Posts made by Trumpetsplus

Playing since 1958, gigging since 1964, full-time professionally since 1970 after winning the World Championship.

Principal in the local Symphony and first call session work till 1980. Not many world class acts came down under in those days. I moved to Australia to do the premiere and cast recording of a Broadway show than went to England for a couple of years to be a rock star! It didn’t work but I wrote and recorded a couple of singles. Back in Australia I concentrated on Salsa at night and managing a manufacturing company by day for ten years or so, then got head hunted for some teaching gigs and managing a music instrument importer/retailer.

Head hunted to USA in 2000 for my particular teaching philosophy so came here on an Einstein visa. Since then I have concentrated on recreational music making, even founding a not for profit public charity. It is this charity which underwrites the Trumpet Saturdays held by www.Trumpet4Fun.org

Once settled in US and dissatisfied with available models I realized that I could build a trumpet that would be easier to play and give more satisfaction to the player. So I combined my playing abilities with my manufacturing knowledge and latent Kiwi know-how to come up with Jaeger trumpets.

@Dirk020 I would certainly bow to any rotarians amongst us, but superficially:
Rotary flugel and piston flugel are very similar; short adjustable length lead pipe straight into valves, then gradual taper all the way to the bell.

Rotary trumpet has valves positioned the same as flugel, then an "extension lead pipe" connects to the main slide after which the tubing tapers to the bell.

So a similarity is placement of the valves and a difference is the flugel is tuned at the lead pipe and the trumpet at the main slide.

A new trumpet will have a difference in diameters, piston to casing, of around 0,015mm. At 0,04 you are looking at a refit. When the clearance is this great the wear is normally in the casing. That wear is not only egg timer shaped, greater at top and bottom, but also oval (greater sideways than front and back). The remedy is to hone the casings true and round, then plate the pistons up to the new diameter.

Worn valves on a trumpet normally cause plying issues before sticking issues.

@Niner Perhaps some confusion. It is not "how one is feeling" - that implies good or bad mood, it is "how the instrument feels to the player". And it is not what kind of band or ensemble one is playing that determines what the instrument is, it is what kind of instrument best suits the band or ensemble.

@Niner Thanks for your comments. My ascending valve Bb/C trumpet plays, feels, and sounds like a trumpet.

My comments about cornets apply to the "traditional" BBB cornet, and do not necessarily apply to the various "A" series Conns, or similar models from other manufacturers. The acid test I use when I am defining the 2 instruments is:
Is the "Trumpet" an acceptable instrument in all trumpet inclusive ensembles.
Is the "Cornet" an acceptable instrument in serious British Brass Band ensembles.

@Dr-GO What can I say? There was no quid pro quo!

@GeorgeB QED

When we play in ensembles which include strings, either orchestral or guitar, we often end up playing in a zillion sharps. This may be why:
http://www.jaegerbrass.com/Blo/Entries/2019/11/difference-between-string-and-wind-instruments.html

@Dr-Mark Although on 2 of my horns A flat is fingered 2 and 4!

@Dr-Mark We are getting into the can of worms area. The terms "fundamental" and "harmonics" can quite correctly be used in the way you state. However, in trumpet land both these words can have a different specific meaning: the fundamental can be the pitch that is being sounded, and the harmonics can be the notes that can be played with identical fingering. I like to use the word "formants" to refer to the range of higher frequencies that determine the color of the note. Otherwise we are teasing our brains with "harmonics of harmonics".

One versed in the art of acoustics can freely discuss acoustics matters with their (or, previously his or her!) peers, but if such an expert discourses with a layman, misunderstandings and heat are inevitable.

My advice to all is to recognize that information is available, to recognize that this information does explain some of the intricacies of trumpet playing, then pick up our trumpets and play! At the end of the day A flat is still fingered 2 and 3.

@tmd Agreed!

You might find what Denis Wick said quite interesting
First of all, the teacher does what he does; he then tells the student what he thinks he does. The student then does what he thinks the teacher said.

I am still interested in knowing the dimensions.

@Niner The part that many get wrong is blowing. Often they tense up and perform the val salva manouevre. I give them a straw and invite them to hold it between their lips and blow "spitballs".

If they have difficulty getting a note it is often helpful for them to moisten their lips.

Can't do this by written instruction or by Skype. Best to be in the same room to experience the situation with them.

@Niner I give beginners 3 things to do
Breathe
Lips together
Blow.

This seems to do the trick,

The more advanced version is
Breathe out then breathe in
Hold the lips together as if saying the letter M
Blow gently at the apogee of the breath out - breath in.

@OldSchoolEuph Well it used to work for us. Blame it on Kiwi ingenuity

@Dr-Mark In fact the English language has a wonderful workaround for this: In order to be gender neutral it is permissible to use third person plural for third person singular.
Example:
The trumpeter produces sound from the trumpet by buzzing their lips.
Or even better:
Trumpeters produce sound from the trumpet by buzzing their lips.

Notwithstanding the noted political incorrectness, the statement is factually wrong, an alternate truth if you will. Trumpeters produce sound from the trumpet by exciting the air column inside it. This excitation of the air column will not only vibrate or buzz a sheet of paper held loosely over the bell, it will also vibrate, or buzz, the lips. The lips are an intrinsic, essential, part of the system, not the creator.

@Mike-Ansberry Because the instrument is sold, the administrator posted inviting me to delete the topic. So I did. You probably got the notification of the administrator's post - new post! But, whammo bammo, I was too slick! Disappeared right before our eyes!