Posts made by tjcombo

@SSmith1226 I'm proud to be part of the only nation that eats both of the critters on its coat of arms!

@adc Can I suggest that you might like to stretch yourself a little by adding degrees of difficulty one at a time - say a new scale with an extra sharp or flat, not looking at a chart? (FWIW, playing scales around the cycle of fourths can be fun - adding a flat/subtracting a sharp). After a short time you'll find that you don't have to think about the number of sharps and flats, just the starting note.

@jdlmodelt I have a similar American Standard. It didn't seem like a particularly good horn (valves were pretty ordinary) and so I conducted some surgery and turned it into a C horn as a fun experiment. FWIW, it sounds ok and plays pretty much in tune, and the valves are still ordinary. It's waiting for me in the workshop to get enthused enough to tidy up the soldered joints and finish it.

If yours makes you happy keep it, if you want to flip it, check pricing on ebay.

cheers
tj

This thread has given me a twinge of guilt for not posting more. I’m grateful for the weekend digests in my email as they prompt me to regularly scan these pages.

Of late, life has been getting in the way of browsing this and other social media (both good and not so good distractions). At 67y.o. I’m contemplating retirement from a rewarding job that I love, to do other things, musical and other, that I love a little more.

Thanks to @administrator for your commitment to continuing to run this board. I’ll continue with my modest Patreon contribution.

…and I also hope to see @Kehaulani posting again. His advice and observations have been most helpful along with those of other TBers.

tj

@bigdub Darwinian gene pool

Sousaphone intonation is pretty funny too...

@ssmith1226
Thanks so much for this Steve. At last I can offer guidance to reed players when they get a "case of the squeaks"

There is light on the other side!
Thanks again all for the sage advice. @SSmith1226 Steve, thanks for the suggestion about the pencil exercises. I added that to my post-op exercise regime albeit not religiously. I sure that the doctors prescribe beta-blockers to prevent patients feeling too good, too soon

I discussed resuming practice with my cardiologist and surgeon and got the go-ahead to resume gentle practice (and driving - Yes!!) after four weeks. Was doing some long tones and lip slurs, but was feeling discouraged because the notes were coming out, but sound was horrible. To get a bit a structure into the practice, I started using the early pages from Charles S Peters Total Range.

Last Friday, after nine days practice, my community band had their first post-Christmas practice. Playing felt great - it's so good to play in an ensemble and be welcomed back after such a break.
Today (Sunday), my jazz band got together for a practice and that was good fun and not at all painful.
Articulation needs some work, but that was the case pre-op My old sound, for better or worse, has come back and I'm playing up to C above the staff in tunes and solos without any discomfort.

It seems that the sternum is healing well - a sneeze only hurts a little bit. Now that the beta-blockers have stopped, I'm finally feeling better than pre-op.

HNY Wayne, wonder if this is an electronic or ear issue? Thought I’d share my “one weird trick” story in case it helps.
A few years back, I acquired my first C trumpet and couldn’t believe how bad its intonation. Swapped back and forth between C and regular Bb horn in practice and the new horn didn’t seem to improve.
I can’t remember why, but I played few tunes on the Bb, reading from a Bb Real Book, then played the same tunes on the C horn, reading from the C Real Book and for some strange reason the intonation issues stopped. It was like something in my tiny mind switched - either that or some musical elves tweaked the C trumpet.

Cheers
tj

Quite "real looking" at first scan, but there isn't much that reads like the author's analysis/insights on the topics. The pieces look like a last-minute essay done on the basis of Google searches.
I'm curious about the length of the responses - @administrator you asked for 5000 word essays? I only did a WC on the Miles piece and it came in below 500. Maybe you need the paid-for service for more substantial works?

Drummers...

Thanks all for the advice and good wishes. I'm so looking forward to resuming playing.
@Kehaulani , condolences not needed, but thanks. I'm incredibly lucky that I asked my GP about increasing breathlessness. Playing wasn't really affected but the tests showed multiple major blockages so the arterial grafts are much better option than the otherwise inevitable event.
Please, all enjoy your Christmas gigs, I'm happy to be an on-looker this year.

cheers
tj

Re: Triple by-pass reocvery

I'm one week post triple by-pass and busting to start playing again. From the first post-op physio, I've included exhaling through my chops formed into an embouchure shape and it feels ok. Currently I'm staying at my partner's place and never thought to pack a horn in the suitcase so it'll be a couple of weeks before I can check that the sounds I visualise match reality.
I spoke with my surgeon about resuming practice and he said I could try after 3 or 4 weeks, just take it easy.
My jazz band is booked for a festival in early Feb, two months after the op and I'd love to play there. My role is pretty cruisey, a little solo in most numbers. Thinking it's maybe an opportunity to reconstruct the solos as part of the practice??
your thoughts, experience?

cheers
tj

The darker side of Christmas humour

Nice. Thanks for posting Christophe!

Whilst the thread is following s reflective vein, consider paralysis by analysis…

Mother to young son "what do you want to do when you grow up?

Son - "I want to be a trumpet player mummy".

Mother - "I'm sorry darling, you can't do both"

@administrator it’s a medium bore made in 1956. @Newell-Post the corks and felts are in good condition and appear to have been recently replaced. This was part of the pleasant surprise. I expected a horn of that age to be pretty worn or have come out of a closet with stuck slides, rotten corks etc. I’d even researched replacement lead pipes in case that was necessary, but the original is as clean as a whistle.
@Dr-GO yes 100%. I particularly love the tonal range that it provides.