guitarsrmine

I'm a comeback player of almost a year, after being gone for nearly 30 years. Ive been practicing everyday, for an hour, working on tone, range, and articulation, among other things. Well, last nite, I was able to get to high G, above High C, which I've never done before. I dont know why it came to me, other than I must be doing something right. I actually started on G below the staff, and did this arpeggio-type of excersise,playing, in order-G, B,D,G on the staff, B, D,G above staff,B,D, and finally the highest G (note, for that matter) that I ever hit. Boy, did that feel good! I'm not gonnago crazy with trying to blast that G out everytime I practice, but it sure gave me a real boost!!!

SFPat

I know the feeling. I am 4 weeks into my comeback after more than 25 years off. I'm essentially working on similar things that you are but also do the Ken Saul high range exercises every other day. When I previously played, I never had much high range, with notes above the staff being a reach. Yesterday I was able to get to D above high C and hold it with clarity and tone, which is the highest note I've ever hit (I probably could have gone higher but decided that was enough). Maybe not a major accomplishment for most, but satisfying to me. One of my goals is to one day play music that utilizes that note (and even some higher ones).

ComeBackKid

Those moments are what keep us comeback players - and also the newbies - playing. We struggle and work on Arban exercises, playing in obscurity in the basement or woodshed waiting for the moment that we are allowed to come out and mix with polite company and even daring to hope that someone will let us bring out trumpets with us. We play the scales and the intervals and the arpeggios and then venture into those dreaded Characteristic Etudes where we are thrown back a few pages only to stand up and try again. Then, at some point, we realize that we have just done something that we were despairing to ever do. That keeps us going until the next win occurs. Hang in there. We're all doing this together.

__________________
Come-Back Kid
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Selmer Invicta London (1956)
Olds Recording (1958)
Olds Super (1951, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)
Olds SuperStar (1971)
Olds Studio (1955,1970)
Olds Special (1951, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962)
Olds Ambassador (a few: 1953-1979)
Andreas Eastman (new)
(+Conn Director, King Cleveland, Holton Collegiate,
Blessing Accord, York, Yamaha, Getzen, Amati, Revelle, Bundy, Alcazar)

rowuk

The difference between a high C and the G above it is not that great. The reason that most players with a decent high C have trouble most of the time is because their body use is messed up and they use too much pressure on the upper lip.

I am sure that you were just exceptionally relaxed and got a bit lucky with your body use.

Now that you KNOW that the note is "in you", start working harder on exactly those issues. Practice after a shower. Angle the trumpet a bit down to take pressure off of the upper lip, and read this:

David G. Monette Corporation

Good luck!

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

dhbailey

Rowuk -- thanks for that link to the Monette material. Funny, how one "expert" can disagree so much with another "expert." As I read the writing by Doc Reinhardt and also writings by people who studied directly with him and have seen some of them play much stronger/higher than I play, it's interesting to note that what Monette says is directly opposite to what Reinhardt says.

Reinhardt would say that (I'm guessing based on what he has written in The Pivot Encyclopedia and elsewhere because of course Reinhardt is dead and can't actually speak for himself) the posture shown in the first picture A is the correct stance and that B is the incorrect stance, while Monette is saying that A is incorrect and B is the correct posture.

And the funny thing is that they are both correct -- either posture is correct if it works for you, and incorrect if it doesn't.

It all comes down to air-flow, and whatever posture allows us to get the proper air-flow for our playing needs is what is best for us.

jtarpley

This a great post! I have just joined the site. I also am a "comeback" player, not having played since the late sixties!! I have a beautiful 1962 Olds Recording that I have just had re-oiled and cleaned (not buffed.) It still works beautifully, but, alas, my lip doesn't. Any tips on getting back into playing shape?? Would really appreciate it.

rowuk

DH,
they are both right. Dave Monette designed his trumpets so the pivot is not necessary. The hardware is different. Both advocated relaxed, deep breath and playing into the center of the note. On older equipment you had to compensate for the limitations of the hardware. That was accomplished with body use.

Reinhardt would have appreciated the work that Dave Monette has done. The sound might not be every players cup of tea, but the body use issue is a no brainer.

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

guitarsrmine

Sorry to disagree with you Rowuk, but for someone whos been away from the horn for 30 years, I think it is a big difference,AND a big deal. As far as
Monette and his trumpets-dont get me started on that subject!!

rowuk

GRM,
the difference between physical and body requirements for high C and G above the staff are infinitely small. This is easily proven in a real one on one lesson. That the brain is not always cooperative is a parameter of the human state. We are masters in making our own lives difficult - not only with the trumpet.

This was not a plug for Monette instruments. It is a link to an excellent approach to body use independent of hardware. I do not have a similar link from any other manufacturer otherwise they would get equal time.

If you have a problem with Dave and his instruments, that would be a thread in itself. I personally see him as a custom instrument shop for players that agree with his way of thinking (like me). Merely another choice - not a universal solution. I am very big on choice.

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

dhbailey

I don't think anybody can say that any of the current custom trumpet makers are either right or wrong in any sort of absolute sense. They all are right for a lot of players and wrong for a lot of players, and I agree with Rowuk that having the choices we have is a very good thing.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who remembers the days when the choices were severely limited, and custom-designed-and-hand-built-trumpets just weren't an option. People bought Getzen or Conn or Bach or Olds or Schilke or Benge or Besson or Selmer. Period. Unless you were a top-line international artist and could get one of those companies to talk to you about designing a trumpet specifically for your needs/desires.

These days, any of us can get a trumpet designed and built to whatever specifications we want, and with the scientific equipment to assist us and the precision manufacturing capabilities for even one-off trumpets, it's amazing. Now the only two things holding anybody back from owning their ideal trumpet are money (hand-built horns aren't cheap) and knowing what we really want.