And I take this as a chance for a rebirth. gmonady is now Dr GO.

Prior to my retirement from my professorial gig at the medical school this past December, I taught muscle physiology in the first year medical student curriculum. We are at the mercy to the laws of physiology of muscle fiber development. So it takes about 2-6 weeks for muscle to adapt to new stress without damaging fibers. At the end of that 2-6 week span, one can add another 20% duration to the work out. So if 45 minutes is all you can do at this point, continue for several weeks at 45 minutes, than in that new week add 45 x 0.20 or about 10 minutes to the next week (55 minutes) and stay with that for another several weeks. Then advance another 20%. Keep doing this at these intervals until you reach your goal.

Let fatigue be your friend. When you loose control or start leaking air, step away from the horn for the day and start back at it tomorrow.

Let me know how this works out.

I was walking by a brown stone in New York and heard jazz streaming from a window. Door was open so I went in to find a band playing in an open loft. Asked if I could listen to which a band member replied sure then asked if I played. Said yes, was a trumpet player. They asked if I had my horn with me and told them in the building down the block. They asked me to get it and sit in as their second trumpet would not be there. I did. Turned out it was the 9 lives jazz ensemble, Mingus's band just after he passed. Wound up being bands sub and this launched my music career in NYC.

AND to the Chemists out there:

HAPPY EASTER from:

The Ether Bunny

A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley when a heart surgeon walked into his shop. As the surgeon was waiting for the service manager to look at his bike, the mechanic called to him: "Hey Doc, can I ask you a question?" The surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle.

The mechanic wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "Doc, look at this engine. Like you, I can open it up, take valves out, fix 'em, put in new parts and when I finish this will work just like a new one. So why do I earn a pittance and you get the really big money, when we are doing basically the same work?"

The surgeon smiled, leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic: “Try doing it while the engine is still running.”

@Trumpetsplus said in YouTube Suggestion:

You might like to check out my tube channel in which I post short animated talks; my opinions on musical issues that are not often discussed. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmrjZSItiMiFqwSLZsrdVlw

I checked these out and Ivan, they are so instructional and insightful. Keep them flowing!

@J-Jericho said in YouTube Suggestion:

The tea kettles are hot!

That last note brought my dogs into the room. No. Seriously, they were out in the hall but as soon as that last note was hit, they came running in. Amazing.

Hard to advise without more detail and being there to watch and hear.

The most important question is: How long has it been since you have been back on the trumpet? It takes weeks (on average 6 weeks) to tone muscle to the point of getting a consistent response. Time playing may be a relevant issue.

Once the basic embouchure development is well underway, than yes, playing with others and listening and then hearing the changes you need to make would be of high value.

Is the trumpet in need of repair? Have you had other experienced trumpet players play your trumpet and if so, is the intonation fine when others play? If so, we can likely exclude instrument contribution out of the discussion.

By the way, I believe it was the Yamaha 631 that Chuck Mangione used, and word on the street was it Feels So Good.

If TrumpetBoards had an award for most creative and artistic design, I know you would get it! So amazing, functional and esthetic, and a heck of a lot more economical then getting a hand surgeon consultant.

Playing a big band gig tonight and the director passed out the charts to sight read "Feel So Good" giving me the solo flugelhorn part. That one was for you Chuck.

May I suggest directly contacting Charlie Melk (https://charliesbrassworks.com/) or Tom Green (https://www.facebook.com/GreensBuffingAndInstrumentRepair/) by contact information on their website for more specifics. For personal advice: "Not in mint condition" makes it difficult for me to advise.

They may suggest a cost as well to have it refurbished. That cost may well be recovered in selling a repaired horn. In my case, I bought my Olds Super Recording through (ANA Mandez) on TrumpetMasters and an early member but without recent posts on TrumpetBoards. He is a good resource for Super Recordings, and sold me a Charlie Melk refurbished (secondary to significant bell damage) and unlacquered horn for $3,000. I was very pleased with that price and Charlie did an excellent repair on the bell. Maas brass polish is used once a year and keeps it as shinny as all my remaining horns with lacquer.

As for your kidney transplant, I do hope all is going well. As a physician, I care for several patients undergoing kidney transplant and they do very well with very long lasting transplant renal functions. I do not see many complications at all with the anti-rejection medications that are needed to maintain function.

I play two 4-Valve Flugelhorns, a Getzen and a Kanstul. For the flugelhorn, the 4th valve provides better intonation for 1,3 and 1,2,3 valve configurations all such combinations starting from the first D below staff. It also eases the bridge between lower register and pedal tone and does get me to harmonics that I could not reach easily on a 3 valve flugelhorn. My experience is unique however to a flugelhorn, not a trumpet.

I have never played a 4 valve trumpet and not sure the upper range argument would be reasoning for me to have such a horn after watching the Stomvi's 4 valve video. The double high C played by the 4 valve trumpet on the last note is performed with no valves used (standard key use). So I am not sure why they would make such a claim. I have not trouble incorporating the double high C on my Harrelson, Martin Committee and Olds Ambassador trumpets, all with 3 valves.

Again, I love the 4 valve feature on the flugelhorn for intonation and lower note bridging features. Also hate the idea of playing the fourth valve with the index finger of the left hand. Many people use 4 valve horns this way. I like keeping the right hand in charge of all the valve work so have no pinky finger ring on the 4 valve Getzen (which is the standard issue for that horn) and had Kanstul not install the pinky ring ring on their flugelhorn (which was their standard feature).

So since my last post a while ago, my first valve on my Kanstul has gotten a little "wonky" with occasional slowing of response. Immediately after using my standard valve oil (Ultrapure), the wonkyness continues. Robert Love of Brasswind research loaned me a valve lubricant called: Rouge Lube. Worked like a charm, but did need additional application in about a month. Robert said the magic ingredient was transmission fluid (added to a valve oil at a 1:2 ratio) by his analysis.

So again works like a charm, but only rarely does go into reverse unexpectedly.