Originally Posted by Alan Dismukes

I have been on the trumpet comeback trail for one month now. Having not played regularly for about 25 years after stopping in college, I decided I wanted to get serious about practicing and see if I could be more disciplined and become a better player than I was in college. Back then, my lack of progress was discouraging although I always knew it was because I did not practice enough.


I was gone for over 45 years.

So, having recently gotten turned back on to my horn, I discovered TM and joined. Pretty soon the posts from regular contributors responding to folks not too different from me inspired me to get to work. Among my weaknesses were lack of range (anything above A above the staff is a challenge and virutally impossible after about 5 minutes of playing!), lack of flexibility, lack of technical ability, just to name the most glaring shortcomings.

Despite having a busy schedule, I have managed to practice at least an hour every day since Nov. 16. My routine has been to warm-up with long tones and slurs for about fifteen minutes, and then spend the next 45 minutes working on the first 3 Clarke technical studies. My fingering is a disgrace, and I have to slow many of the exercises way down in order to execute them accurately.

On days where I can get more than an hour in, I spend the rest of the time playing and working on tunes in the Arban book, the Hayden and Hummel concertos, and others. I remember my band director in high school trying to get me to play Fantaisie Brilliant, and how I couldn't even begin to do it, but now I am having fun with it. (Gotta include double- and triple-tonguing to my routine in order to do that last variatiion, though!)

After only a month I have noticed a marked improvement in the accuracy of my fingering and in flexibility. While there has not been any marked improvement in range, there have been tantalizing hints of improvement to come as some days the high notes have slid out surprisingly easily -- no power, but delicate and clear if my set up is just right. Other days it seems like I have made no progress, but I place my hope in those other days when things are working. I am patiently "waiting for the miracle", as Vulgano would say!


Rest assured, the range will come, if you use the proper exercises in your personal practice.

I want to thank everybody on TM. Not having a band to play in,


Have you explored the possibility of a local Community Concert Band?

this list has been a huge factor in my progress. It is great to be a part of community that loves the trumpet and is so supportive of hacks like me that are trying to improve. I greatly enjoy reading all of the posts. Without TM I doubt I would have practiced with as much disciplne as I have the last month. I wish I could go back and apologize to my trumpet teachers in college for not practicing then like I should have. I wasn't patient enough the to see any improvement, but I see their words echoed in TM posts.

I know I need a teacher, but before I run the risk of wasting their time, I want to prove to myself that I can stick to it on my own for a while first. If I maintain my new practicing habit for at least six months, then perhaps I will know I have acquired the necessary discipline. In the meantime, thanks to everybody on TM for your support!