Hang in there big guy! Better times are coming!

@Dr-GO We must be careful with ANY machines or athletic programs for muscle development. Playing the trumpet IS physical, but is fine motor activity. Building a 6 pack is mostly contraproductive as we learn to use ever more force in conjunction with our body. We need thousands of „lowest“ impact reps to develop the patterns for playing to keep tension down and still get enough development. The prepared body is something earned in this special way. I avoid all advanced development with the Circle of Breath. It is potentially detrimental as most of us do not understand the connections between body and mind that are also developed in very small steps.

This low impact „requirement“ is actually something for life in general. Really good yoga, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique teachers only work this way. Our bad body habits are also built a little more slouch every day. Fixing them is not by force, rather gently.

That all being said, there are many fine players that work out intensively. We have to know that they did not build their playing habits this way. Once we are at a high level of playing, our bodies are very resilient. This fact has resulted in many „brute force“ embouchure and playing methods over time. They have not withstood the test of time!

Thank you for digging this out. I had as much fun putting it originally together as many had after using it for a while.

@Kehaulani said in a new way to learn scales (and a bunch of other stuff in the process):

"A new way?" Where's rowuk.

Rowuk has been in the wings (probably something wished for by many at TrumpetMaster back in the day), just watching where this stuff goes. As we can clearly see, history repeats itself.

Scales, modes and triads are a great way to build patterns - although not new, most of us will admit that we do not practice them enough. Certainly worthy of a post in pedagogy.

That now worked for me too!

I can log in with my MacMini, but no longer with my iPad. I have changed the password, reinstalled Safari, rebooted - it simply does not work. I have found no google info on similar issues.

I get the log in screen, enter user ROWUK and password, it just sits there.

I suspect some hidden credential that does not allow multiple devices. Probably a setting for the admin somewhere.

Just say no!

I successfully use LaTromba T2 (new bottle), Ultra Pure, Hetmans (various thicknesses) and Monster (various thicknesses). LaTromba T2 is the cheapest (in Europe). I buy it by the case.

They are all "equal" on my horns if applied properly. They are much faster than my fingers, last for at least a week of heavy playing. I have no sticking or other artifacts.

Horns that I use these oils on:
Bach 229CL
Selmer Radial 2°
Monette Raja C
Getzen Eterna 4 valve flugel
Cheap chinese pocket trumpet
All of my rotary trumpets

I also use these oils to keep my natural trumpet slides and bows from oxidizing together.

Clean horn first, wait until it is bone dry, apply oil sparingly. Never mix oils and greaes on the same horn.
It is not rocket science and I have no preference - maybe I am simply not good enough to notice? Maybe I simply do not have a "need" to have a preference?

@stumac I think that a "barrel" backbore would be something like the Schmidt Backbore that Schilke uses as well as certain hyperbolic shapes used by Monette.
Those that get excited about backbores need to keep in mind that the rim, cup, throat, leadpipe and bell are also in the system and that any advantage is very much dependent on the synergy.

A good playing mouthpiece with a standard backbore gets a flat upper register when we change the backbore in this way. Some like that because they play tense and that compensates...

V cups go back to medieval times. They were easy to produce - and worked.

As far as the "modern" trumpet goes there are deep Vee cups like from flugelhorns and cornets - and shallow Vee cups like those that Maynard Ferguson played.

What actually works for the modern player is very debatable. Most of our success is in our heads - what we believe, how we bias confirm what we believe.

I would insist that we need MONTHS to acclimate to a new architecture before we could really know if the switch was good or not.

I use Vee cups for my cornets and flugelhorns and C cups for everything else. I can switch easily back and forth.

I have a Vee cup experiment for a natural trumpet project. There are some historic originals that I want to try.