Best posts made by Comeback

I have been playing my three Bb trumpets on a rotating basis. This week I am playing my Strad, with a Bach 3C mouthpiece. I set aside the Curry 3C. I had been using due to some frustrations that the Bach 3C appears to have relieved. As noted in the OP, my Strad showed little sign of serious playing time before I became its owner. Really, I have been breaking it in and modifying it to suit my tastes. I replaced the dump slide in the third valve slide assembly with another (from Bach) with a water key. I also replaced the second valve slide with a Bach replacement. The third valve slide assembly was stiff to the point where it was not useful for tuning purposes. I remedied this condition with regular lubrication and cycling. It works well now. Playing the Strad this week has been satisfying. I strike notes accurately and cleanly. The sound produced is great. The valves function flawlessly. Perhaps one day I’ll get to use it in Community Band once again. Until then, it has become a most enjoyable instrument for daily practice.

Jim

I was reminded yesterday afternoon of the consequences of owning more instruments than I may need. My three Bb trumpets and two Bb cornets were due for cleaning. All were disassembled, soaked in a Dawn seasoned bath, scrubbed, rinsed thoroughly, dried, re-lubed, reassembled, wiped down, and stored away, except for the one that I am currently using. During the process my Mrs. asked how I kept all of those parts straight! Several hours after I’d begun, the bathtub and sink I’d used were cleaned to the point where Mrs. was satisfied and my man-room was restored to its normal state of comfortable familiar disorder. After every one of these episodes I ask myself if I really need all of this stuff...

Great topic, GeorgeB. I seem to only find 60 or so minutes a day for practice. Lip flexibility and finger dexterity are my two primary areas of focus right now. I do that sort or work right after doing long tone scales and before practicing tunes. If pressed for time, tunes will get sacrificed before flexibilities. This approach seems to be working for me, but progress is never as rapid as I would like it to be.

Jim

I have lived in Fort Wayne, IN most of my life. Fort Wayne is often called the Summit City since it is located near the headwaters of the Maumee River, which flows northeast to Lake Erie and the Wabash River, which flows southwest and eventually joins the Ohio River. This song works for me concerning my hometown and state.

Thank you for the above post, Gary. Folks in northeast IN are tired of being cooped up and the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases per day proves it - we have not “flattened the curve” here. The outdoor venue for my community band’s summer concert series has canceled all events until 2021. Plans for the band to begin rehearsing again in early July more and more appear to be wishful thinking.

Jim