper lip will be taking most of the pressure, and proper vibration is stifled. Your lower jaw has got to take care of business and that is to take most of the stress off of the upper lip.

You'll know when you’re doing this properly when you develop a little callus on the inside of your lower lip and your upper lip isn't bashed and mangled from playing hard. Your range and endurance will improve.

A lot is said about blowing air. "Blow more air, more velocity, blow harder, louder". Most all trumpet players that I have observed in my career blow too much air or over blow. They're trying to overcome the physicality of the trumpet with force. I have found that when one blows too much air, their flexibility suffers. Light and tight swinging is near to impossible and your sound and ability to play clean and delicate is compromised.

If one uses the embouchure described above, the lips should be in a position to vibrate freely and effortlessly with less air. I'll leave you with an axiom from my personal approach to playing trumpet....

"Use the least amount of air to get the job done to its fullest"

Carl Saunders
www.carlsaunders.com

PLAY IN THE MOMENT
By Wallace Roney.

"When you get on that bandstand . . . you're playing in the moment. All that (prior study) preps you for that so you'll be right, (so) you can articulate what you're hearing. If you're in the moment, while you're playing, you don't think: "Oh, here's a C7 chord," . . . you're creating your story."

EFFICIENCY THROUGH RESONATE INTONATION
By Mark Van Cleave
©1994 MVC
The Idea of playing efficiently is one of the most sought after skills that seems to elude brass players. The whole idea of not having to work hard to produce the results you want is pervasive in every part of our society. How can I get what I want without working for it! .....or at least working as little as possible. When it comes to playing a brass instrument, the idea of how to get the best sound per grunt ratio is very important, being able to play well without paying a high price physically.


So, back to the title: Efficiency through Resonant Intonation. What is Resonant Intonation?Intonation is the player's ability to match the pitch of his/her instrument to the pitch of the instruments around them. Resonance refers to the acoustical phenomenon that occurs when the resonant frequency of an object or space (in this case: the volume of air inside the instrument) is stimulated. Resonant Intonation refers to the act of playing in tune with your instruments resonant frequency. Matching the pitch you produce with the pitch that the instrument wants to produce (because of where you have it tuned.) I like to call this the Shower Effect.


The Shower Effect is what happens when you are singing in a shower stall. You happen to find one note that really jumps out at you. When this happens you have just matched your intonation (or pitch) to the resonant frequency of the shower stall (the resonant space.) The efficiency that I am talking about is the result of being in tune with the shower stall's resonant frequency or tuning. At this point, you are not only producing a sound as a result of singing, but you are also deriving benefits from the shower stall's enhancement or resonance.

DESCRIPTION OF BOBBY SHEW'S BREATHING METHOD
By Professor John Daniel, Penn State.

Generally speaking, the system Mr. Shew showed me involved breathing for those high compression situations that come up so often with trumpet playing. In other words, this system is designed to encourage easy access to a fast air stream. I know how weird this must sound to some of you already.

As we begin the inhalation, the belly button area expands a bit (not nearly as much as singers and most brass players encourage.) This step is only responsible for about 5% of the air intake according to Mr. Shew.

As we continue to inhale, the chest expands dramatically. This is step two. Also during step two, the chest might rise and the belly button area returns to its original position. This step is responsible for about 75-80% of the air intake. On a side note, I reread Rafael Mendez's "A Prelude To Brass Playing" the other day and his description of the proper inhalation was very similar to Mr. Shew's up to this point. The next step, however, is where this method is pretty unique.

Step three involves raising the shoulders!!! Apparently this allows the lungs to fill up more freely if we do it in a relaxed manner.

Step four is to bring the belly button area in as if driving a "wedge" into the gut. We do this as aggressively as necessary for the phrase at hand.

Step five is to return the shoulders to a lower position and the last step is to exhale.

That's a total of 6 steps. It is pretty mechanical and slow at first, but after a few days of practice, the steps flow together, the whole breath can be taken in an eighth rest, and the rhythm/momentum of the whole process starts to work.

Personally, the part that has helped me the most is the added leverage my abdominal muscles have in pushing the air out when this area is not expanded as far as most people teach. Also, I used a scaled down version of this method for most of the playing I do. I know how different this must seem from how many of us were taught. All I can say is that it has been useful to me and me students, and it pretty well describes the way Doc has always appeared to breathe. I would strongly encourage anyone interested to get in touch with Bobby Shew. My apologies to him if my description isn't exactly right, but this gives everyone the general idea.

Since many of you have asked, I don't believe anyone is truly qualified to teach Jacob's approach to breathing except Arnold Jacobs. So I won't even try to compare the two systems except to say if they both work, then at their essence there must be the same fundamental principles at work. Remember, the primary application of Mr. Shew's system is to play high and loud.

HOPE THIS HAS BEEN HELPFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John Daniel
Prof of Trpt Penn State Univ.

Note: this is an exerpt from a great book entitled, "TRUMPET TECHNIQUE" by Frank Gabriel Campos. It should be a part of every trumpet players library.

EFFICIENCY: THE PRIMARY GOAL

If there is a single quality of physical skill that ranks in importance above all others, it is efficiency. It is the very hear of high-level motor skill.

Accomplished performers spend most of their practice time refining their skill in order to perform more efficiently. To refine means to separate what is undesired from what is desired, producing a product that is pure and unadulterated.

In physical performance skill, we seek to eliminate excessive tension, for the presence of excess tension separates the amateur from the expert. It is not an easy or quick process, but it is the only path to mastery.
By Frank Gabriel Campos, professor of trumpet at Ithaca College's Whalen Center for Music and is an actice performer and clinician.

(note: this is a personal email I received from Roger Ingram, phenomenal lead trumpeter player, after playing at the Maynard Ferguson Tribute Concert in St. Louis, in September 2006. Be sure to check out his website at: www.rogeringram.com)

Hey Dan,
I would like to share a HUGE win I had last night. It goes with our work together of two and a half years ago. I was asked to be one of the featured soloists at the Maynard Ferguson Memorial Concert in St Louis last night. I stood up in front of an all-star band before a sold-out crowd of Maynard / Jazz lovers at the brand new theater (beautiful hall) at the University of Missouri St Louis and played my feature of the arrangement of "Watermelon Man" (from the "Come Blow Your Horn" LP of about 1962), blew 3 chourses of jazz and ended the chart on a double D, and brought the house down! For me, getting up in front of the band and wearing the soloist hat, becoming relaxed and nailing the musical work was a HUGE achievement.

Out of the 17 featured soloists, the buzz after the show was that Eric Miyashiro, Wayne Bergeron, and myself were the hits of the 3 hour memorial. There were other great moments as well, but that one for me being a defining moment in my life for sure. There were some things about the way the event was put together and the selections to be performed (almost nothing before 1975. No Birdland Dream Band / Roulette years material) that I thought was jive. Other than that, it was a fitting, tear jerking and wonderful way to say goodbye to one of the most amazing brass players of the 20th century.

I want to thank you Dan for all your help. When I went into the rehearsals for this event on the previous day, I knew I was going to have to confront this part of my playing (jazz) but after working with you, I got myself together and had a big win!! Thought you might like to know!

Now I've got the bug! Going to get some charts together and pursue the High School / College Band soloist market. By the time I had left the stage, I DIDN'T want to leave, you dig?

Stay in touch,
Roger

http://www.RogerIngram.com
Roger@RogerIngram.com
phone: 818.679.6940

(Note: I love this interview! She states exactly how I feel about jazz in particular and music generally. The whole interview is definitely worth reading)
- Dan Jacobs

You can read the whole interview online at: http://www.jazzreview.com/article/review-4631.html

An excerpt from a Maria Schneider interview by John Dworkin for jazzreview.com

Maria Schneider - I just can't stand when I'm listening to music and it just feels like you're just sitting in the same place. I like music that takes me on a trip. I want to grab people's attention and take them on a ride, you know? That's how I feel. Music should be like a ride, and really make it so people just completely get absorbed in that. That's what I want my pieces to be, to bring you into a little world. They either make you feel like you're flying, or make you just... Who knows what, but that they grab you.

I don't want people sitting and listening to my music and saying (mock voice), "Oh, that's interesting." (laughs). That's why I get so tired of jazz that's just so complex, measured, metric and - impressive. You know? I'm not looking to impress anybody. I'm looking to move people. What I like is when people say, "Wow, I was just taken away, " or "The concert went so fast because I got so involved." Or if there's a person who's just a very intellectual person and their favorite piece ends up being the prettiest piece, or the simplest piece on the program. That's nice for me to hear because it means you're bringing people out of their heads and into their hearts. That's what it is. I want my music to bring people out of their heads and into their hearts so that the most intellectual musician sitting there is no longer analyzing what I'm doing, but I've brought them out of that kind of head space.

I think that's where jazz has lost a lot of people and actually lost itself in a way. So many people think that going further and further is getting deeper into the head. It's not. That's not where this music came from. This music came from the heart. And that's not to say that music can't be complex. But when music is complex for complexity's sake, that's where it runs into problems.

JazzReview - I'd agree with that. There's a lot of that going around. Though there's a few guys that I can think of in particular who are able to write relatively complex harmony, or metric things...

Maria Schneider - ...and have it be something... you feel they're not doing it for that reason.

JazzReview - Yeah. It's still personal. There's people around who can do that, and I hear that.

Maria Schneider - But the bulk majority of what's coming out these days is not that. I think there is a trend - more and more people are realizing that maybe the next step in their music is simplicity. And that doesn't mean dumbing it down. Not at all. That's not what I'm saying at all. It's a hard thing to describe but anybody recognizes it when they hear it or see it. In art too.

JazzReview - Yeah. For me it has to feel like it's personal. If it gets complex but it's still personal, which I think some of your stuff is like, then it's... Well, using words like these is kind of weird sometimes, but it's honest, personal, and real. As opposed to just trying to go through an exercise. Whether you're a musician or not, you can usually feel whether that's going on. Whether it's really a personal statement or not. Sometimes that's in the composition, sometimes it's just in the blowing. Depends on the artist.

ON PRACTICE: BY PAPPY MITCHELL
"Practice slowly and carefully, speed will come unbidden."

Booker Little Metronome magazine interview with Robert Levin in Spring 1961

“I think the emotional aspect of music is the most important. A lot of guys, and I've been guilty of this too, put too much stress on the technical, and that's not hard to do when you've learned to play in school

I don't hear any notes as being wrong. It's a matter of knowing how to integrate the notes and, if you must, how to resolve them. Because if you insist that this note or that note is wrong I think you're thinking conventionally--technically, and forgetting about emotion.
You try and build your story and resolve it.”

It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play.
-Dizzy Gillespie-

QUOTES FROM MILES DAVIS:

"Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself"

"Without music, life would be a mistake."


"Don't fear mistakes, there are none"

"For me, music and life are all about style"

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there"

"Where words fail, music speaks"

"It's always been a gift with me, hearing music the way I do. I don't know where it comes from, it's there and I don't question it!"

"A LEGEND IS AN OLD MAN WITH A CANE KNOWN FOR WHAT HE USED TO DO. I'M STILL DOING IT"
- Miles Davis

CLAUDE GORDON: ON PEDAL TONES

He talks about pedals in his book, "Systematic Approach to Daily Practice" starting on page 8:

When done properly they will:

1. Correct your embochure, therefore, help high register.

2.Give you great command of your instrument.

3.Give you more power and fluency.

4. Aid your attack and sureness.
5. Develop better vibration.
6. Develop intervals and fluency.
7. Bigger sound in all registers.
8. Develop endurance.

MUSIC, ROUTINES, PRACTICE, IMPROVISING
By Roger Ingram

(NOTE: Following is an email received from Roger Ingram, legendary lead trumpeter. It is a email answering questions from a student trumpeter who wrote to Roger for help. The information he shares with us is invaluable. See www.rogeringram.com for more info)

To answer your many questions, first of all try to remember that you are a musician. A musician who just happens to play the trumpet, yes? Music should come first. Of course it's great to become technically proficient on the instrument, but try not to become "robot" like.

Get enough technique to be able to express the MUSIC that is inside of you. At the end of the day, no matter what style of music you play, even if you are just playing parts in a jazz ensemble or an orchestra, the main goal should be expressing music, and communicating to the listener through your instrument.

A "routine" is OK I suppose. The important thing to do though is PRACTICE. There is a big difference between doing a "routine" and "practicing". If you want to do a routine, don't get "hung-up" with it. It sounds to me (according to your description) that you are doing a very complete routine already. In my opinion you may want to branch out and "get your feet wet" in some other playing areas.

PRACTICE.............practice means going into a practice room and working on all your weak points. Work on the things you can't do. Work on the things you don't sound good on and perfect them. After you get those things under control, get a NEW list of things to work on until you get a handle on those things. Keep changing up the practice menu. This will make you a well rounded MUSICIAN. Getting hung-up on a routine has a tendency to make a player "stagnent".......meaning "staying at one level, and maintaining only that one single level of limited exercises". A player becomes a professional "practicer" at that point.

Do you improvise? Practicing jazz can be a great way of maintaining ones overall playing technique and improves ones musicality at the same time. Attempting to play jazz brings into play every aspect of technique necessary to play the trumpet at a spontaneous/musical level.

It sounds like you love playing the trumpet and and that you are doing very well. I'm happy you take such an interest! Just try to keep your musicality in perspective.

Roger
© 2007 Roger Ingram
website:http://www.RogerIngram.com
Email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
Phone: 818.679.6940

QUOTE: CHET BAKER ABOUT WYNTON

"If I could play like Wynton (Marsalis), I wouldn't play like Wynton."
- Chet Baker

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD
by Roger Ingram

(NOTE: Following is an email received from Roger Ingram, legendary lead trumpeter. It is a email answering questions from a student trumpeter who wrote to Roger for help. The information he shares with us is invaluable. See www.rogeringram.com for more info)

I know what you mean about Bobby Bryant's sound. It was very distinguishable. Although most people like to chalk these things up to chops/equipment, as far as sound is concerned it's all in what you hear in your "head". Everyone has a unique sound. No two people sound alike.

There are as many sounds as there are personalities. This is what is so wonderful about "sound!" This is why music and art is such a great thing! It's very personable.

For example, if I were to switch to equipment totally opposite of the equipment I use now, EVENTUALLY over a period of time and adjustment, I would end up sounding almost exactly as I do now because I have a "set" idea of what the trumpet sounds like for ME that I've had in my head ever since I heard a trumpet for the first time.

That's why it's OK to use the equipment that is EASIEST for YOU to play. You're going to end up sounding the same anyway, so why kill yourself?

If you really want to change your sound or become a better player, change your personality!

Roger
© 2007 Roger Ingram
website:http://www.RogerIngram.com
Email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
Phone: 818.679.6940

OVERBLOWING – THE BIGGEST ENEMY
By Roger Ingram

(NOTE: Following is an email received from Roger Ingram, legendary lead trumpeter. It is a email answering questions from a student trumpeter who wrote to Roger for help. The information he shares with us is invaluable.)

There is the old saying among trumpet players; "you can't fill-up the world!" This is of course in reference to playing outdoors. What we're really talking about here I suppose is acoustics.

Webster's New World Dictionary defines the word acoustics as
1. "qualities of a room that affect sound", 2. "science of sound".

So, I suppose what we're REALLY talking about here in regards to your query is the LACK of acoustics there-of.

When I travel with various performing groups, we usually play a different venu everyday. We could literally go from a wonderful concert hall with fantastic acoustics to some type of outdoor festival the next day with either no acoustics at all, or sub-standard acoustics at best. This is all in a days work and we get used to it.

When I was a kid, I had no choice but to practice outside. I wouldn't chalk-up any benefits from having been forced to do this though. It probably was NOT good for me as I most likely got into the habit of overblowing the horn from the lack of ANY acoustics (sound bounce back) in order to "hear" myself.

Overblowing the horn is one of the BIGGEST ENEMIES for a trumpet player, and alot of players do not not know this. This is why so many players have trouble extending their register among other things.

You must remember, for your entire trumpet playing career you're behind your bell. You'll never REALLY hear just how loud your projection is. Besides the fact you are always behind your bell, you must also realize that one's sound doesn't "come into it's own" until approximately 4 to 5 feet out of the bell. These combined facts have a tendency to cause the unaware player to overblow in orer to "hear" themselves.

FAITH.......an interesting word applied to trumpet playing.......it has it's place in the trumpet world though. You must just have simple faith that your sound is getting "out there" and leave it t that. That's it! Also, try not to get "mental" so to speak about it all.

Experience in the recording studio usually teaches trumpet players how well their sound gets out there. Pre-mixed playbacks don't lie. That's why most great studio trumpet players don't play overly loud in the studio. Playing "backed-off" also helps pitch, blend, quality of sound, and flexibility just to name a few good playing qualities.

Believe me, when you play at about your 70% level, the horn responds better and actually sounds "louder". This also saves your endurance and helps you perform on a more musical level. That's why so many wonderful studio trumpet players still sound loud on tape. This is commonly referred to as "printing well on tape".

My best embouchure developement came from playing soft. Soft playing builds a different set of muscles. Loud playing generally tears down muscle tissue, along with "forcing". I'm able to consistently play at my 70% to 80% volume level only because I spend time playing everyday at my 10% to 30% volume level to restore my playing from the previous gig.

Roger
© 2007 Roger Ingram
website:http://www.RogerIngram.com
Email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
Phone: 818.679.6940

"In my early professional years, I had put music on a pedestal. To me music was the most important thing. I came to realize that I was wrong - the people are the most important thing." - Herb Pomeroy

A GOOD SOUND
by Robert Baca

Attaining a good sound has been the goal of brass players for generations. Although our ideas of how to produce this sound have shifted from the actual physical study of sound itself to selecting suitable equipment, most musicians would agree that when range, technique and flexibility arrive at an acceptable level, creating a good sound becomes the greatest challenge. By studying the concept of sound quality, you can increase range technique, flexibility and overall playing ease to a more optimal level — a fact overlooked by most trumpet players. Imitating a good trumpet sound involves hearing and listening, processes best achieved when we slow down our mind and focus our attention.

Full vs. Loud
A full sound generates a strong fundamental and a full compliment of overtones. When we direct warm, moist, relaxed air through the center of the trumpet, it enables the overtones to set up properly and the sound will have the clarity that was intended in the design of the instrument. At this point distortion of tone is nonexistent. This is the difference between full and loud. How can we tell how much air to use, what direction it should go, or at what speed it should travel? These questions are resolved automatically by listening to the sound coming out of your bell. Through much listening, we will notice our sound getting closer to the instrument we wish to imitate. We constantly listen and compare. A sound can be loud, but it may not be full. Compare a $199 boom box with a $5,000 audio system. The volume level of the inexpensive set has to be turned up to nine or ten to achieve a loud sound. As the dial reaches this mark, distortion occurs. The $5,000 system creates a full sound by maintaining clarity in a room when the volume level is at 2, 3 or at its maximum.

Concentration
Producing a good sound requires much concentration. With concentration, refined by our interest in studying musical sound, our mind senses, isolates and analyzes the entire sound spectrum being heard. Eventually, through repetitious practicing and listening, the trained mind will unconsciously react by instructing the proper muscle groups to respond in forming the embouchure and air support to just the right degree, thus achieving the desired full sound. The same process exists when we learn to hit a baseball, walk or run. If we are preparing to run a marathon, most of the training is spent learning to quiet our mind to let the body function in the most efficient manner.

Dynamics
Think of dynamics not as loud or soft but as sound color, ranging from dark to bright. Imagine bright as the lead trumpet voice in the shout chorus of a big band arrangement, and dark as the second movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. The dynamic color must fit the ensemble medium. A forte in the Hummel Trumpet Concerto with piano accompaniment would be drastically different than a forte written in a Mahler symphony or the shout chorus of a big band chart. Dynamics are greatly affected by the sound color of the rest of the ensemble.

The Printed Page: A Blueprint
Music written on a printed page should act as a guide to what the music should sound like. The sound is the end result. Printed music is only an image of what the composer had in mind. Three years ago I had a house built. From the blueprint I could conceptually see the roof, room sizes, landscaping, etc., but not until the house was completed could I actually observe the beauty of the design from the blueprint. In much the same way, the audience receives the full emotion of the performance based on what they hear, not on what is on the printed page.

Playing in the Upper Register
From the first music lesson we are taught that one note on the printed page is higher or lower than another. This is simply not true. Higher notes are actually faster frequencies. On the beach when the wind blows through a crack in a rock we hear the pitch go up with the velocity of the wind. A clear sound is easily attained in all registers when the velocity of relaxed air rather than the stiffness of the embouchure creates the upper register. Most importantly, build all registers slowly and securely.

Reading, Rhythm and Accuracy
If we practice too fast our mind initially develops the bad habit of not picking out all the details, resulting in reading, rhythm and accuracy problems. Slow down when practicing and let your mind see all there is to see. Near my house in Wisconsin is the town of Cleghorn, consisting of a few buildings and a thirty-five mile per hour speed sign. Few passing through this town observe the speed limit. Those traveling fifty-five barely know they passed a town, those doing forty notice the big oak tree with the endless branches that cover the road and those driving thirty-five could catch a rare glimpse of the squirrel that inhabits the trees. As Tim Gallawey states in his book, The Inner Game of Tennis, "...the unconscious mind hears everything, never forgets anything and is anything but stupid." Practice slowly enough with a good rhythmic sense to notice detail, but not so as to "daydream" with your concentration. Listen to mentors perform slower lyrical pieces and instantly try to imitate that which constitutes good musicianship.

NOTES ON A LESSON WITH PATRICK HESSIONS (former lead trumpet with Maynard) by Mike Wittcom

Dan, below are my notes from my lesson with Patrick Hession.

I have been interested in studying with a professional lead trumpeter for some time. Had a one time lesson with Wayne Bergeron in 2005, and realized so much can be gained from a seasoned pro’s experiences. Discussed this desire with a local pro jazz player, Dan Jacobs. He knows and recommended either Roger Ingram or Patrick Hession. Like many of you, I am familiar with each of these two’s recorded work. After reviewing both player’s webpages, I found Patrick’s home is near where I travel for work occasionally. So, I contacted him regarding a lesson and made an appointment. The lesson took place in Patrick’s living room.

I explained to Patrick that my immediate goals were 1) playing exactly in time and 2) phrasing. I have enough range for the gigs I play, so that was not top on my list. Hope would be to work more on that after addressing the first two goals. Fortunately, Patrick’s book covers a lot about breathing and playing in time.

When I arrived, Patrick had not played yet that day, so he started his warm-up while I was there. He began with a mute in, which I thought was due to the close proximity of his neighbors. But, Patrick told me he liked the resistance during the first few notes of the day. Since I brought a copy of his book, we opened it to “Exercise #1 - Warm-Up / Breathing”. For those of you who have read or use his book, he describes how he has used the same warm-up for years. It is great to discuss with an author of a technique text what is meant by some of the content.

I have been trained to breath deeply toward the abdominal muscles, but keep the shoulders level and relaxed. Patrick raises his shoulders to allow the lungs to fill all the way to the top. Similar to Bobby Shew’s method, I was told. Believe Roger gives Bobby credit for the same. Before we began the initial breath, Patrick turned on the metronome and set it to 60 bpm. The inhale of “Exercise #1” is 7 beats (7 seconds). Always subdividing the beat into sixteenth notes. This has helped me already, since I never really planned out when to breath. Just took a big breath some time before I was required to play. Patrick knows exactly how many beats before he plays and where within that beat for each entrance he begins his breath. This technique should really aid in my desire to play exactly in time. Also, he explained air intake to be like “yawning”. I have used the syllable “ko” for years to keep my throat open. “Yawning” seems more open.

Patrick’s breath capacity is amazing! We would breath at a constant rate for 7 beats. Even though we were breathing at close to the same rate, I was completely full before 5 beats. Patrick went all the way through 7 beats. To give you some idea of the difference in our sizes, Patrick is about 5’7” medium-athletic. I am 6’6” large frame. So, I was shocked at how much more air he could intake.

Other items he stressed in the exercises were the breath attacks versus the tongue attacks. As we worked on the breath attack, Patrick demonstrated his mastery of “whisper tones”. I have heard of them, but have not witnessed a demonstration. Patrick can begin a note that is so faint it is barely audible. Hence their name. He begins these notes and crescendos to double forte and back to whisper. Tremendous control.

We covered the first half of the book; which contains: breathing, relaxation, isometrics / develop center, relaxing center, refocusing center, lip slurs, ride the air stream, and riding the center. After that, same type of exercises, but more advanced. After we got through “riding the center”, Patrick said now practice other stuff daily.

After we completed the formal lesson using the book I began asking other questions. One was regarding his students. He has some high school students who want to have range like him. He has them work on Arban’s and Clarke’s methods. After they have those books under their fingers, he will begin them on range. He plays so many different styles and gigs that he has many books, charts, and sheets out in the practice area. He played a difficult “legit” solo piece for me. He is quite comfortable in the big band and “legit” settings.

Before now, I had heard Patrick about once a year during his 5 years with Maynard. I had to ask questions about being on the band. As we talked, Patrick would play different parts from different charts. One thing I keep noticing was how my ear seemed to “jump” each time he played G or high C. Since he hits notes so much in the center now, his horn resonates more than when I play. He also explained his horn, Monette MF, “rings like heck”. My ear was catching all the overtones. His playing in the note center was really demonstrated during one of the exercises later in his book. Exercise #17 is for “glissandos”. One of the patterns is quarter notes starting at middle C - high C - middle C - high C - middle C - high C - low C - high C- low C - double high C - low C - triple high C - low C hold. Tempo is 60 bpm in cut time! After playing it, Patrick says, the triple C is really only with his chops; not supported like it would be in a performance. Each note was on the money!

Before I left, I told him my long term dream is to play Maynard’s solo on “Danny Boy”. Patrick has recently performed this, so he took out the music and played it beginning to end. No misses or cracked notes. What a treat for me.

By the way, my ears were ringing most of the 3 hour drive home. He has serious power to use when he chooses.

Patrick’s schedule is full for a few weeks. So, I will be working on the first half of the book. After ITG, his schedule will free up a little and we will set-up another lesson then.

Looking forward to it!

Mike

NOTES from BOBBY SHEW CLINIC:
From O.J.'s trumpet page, articles and reviews.

Background:
Bobby started the clinic by telling a bit about his background as a trumpet player:
• Learned by ear, by trying
• Self taught – "one of those people"
• In a way "I had a better system" – no one said "Bobby do that" – I had to think

Students:
Students I see today are afraid to think. A lot of teaching I see (at clinics, etc.) states that "This is the way" – I am amazed – there is no such thing as "one way" to play the trumpet.

The important things I try to communicate to my students are:
• Proper listening
• Think! – Do it!
• Copycats – NO!
• Confidence – find your own voice.

How Bobby developed his knowledge:

As I said I never studied in the normal way - Arban bored me. I just started out by playing. Things worked. I got jobs in better and better bands. When I was in the Buddy Rich band there was a lead player that Buddy did not like. A sax player said "Buddy why don’t you try Bobby?" Buddy then said: "Bobby, get over there" Now, I started to get nervous, I had never practiced high notes. The song was some simple shuffle stuff and only one high F at the end. I put my knee up to get it and managed to get through it – you know I could swing – and Buddy, being a drummer wanted that. Buddy then said: "You are now my new lead player". I said to him "I have no chops". "Go home and get it – have it for tomorrow", Buddy then said. Well this was the beginning with problems for me, like muscle problems, hernias – I’ve been through a lot of problems.
I now see that students do the same I did. Man, I have to help these kids. This is no fun memories.
To find out things I decided to buy books, Maggio, Gordon, Callet, etc. There are a lot of dangerous attitude among methods out there: "Do what I say". This is the egomania or "guru-syndromes".
Remember: "The best teacher is yourself"

You know earlier I though Maynard Ferguson was "inhuman", but because of Buddy Rich I had to learn how to do this. One day I had the courage to ask Maynard behind the stage: "How do you do this". He showed me a book called "The science of breath". This was a yoga book not a trumpet book.

Later I asked Bud Brisbois to show me his system. It was very opposite of the normal stuff, like lift your shoulders, etc. I went home and tried it. I played from the back of the Clarke book, the glissando exercise, a gliss from E to high E. Suddenly I went above that high E and ended on a big fat high A. This was my first high A. With this new system I also got up to double C.
Facts versus opinions:

I have done more than 25 years of research in this field now. I have read a lot of medical books, etc. There are a lot of opinions about breathing and misconception like breathe from the diaphragm etc. I needed to know and a doctor showed me some facts. I have been talking to a lot of people. Several of my students are in medicine, physics etc. I always ask my students questions.
Some points:

• High notes = fast air, not lot of air
• Avoid over blowing
• Back off = access to upper register
• Relax – wrong word, efficiency – good word



Warm up:
Bobby Shew has an effective and quick warm-up method.

1. Flutter with completely relaxed lips, by blowing carefully with a closed mouth (sounding almost like when a horse blows through the nose). This stimulates the blood circulation and removes the milk acid, and should be done as often as possible, also in breaks during performance.

2. Do "lip buzzing", that is isometric lip vibration, as if you play without the mouthpiece. Not more than 15 - 20 seconds each time. This is also a good test on the lip condition. He said that the lip position when buzzing is not equal to the lip position when playing on the instrument.

3. Play on the mouthpiece with a clean sound.

He said that he would try to find the good feeling – "The Bobby Shew feeling" that he felt when he was playing good. This was what he was looking for and he would do 1 and 2 until the sound was good. Then he was ready.

He had discovered the flutter by watching people doing this when they where playing.

Breathing:
Bobby demonstrated his "6- step" breathing technique:

1. Intake (small), abdomen moves outward slightly, but relaxed.

2. Intake (large), abdomen moves inward (horizontally) to create wedge position.

3. Intake, abdomen holds position (not tense) shoulders lift straight up.

4. Grip (isometrically) abdomen muscles, maintaining innermost position (lock wedge tension)

5. Relax and lower shoulders to comfortable playing position.

6. Blow (as if spitting rice)

The important thing with step 1 is that it makes the diaphragm drop down.

Students with pinched sound:
Often students came to see Bobby and wanted to play difficult things right away. But he would first ask them to simply play a low C. By listening to the sound of that note, Bobby could tell right away if the student had potential for a double high C in his low note sound.
Very often students had a pinched sound that they had accepted as ok. Bobby now took up his trumpet and demonstrated how it sounded (playing with a pinched sound).
Now the first thing was to make the student aware of this by opening the sound. Bobby demonstrates, calling the pinched sound "NO-sound" and the open sound "YES sound".

He then played slowly: "YES – NO – YES – NO "

The next is to have the student play a simple ascending scale. Even if this first notes are open he often goes into a more pinched sound as he ascend.

A lot of people can hit a high note but it is pinched. Bobby demonstrates a pinched double high C – then an open one.
Do not become obsessed by high notes. The most important thing is good sound !

Tape yourself and listen closely.
Good practice habits:
Bobby did not get time to go into this subject deeply but he pointed out some important points to remember:
15 minutes 4 times a day is much better than 1 hour practice.
Why?
Because after 15 minutes you still feel good and the body remember that "peek feeling"

Try this for a couple of weeks and see for yourself.

O.J. 1999 O.J.'s Trumpet Page Articles and reviews
Clinic with Bobby Shew

IRON CHOPS by Roger Ingram

(note: this is written by legendary lead trumpeter, Roger Ingram. It is a response to a question from a student. It contains vital information for any trumpeter)

Irv,

Nobody has "iron chops". Such a thing does not exist. What some people DO have however (which is easily developed by anyone) is a sense of, and coordination of the usage of internal compression along with the absolute control of the aperture.

This combined with the development of muscle memory in regards to finding one's slots (partials), a sense of overall control of playing volume, and the right equipment, lends itself to what is referred to as "efficient playing". This is at times misconstrued as "iron chops".

Being "efficient" should always be the primary goal of any brass player in regards to the purely mechanical aspect of playing the instrument. Range and endurance are the by-products of efficiency.

You must also realize Irv, that as you said, this was the first time you had played "lead" on a big band job in quite awhile. What did you expect? Sometimes it takes awhile to get used to the saddle again. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Everyone's corners get tired at some point. I suppose a reasonable goal would be getting through a 4 hour gig without too much discomfort.

Roger Ingram
www.rogeringram.com

THE LEAD TRUMPETER: an interview with Bernie Glow for the New Yorker Magazine 1969

"First of all, the lead player has got to be able to play the instrument
with a good, big sound," Glow said. "He's got to have a good high register. He's got to have endurance. Above all, I think, he's got to understand what a melody line means when he plays it--whether it's supposed to mean some-thing syrupy and Guy
Lombardo-ish or supposed to be something gentle or something swinging. A first-trumpet player's job is to look at a piece of paper
and make it sound like music. It's a piece of paper with black dots on
it, and of itself it's not music, and if it's played by the wrong people it'll never be music. It's a matter of interpretation. There are dozens of trumpet players in New York who can play as high as I can, or higher. Or who can play as strong as I can--though, in all frankness, there are very few guys in town who can play as strong as I can or as long as I can. I never reach a point where my lip is so tired that I just can't play anymore. But what you have to do is play music. Some people play the trumpet instead of playing music. There are players who are technically marvelous but get so wrapped up in playing technically marvelously that they ignore the fact that the only purpose in playing that well is to play music.

The playing of the instrument is not the end. To me, that's the basic difference between a great musician and a good one. There are musicians in New York who do pretty well because they never hit clams-- you can't put anything in front of them they can't play. They have all the qualifications. But they just don't have any musical sense. They never sound as if they understand what they're playing. They play it perfectly, but somehow it just doesn't add up. All those perfect notes don't add up
to a song.

"Beyond this, there's a certain attitude that's necessary for the
lead player--toward the men he's working with and toward the leader. A man can't be a good lead player if the fellows he's working with don't respect him. If they don't respect him, they're not going to cooperate, and you can't browbeat people into playing music. Music is not that sort of animal. You shouldn't , ordinarily, have to say a word to the other guys if the music is fairly well written. They should listen to you and play with you. Your interpretation is definitive. Of course, sometimes the music is not plain enough. Or sometimes arrangers will mark phrasing on the music that turns out to be the opposite of what is required to make it fit with the rhythm section. When this happens, the lead player will ignore the markings, and nine times out of ten the arranger will look up and say, "Gee, thanks. Beautiful. It's just what I had in mind."

Worrying about such niceties as making one's perfect notes add up to a song is a luxury of a few. Most people who try to play the trumpet find that their problems with it are as much physical as musical, the instrument evidently having been designed for maximum discomfort, annoyance, and a pain to the player. With a sensible instrument such as a clarinet or a saxophone, the sound is produced in part by the vibration of a reed. But in the case of the trumpet, the player must vibrate his lips, which are tightly pursed and and then buzzed against a metal mouth-piece. During long performances, the muscles of the lips and face tire, and the lips may eventually give out and refuse to
buzz. Playing in the high register of many instruments is largely a mechanical matter--pressing a different key or combination of keys, for instance. To play in the trumpet's high register, the player must press his lips tighter and tighter as he ascends, and provide more and more air pressure, supported by his diaphragm and by muscles in his back and elsewhere. This pressure further tires the mouth, and can also bring on leg and back aches. If the pressure is incorrectly applied, from the abdomen instead of the diaphragm, it can apparently cause a hernia. Normally, though it will produce nothing worse than dizziness and blackouts--the phenomenon discussed in the March 14, 1959 issue of the British Medical Journal, in the article by the late
Dr. E. P. Sharpey-Schafer, who was professor of medicine at St. Thomas' Hospital, in London, and Maurice E. Faulkner, a professor of
music at the University of California in Santa Barbara. "The effects [of playing the trumpet] on the circulation," they wrote, "are those
of a formidable Valsalva maneuver [a hard nose-blow with the nostrils
and mouth blocked]: peripheral venus valves shut and blood accumulates distal to them. The effective cardiac-filling pressure, stroke output, and mean arterial pressure fall off rapidly. After about 7 seconds the slight rise of arterial pressure indicates onset of reflex constriction, which persists, after cessation of blowing, during the overshoot. Since the brain is not protected by venous valves the
supply pressure across it falls so that the cerebral blood flow may
become inadequate during the period of blowing. More usually dizziness or blackout is maximal immediately on release of intrathoracic pressure...."

Dr. Sharpey-Schafer, who made the observations while Faulkner played
the horn, reported that Faulkner reached a mouth pressure of a hundred and sixty millimeters of mercury (about three pounds per square inch) while playing a high D. It would have been interesting if he had made similar measurements during a performance by a "commercial"--that is, a jazz or dance-band player, such as Glow, to compare with those of a "legitimate," or symphonic, player, such as Professor Faulkner. In the past twenty or thirty years, the commercial players have extended the range of the trumpet far beyond it's textbook limits: today they play in a register that the legitimate player would never attempt, and with a brute force that he would never employ.

(Editor's note: The above is not entirely true. Whereas, the so-called "legit" players did not have to play in the upper register continuously (as a matter of course) as modern day demands, Herbert L. Clark finished a number of
solos on a high "F", and the old St. Jacome books have exercises up
to and including a high "F", albeit with disclaimers. The old Ernest
Williams book has exercises in the upper register among others of the
old school...now back to the Whitworth article) The range of the
standard B-flat trumpet was once considered to be roughly from the F sharp below the staff to the high C above the staff. Commercial
players are now expected to be able to play F's and G's above the high C all day, and some of them occasionally will play as high as the double C (an octave above high C), and even beyond.

(Editors note... I once had a record of Doc Severinsen's on which he finished a piece with a very nice double E, but have forgotten the name.. If anybody knows the record or piece, please let me know.. at morriek@halcyon.com) Trumpet

Glow is unrepentant for having strayed into jazz and studio work. "It's really been fun," he says, "I'm a guy who's making a good living doing something he'd rather be doing than anything else in the
world." He still remembers the sting of the blackboard point, though, and he rarely misses a note.

Reprinted from the Dec. 10, 1969 issue of The New Yorker Magazine

QUOTE: LOUIS ARMSTRONG

"“You blows who you is." -Louis Armstrong"

GOALS IN MUSIC
Tom Harrell

"That's one of my goals, for the music to communicate to people and for them to feel the emotions that I feel, in terms of the music. I'm blessed that I can play music that I love to play and people enjoy it. It really makes everything worthwhile."

"Music is a religion and it can structure your life and provide order in the universe. If my music makes people feel better and hopeful, then it gives me meaning and hope."

-Tom Harrell

WHAT MAKES A TRUMPET WORK?????
By Brad Goode

Many people believe that the trumpet is a megaphone which amplifies the sound of the mouthpiece or the buzzing of the lips. This can be disproved very easily. First try this; as you are playing a note, hold the horn with your right hand and hold the mouthpiece stem with your left hand. Now, while still playing the note, gently remove the mouthpiece from the horn. Is the mouthpiece buzzing? If it is perhaps you are playing very loudly.

Next, try this; put the mouthpiece back in the horn. While holding the horn with your right hand, tap the mouthpiece gently with your left palm, and try different fingerings. You should hear distinct tones.

These demonstrations should serve to illustrate that buzzing does not create the tone. Although mouthpiece buzzing CAN be an effective practice technique for developing the embouchure,(I do it daily) it usually requires more force than is used in playing the instrument. In fact, it has been proven that the sound is produced by vibrations of the air column within the instrument. Simply put, this means that the slower the air, the lower the note. (Or the faster the air, the higher the note!)

Armed with this knowledge, it would seem that a great part of our practicing should be devoted to controlling the speed of the air stream. (Hitting the right notes!)

(note: this is a short excerpt of a very long and informative article on every aspect of playing the trumpet by Brad Goode entitled "SCIENTIFIC TRUMPET PLAYING". For the complete article, scroll to the bottom of the page, click on "Trumpet Stuff" in the file below and you'll find the article)

ON PRACTICING TRUMPET – Q & A with ROGER INGRAM


QUESTION:
I'm finding my single largest obstacle now is just playing/practicing on a regular basis. What can I do?

ANSWER:
If that's your single largest obstacle - you're doing well and dealing with the same thing every professional deals with. Everyone (students and pros alike) is aware of the fact that making any significant progress as a trumpet player depends a great deal on how often one plays.

QUESTION:
When I practice now, I get better, but it's hard to keep the
desire to practice when I don't have anything in particular to play for...

ANSWER:
If there are any other musicians AT ALL in your area that you like and get along with, I would suggest starting your own band - whether it be a quartet/quintet, 10, or 15 piece big band. Believe me, this will keep you busy and bring your interest level up.

QUESTION:
However, I'm sure that will change eventually, and it is fun seeing the improvement in my playing. The other issue I seem to have is not getting too tense when playing in the upper register.

ANSWER:
Well, this is good. You don't WANT to be too tense when playing anywhere on the horn. ;-) Ahhhh,... just playing with you.... I think what you really meant to say is you feel you ARE too tense playing in the upper register. As I showed you in our lesson, where you create compression (the point at which "the wedge" is applied and one's facial corners) should be tense and firm spots.

Without watching you and seeing you, I'll go out on a limb and make an assumption: perhaps because of the lack of consistent playing, you may be using additional parts of your body to create the necessary compression needed to play easily and well in your extended register. This can all be corrected by bringing up your playing desire and getting involved in a group, as this will keep you playing more, and keep your mind off mechanics and more on music :-)

Sometimes we all get a bit "mental" about it and miss the forest for the trees. There is no "perfect" player or "perfect" playing/development situation. One's WILL-DESIRE however can and will conquor all :-)

QUESTION:
I keep working on letting that air get out, sort of like the diagram that Bobby Shew uses (think "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH"). Sometimes my chops and upper body tense up, causing breaks in the sound. Any tips for that? Letting old bad habits die?

ANSWER:
Plan a nice funeral and say good bye forever (bad playing habits, that is. ;-)

QUESTION:
I'm hoping our paths might cross at the end of the year at some point. I'll be in Nashville in June, Southern California in January.... Otherwise, I'm stuck in SW Missouri! :)

ANSWER:
Southwest Missouri isn't such a bad place. I happen to know there are quite a few good musicians in Columbia MO (Alan Beeson for example.) Sometimes a person needs to be creative and make do with what they have. As I said earlier, get involved with a band, and if there are no bands, create one. It's a fantastic learning experience to be a band leader, putting together music, rehearsing charts, and finding gigs. Try not to get down on yourself. You have a lot going for you. You are a sensitive musician, and through my correspondence with you, I've learned that you love playing the horn more than most professionals do. Enjoy the journey, enjoy life, and be kind to yourself.

It would be great to cross paths with you again! Keep an eye on my schedule, and hopefully we'll meet up for either a lesson, or just a hang.

Stay in touch,
Roger

email: Roger@RogerIngram.com

HERBERT L. CLARK: ON JAZZ

I have never heard of a real soloist playing before the public on a Trumpet. One cannot play a decent song even, properly, on it, and it has sprung up in the last few years like "jaz" music, which is the nearest Hell, or the Devil, in music.
Herbert L.Clarke in a letter to Elden Benge Jan. 13th 1921

HOW TO GET A GIG
By Stan Mark

As Stan always said it took four things to get the gig.
1. People have to know you.
2. You have to know people.
3. You have to have a great reputation.
4. You have to be a great player.

You have to have the first three in order to get the opportunity to demonstrate #4.

As told by Alan Wise

WHAT WE PLAY
by louis armstrong

"What we play, is life."

ON RETIRING:
by louis armstrong

Musicians don't retire; they stop when there's no more music in them.

TRUMPET IS LIKE A COBRA
Doc Severinsen

I saw Doc Severinsen back stage at Disneyland and he discussed with us the difficulty of playing a trumpet and likened it to a Cobra that can turn on you at anytime.
- Jack Kanstul

I AM HUMBLED by the trumpet

By Bobby Shew

"I am humbled by the trumpet every day."

MILES DAVIS: QUOTES

I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life.
Miles Davis

Don't play what's there, play what's not there. - Miles Davis

I'll play it first and tell you what it is later. - Miles Davis

If you understood everything I say, you'd be me! - Miles Davis

It's always been a gift with me, hearing music the way I do. I don't know where it comes from, it's just there and I don't question it.
- Miles Davis

Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself. - Miles Davis

The thing to judge in any jazz artist is, does the man project and does he have ideas. - Miles Davis

MUSIC IS NOT SIMPLY A PRODUCT
by Pat Harbison

Jazz is process oriented. Music is not simply product. It is life itself-or at least the footprint of one living that life. Our educational system is a product oriented one built on the industrial model. An educated person is "assembled" in a certain sequence according to a timetable that is imposed by "experts". I know of no jazz artist who developed in such an incremental and scheduled fashion.

In every improvisation class I have taught I have had to acknowledge the uniqueness of each student and accommodate differing backgrounds and learning styles. No one formula works for all and everyone must grow at their own pace. No one can teach someone to be an artist. That is a personal internal process. It is not a process that lends itself to absolute measurement. I think the only fair and practical thing we can do in jazz education is grade the measurable-the mastery of craft and the successful completion of assigned learning tasks and activities.

This material was originally presented by Pat Harbison at the 1997 IAJE Conference in Chicago

LUIS GASCA: CREATING YOUR OWN MUSICAL IDENTITY

In order for a musician to create his own musical identity Gasca believes he must always surround himself with musicians and he must open himself up to all forms of music, which involves the act of humbling oneself.

Any good musician who is inventive and creative has to search persistently before coming to their own musical identity.

YOUR SOUND IS YOU
Clark Terry

"I believe that regardless of how many people you’ve listened to or emulated over the years, your sound is you and what you really feel inside."

Clark Terry

Arturo Sandoval

I have to play every day in order to keep absolute control over my form

Blow your life through your horn.

To rise above the crowd, you must discipline yourself unceasingly to the strict demand and realities of your ambition.

I know that I haven't invented anything myself, that I am only a mixture of countless influences, and thanks to that I am able to find my own style of playing.

It's so important to listen to music, to listen again and again. Eat, sleep and drink music.

Allen Vizzutti: QUOTES ON PLAYING
TRUMPET

* There is no such thing as no pressure playing.

It is possible to improve your trumpet sound almost immediately by working on the mouthpiece.

Keep in mind that 99% the music and 90% of the money in the professional world is made below high C.

TOM HARRELL: QUOTE

The hardest part of playing the trumpet is the physical act of making the sound.

THOUGHTS ON MUSIC
by daniel w. jacobs

The secret glue of music lies in the welcome anticipation of the next note.

The love of music engenders the music of love.

Music should provide both familiarity and surprise . . . but not too much of either.

Melodies, harmonies and rhythms heard but not played provide the most sublime pleasures in music.

Good music has the power to awaken the soul, stimulate the mind, energize the body and remind us that we are still alive.

daniel w. jacobs
(c) 2008-2020, all rights reserved

COMMUNICATION
By Bobby Shew

Communication is the key ingredient in music of ANY type. It really doesn't seem sane to play to oneself of to the music stand or wall. So the person(s) at the receipt point is as important to the experience as you are. It's the emotional reaction to your creation that completes the action. The emotional communication takes precedence over style and technique. You need plenty of technique, but only enough to execute what you hear and feel. S0, study emotions ; it'll intensify your playing.

Another area of communication that's very important is in your ability to communicate with the other guys in the band. In fact, if you have trouble with this, it'll show up in your playing. You're in a sense "rapping" with people when you play. If the entire band maintains a high level of communication, the affinity will be high for each other, the "vibes" will be right, and the band will swing: It might be worth mentioning here that lots of people apparently misunderstand communication in thinking that they must just talk, talk, talk, when in reality, the art of listening is super important and can help to smooth out your relationships with other people. This then will increase your ability to listen in the section to your lead player of the rhythm section or Whatever. Do you see the point? It all fits in together and the picture starts to clear up end make sense.
- Bobby Shew

My Lesson w/Roger Ingram
By Tony Gambaro

Had a very cool hang w/Roger yesterday for a few hours in a room upstairs at Proctors Theater that must have been 100 degrees! We started out just shooting the breeze and name dropping! He dropped many more names than I did. Then we got right to it. He asked me what I was looking to gain. He said you've worked steady for twenty years blah blah blah, what you want from me. I simply told him that I don't have it figured out and I want to figure it out!

He then started to play some octaves from low C to High C all The way to double C. Very cool and loud in a brick room that measured 10 x 10. Great sound by the way and he does use some pressure! He did that because while giving a lesson the day of a show he also has to do his thang!

He asked me how I warm up and I told him middle G soft, maybe some chromatics, about 10-15 minutes depending on stiffness. He said No No No No!

Here's what we did. He had me flapping my chops gently at what he described as 8 flaps per second. Stop, let the blood begin flowing. Flap some more… Stop; let the blood flow and so on for about 3 minutes on and off. Then a light free buzz on any note. Flap some more after then buzz again. Flap again then do some arpeggio buzzing. Flap some more the maybe some slow tonguing while buzzing.

Next, take just your mouthpiece and buzz on any note that's comfortable. Flap some more. Buzz the mouthpiece again doing some short gliss'es up and down! Flap some more… Insert mouthpiece and then a middle G softly lipping it up and down (Sharp and flat) until finding its center. Once you find the center add a nice hand vibrato… Flap some more. Then some light chromatics from middle C down to F. Flap some more then some more light chromatics up and down to middle G. Done! Warming up is simply getting blood flow to your face and the lactic acid out.

From this point we went into breathing… He had me stand up to watch my profile while playing just chromatics up to high C and down softly. He asked me why my shoulders were staying down. I told him that I am trying to keep them relaxed and that that has been pounded into me like a senseless beating for 30+ years! He replied, NO NO NO. First off, look at old pictures of Maynard while playing… His shoulders are so high they almost cover his ears. He mentioned some other high profile catz and when you really look at their bodies while they played, there shoulders were up. Basically, why keep your shoulders relaxed where they can be a burden to the top of your lungs! Utilize your entire lung then use your diaphragm up and in twice as much as your use to for compression. Do this for all volumes. Make's sense. Actually doing it was another thing, but I made some positive strides and yes there was difference in stability. My stomach did hurt in the beginning so I was using a different set of muscles…
Chop set, the most important aspect of playing the trumpet. We got out the visualizer. And he wanted to see what was going on in all registers. My aperture was for the most part pretty tight and I thought that that was the idea…. NO NO NO NO. First off he said I was not using enough pink! When he showed me with the visualizer his chops were rolled out and you could drive a bus through his aperture while he was blowing! Unbelievable to me… He said the more pink you can use the more cushion you create. More cushion = much much more endurance. That's how me and the rest of us, Bergeroyne, Arturo, Maynard, Cacia etc, can blow like this all night long… As awkward as this was I was able to play a middle G then a low C that just slammed. Then he had me go to middle C then E – G – C - E – G Dubba C… It worked, while the tone was suspect as well as being very uncomfortable for obvious reasons. I understand it. I will dedicate 15 minutes a day to this and the breathing and he said after awhile it should work it's away in to your everyday playing!

We got into gear. As you all know I play the Stage 1 California Light… He played it and critiqued it. First off it's a medium large and that's too big. He thought the build quality was excellent but would have liked some standard bracing… His as most of you know is a Schilke S-42… Not quite, not even freaking close… He's had the horn for 10 years, 50 modifications in the process mainly lead pipe and brace placement… He will be building his own horn not with Schilke but with a another gentlemen and I do not remember his name… Small and tight!

Here it is in the nut shell. Because you can drive a bus through his aperture, the smaller and tighter the gear the easier it is. He was really passionate about this subject! His mouthpiece throat is a 30…. He looked through mine and said what the hell are you doing???? His sound is pretty big and focused obviously! Tight Mouthpiece and horn with a big bell...

He also said that at times depending on the theater he's playing in the guys in the band say they can't hear him… He tells them, I'm not playing for you, I'm playing to the back of the room… This business with having sound around the front of your horn is for the dogs! A trumpet is built to project forward not around you… Leave it at that!

In closing: He said, look: I'm not trying to push my ways on you! Today I simply told you what works for me and went down the line with name dropping all the biggies of our sport and said he got it from them! He said quite comfortably, why do you think we work all the best gigs and have to turn down work! He told me he would only like to see me again if I chose to apply what he showed me…

End!!!

Oh Yeah, the show was great and the other guys could blow as well.

Thanks for reading,

Tony Gambaro

It's the way you play that makes it . . . Play like you play. Play like you think, and then you got it, if you're going to get it. And whatever you get, that's you, so that's your story.
-- Count Basie

ON CREATING
by Miles Davis

I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life.
Miles Davis

ON GOING TO SCHOOL: Ornette Coleman

“Musicians tell me, if what I’m doing is right, they should never have gone to school."

BRAGGIN' IN BRASS
by David Berger

The relationship between the composer/arranger/orchestrator and the performer is very special. Each needs the other to sound good. The greatest example we have of this is Duke Ellington's relationship with the members of his band. One of the most popular clichÆs about Ellington is "His band is his instrument." Simplistic on the surface, but very true.

It has been said that every great composer has been in love with the music of one of his predecessors. Not the case with Ellington; his love was for the players who worked for him. He prided himself on his ability to create settings that brought the best out of each of these highly individualistic musicians. Each player brought the spark of creativity with him when he joined the band, but it was Ellington who recognized the depth of their potential contribution and taught each musician through having them play his music. Clark Terry, who in Ellington's words was "one of the greatest soloists to play in the band," has said that Ellington taught you who you are.

In most bands and orchestras, individuality is suppressed for the purpose of creating an homogenous sound. In the Ellington band, individuality was encouraged in order to create a wider palette. The proper combination of these disparate sounds was left up to the Maestro. Consider the trombone section from 1932-1944: Lawrence Brown, "Tricky Sam" Nanton and Juan Tizol.

Brown was smooth as silk (listen to Transblucency -- 1946), blistering (Mainstem --1942) and incredibly swinging (Rose of Rio Grande -- 1938). He modeled his sound after Louis Armstrong, he was the most technically proficient trombonist of his day, he could sight read anything, he played lead trombone with the same urgency he brought to his solos, he had a phenomenal ear and was frequently called on for requests as he knew every tune and could play them in any key.

Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton combined raw energy, joie de vivre and a love of different colors. Nearly all of Nanton's solo work is played with a plunger and a Nonpareil trumpet straight mute. With this set-up he was able to create sounds that are almost indistinguishable from the human voice. He played simple diatonic and blues melodies entirely in the octave above middle "c." A great example is Harlem Speaks --1932. Two trombonists could not be more opposite than Brown and Nanton. Enter Juan Tizol.

Tizol was from Puerto Rico and brought with him the Latin American and concert band influences. He was not an improviser, but his playing had an unmistakable identity. He played a "c" valve trombone with a unique vibrato and legato phrasing well suited to cantabile melodies. Several great solos are Conga Brava -- 1940 and Flaming Sword -- 1940.

Lawrence Brown played most of the lead, but both Tizol and Nanton also take over the lead at specific moments. Cottontail -- 1940 starts with Brown on lead, switches to Tizol for the brass soli and again switches to Nanton for the shout chorus.

In the 50 year career of the band numerous personnel changes and temporary substitutions occurred. The most significant were as follows. Brown's role was taken over by Britt Woodman from 1951 to 1961. In the 60's Brown returned. Vince Prudente took over in the 70's. Nanton's role was relinquished to Wilbur DeParis, Tyree Glenn (vibes double), Quentin "Butter" Jackson, Booty Wood and Art Baron (recorder double). When Tizol left in 1944, he was replaced by slide trombonist Claude Jones. Tizol later rejoined from 1951-54, when he was replaced by slide trombonist John Sanders. Tizol had a "c" valve trombone made for him, and Sanders taught himself to play this unusual instrument. When Sanders left, Chuck Conners took over the role on bass trombone.

Each of these successors had their own personalities which Ellington exploited to the fullest. Their basic role in the band had been defined by their predecessors, but the interpretation was left up to them. When Britt Woodman joined, he knew all of Lawrence Brown's solos and proceeded to play them. After a night or two, Ellington summoned the new trombonist to his dressing room and explained to him that he was hired because he was Britt Woodman. Ellington looked forward to the challenge of incorporating Woodman's personality into the band's music.

The roles in the trumpet section are much more complicated. Precise and polite Arthur Whetsol was the trumpet player in the original Washintonians in the late teens through the early twenties. He dropped out to go to medical school and returned as lead trumpet from 1928-1937. He was not an improviser, but his paraphrase of Mood Indigo -- 1930 shows off his personality. Bubber Miley was the star of the band throughout the '20's. He was responsible for anything that was hot or blues oriented. He originated the plunger tradition in the Ellington band and taught it to Tricky Sam. His solos on The Mooche-- 1928, Hot And Bothered -- 1928 and East St. Louis Toodle-oo -- 1927 are some of the cornerstones of jazz. Third trumpet was played by Freddie "Posie" Jenkins from 1928 to 1935. His specialties were high notes, technical virtuosity and excitement always in a suave manner. His solos on High Life -- 1929 and Cotton Club Stomp -- 1929 are most representative. He left the band for health reasons, but returned briefly in 1937 where he can be heard in the four man trumpet section on Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue and I've Got To Be A Rug Cutter. On Rug Cutter rather than playing trumpet, he is heard to humorous effect stomping his feet in the intro and coda.

Whetsol was replaced by Wallace Jones, Shelton Hemphill, Cat Anderson, Andrew "Fats" Ford (aka: Andres Meringuito) and Money Johnson. Although Cat Anderson is best remembered for his extreme high notes, he was probably the most versatile of the Ellington trumpet players. Aside from his strong and accurate lead playing, he contributed many solos in different styles both open and in plunger (Charpoy and All Day Long -- 1967 and The Eighth Veil -- 1962).

Second trumpet was inherited from Miley by Cootie Williams (1929-1940, 1962-1974). When he joined, Williams was a Louis Armstrong style trumpet player and singer. He figured that since Ellington hired him to replace Miley, he should also play plunger. Tricky Sam taught him the techniques and sounds and Williams developed into one of the most individual stylists in all of jazz. His two concertos: Echoes of Harlem -- 1936 and Concerto For Cootie -- 1940 are probably his greatest records, but pieces like Harlem Airshaft -- 1940 and Braggin' In Brass -- 1938 also show his fierce sense of swing.

When Williams left to join Benny Goodman in 1940, he was replaced by Ray Nance. Nance's nickname was "Floorshow"; not only did he play trumpet and violin, but he sang, danced and juggled his trumpet throwing it six feet in the air and catching it just in time for his next entrance. Nance's solo on Take The "A" Train -- 1941 was so integral to the composition that he repeated it nightly verbatim. When he left in 1965, Cootie Williams continued playing his successor's solo.

In 1942 Harold "Shorty" Baker joined the trumpet section making four. He became the second trumpet, moving Nance to fourth. These seatings are fairly general, as Ellington frequently reassigned certain passages or entire charts so as to take advantage of the individual sounds. Baker's gentle, nonchalant sound can best be heard on All Heart -- 1957. In and out of the band throughout the '40's and '50's, the second book was taken over in 1951 by Willie Cook. With Baker and Cook in the section together, Baker played fourth, moving Nance to fifth. Cook was a fine lead player (taking over that role on many occasions) and soloist in a swing style that embraces bebop. Listen to Blues Ala Willie Cook -- 1957.

Third trumpet, Freddie Jenkins' chair was taken over by Rex Stewart (1935-45). Known for his jocular half-valve technique and high note screaming, Stewart was immortalized in Boy Meets Horn -- 1938. Stewart was replaced by Taft Jordan. In 1951 Clark Terry took over this highly individualistic chair and added the mixture of bebop, plunger and flugelhorn. Not to be missed are Perdido -- 1959 and Up And Down, Up And Down -- 1957.

The Ellington band has been compared to Shakespeare's stock company; the same cast performing new productions. The new roles are created for the same actors/musicians. When these fine individuals leave the company and are replaced, the new man is chosen for his ability to express his personality through the roles of his predecessor not for his ability to imitate. In the words of the Maestro, "It doesn't have to be identical to be good; it only has to be good."

About David Berger

David Berger is a composer, arranger and conductor who has transcribed some 500 jazz scores including more than 300 by Duke Ellington. Mr. Berger first played trumpet with some of the best big bands, but he has worked most often as a composer and arranger with Chuck Israels, Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Buddy Rich, Quincy Jones, Lee Konitz and Mercer Ellington.

Mr. Berger was conductor of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra since its inception in 1988 until 1994. This international orchestra of jazz greats, many of whom worked with Ellington, was assembled to showcase Ellington's work in the most authentic and genuine performance practice available.

Active in New York since the early Seventies, Mr. Berger has scored for numerous TV shows, commercials, industrial films, Broadway shows, motion pictures dance companies and recordings.

In addition to his many trascriptions of classic jazz recordings (available from Classic Editions c/o King Brand Products), Mr. Berger has dozens of compositions and arrangements available from Jenson/Hal Leonard and Advance Music. Charles Colin publishes Mr. Berger's Contemporary Jazz Play-Along series of books and cassette tapes. Mr. Berger is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and also performs as guest conductor, lecturer and clinician with musicians of all ages.

Duke Ellington discography available upon request.

YOUR UNIQUE SOUND
by Roger Ingram

Although most people like to chalk these things up to chops or equipment - as far as sound is concerned it's all in what you hear in your "head".

Everyone has a unique sound. No two people sound alike.

There are as many sounds as there are personalities. This is what is so wonderful about "sound!" This is why music and art is such a great thing! It's very personable.”

Roger Ingram

THOUGHTS ON THE PERFORMING ARTS

1. Some artists have had too much to think. Don't let thinking get in the way of your art.

2. What makes you different and interesting is that you're 'not' normal. Unpredictable = interesting. Predictable = boring.

3. Don’t expect to stand out from the crowd if you’re “normal.”

4. Making people think won't sell art. Make them feel something.

5. If you're an entertainer . . . entertain them! Give them something to talk about!

6. Perception is reality. It’s what they believe they are seeing or hearing. When everyone thinks you’re great, you are, no matter what you may think.


7. Share your love of art with them. You're doing what they wish they could.

8. Reality is dull. Imagination is exciting. Capture their attention and spark their imagination and they’ll remember you.

9. Think big! Now think BIGGER! Now put it into ACTION.

10. Be audacious, be bold, be big, and be daring. Don't go unnoticed.

11. If you believe in yourself, so will others. If you don't, neither will they.

12. Imagine what a professional would be doing right now and do that NOW. Keep thinking and acting like a professional and you'll soon become one.

13. Keep thinking you're great, you're a master, and you're unique - because you are.

14. As an artist you are your art and your art is you. If you love it, someone else will love it too.

15. Make them feel something and they’ll never forget you.

daniel w. jacobs
© 2006-2020, all rights reserved

ON CHARACTER AND SUCCESS
by Sonny Rollins

"Character, knowledge and virtue are superior to “music” as such. And that “success” is relative to the evolution of those qualities within us all."

Sonny Rollins
excerpt from a letter from Sonny Rollins to Coleman Hawkins in 1962

Lead Trumpet History
Written by Dan Miller

The most important aspects of playing lead trumpet are to swing hard, play with a big, fat sound and stylistically lead the trumpet section and the band. It is essential for the aspiring lead trumpeter to study the phrasing, articulation and the stylistic nuances of the masters.

Conrad Gozzo--Frank Sinatra, Woody Herman and LA Studio
His huge sound and swinging feel set the standard for modern lead trumpet. His phrasing was pure perfection. He led a section like the true artist. His articulations, smears, falls and releases were textbook (and he wrote the book). His work with Nelson Riddle and Billy May is a must. Listen: Sinatra's Swinging Session (Capitol) or any Frank Sinatra recording on Capitol Records in the 1950's.

Snooky Young--Count Basie, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Jimmie Lunceford, NY and LA Studio
Co-authored the "book" on modern first trumpet style with Gozzo. His intense, meticulous, swinging phrasing established the New Testament Basie sound. Young brilliantly interpreted the work of Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Quincy Jones and Neal Hefti during his Basie days and left no doubt of his genius. He is also a phenomenal soloist and master of the plunger mute. Listen: Basie's Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (Roulette) or any Basie recording on Roulette Records in 1950's or 1960's.

Maynard Ferguson--Stan Kenton, LA Studio, Own Band
Maynard's influence cannot be quantified. His tone and power are unparalleled. He is a tremendous soloist first and foremost (check out the Dinah Washington records with Clifford Brown). But, his contributions to evolution of lead trumpet are gigantic. Maynard swings. He plays with unbridled excitement and enthusiasm, as if every note could be his last. Total freedom. Listen: Message From Newport (Roulette) or any Maynard Ferguson Roulette Recordings 1958-1964 or Stan Kenton Capitol Recordings 1950-1953.

Note: The following list, essentially in chronological order, comprises many of the tremendous lead trumpet stylists and lists the bands and studios in which they honed their craft. They all have unique approaches to interpreting the music, and should be studied for their individual stylistic nuances (in the exact same fashion as one would study the styles of a great soloist like Dizzy Gillespie or Clifford Brown).

Doc Cheatham--Chick Webb, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Cab Calloway and NY Studio
Wallace Jones--Duke Ellington
Ed Lewis--Count Basie
Shorty Baker--Duke Ellington
Mario Bauza--Cab Calloway and Machito
Ray Wetzel--Stan Kenton
Nick Buono--Harry James
Al Porcino--Count Basie, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Frank Sinatra and Stan Kenton
Doc Severinson--NY and LA Studios
Don Jacoby--NY and Chicago Studios
Uan Rasey--LA Studio
Jimmy Maxwell--Benny Goodman and NY Studio
Charlie Margolis--LA Studio
Buddy Childers--Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra and LA Studio
Bernie Glow--Herman, Gil Evans and NY Studio
Ernie Royal--Count Basie, Woody Herman, Gil Evans and NY Studio
Reunald Jones--Count Basie
Lamar Wright--Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie
Benny Bailey--Lionel Hampton, Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland and Quincy Jones
Johnny Audino--Woody Herman, Gerald Wilson, NBC Tonight Show and LA Studio
Bill Chase--Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman and Las Vegas
Bud Brisbois--Stan Kenton and LA Studio
John Howell--Stan Kenton, Woody Herman and LA Studio
Dalton Smith--Stan Kenton and LA Studio
Ollie Mitchell--Buddy Rich and LA Studio
Lennie Johnson--Quincy Jones and Count Basie
Wallace Davenport--Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Lionel Hampton and New Orleans
Chet Ferretti--Maynard Ferguson
Rick Keifer--Maynard Ferguson and WDR Radio Orchestra
Bobby Shew--Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Louis Bellson and LA Studio
Chuck Findley--Buddy Rich, Las Vegas and LA Studio
Marvin Stamm--Stan Kenton, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and NY Studio
Burt Collins--Woody Herman and NY Studio
Joe Shepley--NY Studio
John Frosk--NY Studio
Bob McCoy--NY Studio
Mel Davis--NY Studio
Victor Paz--Chico O'Farrill, Tito Puente, Fania All Stars and NY Studio
Fip Ricard--Count Basie, Sammy Davis, Las Vegas and LA Studio
Charlie Turner--Sinatra and Las Vegas
Dave Stahl--Woody Herman, Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra and NY Studio
Jon Faddis--Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Charles Mingus and NY Studio
Derek Watkins--Maynard Ferguson and London Studio
Bobby Bryant--Oliver Nelson, Gerald Wilson and LA Studio
Malcolm McNab--LA Studio
Walt Johnson--Louis Bellson, Frank Sinatra, Las Vegas and LA Studio
Charlie Davis--Buddy Rich and LA Studio
Lynn Nicholson--Maynard Ferguson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Toshiko Akiyoshi and Las Vegas
Lew Soloff--Blood Sweat and Tears, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and NY Studio
Carl Saunders--Bill Holman, Las Vegas and LA Studio
Jeff Davis--Woody Herman, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Machito and Clark Terry
Earl Gardner--Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Mingus, SNL and NY Studio
Chuck Schmidt--Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton and Dallas Studios
Don Thomas--Dallas Studios
George Graham--LA Studio
Gary Grant--LA Studio
Roger Ingram--Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Harry Connick and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Wayne Bergeron--Maynard Ferguson and LA Studio
Byron Stripling--Count Basie, Woody Herman and NY Studio
Mike Williams--Count Basie
Greg Gisbert--Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Paul Anka and NY Studio
Eric Miyashiro--Buddy Rich, Woody Herman and Tokyo Studio
Walter White--Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Mingus and NY Studio
Craig Johnson--Maynard Ferguson and NY Studio
Paul Stephens--Maynard Ferguson and the Jazz Ambassadors
Tony Kadleck--Maria Schneider and NY Studio
Bob Millikan--NY Studio
Lee Thornburg--Tower of Power and LA Studio
Piro Rodriguez--Tito Puente and NY Studio
Peter Olstad--Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Tom Jones and NY Studio
Tom DeLibero--Las Vegas
Dave Trigg--Natalie Cole, Liza Minelli, LA and NY Studios
Scott Englebright--Maynard Ferguson
Seneca Black--Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Elpidio Chapotin--Havana Studios and NG La Banda
Serafin Aguilar--Maynard Ferguson & Queen Latifah
Brian MacDonald--The Airmen of Note

QUOTE: SIMPLICITY
Leonardo Da Vinci

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Note: This is a MUST READ for any true jazz artist or fan. I have a copy of the original handwritten letter from Sonny Rollins to Coleman Hawkins written on 10.13.62. Following is the text of the letter.

10.13.62

My Dear Mr. Hawkins,

Your recent performance at the “Village Gate” was magnificent!!
Quite aside from the fact that you have maintained a position of dominance and leadership in the highly competitive field of “jazz” for the time that you have, there remains the more significant fact that such tested and tried musical achievement denotes and is subsidiary to personal character and integrity of being.

There have been many young men of high potential and demonstrated ability who have unfortunately not been “MEN” in their personal and offstage practices and who soon found themselves devoid of the ability to create music. Perhaps these chaps were unable to understand why their musical powers left them so suddenly. Or perhaps they knew what actions were constructive as opposed to destructive but were too weak and not men enough to command the course of their lives.

But certain it is that character, knowledge and virtue are superior to “music” as such. And that “success” is relative to the evolution of those qualities within us all. That it has been positive and lasting for you, Coleman, is to the honor and credit of us, your colleagues, as well as to your own credit.

For you have “lit the flame” of aspiration within so many of us and you have epitomized the superiority of “excellence of endeavor” and you stand today as a clear living picture and example for us to learn from.

It has always been a task to explain in words these things which in nature are the most profound and meaningful. Now you have shown me why I thought so much of you for so long.

Godspeed in your travels and may I be fortunate enough to hear you play the tenor saxophone again in person.

Yours truly,

Sonny Rollins

QUOTE BY Herbie Hancock

"A great teacher is one who realizes that he himself is also a student and whose goal is not to dictate the answers, but to stimulate his students creativity enough so that they go out and find the answers themselves."

PLAY THE MUSIC NOT THE INSTRUMENT
by Victor Wooton

If you’re thinking too much about what you can already do, you’ll do it worse. Don’t play the instrument, play the music. Techniques that don’t allow you to play great music are worthless. I believe people feel music before they listen to it.
– Victor Woten, in a bass master class

HOW AND WHAT TO PRACTICE
by Don Jacoby

Practice is a time put aside to work, work, work with dedication and commitment to becoming not only a better player but to realize (in time) what we all strive for, AND, that's to earn the right to someday be called A MUSICIAN. A most royal title, if you please!

The one thing that a lot of students do, is to try to practice for 2 or 3 hours at a time to (as they say), build up their endurance and range. This is not going to do anything of the kind. After a certain length of time (maybe the first half-hour or 45 minutes) you are not accomplishing anything but fighting your own tired lip. As some of the greatest trumpet players in the world advise --- DON'T PRACTICE LONG BUT PRACTICE OFTEN. Every time you have 20 minutes of your own, reach for the horn. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in that time especially if you are close to having a passage work out for you. It may well be the best 20 minutes you ever spent.

WHAT should I practice? There's only one answer to that. WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW OR CAN'T PLAY!!! Quit playing and practicing all the things you can play at an ungodly tempo to prove to yourself that you're a pretty good player. You can only "gas" yourself for so long. Review some of these things and then go on to the important part of your practice, the things you can't play. Work on them exactly the same way I told you to practice the passages in the etude. Remember? You see --- if you practice something 100 times you kinda get the sound in your ear --- if you practice it 200 times, you get a little familiar with it --- and, if you do it 300 times, you get kinda friendly with it. If you were my student, I wouldn't settle for anything less than being married to it!

From The Trumpet Method of Don "Jake" Jacoby

LESSON NOTES: by Don Jacoby

For more on Jake and his methods look at his book Jake's Method(RBC Publications, PO Box 29128, San Antonio, TX, 78229), or "Jake" by Keith Winking, ITG Journal, December 1992, pages 36-42. You should be able to get either of these by InterLibrary Loan.

* No negative thoughts allowed in my studio.
* The Speed of the air controls the pitch. The Mass of the air controls the volume.
* Blow thru the horn - not into it. Don't Let anything get in the way.
* "G" is 5 more further in front of "C" - not a 5th higher.
* Play to please yourself and others will be pleased.
* Playing is 5 percent physical, 95 percent mental.
* The surest way to make a problem worst is to draw attention to it.
* There are three parts to a note: Begining, Middle and End. None of these takes precedence over the others. (Don't worry about the attack, go for the entire note.)
* Spend more time in front of the horn listening and less time behind it working so hard.
* The motion of the tounge when playing is the same as when speaking. NO EXAGGERATION.

THE FOUR BASICS

1. The part of the lips inside the mouthpiece should remain completely relaxed at all times. They should be regarded as nothing more than vibrators.
2. The use of the tounge to determine the direction of the airstream.
3. Develop good, strong corners of the mouth with the amount of the firmness to be dictated by the register in which we are playing plus any volume desired. (To demonstrate the action of the corners Jake often used the following exercise. Hold your hands in front of your face, palms facing inwards. Next make and relax a fist several times. Next, "make a fist" with the lips.)
4. The correct, Unexaggeerated use of the "diaphragm" to control the "speed" and "mass" of the air. (Jake commented that to avoid a lot of "pedagogical junk" he intentionally misused the word diaphragm to mean what most students take it to mean.)

''Play it lovely, thoughtful, reverent... play it nicely,'' he said. ''It's easy to blow loud and harsh. Play it reverently with a nice sound. Even when you play loud, make it reverent. Make it sound like somebody saying something nice to you.'' Uan Racey

FREDDIE HUBBARD INTERVIEW
By Craig Jolley

This article was originally published in May 2001.

New Colors (Hip Bop Records), new CD

I met David Weiss a couple of years ago. He's from North Texas State. He had a rehearsal band [New Jazz Composers Octet] in New York, and he had been writing out a lot of my compositions and arranging them. He said he'd like to get together and have me play some of my material with the group. At first it was only supposed to be a one-time thing, but we're going to be working together the next couple of years until I get back strong again on my horn. They appreciate my music and give it a good feeling like when I was playing with Elvin Jones. They inspired me to start back playing again. This is an opportunity to let some of the more serious kids play this music and have it arranged for them. Craig Handy and I did a record with Betty Carter (Droppin' Things, Verve 1990) years ago. I always liked his playing. Same with Joe Chambers—he had played some of these songs with me before. I brought in Kenny Garrett and Javon Jackson as guest soloists. Those are some of the musicians I really enjoy playing with. They've played in my previous bands, they know me, and they know my style. They came in and helped me out quite a bit. I'm very happy to have made this CD.

New Jazz Composers Octet Tour

We start in New York at the Iridium May 8-13. Then we go to Annapolis, Maryland; Arlington, Virginia; Scullers in Boston; Philadelphia; a couple more things. We're gonna make the Berlin Festival this year, but I'm not going to play the West Coast yet. We'll be playing the songs on the CD and some of my other tunes David, Duane Burno and Xavier Davis have arranged. With all the horns you can hear more color. When I originally recorded some of these tunes the music went by so fast people didn't get a chance to hear them. I have a lot of songs people have never heard that will sound good with eight pieces.

Lip problems

I busted my chops. I had to go back to square one after 30-40 years of playing. I was out there trying to be Coltrane—take thirty choruses. I was working all the time, and I didn't warm up. If you don't start off getting the blood flowing later on you're chops get weaker. It wasn't from playing that commercial stuff—it was from hard-core improvising. What made my style different was a whole lot of jumps, strenuous ideas. That's what makes jazz chops different from classical chops—at any moment you may have to change your embouchure [the position of the lips when they touch the mouthpiece]. I gave it everything I had. You have to be ready for that style. It was really bad—I didn't know if I was gonna play again. I can still play, but I can't hold long tones—that's something I never had trouble with. I didn't realize there were so many muscles in the embouchure, about 120. When you're young you don't even think about it. You get a lot of bad habits—you think that's the hip way to do it, but it's tearing your chops down.

“I can't play what I used to play, but that's not the point. Let Jon Faddis and those guys hit those high notes--that's their thing. Now I play better in the middle register. I have more ideas, and it's better than half-hitting it.”

Comeback

I thank the Creator. He enabled me to attempt to come back. I have to practice, get the feeling, get the blood flowing again. If you don't do that you don't get back. I came back too soon before (in '94) when I had trouble with my chops. I'm playing the flugelhorn now because the trumpet would be too hard. Instead of playing all that hard stuff I'm gonna to play some ballads. Playing flugel is kind of messing up my chops in itself—I eventually want to get back to playing the trumpet. I can't play what I used to play, but that's not the point. Let Jon Faddis and those guys hit those high notes—that's their thing. Now I play better in the middle register. I have more ideas, and it's better than half-hitting it. It'll take another year to come back strong again. The trumpet is not like a piano or a saxophone. If you lay off it you're back to zero. I've still got a lot of stuff I want to play. I can play it on the piano—that's where I get a lot of my ideas—like [sings fast] dah-doo-dah-didli-ah-dit...bah-booo-dle-ootie...doo-deee-doo-dooodle-eedle-doodle-at...dee-dat...deee-dle-ootie. Those kinds of runs are very difficult to execute. It's the way you accent those things. I got that from playing with Sonny Rollins and Philly Joe Jones. I want to bring some that back.

Louis Armstrong

He had that funny sound. I didn't dig it when I first heard it, that Dixieland. But if you listen to him for a while he had that feeling. He didn't have that execution like Dizzy Gillespie.

Clifford Brown

When I was starting out I tried to sound like him. His execution thing and his phrasing were out of the book—Miles thought he sounded stiff. He gave me a lot of ideas. He could do it all—that style was the way I wanted to play. I was still in Indianapolis so I never got to hear him in person. When he died I cried like a baby. He was only 25 years old, and he never got his due. I've got my reward—now I've got to give some back.

Miles Davis

I used to try to play like him too—those ballads. One night he heard me at Birdland. He was sitting on the side of the stage. I had my eyes closed, and I was playing some of his licks. I looked down and saw him, and I almost passed out. When I got off he said, "Why don't you play some of your own stuff?" After that I stopped copying people. Miles and Dizzy used to tell me I played too hard and too long. I should warm up before I played. Miles might take an hour before he started. It would take him that long to get his embouchure set, but it came out pure and clean.

Lee Morgan

Yeah, I was close to that crazy ___. He and I were the Young Turks at that time. He was a cocky little young cat, and he was great, exciting, spirited. He was the only cat that could frighten me. He got messed up.

Maynard Ferguson

I used to go see that guy play at Birdland. He used to play those high C's every night. Remember when Maynard had lip trouble? He went over to England to get straightened out. He's still going strong.

Wynton Marsalis

I didn't know it at the time [late 70's], but he was going to school in New York. He came to my dressing room and played all of my licks back to me, some I'd forgotten. I said, "Where did you learn to play all that?" He said, "It's all your stuff." He's the only one I've heard who could play some of the stuff on my records. I dig that lip thing he can do—(sings) yaw-yaw-ya-yaw-yaw. He's a technician, but he's stiff—I guess he can play that way if he wants to. We did a big band thing at Carnegie Hall together.

Richard Davis

I love to play with Richard—he's fantastic. I think he's teaching now. He and I made a record [Out to Lunch, Blue Note, 1964] with Eric Dolphy that was kind of advanced. That free music is not the feeling right now.

Current favorites

I like Tom Harrell—he's a nice guy. He wakes me up—he and Roy Hargrove. You think Roy sounds like me? Maybe that's the reason I like him! I like this guy Christian McBride and Benny Green—they worked with me. I love Bobby Watson—I heard him last time I was in New York. They're keeping it going.

Favorite records

One of my first records, Ready for Freddie (Blue Note, 1961). I had full control over it. That and Red Clay (CTI, 1970) were my best playing straight up. When it comes to more commercial stuff, First Light (CTI, 1971). It has some nice arrangements, and I won a Grammy. I've met all kinds of people, old and young, that like that record. I played it with feeling. Melody Maker did a discography on me. Check this out—I've made 300 records. I started looking into it, and I found some money from these companies.

Rap

I'm entertaining ideas about doing it after I get better on my horn. Those rap cats have some crazy meters. I'll have to give it some serious thought before I do it.

Jazz education

I have students come over in the evenings. They want to play some of the fast stuff I used to play—they're in a hurry. These kids coming out of school now, they have the correct embouchure, but they don't have the strength or the time. It's hard to play the trumpet with feeling. Like Chuck Mangione—he doesn't play loud or hard, but he has that feeling. He's not trying to be hip. I used to go over to everybody's house and say, "Teach me this, teach me that." They'd show me (They'd play it on the horn.), but they didn't teach me how to execute it. They didn't take time to teach me to play it right. We used to go on the road and play with Art Blakey, Count Basie, Horace Silver in the 60's and 70's. I used to sit in with bands that were established. I learned the backgrounds, everything. It's not like that now—it's more like a vacuum.

Wrap up

I'm glad you're doing this for the Internet so people can find out about me. I have a computer now. My wife's using it to write a book. I'm 63. I don't feel like it, and I don't look like it. I still have a lot in me. Since I moved to California I haven't wanted to work much. I got discouraged for a while. I still don't want to work that hard, but if I can arrange to work about six months a year that's what I'll do. I hear all these kids playing my ideas on the radio. Sometimes I have to stop and say, "Is that me?" It feels good to hear it, but people think the kids started it. Tell the young boys to look out—Freddie Hubbard's coming back!

CONFIDENCE
by Peter Olstad

"Confidence in playing is a direct product of being prepared for whatever might come your way in any given playing situation. Learning as many different styles, sight reading many different styles, and being ready physically for whatever might come your way is crucial for a good performance."
~ Pete Olstad

BOBBY SHEW: ON PLAYING TRUMPET

"Let your inner self or feelings flow through the horn."

"You must be willing and able to play anything, no matter how absurd it may seem to you, at the moment of conception, with no consideration of whether it will be liked or disliked, good or bad, without fear of making mistakes."

"When the lip muscles are working well for you, stop! Feel them and memorize as best as you can, that feeling."

I made real progress once I finally started to realize that it was possible if I was willing to take responsibility for the amount of work to be done."

ROGER INGRAM: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Statements like this from a student, really break my heart:

“I feel like I'm a few months away from selling my horns. Needless to say I am not in a good head space.”

Please don't give up.

There ARE solutions for every problem. However, judging by your description, I feel the best avenue for finding an answer for your specific problem would be a lesson or two (on a one-to-one basis) with someone very knowledgeable about the many types and variants of embouchure used by a variety of players, and one who is experienced in "troubleshooting." I would do this before seeking out advice from good intentioned players/people who have not had the opportunity to hear and watch you play.

I suggest working with a teacher/player/troubleshooter who is experienced in how to assess your embouchure and aperture setting/placement with the assistance of an "in-horn" visualizer.

In most cases a problem is not as formidable, nor the solution as unattainable as the player may think. However, at times it's difficult to "see the forest for the trees," especially when you're stuck in the trees. Many times the solution for a particular problem is staring a player in the face, but because of becoming upset and/or obsessing about the problem, a player may look way beyond the real solution and get stuck
in a variety of traps making the problem even worse.

For instance: during the few times I've had trouble "slotting" in the upper register, I realized (per Bobby Shew's suggestion,) that most likely something very BASIC went astray in my mid to lower registers. After doing a "service-check" so to speak in my mid to lower registers, I realized what the problem was, worked on it, and subsequently cleared up the condition in my upper register. In EVERY CASE, what had gone astray was something very basic, and fundamental in nature.

Of course prior to doing my service-check, I sometimes would create many types of insurmountable reasons in my head for my acute bad slotting. After correcting the condition, often I was almost embarrassed at the simplicity of the solution.

Obviously (because you made a post concerning it) this is important to you. I suggest doing online and in-person research with the goal of finding a person in whom you'll have confidence and feel comfortable with to help you iron out this problem. I also suggest NOT obsessing about this TEMPORARY issue.

My initial advice in the meantime would be to back off a little on over-all volume and try not to beat yourself up in the practice room trying to "self analyze" past the point of doing any good.

I hope this helps,
Roger
2.-7.09

Check out my new book Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ingram

ROGER INGRAM: OVERBLOWING - MORE ABOUT

Regarding over-blowing the horn: as a teacher, I have found that getting a handle on this aspect of trumpet playing seems to cure MANY ills. When a player becomes aware of their optimal point of resonance many benefits are gained. Specifically, acquiring this control increases a player's ability to project, play in tune, control dynamics per musical situation, achieve lasting endurance, AND provide easier access to the upper (and extreme upper) register of the horn (in the INITIAL stages of range development.)

I realize many of you may deem this as a somewhat simplistic perspective, in that having control of this ONE aspect of trumpet playing would correct problems in so many areas. Perhaps this is why this is somewhat overlooked. But in MY opinion (and keeping in mind I've been teaching and giving clinics for over 30 years) I have found this to be true. This is not to say that finding the optimal point of resonance in one's playing is the SOLE requisite for correcting so many areas of playing/performance, but, it IS an important one as it will open the door to bring all the other necessary components into play to achieve these goals.

As in the earlier post on this thread paraphrasing comments made by Wayne Bergeron at one of his clinics, Wayne and I are "on the same page" regarding this subject. Wayne and I grew up together in Los Angeles, and we've been friends since we were 16 years old. We were section mates on many All-State bands while in high school. We both had the good fortune to be privy to the teachings and guidance of some of Hollywood's finest studio musicians of the day. It's not just coincidence that these players (Boyd Hood, Uan Rasey, James Stamp, Bobby Shew, Bud Brisbois, etc., etc.) ALWAYS stressed the avoidance of playing "too loud" or "over-blowing the horn" during their lessons.

I realize this may seem a tad gratuitous, BUT, since the subject matter of this particular thread is discussed in detail in my new book, "Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing" (http://rogeringram.com/clinicalnotes.php) I've decided to chime in here and paraphrase and quote a few key points in my book that are related to the subject.

Most students who come to study with me are interested in range extension and achieving greater endurance (...surprise, surprise. ) In their first lesson with me, I find a high percentage of these students are breathing and creating compression in a sub-optimal manner AND simultaneously over-blowing (or attempting to over-blow) the instrument.

As I say in one of the chapters in my book, "blowing overly loud is not a great feat, and NOT a wise thing to do. What IS important however, is gaining the ability to play with balanced PROJECTION. The trumpet responds optimally when played slightly backed off from your maximum blowing point. When wind players over-blow their instruments, they actually create unnecessary turbulence within the tubing of the instrument. This deadens resonance. The resulting sound is similar to a blat (the sound of a sheep or calf) and can become flat. This happens because the bore of the instrument becomes unable to accept the unnecessary air velocity being used. At extreme levels of over-blowing, the sound becomes so choked, it simply stops."

"Over-blowing is also an unnecessary expenditure of energy that will cause a player to tire much quicker than an efficient player: the one who knows, feels, and has the ability to evenly match the resistance of air velocity with the bore size of their instrument (and the one who works more often.)"

IMHO, this is quintessentially true for any kind of player (jazz, lead/commercial, symphonic, etc.) or for any style of music the player is attempting to perform.

Of the many exercises I suggest in my book, a great one that I recommend with regard to this specific subject is the following: "Take a single note in the middle register and play quarter notes on it in 4/4 time. At a slow to medium tempo, start softly, and increase your volume every couple of quarter notes. Play up to your loudest volume, and then decrease volume every couple of notes until you're back to your softest playing level. Do this drill on every note in your COMFORTABLE range. This will help you develop a feel for where the optimal resonance point is on every note." This exercise and much of what I discuss in my book pertaining to the subject of "optimal resonance" is, of course, derived from my studies with Bobby Shew.

"While you do this exercise, listen for sound quality, and get a feel for ease of playing. When you hear your tone getting brittle (or sounding like a sheep or calf) and/or feel physically over-worked on a given note, you most likely have reached your 100% blowing point. By applying this exercise, establish what your 70-80% blowing point is. This point will be where your sound projects the best, and where the least amount of relative physical effort is exerted for optimal projection. After a while, apply this exercise to anything you wish to play: written or improvised."

Gaining control of this one aspect of trumpet playing coupled with what I present in "Clinical Notes..." regarding an efficient way of creating compression (the Yoga Breath) works wonders for developing range and achieving command of the instrument in ALL registers.

I hope you find this information beneficial.

All the best,

Check out my new book Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ingram

ROGER INGRAM: ON PRACTICING

QUESTION: from a student

“I've found that when I sit I can focus on mechanics better and also noodle around with scale and chord patterns which I might not do while standing as much. Much of what we play is done while sitting so I don't see the harm. What do you think?”

ANSWER: from Roger

When I practice I make an effort to work on things I need to develop, that do not come naturally to me (mind you, when I use the word "practice" I'm not referring to doing a "routine," or a "warm up,"). I'm pretty hard on myself, so when I practice I almost always sound like s**t.

I'm sure we've all heard the old adage: "if you sound good in the practice room, you're practicing the wrong things." Just ask my family; I'm sure they would agree I'm most certainly practicing the "right things" ;-)

However, as I'm sure we all know, practice does pay off. When I find I've made reasonable progress in a particular practice related area, I usually move that bit of work into my "routine" and come up with more things I can't do. This is to ensure I'll always sound like s**t for my family ;-)

Much of what I play when I practice is solos I've transcribed, or Aebersolds, or playing along to records and other related areas I'm not particularly well known for. ;-) Believe me, I don't have any pipe-dreams of becoming the next Freddie Hubbard, or Miles Davis, but making the attempt to improvise jazz will help ANY musician develop a feel for jazz and a sense of swing. Of course having these qualities helps any musician whether you're a jazz soloist, or a jazz lead trumpet player.

Anyway with regard to your specific question: I do find that practicing while sitting down DOES put me in a different "headspace" as opposed to standing. When I'm doing the kind of practicing which requires more of a cerebral effort (i.e. working through changes, figuring out scale/chord applications etc.,) I find myself wanting to sit down. ;-) I suppose it could almost be described as "studying while playing." However it's interesting to me that once I get a handle on a particular set of changes or tune, I find myself wanting to stand while "performing" the solo.

When I teach the Yoga Breath during the lessons I give, initially I make an effort to get the student to learn this manner of creating compression while standing. For whatever reason, it seems as though a wind player instinctually thinks on a more physical level while standing. After the student gets the basic "hang" of the breath, I will usually get them to do the breath while sitting. After all, this way of breathing happens only from the waist up. Also, depending on who they may be working for, or where a player may be performing, they will be required to do this type of breathing one way or the other.

I feel it's a good idea to occasionally force oneself to do the OPPOSITE of what comes naturally with regard to standing or sitting. For instance, from time to time, I'll force myself to work out on changes in the initial stages of learning a tune while standing. Conversely, at times I'll force myself to practice physically demanding types of playing while sitting. This helps a player become flexible, and free of self imposed ergonomic handicaps.

In a nutshell, I feel there is no harm in (and an actual benefit from) practicing both standing AND sitting. I do feel however, that a player should train themselves to practice and play ANY type of music or varying degrees of physical or mentally challenging material in both positions.

Roger
1.29.09

Check out my new book Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ingram

ROGER INGRAM: HOW TO STUDY

LETTER TO STUDENT:

With regard to "trade secrets," what I discuss in "Clinical Notes..." in the chapter "Achieving Endurance" encompasses the entirety of any so-called "trade secrets" I'm aware of and have to offer students regarding this subject.

In my humble opinion, the information and suggestions presented in this chapter is all that ANY brass player would need to assimilate and try toward the goal of "enduring" a four hour club date, or other performance schedules with varying time parameters.

What I suggest is CAREFULLY re-reading the chapter "Achieving Endurance" again, this time using a dictionary to look up any word definition you may not be sure of. This will help in eliminating any misunderstanding regarding the content of this chapter.

After a reader has "gone past" a misunderstood word, ANY ideas or suggestions a writer is attempting to convey thereafter will not be fully grasped. This of course creates confusion for readers, and causes them to lose interest. This is a common error in reading and should be avoided. ;-)

For ME, a good indicator of having gone past a word I haven't fully understood is when I find myself yawning, or perhaps falling asleep during the read. When I find myself doing either one of these two things, I GO BACK to the last point in the text where I was "awake" and interested, and 9 times out of 10, BINGO...that's where I find a word I may have THOUGHT I understood but DIDN'T. ;-)

After looking up the misunderstood word and gaining a FULL understanding of it, and AFTER re-reading all the subsequent text, I find my level of interest has gone back up, and I continue with reading. ;-) In doing this my ability to fully grasp ANYTHING I read increases tenfold.

I ALWAYS use a dictionary while reading. MOST people don't. In the "Author's Introduction" of "Clinical Notes..." I DO make the suggestion of using a dictionary while reading my book. Try this and let me know how it works out for you.
All the best,
Roger

RESPONSE FROM STUDENT:
Roger,
After my last PANIC call to you... you suggested re-reading a section in your book. Thank you!

There was a lot that I missed in my hurry to get through the book. It is now 5:47 A.M. I spent the entire night, slowly re-reading the book, with a highlighter in my left hand! ( Left hand people are in there "right" brain you know )

Everything is coming together well for me, thanks to you!

I've played trumpet professionally for over 30 years now, and even though I had a very light winter work wise,

My spring is booked solid!!! There are people wondering why I sound so much better than I ever did before.

I get comments all the time. Besides practicing my ASS off... I tell them it is because of YOU! My Friend.

Bob Cox



Check out Rogers' new book "Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing"
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ingram

Care and Feeding Of Your Chops
By Paul Baron

(note: this is an excerpt from an excellent article on taking care of your chops. I highly recommend reading the rest of the article on his website at: www.pbaronmusic.com

In studying martial arts, particularly the study of the Japanese martial art of Aikido, I began to equate and assimilate some of the lessons into the treatment of my chops and
trumpet playing. The biggest realization came in the idea of efficient use of energy and
the flow of that energy to the task at hand, making music.

Many of us, me included, fall
into the trap of using more arm strength and force to play, especially for upper register
playing. I have also found myself blowing too hard at times to compensate for sound
issues in performance, loud bands or section mates, or orchestra pits that are very “dead”
and seem to absorb all the sound.

At times when I haven’t been in the best shape, I’ve
also mistakenly tried to force the notes out by using larger amounts of air, instead of a
more concentrated faster air flow. As I tried to compensate by over-blowing, I got the
results I was after, temporarily; I could hear myself more, but that was short lived as the
downward spiral began. Before long, my range had dropped, the amount of vibration I
got from my lips decreased and I was soon back to the same place I was before; not able
hear myself well, but then I had less upper register left. In this article I’ll share my
experiences and hope to offer insight into some ways to care for you chops.

As I said, some of what I learned was through Aikido, and what helped me most
was the idea of BALANCE. The idea that all energies have to be balanced is the same
idea as the Newton law of physics, for every force there is an equal and opposite force.
That is certainly true in the amount of pressure used in playing. The more arm pressure
you use, the more your teeth will push back, in a matter of speaking. Unfortunately,
there’s some tissue between that will take the brunt of that physics lesson. I can’t tell you
how many times I’ve fallen into that trap and had to re-learn the lesson, only to recover
and make the same mistake again. I found that by “holding back” on the volume of air to
about 85 percent, assuming zero is not blowing at all and 100 percent is over-blowing and
forcing everything I had to give through the horn, my endurance, range, center of pitch,
articulation, etc, greatly improved. Ironically, by playing more efficiently and focused,
the volume was actually louder as well. The horn is built to play centered and responds
much better with that approach than the “strong arm method” that so many of us try
using. Playing in this way also means that I won’t be too beat up for the next playing day.
Sometimes with a long playing schedule there’s just no way to avoid some serious
fatigue, but playing more efficiently will really help, and the recovery time will be much
faster.

Practicing in a BALANCED manner is very important. Playing such a physical
instrument as the trumpet means we are in a sense athletes. Some styles of music are
certainly more athletic than others, but if we use some common sense and approach the
trumpet with more knowledge as to the athletics involved, we will play more efficiently.
With regards to the tools we need to play music and to the care and preservation of those
tools we can think less about the athletics and more about playing the trumpet and
making music. I don’t think any of us would go to a gym and put on the heaviest weights
we can possibly lift, and attempt to push that weight continuously for two hours and
expect to be able to do much the next day. Nor would we one day decide to run a
marathon without first building up to the distance. Many younger, and not so young
players, do exactly that on the trumpet though. When things are going great we
sometimes feel like we’re unstoppable and don’t pay attention to the proper mechanics of
playing, only to pay the price later. Or we decide to try the new routine and push it to
shear exhaustion, and then when things don’t seem to work as well the next day, decide
that the routine is not the right one. Rest is often times a neglected part of the practice
routine. Remember that muscle is built by exercise AND REST. It’s the rest period that
allows the blood to return to the lips and flush the built up lactic acid, and return the
muscles to a more useful relaxed and flexible state. It’s essential to practice all aspects of
playing because in a professional situation you never know what might be thrown at you.
Balancing loud and soft playing, low and high register practice, long tones and
articulation studies, and flexibility exercises, will make you ready for almost anything.

© 1/17/2007 by Paul Baron
all rights reserved

paulbaron@aol.com
cell: 360-739-3130
http://pbaronmusic.com/index.html

EMBOUCHURE NOTES
Clint (Pops) McLaughlin

A final note on embouchure. Remember the key points are: teeth apart, head up, throat open, say the letter "M" to set the chops, breath and blow.

A few people have problems going from low to high. They tend to reset on a breath. This is caused by placing the mouthpiece on flabby lips and not "ready to play" lips.

Don Jacoby always had his students set for a "G" on the top of the staff before placing the mouthpiece. From there you can relax for the two lower octaves or firm up for the top octave.

This technique also eliminates most of the lip rolling both in and out. H.L. Clarke and Rafael Mendez shared Jacoby's view.

This excerpt is from the book, "The No-nonsense Trumpet from A-Z" by Clint (Pops) McLaughlin

AUDITION ADVICE:
Correspondence between Roger Ingram and a student/far, Mark Metrinko:

QUESTION FROM MARK:
Hi Roger, I am a big fan of your playing - I think you command the band unlike anyone else, above and beyond the extreme range you have.

To me, the way you grab hold of the band with your playing is equally
as impressive.

Anyway... I'm writing because I have an audition in a few weeks for the Air Force Academy band, "The Falconaires" and the audition is pretty lengthy. I wanted to see if you had any tips to help with the
list?

The list is "Maria", "Begin the Beguine," "Song for Bilbao", "There is No Greater Love" and tons of sight reading. Also, after the lead stuff, I have to play typical classical military audition list of "Variations on America" and "Holst Sutie in Eb" etc.

With a number of lead, front-man playing outside of the ensemble, do you have any recommendations?
- Thanks, Mark

ANSWER FROM ROGER:
Do your homework. Then, on the day of the audition try not to over-do any type of "routine" you may be into. Just do a simple (but adequate) warm up...that's all. If you miss a day of doing your routine, you won't forget how to play the trumpet! Also, drink plenty of water and eat right between now and the day of your audition. If you have problems sleeping the night before the audition, don't worry about it...that's normal.

Also, approach the audition as if it were a performance for "friends." After all they NEED someone for the gig, and most likely WANT you to succeed. In a way, you're doing THEM the favor of going through the audition procedure! Try to "entertain" your audience too. After all, they're just people! Enjoy the event, and make an effort to communicate with your audience.


QUESTION FROM MARK:
I have read your book and really grabbed the concept of trusting that
the trumpet WILL be heard and not overblowing. I have also have noticed improvements with some experimentation with the Wedge
Breathe. Thanks for writing such an informative book!

ANSWER FROM ROGER:
Very good...and you're welcome! I wrote the book with the intention of HELPING players. I'm very pleased you've gotten something out of my book. - Roger Ingram

Check out my new book Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ingram

ON CRITICISM
by daniel w. jacobs

Criticism can often expose a hidden harmful intent.

Sometimes it is only revealed by subtle signs embedded in the words or actions of the critic exposing the existence of something not apparent in the message.

Stay alert; listen with your eyes, see with your ears, trust your instincts and act or re-act accordingly. – daniel w. jacobs

"Jazz is the art of mastering your own life so that you can play your life's story."
-- Wayne Shorter

Rick Rangno
Remember..if you can't play the middle notes with the same pinched, forced tone you use in the upper register, you're not really hitting the notes..you're just playing music.

"Their ain't nothin' wrong with being a copy cat, as long as you copy the right Cat."
Clark Terry

Goals are vital. Daily goals, mid range goals and long range goals. We might not always reach them but without them we surely won't. - Pops McLauglin

"I never tried to prove nothing, just wanted to give a good show. My life has always been my music, it's always come first, but the music ain't worth nothing if you can't lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that audience, 'cause what you're there for is to please the people." -- Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong

Note: This talk was transcribed from a youtube video of Vince DiMartino during a Masterclass at a Grand Valley State University Trumpet Seminar

ON BALANCE & CONFIDENCE

"[...] when warming up, the thing you're trying to do is you're trying to get your balance. Trying to get so that you feel like you can execute things in a way that you've done before.

And of course, that gives you confidence. 95% of a lot of the things we do is in the confidence range.

If you know you can do something, you just do it. If you're not quite sure, you "think" about it.

If you "think" about it - - there's a pretty good chance you're not going to be able to do it at the level you'd really like to do it - 'cuz you're distracted from the task.

ON READING MUSIC
When you read music, you should never read NOTES (C's, G's, Bb's). You should only read SOUNDS.

Get in the habit of reading sounds and your trumpet playing will change almost instantly.

Listening is the key to all music.

The full talk is available on youtube. It was given on April 2, 2009 at the Grand Valley Trumpet Seminar

ADVICE FROM PAPPY

Know before you blow
- Pappy Mitchell

and more:

Know before you row - dtr

ON MUSIC - by daniel w. jacobs

1. Your sound is your identity - like it or not, you sound like yourself (even if you're copying someone else)
2. Get the most out of every note you play - it will touch someone.
3. Play what you hear and feel in the present moment - not the past or the future.
4. Love what you play and play what you love - someone else will love it too. ~ dan jacobs
5. The audience is part of the performance - let them contribute.
6. Music can enrich the musician and the audience alike - reminding both that they are alive.
7. Make it fun!

daniel w. jacobs
(c) 2009-2020, all rights reserved

USE OF THE TONGUE IN THE UPPER REGISTER by Roger Ingram

About the tongue...what works for ME is what I described in the book. I do many different types of playing to make a living. What I'm KNOWN for is mostly upper register work. However, I can (and do) play many ways.

Applying an open aperture in conjunction with using a small cupped mouthpiece is what I do when I play lead or upper register work. And yes, when using this set-up for that kind of playing: when I have ascended to notes ABOVE a double C (or thereabouts,) my tongue has already gone up to, into and a LITTLE bit THROUGH the aperture (with the tongue FLAT SURFACED in forward motion.)

Two things happen at this point: the tongue SUPPORTS the bottom lip by SLIGHTLY pushing it forward and out, and VIBRATES WITH the lip. The tongue and lip are both made of SKIN. Who is to say the skin of the lip should vibrate and not the skin of the tongue? The air is still passing over the top (flat) surface of the tongue. It's okay to let that surface of the tongue vibrate in conjunction with the lip at THAT point.

You must realize the further a player ascends, the aperture DOES get smaller. However, what I try to convey in my book is to keep the aperture in as open a setting AS POSSIBLE (or comfortable) when playing a small (small for YOU) mouthpiece.

This setting can best be conceptualized by saying the syllable "Ahh." Saying the syllable ahh also helps to keep your mouth cavity slightly more open. This allows the player to reap the benefits a high compression/shallow-cupped mouthpiece has to offer. Doing this frees-up the air-stream, and lets the mouthpiece DO THE WORK FOR YOU ;-)

When playing on a small-cupped/high compression mouthpiece in the attempt to play lead trumpet or upper register work in the COMMERCIAL ARENA, One way to think about the approach is to: 1. Set, 2. Lock-and-load (tightening embouchure muscles around an open aperture setting,) 3. Create an adequate degree of compression in the diaphragm area for your desired degree of ascension, and 4. Manipulate your aperture and tongue depending on how the music you wish to play ascends or descends as you blow out.

I suggest closing your eyes and visualizing this action as you practice the suggested glissandos in chapter 6 in my book.

Roger Ingram

Check out my new book Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com

"POP'S" McLAUGHLIN: RELAX

RELAX

Nothing else works the way it should if we aren't relaxed.
Tongue arch can help BY moving the jaw and changing the Lip alignment. But if you are tight the jaw won't move and even tongue arch won't work right.

Jake and everyone else talked about keeping the lip relaxed inside the mouthpiece.

If we contract the wrong facial muscles, or contract too soon (low or mid register); a loose lip can't happen.

I noticed you had a quote from Jake about "NO negative thoughts in his studio."

LOL
Man he was ROUGH.
Even on a good day he was brutal. Honest evaulation is so vital and so few do it."

FRANK MINEAR: WARM-UP

Let's face it, as crappy as it is, being a trumpet player (or brass player in general) you just got to keep your chops strong and in shape. Being a Jazz musician myself, I don't like to spend time on a daily practice routine because I would rather like work on Aebersolds or spend my valuable practice time learning new Jazz licks. But unfortunately, keeping your trumpet chops strong is a daily and necessary battle.

You have to have some sort of routine to keep your trumpet chops in tip top shape. This is why I use the Frank Minear daily routine to keep my chops strong. The Frank Minear daily trumpet routine isn't for every trumpet player, but I think it's a good fit for Jazz trumpet players and lead trumpet players because it only takes about 15 to 20 minutes out of your day to maintain. Another good thing about the trumpet routine is that it only has 5 exercises total.

Who is Frank Minear? He was a famous lead trumpet player based out of Seattle who recently passed away. Frank Minear also performed with the Minnesota Brass for some time. I actually learned the Frank Minear routine through some lead trumpet players in Seattle.

The Frank Minear trumpet routine:

Exercise #1: Lip Slurs: This is the first part of the daily trumpet routine. You just start on C, slur up to E and then to G and back down to C. Then repeat, starting down in half steps down to G (using an alternate fingering on G). Then you go back up in half steps until you get to C again. Relax.

Exercise #2: Lip Trills: Next you do lip trills starting on E to a G; then keep going down in half steps until you get to C#, then you go back up in half steps until you land on E again. Go up a minor 3rd to G, repeat the process, then up 4th to a high C, repeat the process. Relax.

Exercise #3: Scales: Next you do scales. You can do just major scales, but I like to switch it up a bit and do diminished, minor, harmonic minor, etc... You can do scales slurred, tongued, or combination of both. Basically you just go up up each scale in half steps (one octave each) until you reach a high C. Relax.

Exercise #4: Chromatic: Go up and down the chromatic scale starting on G up to G (one octave) and repeat the process as much as you would like to, Relax. I usually do about 5 to 10 repeats. Next, go up a 4th to C and repeat the process, Relax. Finally go up a major 3rd to E and repeat the process, Relax.

Exercise #5: Octave Drills: Here comes the fun part and the last part of the routine. You basically just do octave lip slurs starting on a G, then one 8va above and then 8vb down. Next you continue to go up half steps until you reach your highest note. Relax between each octave lip slur.

Some other things to note about the trumpet routine:
• Rest as much as you play
• Keep trumpet volume at a mezzo forte.
• Exercises are around a quarter note = 120-132, but use a comfortable speed that works for you.

And most of all, have fun.

FRANK MINEAR

On This Whole “Death Of Jazz” Thing . . . .

Everybody’s making a lot of noise about this whole death of jazz thing.

How are we mourning something that’s been gone a long time ago and highly questionable if it ever really existed?

The question to me is not if jazz is dead or will die, but rather, if it ever was alive.

OK- let’s say jazz is alive.

Then it has most certainly been on life support for quite sometime.

Personally, I think somebody should to sneak in the room and euthanize it.

Maybe if jazz dies, cats will start playing the blues again.

You don’t have to play blues if you play jazz.

Shyt, you don’t even have to swing.

So I say, let it die.

The Original Dixieland Jass Band made the first jazz record.

Paul Whiteman was the King Of Jazz.

Louis Armstrong played the blues.

Miles Davis played the blues.

If it was good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.

You can play anything and call it jazz, but you can only do one thing when you’re playing the blues.

You can get a jazz Master’s degree in countless schools across the globe.

There’s only one way to master the blues.

You can teach somebody how to play jazz.

You can’t teach anybody how to play the blues; you can only give it to them.

The premier jazz venue in the world rests on prime realty in Manhattan.

I think it’s safe to say that jazz has officially crossed over.

Ever notice that no one ever speaks of the blues dying.

Why?

As long as there’s life, there will be blues.

- Nicholas Payton


http://nicholaspayton.com/

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/

REDUCING VARIABLES
by Brad Goode

I may have just figured some stuff out regarding this trumpet playing deal . . . here it is:

For the last 20 years, I've been tightening the corners, increasing the mouthpiece pressure, raising the tongue and compressing the airstream to ascend, and vice/versa.

Now, I'm keeping the corners rigidly firm and the mouthpiece pressure very firm in all registers; keeping them relatively static but fully engaged. Down to two variables from four. I'm seeing improvement in all areas of technique with this newer plan. Does this make sense?

All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song.
~ Louis Armstrong

Four Fundamentals of Troubleshooting for Brass Players
Bobby Shew

1) FEELING OF THE LIPS

No brass player will have much success if they do not feel some degree of ease and comfort when they put the instrument to their lips. The primary purpose of a responsible, workable warm-up is to ensure this comfort thru producing a "familiar" feeling. Naturally, a younger player's feelings will not have had as much of a "track record" so the familiarity factor is considerably less profound. There have been numerous systematic opinions as to what kinds of "exercises" should be played in order to accomplish this warmed-up condition. Most all of them produce a result of some sort, although not as consistent as one might hope for on a daily basis.

Setting the instrument aside at first, we have learned thru the medical and sports training professions, that a simple "fluttering or flapping" of the lips and cheek muscles acts as a form of massage and increases the blood flow into the muscles. This helps "clean" the muscles of residuals such as lactic acid, etc. that accumulate from previous playing periods. It also helps provide oxygen and blood sugar to the muscles, both of which are necessary in order for the muscles to function at their best. This "muscle preparation" should be done for anywhere from a couple of minutes up to perhaps 5-10 minutes, depending upon the individual as well as the desired condition for whichever playing situation one is preparing for. A few rest periods intermittently placed will help things settle and will also help you OBSERVE the improving condition. Naturally, someone preparing to play lead trumpet in a jazz ensemble would want a slightly different result than someone preparing to play in a concert band or symphony orchestra. BOTH, however, could be achieved by starting with the flutter. The differences would be when the person moves on to actually playing ON THE INSTRUMENT, the final step in the warm-up. A middle step which I feel is very important, is to do a bit of mouthpiece buzzing after the fluttering and prior to the playing on the instrument.

2) ABDOMINAL SUPPORT OF AIR

This is one of the areas of brass playing that causes a great deal of confusion. Much discussion about the importance of the diaphragm has sent many a player down the road to confusion, inability, and bleeding lips. The upper part of the torso contains a large FAMILY of muscles that all have been designed to function in a teamwork fashion specially when we do something requiring FORCED EXHALATION, i.e., blowing out candles, spitting something out of our mouth, OR BLOWING ON A WIND INSTRUMENT.

There are 3 layers of abdominal muscles from the groin to the sternum (breastplate); there are 2 layers of muscles (inner and outer) in between the ribs; there are back muscles from the lumbar region upward to the shoulders; there is the diaphragm just below the lung sacs; and there are muscles coming-down diagonally from behind the ear which connect to the top of the rib cage . When a person does a "forced exhalation", the entire family is activated as a "one-family" movement. They ALL simultaneously increase their tension levels in order to raise the internal compression level (PSI) in the lung chambers. This moves the air FASTER which is one of the first necessary things that must occur when a player moves "upward" in the register. The area that the player needs to become aware of is NOT in the diaphragm but in the center of the abdominal muscles, approximately near the navel. The body has a natural way of centering itself if you only just try to blow suddenly as if spitting a piece of rice or blowing out a candle. By learning to control the variance of tension, either isometric for holding a compression level or by tightening and relaxing the degrees of tension based upon what you are playing, one discovers that it is really the abdominal support that controls the air. This ab support certainly influences the diaphragm but it is NOT the diaphragm alone that moves the air. It is the FAMILY of muscles, all guided by the abdominal centering.

3) APERTURE CONTROL

Easily the most misunderstood aspect of brass playing is what is "supposed to be happening" with the lips and embouchure in general when we play. For years we have been told that our lips are supposed to be buzzing at all times when we play any notes. In fact, the lips must vibrate but NOT in the close configurations as when we do lip buzzing. The air, once compressed, must have a pathway to be released in a controlled manner from the body.

The air actually initially aims at the surface of the top lip, hopefully as far forward as sensibly possible. When it moves at a high velocity, it causes the lip to vibrate from the impact of the air hitting it. The air doesn't just go past the lip, it "spins" into an eddy (a kind of whirlpool) which "bounces downward" as it spins out of the eddy and this downward movement activates a vibration on the surface of-the-bottom lip which also then spins into another eddy. These are called vortices (vortex is singular) and they are the basis of a "sympathetic vibration" occuring between the two lips...which IS WHAT PRODUCES SOUND.

The closer you put your lips together, the softer, smaller, thinner, or more "pinched" your sound will be. When you open up the size of the aperture, the first thing you will notice is the freedom of the movement of the air, then the opening up of the sound. Once the aperture is opened, the player must also increase the tension in the ab support to increase the air flow which in turn must fill the larger gap in the aperture opening. This forces the player to USE THEIR AIR which IS the more efficient way to play. All people ever taIk about is AIR but then the confusion hits when they try to explain how it works and what the player is "supposed to be doing". Soft, delicate playing requires that the player close the aperture down as the airflow is also dimished but understand enough to know that when you "shift gears or hats" as a player into a more demanding situation such as playing lead trumpet, the key is to balance the support and air flow with the aperture.

These aperture muscles need to be developed properly as well. The best exercise I know for this is lip buzzing as long as the player doesn't start to confuse the tightly pursed lips necessary in lip buzzing with what is necessary and different when actually playing. Lip buzzing also must not be done in long hard sessions. It is best done conservatively, usually 30 second sessions done around 10 times a day, alot less to NONE on busy playing days.

4) SELECTION OF CORRECT MOUTHPIECE

The use of an improper mouthpiece equates with trying to drive nails with a screwdriver. We were all told at an early age to "do everything on one mouthpiece" and "avoid those mouthpiece traps". Well, I'm here to tell you that I TRIED that...for years and years. I kept believing that someone knew what they were talking about . After all of the years in this business, playing on so many bands, sitting next to so many great and famous players, I saw a different attitude about equipment. People were always "looking for the magic mouthpiece"....BUT, they WERE LOOKING !! The activity of investigating, trying, asking questions about, whatever....it's a great adventure and you eventually really can learn some very important things about WHAT and HOW to use in the area of mouthpieces, perhaps different for different situations. Some MAJOR classical players whom I know use different pieces for different horns such as "C", "Bb", PICCOLO, etc. Some players switch mouthpieces occasionally even on one trumpet just to help inprove the way they play a certain style of music. Sounds SANE to me...sorta, 'THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB"!!

You can really help your young students by being more encouraging, positive, realistic, and INFORMED about making adjustments in equipment. Simply, if a kid is playing in your concert band, wind ensemble, or orchestra, it's recommended that he or she play on a lower compression (deeper cup) mouthpiece. It helps produce sounds that fit the music better and it makes the student feel greater ease in playing the style correctly. If the same kid plays in your jazz big band, suggest they find a high compression (shallower ) mouthpiece which helps that player access not only into the uppe r register, but to just get quicker response from his or her efforts. This translates as ease of playing . Naturally, the "sensible" thing to do is to try to get a mouthpiece with a similar rim and inside diameter for both situations. This is pretty easy to accomplish as long as the student is playing on a standard, stock piece. It doesn't always have to be precisely EXACT, just close...."in the ball park"! The younger students won't so much notice nor be adversely affected by slight differences whereby a p ro will much more likely be more sensitive to minute differences...but not always!

Don't be afraid TO TRY!! Better to explore and discover than to keep your head and mind buried in the sand of tradition (and mis-information). GOOD LUCK!!!

Bobby Shew, 1997
(c) 1997 Bolikes Music

ON SETTING THE CHOPS
Roger Ingram

A MAYNARD STORY:
Maynard told me when he was a "youngster" (as he put it), he used to take down the rims of various mouthpieces by "scraping" them along the cement sidewalk in front of his parents home until he got the cup depth to his desired specifications.

He would then work the rim over with 2 or 3 different grades of sandpaper until the rim was "smooth as a baby's behind" (as he put it). Maynard went through this process many, many times during his formative years until he came upon the right rim diameter, cup depth, and cup shape for the kind of playing he had in mind.

CHOP SETTING:
He got the idea about his chop setting (old school ein-settin'). Not sure of the spelling of this. Means "to set in".

The applied usage in this case would be to set ones mouthpiece rim into the red of the bottom lip. Old school French Horn players used this setting for years and is still in use in some instances.

This setting has a tendency to keep the aperture open and is great for "tight" (as Maynard would have said it) mouthpieces.) and cup shape from playing around with the French Horn during weekends in the band room where his parents taught music.

Certainly neither MF or I would have recommended playing on a rough, scraped-up, and unplated rim surface.

Maynard did mention to me however he would carry around any new MP of his own design in his change pocket to "put some purchase on it" (as he put it). Obviously he enjoyed having a rim surface with MINISCULE abrasions.

DRY UPPER, WET LOWER LIP
MF played with a dry upper lip and kept his bottom lip very wet. This is why he would stick his tongue in and out over his bottom lip on rests and in between tunes. Having some "purchase" on his rim obviously decreased the chances of slippage from occuring.

You need to be reasonable if you attempt to apply this idea however. It worked for Maynard. This doesn't necessarily mean it's right for you.

Everyone needs to find their own way to a degree at this stage of the game. In the day, what Maynard did to develop into the kind of player he became was certainly considered unorthodox. Maynard didn't care though. He just wanted to get it done.

You shouldn't care either, even if it means going outside of the parameters Maynard set for himself.

Maynard was extremely intelligent and knew exactly what he was doing. There was a reason for everything (as strange as some things seemed) he did. That's why they called him the Fox. Dumb like a fox. You know, "Fox Hunt"?

Roger Ingram
web: http://www.RogerIngram.com
email: Roger@RogerIngram.com

LEE LOUGHNANE: SUCCESS WITH CLAUDE GORDON METHOD

This is an excerpt from an interview that John LaBarbera did in 1998 with Lee Loughnane, founding member and trumpeter with “Chicago.”

In mid-career, Loughnane quit smoking, took on a new teacher, and traded in his Getzen for a Claude Gordon with a big bore ("like blowing down the Holland tunnel"). With a new set of breathing exercises and a new way of tonguing, Loughnane has become a monster.

Interview excerpt:

I didn’t want to go through the rest of my career wondering if I was going to be able to make the high parts, so I dug up one of my old Claude Gordon books and started to work with it.

I called Paul Witt (Claude Gordon student) and told him I had been wailing with this book and he said he’d come over and give me some tips on how best to use the exercises.

The first thing he asked me was where do I put the tip of my tongue when I tongue the first note. I said, “On the roof of my mouth like everyone else.” I use the syllable “Tah” and the tone starts.

He had me say “Ah” and notice where the tongue was. It was flat on the bottom of the mouth with the tip behind the bottom teeth. He then had me do “Ah ee” to illustrate that the tip of the tongue stayed behind the bottom teeth and the fat of the tongue becomes raised.

This was a real revelation for me, and I started to work with this technique. I decided to change the way I played right after that.

Paul had me do breathing exercises, chest up, like a gas tank, in the same position all the time. It was either full or empty. My chest was always up, never collapsed, whether full or empty.

I’ve been working with this over the last seven years and it’s improved my playing 200%.

Lee

Interview by John La Barbera (www.johnlabarbera.com), published in the February 1998 International Trumpet Guild Journal.


See International Trumpet Guild
Interview at: http://www.purtle.com/lee-loughnane-interview.html

SIDESLIPPING & JAZZ IMPROVISATION
by Doug Ramsey

(editors note: sideslipping is both a technique and a musical concept used effectively by jazz greats such as John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Mike Brecker, Lennie Tristano, Bill Perkins, Dave Liebman, Woody Shaw, George Russell, and many other jazz greats. I humbly admit to being an adherent to this concept and have incorporated it into much of my solo trumpet work).

Here is the blog by Doug Ramsey:

If you're just joining us, the focus of the dialogue (or diablog) was the late tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins. The inquiry was into how much he knew about chords and whether he elected to play outside of them in spite of his knowledge, or because he lacked knowledge.

Vibraharpist and teacher Charlie Shoemake responded to my original post about Perkins's continuing growth and adventurousness, as did critic Larry Kart.

When accomplished composer-arrangers like Mike Longo and Bill Kirchner -- theoreticians and talented soloists -- weigh in, it would be rude and irresponsible not to allow them the virtual floor. Therefore, the discussion is reopened. (It's wonderful to be your own editor and publisher).

Let me suggest, even if you are not educated in theory and harmony, that you follow along here because the gist of what our guest experts offer can improve our listening ability, regardless of whether we know an F minor 7th chord from a Harmon mute.

First, this communique from Mike Longo, leader and pianist of the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble.

MIKE LONGO
Just a note about the harmonic discussion centering around Bill Perkins, especially in connection with the comparison to Wayne Shorter in terms of the use of notes that are apparently not in the prevailing chord structure. Wayne, like many of today's contemporary players, has embraced 20th century harmonic thinking which is rooted in intervalic playing.

Once intervalic logic has been activated, notes that appear to be outside the spelling of the harmonic structure seem to sound related. This is because the logic of intervals has taken over.

For example, one may play an interval sequence that outlines an Fm7 chord and then play the same sequence a half step up and it will sound related to the original chord, even though on paper it may appear to be the tones of an F#m7 chord being played against an Fm7. In fact, it is merely a sequence of the intervals just heard, deflected up a half step. Therefore, the ear accepts it as related.

These are practices employed by 20th century composers such as Bartok and Stravinsky and are outlined in a book by Vincent Persichetti called 20th Century Harmony which has become quite an influence on many contemporary jazz musicians.


BILL KIRCHNER
In jazz, improvising "outside the chords" goes back more than 50 years. For an early example of "sideslipping" (Jerry Coker's term, I believe), hear Lennie Tristano's 1955 recording of "Line Up" (based on "All of Me"). Tristano frequently uses phrases a half-step away from the basic chord scales. George Russell also pioneered in jazz bitonality in his writing as far back as 1949--hear his big-band charts on "A Bird in Igor's Yard" (for Buddy DeFranco)* and "Similau" (for Artie Shaw).

In the early '60s, John Coltrane extended this practice and probably did more than anyone to make what saxophonist Dave Liebman calls "chromaticism" (in a jazz sense) part of the basic harmonic language of this music.

When playing on tunes like "Impressions," Coltrane would superimpose phrases in several different tonalities on top of a basic tonality (e.g., D minor). Also, what's called intervalic playing became popular; for an example of a tune written in that style (in this case, fourths), check out Eddie Harris's "Freedom Jazz Dance". Go to any jazz school in the world today, and you'll hear this stuff coming out of the practice rooms.

Bill Perkins, being an intellectually curious man, checked all this out in depth and to an extent incorporated it into his playing. However, Perkins came out of the Lester Young tradition; Young and most of his disciples, as Charlie Shoemake pointed out, were "ear players" in the best sense.

Whatever they knew or didn't know about chords (Al Cohn, for one, knew a lot), harmony really wasn't the primary feature of their styles. Rather, it was melodic (linear) playing, usually on simple changes. When I listen to Zoot Sims, I don't listen for a dazzling harmonic conception; he of course had other virtues.(Though Stan Getz could play well on harmonically challenging tunes like "Con Alma" when he wanted to.)

So, if Perkins once played an A natural against an F minor 7 chord, he could have made a mistake, or he could have been sideslipping to produce an intentional momentary dissonance.

Context and melodic intent make an enormous difference. As pianist Jim McNeely once remarked about his tenure with Getz, you don't go to a player like Getz and tell him that such-and-such a note doesn't work against a certain chord; a strong, well-placed melodic phrase usually will override harmonic considerations. A great player can make "wrong" notes work. As the Lunceford record said, "'Tain't Whatcha Do, It's the Way Thatcha Do It."

By the way, for those seriously interested in these and similar matters, I recommend Dave Liebman's book A Chromatic Approach to Jazz Harmony and Melody (Advance Music).

I won't again make so bold as to say that's the end of this conversation. Let's see what happens.

Doug Ramsey, June 2005
www.artsjournal.com

BOBBY SHEW: DEALING WITH A DETACHED RETINA

I wrote to my friend and master trumpeter, Bobby Shew and asked his advice on the subject of a trumpeter with a detached retina. the question and his insightful answer follow. ~ Dan Jacobs

QUESTION:
Bobby, a trumpeter friend of mine experienced a detached retina and has had surgery to get it reattached. Ever heard of such a thing? He's reticent to start practicing again and I told him if anyone would know about it, you would.

ANSWER:
Hi Dan,

I have had a couple of friends with detached retina and both have have the re-attachment and gone on without further problems. Only one was a trumpet player and he experienced the same fear. Not being a skilled Optometrist, I hesitate to try to be all-knowing in this area.
I think your friend could very likely return to playing but not without seeking proper medical advice first and preferably from more than one Doctor. many of the Drs. are old-school, tunnel-visioned, and think playing a horn is a silly thing for a grown man to be doing!!!

As far as approaching the horn if and when he gets a go-ahead from these doctors, efficiency in the use of his air will be paramount. In addition, he'll have to be doing alot of facial isometrics to build up muscle tone in the embouchure muscles. Thirdly, I'd suggest changing his equipment to smaller horn and shallower mouthpiece to alleviate potential stress caused by inefficiencies in the equipment. If he's not earning his keep by playing but doing it for personal enjoyment, it would be wise to re-assess the REASONS for playing to ensure that his "ego" ( self-importance & self-gratifications ) is not "running the show"! Players who constantly feel the need to "impress" rather than "touch" will push their playing past points of efficiency and enjoyment.

We hate to see a situation whereby someone has to stop playing. This can bring about a tremendous sense of loss which as you know, will lead to all sorts of other "ailments". Continuing to play is of the utmost importance so he'll need to find out HOW to do this without causing further injury to the retina. Internal compression that is not properly released can affect MANY things internally, from eyes, ears, hernias in neck and abdomen, traumatized cheek muscles, sinuses, etc. I solve a huge majority of playing problems in students merely by getting them to open their aperture a bit more to release the compression. If they play with lips too tighly gripped, the air cannot release and will find a weakness internally to affect.

Hope this helps. If you ever drive cross-country and have the time, please stop in for a visit , even if brief.

Bobby
Email: bobbyshew@mac.com

THROAT TUNING
By Robert Dick
(note: Robert Dick is a world-class, master flutist. His notes on "throat tuning" are relevant to any wind or brass instrument)

About the tongue position and resonance in the mouth
The vowel shape formed in the mouth while playing is the primary way of making tone color on the flute. Try playing while forming open vowels like "Ah", "Ooh", and "Oh" (as pronounced in network TV news generic American English). Then check out some other vowels too, like "Eee" and "Eye".

You'll here a remarkable change in tone color. Then try changing between these and as many other vowels as you can think of while practicing those classic long tones. If you can speak more than one language, use the vowel sounds from them all to explore a large range of colors.

A great way to decide what vowels to use when playing music (a more complex challenge than tone studies) is to sing a passage over and again, trying different syllables and gradually forming the vowels that feel most natural and expressive to you. And as you "scat" your way through Bach or Berio, you'll find more of the inner phrases emerging.

The "marimba tube" effect of resonance is well proven in the acoustics literature. For all wind and brass players, not just flutists, that resonance comes from the throat more than the mouth. If you hold your vocal chords in a position where they are ready to sing the note you are playing, you will maximize this resonance, which I named "throat tuning".

The vocal chords do not have to be pitched in the same octave as the flute; throat tuning will work very powerfully even if the silent voice is pitched one, two, three and in rare cases four octaves below the flute. To try it out, sing a note softly and gently with an open vowel like "Ooh" at the same time as you play that note. Then play the note without singing while clearly hearing your voice in your inner ear and feeling like you are singing that note. After working with some single notes, go on to short phrases, etc.

For those who might have alarm bells going off for fear that singing will lead to a tight throat and/or strained vocal chords, please remember to always sing softly and, while singing, use open vowels. (Practicing singing the open vowels is often the solution for people who have throat noises when they play.)

The "open throat" concept was a milestone in the development of 20th century flute tone. It certainly blew the old tight throat and rapidfire vibrato right off of the musical scene. And good riddance.

The drawback to the open throat concept is that it limits sound colors if it is used without variation in syllables -- as is so often taught. The evolutionary successor to the open throat is the tuned throat. And when throat tuning is done well, the effect of the vowel formed in the mouth is magnified.

Every person who has ever played a wind instrument with a beautiful tone has done throat tuning to some degree, whether they were conscious of it or not.

Robert Dick
from THE FLUTIST - December 1997

(note: I found this writing at this website: http://www.larrykrantz.com/rdick.htm)