Posts made by J. Jericho

@georgeb said in Keying ~fingering:
... regardless of what the experts say, you have to use what works for you.

Agreed. The goals are to play efficiently and comfortably and to not wear out the horn in the process.

@curlydoc I was originally taught to place my right thumbnail against the first valve casing. It worked OK, except for some quick mute changes and especially when using a plunger mute. If there is a first valve trigger where the fulcrum is attached to the right side of the casing, as on Olds and Bach, for instance, this thumb placement will not work, as it conflicts with the lever/paddle.

My default position now is to rest my right thumb on the upper left first valve casing and rest my left thumb on the trigger button/paddle. On horns without a first valve trigger, my left thumb is in the first valve saddle/ring and wrapped around the first valve casing when there is no tuning aid there. This way I don't have to change a thing when using mutes. This may not work for people with fingers shorter than mine. The bottom line is that this enables me to comfortably press the valves down without side pressure.

FWIW - I avoid trumpets and cornets that have paddles where the fulcrum is placed in the middle of the valve casing. They're just too awkward for me. Oh, and mute changes are not an issue for the most part, since I usually change them with my right hand.

Curled fingers will place less side stress on the valves, reducing wear. Here's an example:

Yamaha.com

Bonus: Note posture, left hand placement, trumpet position, comments, and photo source.

@dr-go Lithping, are we?

TromboneChat.com

Music is a language. How long did it take for you to become fluent in speaking and reading your native tongue? How long does it take to learn a foreign language? How much concentration, dedication, repetition, and construction does it take to learn any language? These are the keys to learning to effectively and naturally sight read and play/sing music.

@trumpetlearner Nice eye candy.

I use neoprene o-rings on all my horns, including the silver ones. Olds included square-edged o-rings on trigger slides on their trumpets and cornets. I don't recall what they were made of (maybe rubber?), but they were sort of tan-colored and tended to get brittle with time.

Do not press the mouthpiece tightly against your lips! You need to take the time to develop your embouchure in a way that enables you to change pitch without undue pressure. If you rely on pressure to change pitch, you'll screw up your lips, and it will take a long time to undue this incorrect habit.

@jessie We need more information from you, but you might try this first:

Aside from appearing to be a Bach Stradivarius, what caught my eye was the reversed front bell brace, the finger ring under the third slide, and the red upper valve cap felts. Upon further examination, there is only one third valve slide brace, and there is no third valve slide stop rod, just the piece that the rod would go through on the moveable part of the slide, and I'd say that the tuning slide water key is an Amado.

Alan Rubin lived up to his name, "Mr. Fabulous". Whenever I think of "Peter Gunn Theme", I think of The Blues Brothers' version, and vice versa. Hearing the way he handles it continues to be an inspiration. I've posted it before, and here it is again for those who share my enthusiasm for it:

I found this image of Alan Rubin (R.I.P.). What do you think of his trumpet? Notice anything unusual about it? Does anyone know more about this one than we see in the picture?

pinterest.com

@barliman2001 The condom is useful when someone asks to try your horn or mouthpiece. Just slip the condom over the mouthpiece, and let them have at it.

In a basic sense, beginning instruments are made to survive inexperienced handling and provide the player with a positive sense of playing on a budget, intermediate instruments are affordable instruments made with more attention to things like intonation and response for players who can discern such qualities, and finally, advanced instruments are well-thought-out and designed to optimize characteristics that enable advanced players to play without concern for compensating for an instrument's shortcomings.

As for Miles Davis, he had a very high opinion of himself and perhaps feigned insult at being handed a trumpet he recognized as being beneath his lofty standards. Show any number of members of TB a picture of a trumpet, and they'll likely be able to tell you the make, model, and year range of that horn. As for Miles not being able to do anything with the one he was handed, the truth of the matter is that a good player can make any horn sound just fine. I've said in the past that there are some well-known trumpet players that could play a cast iron bathtub and make it sound good.

Dr GO's Ambassador is one of a fairly small herd of unicorns; they do exist, though. A larger number plays anywhere from mediocre to pretty good. They were all well-made and sturdy. I particularly like the water key arrangement, and Olds put some thought into producing visually appealing instruments.

@trumpetlearner There's a seller on eBay who sells kits that include felts, corks, and springs. In the notes, it says that if you're not sure if they'll fit your horn, just contact them.

@eatontkd said in Returning to my joy of music:
I'm not sure if my neighbors are annoyed or entertained by my playing/practice with the windows open!!

It shouldn't take too long for you to be sure.

@eatontkd said in Bugles Across America:

What is considered a fake bugle?

It's an electronic device that looks like a bugle. The user pretends to play, and a recording actually sounds Taps. It usually works as intended. BAA has examples of when it doesn't. Not pretty.

Welcome!

How do I make a gif display in a post?