@_mark_
Good luck, man, but honestly, not knowing what your doing will lead to a lot of bad habits that will be hard to change even when you actually do know what you are doing.
Just know that the trumpet is one of the hardest instruments to play even when you know what you are doing.
You deserve a lot of respect for all that you have accomplished in your life so far, Kehaulani...and I have a feeling you are far from finished. Man, you are an inspiration.
Listen to what ROWUK is saying. You'll never get better advice in your life than you'll get from this man. Seriously.
George
@walter-sk
Hi, Walter. I am almost 85 and started playing in 2016 after a 50 year hiatus. I played between 1953 and 1965 before quitting and used a Bach 10.5C. I thought it would work for me when I came back but it didn't. I had to safari my way through several mp makes and sizes. Today I use both an Austin Custom Brass 3CS mp and a MD65 Wedge. The most reliable is the Wedge and is my " go to " mouthpiece for most of my playing.
I guess I am trying to say to you that what worked 50 years ago will not necessarily work now. Are your teeth different now ? I have a full upper denture now and that was likely one of the reasons why the smaller 10.5 no longer worked. The Wedge I am using is a bit large with an ID at .650 inches, so perhaps a larger piece would work for you without having to play to the side of the lips rather than dead center.
It was quite an accomplishment for you to suddenly get from Low C below the staff to high C above the staff all because of a shift in mp placement on the chops. You didn't say what mp you were using but if the shift in placement and whatever the mp was that got you a 2 octave scale ( providing it was not a one time fluke ) then perhaps it would be smart to stick with them.
Good luck on your come back.
George
Happy July 4th Independence Day, my American friends.
In Canada our big day was Wednesday, July 1st.
Got the June/July schedule for the band at last night's practice. There are 5 nursing homes in the area and we will be doing a concert at each one of them from June 18th to July 16th.Plus a Gospel gig at a local Baptist Church and two outdoor concerts the last two weeks in July. LOVE IT !
@j-jericho said : A good player will learn how to play regardless of the equipment.
That is so true. I learned to play on a 30 or 40 year old Varsity that my teacher told me sounded worse than a tin can. I was working part time after school and couldn't afford much to start. I found the Varsity in a pawn shop for $30, which was a fortune to me in the early 50s. The Varsity didn't sound good but it did the job to get me playing well enough to encourage my teacher to recommend a musician owned music shop whose owner liked to help kids starting out. So I got me a brand new gold plated Conn Constellation 28B for $5 a week. And even that seemed like a lot then because I was only earning $12 a week delivering prescriptions on my bike for a local pharmacy.
But, man, my playing took a huge jump forward with the 28B. I played it with my 5 piece combo between 1953 and 1965 and the horn paid for itself a thousand fold. I sold it when I thought I wouldn't be playing any longer. Oh, how I regret that decision.
Oh, yeah, I still have that old Varsity. I like to play it once in awhile for old times sake.
The acid blocker I am on, known as Losec, was prescribed for me after two cases of bleeding ulcers in 2001 and 2002 and have been taking it with excellent results ever since. I will be talking to my doctor about whether or not I should stay on it or dump it while taking blood thinners.
By the very interesting conversations here with all you medical giants. I am getting an education and am feeling less anxiety over my new condition. And I will discuss SOTALOL with my doctor, so thanks for that DOC.
@Kehaulani said in Busy June and July:
They can get to be a challenge. The one I referred to in Palm Springs, most everybody's shirts/blouses were 3/4 soaked through before the first tune was over. Probably the dumbest gig I did along those lines was in a mall parking lot in the middle of summe in L.A. No cover and no audience. They were smarter than to stand on hot asphalt in the blazing sun.
At my age I don't think I could handle that. I'm not so proud that I won't drop out if circumstances dictate. I'd like to live to play another day...
I have some great horns in my collection. Each has its own characteristics that I love, but one stands out amongs them all, and that is the 1940 Olds Recording I added recently. Whatever kind of music, from classical to country, you want to play, the Olds just gets the job done. I know this sounds crazy, but it is as it plays itself and you are just along for the ride.
George
@Seth-of-Lagos
Oh, yes, the song is indeed very moving. Now that I have the link to the song I will listen to it often. Louis was one of the few celebrity players I have met in person after a concert and never forgot what he said after I told him I was a trumpet player, his eyes widened and gave that big smile, saying: Next time bring your horn. No wonder the world loved him.
I can never get enough of Bobby Hackett. Here is a youtube of a cut from one of my albums : Fools Rush In. Playing with an organ was a nice touch.
@tjcombo
I've been a hard core Sinatra fan for most of my 85 years on this planet and still am. And even though he had some bad years during the 70s and 80s, we'll never see another entertainer like him.
Word is that he was on antidepressants at around the time of that concert ( 1974, I believe ) and may account for the poor performance overall, and not just on the Jim Croce piece. Note the stumble at the finish of the song. It wasn't the first time he did that in those days. He was also starting to have trouble remembering the lyrics to many of the old standards he did in his earlier years. Kinda sad.
@barliman2001
Strange that you should recommend donating unused mouthpieces. I, too, have assembled many mouthpieces in the past 7 years since my return to playing. And just two days ago I had some that were definitely of no use to me and I donated them to the local middle school band where we practice. There were 5 trumpet pieces and two cornet pieces all in excellent condition and by top names such as Curry, Bach, Getzen and Stork.
You are correct, sir, it is always a good thing to donate to deserving causes, and having our youngsters involved in music is one of the top causes I support. I recently donated a Flugel to this same school for use in their jazz band.
George
Definitely out of the ordinary, but for some strange reason I really liked it. Perhaps it was those gorgeous twins...hmmm....
I won't say anything negative about MF because he was definitely one of the greatest trumpet players out there, but I was always a little more into how he sounded in the 50s and 60s before he changed equipment and style of playing after 1970. He was probably more known for his high range playing, but man, he could do a soft ballad so beautiful it would give me the goose bumps.
Not sure when this performance took place, but here he is with his band . Note he also played trombone, and listen to his rendition of Danny Boy.
That's a lot of playing there, Peter. Makes my gig look pretty easy. Good luck today with the Jazz Combo group.
Wow, getting to see and play all those great horns of the past...Madam, you have a dream of a job.
George
