Stile442

The silent brass mute blocks 90% of the sound at least. I've used it with someone sleeping in the next room and they never heard it.

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Bb-Modified Bach Strad 43H
C-Bach Strad Chicago 229
Picc-Schilke P5-4
GR 66M; 66SZ; 63PM

Patric_Bernard

Awesome... Now Im just waiting for bear to get back to me... I didn't know if he was serious or not haha. but if he was...I will respect him forever.

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rowuk

Patric,
The silent brass is a start. You need to play "almost" every day regardless if that is mouthpiece only, with mute or open.
If you can't play at home, you need to find a church hall, music room at school or other place. There is no substitute and no routine can help unless there is some consistency of practice. Even in the military during basic training, I found ways to play (with the help of the chaplain got to play in church too! The choir needed tenors and the chaplain outranked the drill sergeant). If you want to play trumpet badly enough, there is ALWAYS a way to make it happen. If you cannot "taste" that desire, considering another future would not be a bad thing. The trumpet can be a wonderful hobby too.

As you would have bought a SilentBrass anyway, you may want to consider sending BEAR a token of your appreciation.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

EdMann

Patric,

THAT'S what I'm saying (see previous post). Serious players find a way to do it 6 or 7 days a week. I run a marketing business while my wife and I raise two kids. I practiced while a dormy at UCLA, while an apartment dweller in a crowded, thin-walled bldg., while living overseas running a division of our company at the time. You find the time regardless of Silent Brass (which I use in my office) so excuse my blunt response yesterday to your query, but my interpretation was one if a young person looking for ways to improve without playing much. Good luck to you.

Best,
Ed

miles71

Talk to a local school band director, I am sure if they are around anyway after school they wouldnt mind you coming in to play, Never know you might inspire some of the students in the school to play more often.

I have a silent brass I havent touched in a while, it doesnt feel like you are playing in the open, be careful. I imagine if you practice exclusivley with the SB you may be surprised what comes out when you take it out.

I second the local church/school option. If I where closer I wold let you come into my school.
TD

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NYTC Stage 1 Endorsing Artist
www.domenicomusic.com

talcito

If you focus on alternating between leadpipe buzzing and mouthpiece buzzing(both to be done daily) during the week and practising open trumpet trumpet on weekends you'll be surprised at how well your chops will keep up. I suggested that to a friend who did that routine for a year and he is playing very well. You may to throw in some free buzzing in the mix as well.

hubnub

PB,
got a garage? I don't know what your living conditions are (apt, condo) but I shed in the garage for a while when my daughter was born (untill I got my studio sound proofed and Silent Brass). You'll find a way... keep on keepin' on

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Mark Russo
ZeuS ZTR 1000
Monette STC-1 Prana B4-S6, B4FL, B4L-S1
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jazz9

It works really well. You can hear a muffled sound of trumpet from the outside, but if people don't pay attention, it is never noticed. It has some extra resistance, and I have known it to hurt me every now and then, but it's worth it if you can get some valuable practice time. Hope this helps.

Jazz9

Vulgano Brother

As to what to practice, our staple diet consists of long tones, lip slurs and tonguing. This is sort of like hay for a cow, our product is music (and like cow should be milked daily, we should make music daily as well. Long tones can be used to reduce pressure in a couple of ways, one is to use some extreme dynamics, crescendos and decrescendos, the other (a trick from John Glasel) is to reduce pressure until it starts sounding "bad," then use the embouchure muscles to make it sound "better." Lip slurs (flexibility) are of two types, between two neighboring tones with the same valve combination and skipping over tones. Tonguing lip slurs is excellent, and of course we need to practice coordinating fingers and tongue as well. If the desire is to simulate a four hour gig, then at least 1.5 hours practice is needed.

Have fun, and three cheers for Bear!

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brem

Personally, right now, I find intervals to be the best bang for the buck exercise.

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brem
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NYTC Stage 1 California Light - Schilke 15B mpc
Bach Stradivarius Bb Model 37 * #124xxx (circa 1975) - Schilke 15B mpc
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