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Larry Gianni · 11-29-2003, 11:51 PM

Hi all,

Here's 3 things I learned over the years that seem to help:

1) When you practice. focus mentally and audioly on what's comming out the bell, not whats happening behind the mouthpiece.

Visualise yourself listening from a position infront of the trumpet , like a member of an audience, listening to yourself play.

I don't mean mirrors which are counter-productive.

This will let all those muscles move naturally to get the results you want, instead of the player manipulatiing them to achieve just the opposite. Most of the muscles used to play a pitch on a trumpet , can't be conciously controlled anyway.

It's somewhat the same principle you use when you make a turn in your car. Do you consciously think of every move all the muscles in your body have to make to achieve this ( turn signal, head check, brake, gas ,rear view mirror look, hand or hand wheel turn, etc ) or do you visualize or decide where you want to go ( ie: pitch to hit ) and the rest comes naturally.

2) Hear all the notes before you play them no matter how fast the material you are trying to play is. This is very improtant.

3) Visualize notes ( the slot ) as you get toward the top of your range like a shape of a triangle ( not round or oblong ). When you percieve the shape of a triangle, the base is big and wideand the top is very small and pointed.
The farther you stay toward the base of a triangle ie: slot of the note ( not flat of course) the wider the slot for the note will be and the easier it is to hit, control in and have full volume. Think of an ascending scale a triangles stacked on top of each other. As you ascend, aim for the largest part of the note ( base of triangle ) as you change notes.

This concept will also help you relax as you ascend. Oh, by the way , high notes don't go up high above each other, they move farther out in front of you. ( that may be my 4th principle )

The tip of a triangle is very small and pinched. I see those words used alot when talking about range problems. On the otherhand, when a great high notes are played the terms " huge " and " fat " are used , like a triangle's base.

See my point.

Larry Gianni

1965 gold-plated Conn Director, coprian bell, amado waterkeys, rounded tuning slide, Malone MC4 leadpipe annealed twice, heavy bottom caps on 2 and 3
MF Jet-Tone with a Bach 1c rim , 9 throat cut for Reeves sleeves.
( not really )

11-29-2003, 11:51 PM	#14 (permalink)
Larry Gianni Piano User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 266	Hi all, Here's 3 things I learned over the years that seem to help: 1) When you practice. focus mentally and audioly on what's comming out the bell, not whats happening behind the mouthpiece. Visualise yourself listening from a position infront of the trumpet , like a member of an audience, listening to yourself play. I don't mean mirrors which are counter-productive. This will let all those muscles move naturally to get the results you want, instead of the player manipulatiing them to achieve just the opposite. Most of the muscles used to play a pitch on a trumpet , can't be conciously controlled anyway. It's somewhat the same principle you use when you make a turn in your car. Do you consciously think of every move all the muscles in your body have to make to achieve this ( turn signal, head check, brake, gas ,rear view mirror look, hand or hand wheel turn, etc ) or do you visualize or decide where you want to go ( ie: pitch to hit ) and the rest comes naturally. 2) Hear all the notes before you play them no matter how fast the material you are trying to play is. This is very improtant. 3) Visualize notes ( the slot ) as you get toward the top of your range like a shape of a triangle ( not round or oblong ). When you percieve the shape of a triangle, the base is big and wideand the top is very small and pointed. The farther you stay toward the base of a triangle ie: slot of the note ( not flat of course) the wider the slot for the note will be and the easier it is to hit, control in and have full volume. Think of an ascending scale a triangles stacked on top of each other. As you ascend, aim for the largest part of the note ( base of triangle ) as you change notes. This concept will also help you relax as you ascend. Oh, by the way , high notes don't go up high above each other, they move farther out in front of you. ( that may be my 4th principle ) The tip of a triangle is very small and pinched. I see those words used alot when talking about range problems. On the otherhand, when a great high notes are played the terms " huge " and " fat " are used , like a triangle's base. See my point. Larry Gianni 1965 gold-plated Conn Director, coprian bell, amado waterkeys, rounded tuning slide, Malone MC4 leadpipe annealed twice, heavy bottom caps on 2 and 3 MF Jet-Tone with a Bach 1c rim , 9 throat cut for Reeves sleeves. ( not really )