Rick Chartrand

As trumpet players I think that we generally are divided up into two catagories of players. Those of us who play Jazz and those of us who play Classical.

I love to listen to both Jazz and Classical, but only love to play Jazz. Like most of us I received my classical training you get to help you master your instrument. But as I did this somehting happened to me over those years. I realized that beyond Classical musics huge technical challange there was no creativity involved for me. It was just a series of extremely complicated arpegios and exercises that (for lack of a better words) bored me. But I love to listen to classical...strange .So I naturally gravitated towards Jazz, because this is the ultimate expression and creative outlet for me.

So which do you prefer to PLAY and WHY?

Rick AKA Trumpet Man

davidjohnson

rick:

perhaps you just prefer to make up your own arpeggios & scale patterns as the musical moment progresses! i bet you do both styles well.
i get a kick out of playing the etude books. i even have fun with clarke.
but sometimes i just kick back and blow gershwin's 'summertime', that's fun, too.

dj

Schwab

I think a well rounded player should be able to do (and enjoy) both. Playing jazz (commercial) will help you to sound less stiff even on classical literature, and playing classical will help with intonation and accuracy when playing commercial things.

It is all playing the trumpet anyway, it really isn't that different.

Clarence

Jazz i like flying with-out a net!
I just love the crowd in yopur face thing.
I remember at sixteen learning to play in a jazz setting, now that,s trial by fire!

Clarence

stcman said:It is all playing the trumpet anyway, it really isn't that different.
Your wrong on that partner!
If it,s all the same take your axe into any real jazz club and tell them u wanna sit, then and only then u will know it aint your daddy,s oldsmobile!

bigaggietrumpet

I love playing both, though it depends usually on what I'm playing, as well as what mood I'm in.

I love classical. The raw beauty of it, as well as the emotions, are just wonderful for me. Now sometimes there are guys who write stuff that's just completely off the wall regarding key and tonality, and that stuff I usually stay away from. But I love making a warm beautiful tone, or a dark powerful tone on a passage.

But I also have my jazz moments. Let's face it, jazz is fun. Granted, I haven't had the chance to play actual jazz since high school, but I miss it, and loved it when I was playing it. I was always a big fan of big band and other swing stuff, and some Ellington usually. Some of the fusion and contemporary jazz, though, just bores me to tears. But I looooove playing lead on stuff like Malaguena, or just being in a tight section on a Glenn Miller chart.

MrLT

I love playing jazz no doubt but play classical in the privacy of my own home. I use the classical approach to try to gain as much control as i can of the instrument then use that in a jazz setting. In years gone by I mostly forgot any classical training i had and so lost the essential discipline which is needed to become a player good enough to play anything. I've rediscovered this and its helping me all the way. I would never dare to play classical in an orchestra or ensemble - the guys that do that are on the next level with regard to control, accuracy and technical ability. However i do entertain ambitions and can see a C trumpet waiting for me in the future - who knows - even a piccolo!

respect

Rick Chartrand

Very well said Clarence!

Rick AKA Trumpet Man

trumpetmike8

I like to play both. But I voted for Jazz to even out the numbers.
I guess you can say that I play Jazzical

Michael