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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – Chops Care & The Summer Months Ahead!

For some players, school and band activities are starting to wind down.  But for many of us, May brings a busy time with wedding receptions, ceremonies, and outdoor concerts.  Here are a few tips to help you keep your chops as healthy as possible through the summer heat, with heavy playing demands.

One of the biggest problems I personally have encountered as well as helped students with is overcoming dehydration.  If you’ve been reading the tips through the seasons, you’ll see that this is the same message (essentially) from last year on this topic.  PRIMARILY because if you’re dehydrated, it becomes VERY difficult to play effectively.  By drinking plenty of water throughout the day before your performance, you will ensure that you don’t reach critical levels.  Dry mouth, ceasing to sweat, fatigue, dizziness, etc. are all signs of becoming dehydrated.

Bear in mind that once you’ve started down that path, it takes a bit to rehydrate effectively enough.  Good preparation in advance will always help stave off the playing woes that follow right along side of not having enough fluids!  And – AVOID SODA’S!

When the chops become swollen from heavy playing, here is a trick Maynard passed on to me years ago that truly helps… he recommended taking a bowl and pouring sea salt into warm water.  Warm enough without being hot to the point of burning yourself… but the warmer the better (warm being key).  Soak your lips and surrounding muscles in the salt-bath for several minutes.  If you’ve developed a cut on the chops, switch between ice water and warm salt water.  This helps reduce the swelling, and promote the healing process.  DISCLAIMER… you may want to do this in private – otherwise, it looks like you’ve fallen asleep in your soup!

Tip #2 – When Band Ends – How To Stay In Shape!

As I stated above, for some band is starting to wind down with the end of the school semester.  If you’re not a gigging musician and need ways of staying in shape, the following tips will help with maintenance, and even building.

With almost all activities, it seems like for most the minute we stop playing, we start losing.  As I wrote about in “About Face” and address in Chops Rehab – atrophy kicks in within 48 hours (again – for most).  So sliding that horn under the bed in its case and deciding to not look at it until August 1 is a BAD idea – at least if you don’t want to have to start from scratch with strength and endurance.  We lose muscle memory in as little as 10 days!

You can maintain what you have by committing to playing for 30 minutes per day and do the right exercises.  This will not increase anything – but it will help you maintain!  Here’s how:

Begin with the soft tones exercise we’ve discussed in weeks past.  I personally start with Page 2 – #5 in the Schlossberg book with equal rest between each 1/2 step interval cycle.  Then move into pedal tones… finishing up with Clarke Studies #1 and #2.  USE A METRONOME!  

For actual growth in range, endurance, etc. – treat the above as strictly a warm up routine.  Rest for an hour and continue below!

Once you’ve rested for an hour or more, it’s time for the work to begin!  One of the most efficient ways to help you stay “gig ready” is to set up your own practice show with recordings and music.  There are several ways you can do this: 1) Use Jamey Aebersold books and recordings, 2) check out Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band lead trumpet transcriptions with recordings, 3) or ask your director for lead trumpet, 2nd trumpet, etc. parts and search out recordings so that you can play along.

Start with 5 songs… play as though you would if it were a live performance in front of an audience.  Have the recordings set up back to back, and don’t take long breaks between songs.  Count the rests, play all sections (coming from a lead trumpet chart stand-point) and if possible, record yourself.  As the 5 songs become easier back to back, add 2 more.  Perhaps write a set list for each given day and mix up the songs.  Keep adding material as your endurance and comfort level grows!  If you can get enough material pulled together, interchange songs!  

Also – push yourself… read harder music, take solos (Aebersold tunes work well), and don’t limit yourself to just middle register… experiment!  When you get tired, stop!  Listen to your chops… remember, this is a GROWTH tool!  NOT a pound yourself silly for a few days and give up tool!

“The purpose of life is not to win. The purpose of life is to grow and to share. When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people’s lives than you will from the time that you outdid and defeated them.”

Harold Kushner
Rabbi and Author

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – Full Time Practice / Part Time Pay-Off

I was asked this week to explain what it’s like to play trumpet and teach for a living.  This was an interesting question, because many would have “preconceived” notions of what a full time musician does or doesn’t do with their time.

So the best way that I could convey a message quickly and easily to someone that would otherwise see a drug using, lazy, underachieving band nerd that never grew up was to turn to what really does consume 95% of my time.  Most of my time (coming from my specific experience) is spent practicing… tedious repetitive practice with a metronome, tuner, Jamey Aebersold, Arban’s, Clarke, Charlier, and other conservatory based method books and etude books.  My routine is actually quite boring!  I spend hours practicing daily…

The next question was astonishing… “If that’s all you do, then what’s the pay-off?”  My answer?  ”The privilege of performing for people that need to be taken to a better place… even if only for a moment or two!”

The bottom line is that most of us see musicians perform, actors act, artists renderings, and we tend to forget about the blood, sweat, tears, time, energy, and devotion that has gone into the performance.

My tip for you this week is simple… whether you are in high school, college, or a part time player – NEVER take for granted the practice time.  It is the tedious unrelenting practice that will help you achieve your goals.  Find ways to mix it up and keep it interesting, but nonetheless, keep practicing!

Tip #2 – Elite Vs. Average

I read this article this past week… sent to me by my wife.  And I have to confess that I read it several times as it really hit home for me… I’m hoping that by sharing it with you, it does the same and has the same impact!  Enjoy…

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – Rhythm Rules – A Closer Look

Last week we talked a little bit about the “other” aspects of being a musician that tend to get away from us because we have to spend SO much time on chops, flexibility, tone, range, endurance, and all of the other things that deal with sound.

One of the techniques I use as of late is to set a metronome and read EVERYTHING in cut time.  Build your tempo’s faster and faster as you get more proficient with each setting.  Keep in mind – 100 bpm is actually 200… this will help your technique as well – IF you don’t allow yourself to settle for sloppy fingers, articulation, or a lack of dynamics or musical contrast.

Once you’ve achieved a faster tempo, cut the metronome down to where it only beats once every couple of bars… this makes you rely more on your own internal clock – building better time and rhythm!

Tip #2 – Chops M.I.A!

Face it (no pun intended)… it happens to us ALL!  From Arturo to Maynard – NO ONE is able to get around the chops just not working from time to time. The best thing to do in these instances is realize that pushing the chops even harder, will only prolong a recovery.  If time allows, take a couple of days and just do light easy playing… for me – over playing is a constant problem because this is what I do for a living.  Between teaching and playing, there are times I have the horn to my face for several hours per day 7 days a week.

And unbeknownst to many, all the air in the world will NOT make the chops want to vibrate or respond.  Time to rest… if your issues come from a lack of playing, then allow for a few days in a row where you do more endurance based practice.  By playing Arban’s page 14, 15, and 16 at 60 beats per minute and not removing the horn from your face, you can start to “activate” the muscles once again.  Remember – removal of the horn is not allowed – but breathing IS!  Don’t try to play it all in one breath.  For most of us, plaid is not a good skin color!

“People create their own success by learning what they need to learn and then by practicing it until they become proficient at it.”

— Brian Tracy: is a self-help author and motivational speaker

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1:  Rhythm Rules!

One of the biggest “Ah-Ha” discoveries I’ve had as a teacher AND as a student is how trumpet players (primarily) spend most

of our time working the basics of creating sound… We work tone, range, flexibility, and other aspects ofgeneral sound production.

By spending time with a metronome and working rhythm, we can greatly enhance our ability to create music with our “sound!”

In the coming weeks I’ll discuss exercises that will help build a rhythm vocabulary quickly…

Tip#2:  More On Aperture!

I’ve discussed a lot about small aperture over the years, but I feel like it’s necessary to expound a bit more on the soft playing exercises as well as continually setting your aperture small but focused.  In short, set your lips close together inside the cup…  This requires FAR less tension to play – thus giving you better endurance, range, control, as well as tone.

If dreams are worth dreaming, they are worth striving for as well…

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – Split Notes (Inspired by Martin Sanders)

Split notes are something we’ve all had to contend with at one time or another in our performance / practice.  I’ve found that when I split notes, it’s typically caused by tiring chops and my futile attempt to maintain control.  I have found (for myself) that by trying to keep the aperture small and focussed without tensing things, I split or crack less notes.

There have been times that my chops were really dry and unresponsive as well… this too can cause split or cracked notes.  Again, I believe that by trying to keep things flexible (inside the cup), your ratio of split notes will dramatically decrease.

Tip #2 – Flugel Doubling (Inspired by Richard)

To be a working trumpet player in nearly any capacity, we have all been faced with playing flugelhorn.  There are a few MAJOR things that I have learned about doubling on a flugel so that I create that lush beautiful sound that they are known for, but yet not cause issues for when you have to switch back to trumpet.

The first HUGE mistake that I made was attempting to play flugelhorn the same way that I play trumpet.  Basically being the bull in the proverbial China shop!  Even with the deep “V” style cup, this will cause your sound to have less of a lush characteristic and start to give you pitch issues.  There’s not much worse than an out of tune flugelhorn!  When I play flugel, I again use a small aperture setting, and try to really “listen” to my tone color… being cautious to not over blow the horn.  I also tend to set the tuning a little sharp as it tends to do a lot more sitting and will most likely be cold with little time to warm the horn back up.  Again, using your ears to really  listen to pitch will help this.

The second huge mistake that I made was playing a different size diameter cup than what I do on the trumpet.  This would cause fatigue problems (especially if I had to spend extended time on the flugel).  I have since matched my diameter sizes exactly.

Disclaimer:  There ARE those players that can play different size diameter cups and be just fine… I happen to have learned that I am NOT one of those guys.

Thanks so much for following the tips… as stated above, if there’s something you’d like addressed via the tips, please write in!

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire
1694-1778, Writer and Philosopher

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – THE Most Required Trait To Be Great!

There are some days that I get past the threshold of frustration with my playing, my practicing, my (What feels like a) lack of growth, and in general – ME!  So this past week, while preparing to toss my horn into the wall I had an epiphany (which stopped me from doing it).

One of my weakest attributes is patience… I am LEAST patient with myself and my learning process.  Understanding and recognizing this for me was huge…  so looking back through my high school, college, and pro career, my lack of patience is what has cost me the growth, abilities, and efficient practicing that I would’a, could’a, and should’a had YEARS ago.

This week’s #1 tip is to BE PATIENT with YOUR process.  Be patient with your growth, and most of all – with yourself.  Human beings in general can be VERY cruel to each other… but if we look at how we view ourselves, I’m willing to bet that cruelty can be found at every turn.  This is where patience and understanding become a key role in growth and improvement.

Tip #2 – The 20 Minute “G”:

In the last several weeks, I’ve been hearing a lot of players and students talk about the “20 minute G” exercise that Cat Anderson helped popularize, and has since come back into view with the new updated edition of his methods.

While I think this is a GREAT exercise, each player has to understand that it’s VERY isometric and will tear your muscles down – requiring rest to allow them to build back up.  Ask ANY body builder, personal trainer, etc. and they will tell you that working the same muscle group everyday will actually damage things vs. make them stronger.  Check out “About Face” and the interviews – that will answer a lot of the questions that you may have about the muscles, etc.

My advice to this approach is to build yourself up to that… maybe start with 2 / 3 minutes.  Then, move up to 5 minutes, etc.  I personally start with the warm up exercise I have outlined in past tips… essentially the Schlossberg exercise found on page 2 (#5).  I play as whisper soft as I possibly can (2nd line G, F#, G)… slow and soft.  Then, I rest at least the same amount of time.

The 20 minute G and my warm up both have the same directive… helping the aperture to be as small and focussed as possible.  And because I play pretty hard each and every day, I don’t really have the luxury of time to allow my muscles to recover for 12 hours from the 20 minute G.

“With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life,
my brain immediately says, ‘Where is the hidden blessing?’
In starting a business and growing a business,
every day is learning how to manage obstacles.”

— Sara Blakely: is an entrepreneur and founder of Spanx

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – Range Mysteries, Answers, And Myths

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have an issue with the myths that are perpetuated by band directors and private teachers alike that have their students doing exercises that are great, in a counter productive way.  For instance – doing flexibility exercises by moving the lips inside the mouthpiece rather than focussing on air and air speed, or by convincing young students that they should ALL be on larger mouthpieces to help produce a “bigger” sound.

For todays tip, I’m going to focus on doing exercises incorrectly or without educated guidance.  Buying new books and tearing into the exercises because someone recommended them can set you up for prolonging the habit that is keeping you stuck in the first place.  Many times, it’s the approach that needs to be tweaked or modified slightly, vs. adding new material to an already tight practice schedule.

If your issue resides in range and endurance, it’s best to take a good hard look at how you play… get into a mirror and watch yourself play something that typically taxes you.  As a trumpet player that has had to endure ALL of the wrong techniques to get to the right ones, I can honestly tell you that by watching your chops as you play (corners and the connection with the mouthpiece is most telling), you can see if you’re using smaller muscles vs. pushing air with your abs.  I really have to set myself up properly everyday – or I will fall back into bad habits and use / over use my face.  Keep your aperture (lips inside the mouthpiece) set as close together as possible.  This helps create the resistance needed.  BUT – a stuffy feeling will develop if we start to tighten up or tense our lips inside the cup while trying to go higher… the stuffy feeling comes from pushing air and the lips not being flexible enough to vibrate or create a proper aperture.  That’s one of the bigger reasons I chose a small cup diameter (.580).

Tip #2 – Super Hero’s & Musical God’s Teaching With Their Music…

This past week, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my time that I was able to spend talking with Ed Calle.  If you’re not familiar with Ed, he’s Arturo Sandoval’s “go to” tenor man… see last week’s performance video that I posted.  Ed has become one of my newest super hero’s – not just because he’s an incredible musician, but because he’s down to earth, genuine, and plays from his soul!  I saw this same exact “stuff” with Maynard and Arturo!  These are people that take their listeners on an endless journey through heart, soul, and passion!

Remember – your job as a musician is to take your listeners on a journey… share your passion with them in the musical language.  Tell them stories – make them laugh… make them cry.  And most of all, make them say, “Wow, I know what that person was feeling when they wrote / played that song!”  With that my friends, you will never miss!

“I realized early on that success was tied to not giving up. Most people in this business gave up and went on to other things. If you simply didn’t give up, you would outlast the people who came in on the bus with you.”

Harrison Ford
Actor

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Keith

Incoming search terms:

• GR 65s-z mouthpiece any good
• trumpet air speed myth

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – Warm Up That Saved The Day!

As I had written last week, I was facing a show that kinda freaked me out a bit because it was by FAR the hardest show I’ve ever played… both in range and endurance, it was a tail kicker!

Saturday night’s performance went great… our guest artist is Arturo Sandoval’s “go to” tenor man; Ed Calle!  Here’s what amazed me – I was up by 8:30AM (thanks to Jack the dog) and started my warm up “strategy” by 9AM.  We were due on stage at 2:45 to sound check and then perform at 4PM.  The chops felt stronger on the last performance than they did the night before!  Here’s what I did:

I started off with 2nd line G as soft as I could played it for roughly 4 slow beats, slurred down to F# for another 4 beats, and then slurred back to G for roughly 8 counts.  I then descended chromatically down – F# / F / F# – F / E / F, etc.  I would space each grouping apart by at least 30 seconds, and continued to play as absolutely soft as possible.  This routine went on (back and forth) for over 2 hours.

I then put ALL horns and mouthpieces back in the case and didn’t touch the horn until just a couple minutes before sound check.  Amazingly enough, everything felt centered, relaxed, and just solid!

While this is an EXTREME warm up example, I took the time to really get the chops to start to respond as normal.  Give this a try for your next big performance!

Video - 

So, this is less of a tip, but it is a chance to give you guys and gals a glimpse into the world of Ed Calle… enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”

Jesse Owens
1913-1980, Olympic Gold Medalist

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tips:

Tip #1 – Over Practice, Increasing Range, Concert Preparation, etc.

For the last week, I’ve been preparing for a spring jazz festival show with Ed Calle… if you’re not familiar with Ed, just put on an Arturo Sandoval recording, and Ed is the “go to” tenor man!  Simply amazing player.

This particular show is pushing me to my limits!  So, for the first time in a while, I had to go back into “the shed” and try to stabilize, as well as increase my range, endurance, and over all comfort.  The show (in places) calls for some pretty intense playing both in range as well as endurance.  Being the type of personality that I am, I’m not about to let this come to pass just coasting…

What this HAS done for me is caused me to go back and look for a more efficient way to gain the capacity that I need / want.

Here’s what I have been doing that seems to be paying off:

Warming up continues to be slow and methodical.  Focussing my energy on pedal tones, control by playing softly , Clarke studies #1 and 2, etc.  Spending roughly 2 hours on and off the horn.  I finish up this particular set of my playing day with triple tonguing and double tonguing etudes.  NOTHING at this point is above a high C – I then break for 2 hours (at least).

When I return to the horn, I start by doing some flexibility exercises in the middle register of the horn… then I start my ascent.  Seems to be working well… for range, I’m holding notes and doing my “sirens” exercise – soft start – pushing louder – pulling back softer.  I’m also playing through the show from start to finish with recordings to make sure that I’ve got everything going the way it’s supposed to.

Here’s my tip to you – if you’re looking to increase your range from where it’s at… approach it from the stand point that you don’t want to wear yourself completely out, but you DO have to do some taxing exercises and build your strength (and comfort).  REST often!  Do more than just “touch” upper register notes.  You have to learn to “use” them in your normal playing… find new ways to get to them – I.E. slurring, tonguing, octaves, half steps, etc.

Tip #2 – The Next Time You Get Frustrated, Just…

Remember that your MOST valuable tool is your practice time.  DO NOT take it lightly.  When frustration sets in, take a break.  That’s the first step… the second thing you MUST do is go into your practice time focussed and not scattered.  Remember the interview that I posted last week.  The author’s belief (and mine) is that children have been coined as learning faster than adults because they don’t have as many things pulling their attention away.  Paying bills, having kids of your own, car payments, bosses, and today’s world troubles are all quite a bit to handle.  In fact, it makes me miss the carefree days of school, riding my bicycle, and thinking about what seemed to be HUGE at that time.

With this being said, learning a new skill on our instruments seems like it takes forever – ESPECIALLY when we are impatient with progress and keep “wishing” and waiting for perfection.  Take the growth of your skill one step at a time.  Allow yourself to grow gradually at YOUR pace.  You’ll actually find that by not focussing on what you CAN’T do / do well and focus on the incremental improvements, you will have a more positive outlook and things will happen faster.

“I got a fortune cookie that said, ‘To remember is to understand.’ I have never forgotten it. A good judge remembers what it was like to be a lawyer. A good editor remembers being a writer. A good parent remembers what it was like to be a child.”

Anna Quindlen
Author and Journalist

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

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!

Check out About Face HERE!!! Check out Secrets to Efficient Brass Playing HERE!!!

ReCheck out the Chops Rehab and Jazz Improv courses. These are designed to be 4 weeks worth of lessons to help the student gain insights and skills in each specific area.

Keith is available for clinics!! Please go to our “Clinics” page for details!

Here Are your Weekly Tip’s:

Tip #1 – Come Back Players – THIS IS FOR YOU!  

Below is an article that I read in the Huffington Post.  It is DEAD on with my belief’s about learning and age.  Hope you enjoy!

Do you want to learn how to play an instrument but think that you “can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Then you’d be interested in what Gary Marcus has to say. He’s a psychology professor at New York University and author of the book Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning.

Gary is an expert on learning processes and as someone who taught himself to play guitar at the age of 38, I thought his perspective would be interesting. So, I sat down with him to how we learn music at different life stages and just how music affects our brains.

CARA SANTA MARIA: Hi everybody. I’m Cara Santa Maria, and I’m here today with Dr. Gary Marcus. He’s a professor of psychology at NYU and author of the book Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning. Thanks for being here, Gary.

GARY MARCUS: Thanks for having me.

CSM: You wrote in this book that you decided to learn how to play guitar when you were thirty-eight years old. That’s not a typical time when somebody picks up an instrument.

GM: It was a little late in life. I tried earlier to learn instruments at various times. Like in fourth grade, I tried to learn to play the recorder. My teacher realized I had no aptitude for this whatsoever and accurately but cruelly said “perhaps your talents lay elsewhere.” And so I gave up, and then, it was actually a video game, Guitar Hero, that got me to finally start to be able to play a little bit, or finally have the confidence to play. So, I played that and I thought, “hey, maybe instead of spending all this time trying to get better at the game, I should try the real thing.”
CSM: We think of there being, kind of, a critical period–that we have to learn how to play an instrument when we’re young. Is there something different maybe about a child’s brain that it’s easier for them to absorb the skills required to play an instrument?

GM: So there’s this critical period hypothesis that whatever you learn–not just music, but anything, language–you have to learn it early in life. And one of the reasons I had the courage to try this project was I realized that that ideal that was widely believed in developmental psychology probably wasn’t true. But in the last decade, we found two things. One is we found some adults were able to learn new languages like native speakers. And then the other thing we found is when people did carefully controlled animal studies, older animals could do things that younger animals could do if they just did it slower–if they broke things down into bite-sized pieces. So that became, kind of, my mantra throughout.

CSM: So behaviorally that tells us something, but what is, kind of, physiologically different in the brain of a child versus an adult who’s learning an instrument?

GM: One thing that happens is that here’s more interference for an adult than a child. There are habits that they have to overcome that are different from the things they’re doing before. So when you learn something, your neurons are rewiring themselves, and adults can’t quite do that as subtly as the children. But they can usually do it if they put their minds to it.

CSM: One of the features that we see throughout all intelligence tests is this factor called Spearman’s g, right? So this is the g factor, the general intelligence thing that when we do certain statistical analyses, they weigh really heavily, but nobody can really put their finger on what it is. All people with a high IQ seem to have it. Do all musicians have, kind of, a g factor for music?

GM: I actually have a graduate student who’s working on g, and we’ve reanalyzed what’s going on. Even though the statistical things all seem to point to a single factor, I think it’s actually an artifact of the statistical analyses. So, g doesn’t quite exist even though all these people have been talking about it. But it’s a function of the fact that you’re sort of mixing and matching parts, that g seems to emerge, and musicians have to do the same thing.

CSM: What does the brain look like on music? I mean, are there different brain patterns when you’re listening, when you’re learning, when you’re performing?

GM: Every aspect of music is going to activate a different set of brain areas. So, playing music is going to be different from listening to music, listening to different kinds of music is going to cause different brain activation from one another.

CSM: Do you think that there’s a difference between somebody who is a seasoned musician and somebody who’s a novice?

GM: Absolutely. So seasoned musicians are going to recognize exactly the details of what they’re hearing. And for a naive listener, it’s all kind of approximate: it went up, it went down. And for a skilled musician they know exactly how far it went up, how far it went down, when it’s in harmony, when it’s not, and so forth. So there’s probably more prefrontal activation in someone who’s listening to music analytically and can do those things than in someone who’s just getting the emotional resonance and maybe more right brain activation.

CSM: Thank you so much for being here with us today, Dr. Marcus.

GM: Thanks so much for having me.

Tip #2 – Processing Your Practice

When practicing, we really need to be flexible and yet stubborn about our process.  If after several weeks of diligent study, we are still not making progress or forward movement, it’s important to be able to “tweak” our practice process.

For instance, if you’re learning scales and you’re just not memorizing them because you’re busy staring at a scale sheet on the music stand, turn the page over and play them by ear.  Some people learn better by ear than they do by sight.  This challenges your mind in a totally new way.  Same goes for learning new songs, or difficult passages in a particular piece.  GET OFF the page and commit it to memory.  Be SURE to record yourself and then listen back.  There is NOTHING more telling than an immediate recording of what you sound like… better that YOU hear it and correct it vs. someone else listening during your performance and giving you a lower score, or a bad review.

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.”

Jerry Rice
Football Player

Have a GREAT week!

Sincerely,

Keith

Incoming search terms:

• bob peterson trumpet