Weekly Trumpet Tips 8/29/10
The Shadow
Welcome to Weekly Trumpet Tips,
Please always feel free to respond / comment on any of the tips listed in these weekly posts. Your input may help clarify details for someone else! If you haven’t submitted a name for the new book, we’re still accepting ideas!
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Here are your weekly Tips!
Over Blowing – Adverse Effects!
We touched on this a bit last week, but I think this is a common enough issue that it warrants discussing a bit more. Part of the problem stems from the bell being nearly 3 feet in front of us. As we start playing (especially when other musicians are playing simultaneously) we tend to start to play harder to compensate and hear ourselves.
As we start to play harder, our muscles that support the aperture (as well as the aperture itself) start to come under greater strain. Playing louder essentially equates to opening the aperture and allowing more air volume through… as this occurs, we have to push harder on the air to maintain air speed… you can see where this is leading. No matter what anyone says to get there, high notes are nothing more than a thin stream of air passing through the lips at a fast / high rate of speed. As that aperture opens more, the air speed does not increase until we push harder and harder on it.
Fatigue, airing out, excessive pinching, intonation problems, and inaccurate playing (missed pitches) tend to occur frequently. Think about playing more focussed… I like to think of it as the difference between a rifle shot and a shotgun blast.
Spend some time recording yourself either alone or during a rehearsal to see if your sound is carrying enough to have your voice heard. I think you’ll be surprised as to how well the trumpet sound carries!
Synthetically Induced Calm –
Ever heard that by taking beta blockers can help calm your nerves and allow you to have a more relaxed / focussed performance without nervousness, etc.? For some, this may work okay… for others, this can cause all sorts of strange side effects.
I tried a beta blocker recently to help with performance anxiety, and actually had a “not so great” performance! My mouth got so dry that I couldn’t hardly play… in addition to making me feel woozy. NOT a good feeling as you’re trying to perform!
The absolute best performance enhancer is always preparation! You may also want to try any natural products such as magnesium, herbs, and valerian to name a few. These are naturally occurring and essential nutrients that will help you physically as well.
“Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. You must be able to sustain yourself against staggering blows. There is no code of conduct to help beginners. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent.”
Sophia Loren
Actress
Have a GREAT week!
Sincerely,
Keith
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Comments
5 Responses to “Weekly Trumpet Tips 8/29/10”
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Dude!
I spent 24 years as a pilot in the USAF. One of our biggest emphasis points to help pilots get through checkrides is to NOT do anything “dumb, dangerous, or different” on a checkride. I think this also applies to gigs. I wouldn’t even try a new vitamin supplement right before a gig, nor would I use a new MP or new horn. It’s best to sort all that stuff out BEFORE we have to perform……..
Blaine
(The chronic over-blower)
Keith
I’ve been having a lot of trouble with my trumpet playing. I seem to have terrible endurance and terrible range and i haven’t been getting any better. My old band teacher told me i was going into a natural downstream a few years ago and i don’t know how to get out of it. Do you know of any exercises that i could practice it improve my endurance and range? Please respond.
Ryan
As one of Keiths 60yr old young trumpet students. We had a decushion about taking pain meds during my last on line lesson. He’s right on with the coments in this weeks tips.
I have been dealing with a pinched nerve in the C6 area of my neck for the past three weeks. I can still play my horn, but, with the pain meds I’m taking, my endurence and playing, on a scale of 1 to 10, have gone from a 8 to a 2. Drugs and alcohol, do have an unproductive infulence with our playing and performance.
I forgot to pass this on th Keith during a pass lesson on over blowing, I’m a field trumpet player: ie: lead sporano player in a Sr. drum and bugle corps. We play at fff or pp where required in a chart.
While playing outdoors and inside with the horn line. I listen to myself and the other players in section matching my volume with theirs. And I can tell when the other players on each side of me, cut out if they take a break or have bottomed out while I’m still playing. Some of the guys comment on this, telling me that I’m a strong player. Plan and simple practice and rest…
This is what I do ot keep my chops and endurence up with Keiths guidence and what I have learned.
I play softy, mp, p, and mf in various rooms of my home and outdoors. Also take many breaks. When watching tv, I play during comericals and take a break during a regular program.. During comericals with all the distractions going on, this has helped me to listen and focus on what I’m playing and reading..
Scott
I do most of my practice in my “finished” basement about 5 feet away from the wall. I think that helps to “hear” myself and play softer. When I want to try FF loud then I try to go from corner to corner of the basement – about 28 feet. it’s really a big difference in sound.
Wow! Good info. Since I know for a fact that trumpet players are very competitive, I can definitely say that we all have a tendency to overblow. I play in a concert band and a lot of times you can’t even hear yourself playing so you have a tendency to up the volume to at least be able to hear yourself play. That may even preserve my chops to last throughout the whole 2 hr. session.
You must be careful when taking beta blockers as they lower your pulse and blood pressure and have interesting side affects. I would google the side affects to be safe and check with your doctor as well. I drink about a six pack of beer and a handful of narcotics prior to each performance. Just kidding. Seriously, breathing exercises help. The experience of playing in front of people comes in time. I stil get nervous and slightly choke up sometimes, but I try not to think about it. LIke Keith mentioned to me before that MF had stated “it’s not about you, but about the music”. Great advice. We’re just a tool to express the sound. I have spoke to some people who are horrified of playing in front of people. They may need some counseling at that point. It’s not for everyone. Keith says the magnesium works pretty good. I haven’t tried that yet.