Topics created by ButchA

@butcha

Great to see and hear that you are alive and kicking, Butch. When I made my comeback in 2016 after a 50 year hiatus there was one big difference, I was now, at age 79, sporting a full upper denture and a partial lower denture. It was like learning to play all over again, but it can be done. You have the determination and the love for music that is needed so I have no doubts whatever that you will be playing well long before you think.
George

@kehaulani said in I found my way back... Sorry, it's been so long!:

I've been battling with some very serious sight issues. Only have about 30% of my vision. at the moment. A spin-off is I can't play because of eye pressure. Can't write 'cause can't see well and no bands to conduct because of Covid. So - next to nothing. Yea it sucketh mightily.

Sorry man😠 😠

I know the Kanstul Company is no more. Least the last time I checked. The CG10- smallest size rim/CG Personnel V-Cup/ CG3 Cornet mouthpieces have very comfortable rims. Can be adapted with a Bach etc. Cornet M.P. to Trumpet adapter. Still be used in the Cornets. The CG Personnel Trumpet mouthpiece is the only one that has the same rim type as the Cornet CG Personnel. The Kanstul CG3 Trumpet M.P. has a different type rim than the Cornet CG3. There is another M.P. maker named Marcinkiewicz. That I believe still makes his version of the Claude Gordan mouthpieces in Trumpet/Cornet. From looking at his charts they appear to be all one rim size and on the larger size. Would have to call him for more specifics. This is late info. May later post on a new topic.

Hi George,

Thanks... I agree too. I plan on playing around on the 10.75CW for a while and see. One thing I found out right away... DO NOT mash the MP into your lips! DO NOT play with heavy pressure! You hardly will get any note out of the trumpet! It's an interesting type of MP where you need a light touch.

Anyway, I hope this is allowed on TB, but I also wrote over on TH and another player over on that forum asked about my dental work, issues, and how it affected my playing. So, I figured I'd share the whole conversation over here (cut 'n paste), in case anyone wanted to know. In a nutshell: Ice hockey and trumpet playing don't mix! ha ha ha...

Hey Butch,

How have the dental issues affected playing? Did the playing cause the dental issues or did you have dental issues and now need to find a new way to play?

Well... It's a long story... Back when I was stationed in Boston, MA during my USCG days, a few buddies and I would go out and play amateur ice hockey off base after hours -- just common "pick up games" with assorted people who wanted to play too. Anyway, I played right wing and remember Marty (defense) passing the puck up to me along the boards. I just remember skating as fast as I could while looking ahead to the left to Billy (center) to pass the puck to him to try and score a goal. But, I wasn't watching where I was going and crashed head-on into the defenseman on the other team. We both fell onto the ice, and out of sheer dumb luck, I landed on his hockey stick with my face. I don't remember much, but just laying there face down on the ice in a pool of blood and teeth. Yup, I lost all my front teeth from eye tooth to eye tooth, even busting an eye tooth in half, and partially fracturing my nose. They shoved a towel in my face, and got me to the hospital for x-rays. Long story short - they got me all cleaned up, and fixed me up with front partial, then later they made a permanent front bridge. All these decades later, due to age or whatever, the front bridge broke in two while I was eating something hard (I can't remember, maybe a Jolly Rancher or something), and I heard a loud ka-bang in my mouth, and both sections of the bridge were loose! Well, here we go again... A few years ago, the oral surgeons, endodontists, etc... said, "Uh, sorry, the time has come... You have to take the plunge and get an upper denture plate". So, to close out this long winded story, they did all the work in various stages, and after molds and impressions, they made me a complete upper denture plate. It took me quite a while to relearn trumpet, rework my embouchure, etc... and it's a true miracle that I can still play!

I had a few lessons from a real good friend and fellow Shriner (who also plays Euphonium with the Richmond Pops) and on the side, he gives private music lessons to school band students. Well, he worked with me on my embouchure, and taught me how to make a "frown" and use my diaphragm more. It made a world of difference, and I can pretty much play up to the high "C" and no more with very little pressure on the MP.

Endurance is the main thing that I am after. I need comfort, along with the ability to play song after song after song for 45 minutes straight before a break.

@GeorgeB

Thank you! I appreciate it! 🙂

For everyone: Below is the "backing track" that I transposed into Bb so you can play along to it. I uploaded it into Soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/butch-ammon/if-i-loved-you-in-bb

Good point... Lots and LOTS of reverb in the mix, along with compression/limiter, so the natural dynamics of the trumpet is gone.

I have a couple of Kelly MPs - 1 Kelly Screamer - feels and sounds pretty ordinary, but that may say as much about my playing on a too shallow (for me) mouthpiece. 2 A 3C cornet piece - the cheapest option after not packing a mouthpiece on a business trip. It plays fine and doesn't feel much different to a metal MP of similar size.

@BigDub said in Try this 6/8 exercise, at 100 bpm. If you got it, then try it at 120! (it's not as easy as you think!):

@Dr-GO when does the trumpet come in?

It plays the entire time. Lower harmony.

@Kehaulani said in Scream Machine by Maynard Ferguson... Wow!!:

After the first couple of licks, I really questioned whether or not this was Maynard. Thanks for the info. This is Maynard:

How about Slide Hampton keeping up on the trombone too. That is a great album!

I personally feel that sounding (not playing) Taps is a tremendous honor, I never quite understood this till about eight or nine years ago. Let me back up a lot and tell you a story. Back in my hometown of Sidney, OH we always had a Memorial Day Parade and the high school band always marched. When we got to the cemetery one of the band members would sound taps and then another standing way off would sound the echo, always very moving. My junior year I was supposed to be the echo, when it came time I could not get a note out of my horn. I was so ashamed and so embarrased as I had performed many solo works since 7th grade. Needless to say I never tried again as I was just too emotional. Fast forward about 45 years and a gentleman we went to church with passed away and his wife and daughtrs asked me to sound Taps for him, I reluctantly said yes ( I play my trumpet a lot in church). I struggled with the idea of doing this till the funeral but I made it thru just fine even though each time I do this I still get a large lump in my throat. I will say that is one of the best things I have ever done. The little town we lived near has an active American Legion Honor Guard to salute veterans at their funerals and everyone without fail has expressed how much it meant to them to have live Taps. It has given great satisfaction to me also as it humbles me to honor their service. I have now done this more times than I care to remember and on numerous occasions people have tried to pay for this but I say no as it is the least I can do.

Bugle or trumpet doesn't matter if you let your heart do the playing.

Hi Dr-GO,
It has a Mahavishnu Orchestra Visions of the Emerald Beyond sound to it.
Very Good!