B15M

Hello again Manny,

I have two questions for you.

First : Do you have any solo recordings that I could get?

Second: I can't play above high F (one octave above the top line on the staff)
Sometimes I can hit a G but not usually. I can play an F any time I want. Practice or performance.

I have a lot of endurance and I am a very strong player.

I don't understand it. The reason I get bugged about this is, when I read about high school kids playing double C.

I practice a lot and I try to rest enough. I read that in your audition for college you played Brandenburg. I still can't do that one.

What do you think?

Manny Laureano

Dear B1-5M,

"First : Do you have any solo recordings that I could get?"

Sadly, not yet. But this is the year that I plan to remedy that. Stay tuned.

"Second: I can't play above high F (one octave above the top line on the staff) Sometimes I can hit a G but not usually. I can play an F any time I want. Practice or performance. I have a lot of endurance and I am a very strong player. I don't understand it. The reason I get bugged about this is, when I read about high school kids playing double C. I practice a lot and I try to rest enough. I read that in your audition for college you played Brandenburg. I still can't do that one.

"What do you think?"

Okay, so, the upper register, huh?

The equipment I play is comparable to yours. I play the B1-2, and the C1-5M. The range you have on that equipment is appropriate for the cup depth. Remember, the 1-5M series is comparable to the old Bach B cup.
Being able to hit a G with that is about right. Having a dependable F is perfect.

The high school kids that are squealing dubba Cs are doing that: squealing. If you played a 14A4A you'd squeal out dubba Cs, too but if you were interested in playing with the Minnesota, you'd receive a pleasant "No, thank you." Decide which is what you want to do. Jazz lead playing or symphonic style. If you want to do both in an average way, get a mouthpiece that's somewhere in the middle. That's just where you'd be: right in the middle.

Normal as defined by Webster: the absence of outstanding qualities.

Decide what you want. There's nothing wrong with jazz lead playing and there's nothing wrong with symphonic playing. Decide what you want.

ML

B15M

Thank you for the advise.

I still would like to be able to play Brandenburg.

I have trouble switching mouthpieces.

When I do go to a shallower mouthpiece I have to start on it and warm up for a long time. When I use a shallower mouthpiece in my piccolo trumpet it goes way out of tune.

Manny Laureano

Hey,here's a thought:

How about a shallower but V- shaped mouthpiece so you won't bottom out?

ML

B15M

I will see what I can come up with and let you know

sublmbadfish

You also have to take into effect that a lot the the high school kids that say the can play double C are lying...i only know about 2 kids in high school that i have ever heard play double C and i've only come close once after about 3 weeks of nothing but lead playing (still not enough of a note to mention.)

JackD

Look forward to it Manny

wiseone2

How many high school kids can transpose in E? How many high school players can play softly with a beautiful sound? Maybe there is something wrong with their role models.
There is nothing more pathetic than a kid trying to play high notes and deluding themselves into believing those squeeks are actual notes.Playing lead trumpet is more than playing loud and high.
Bernie Glow admitted that anything above a high G was out of his range.
Bernie was one the most famous lead trumpet players of our time..........and he did not play double Cs
Wilmer

Manny Laureano

"How many high school kids can transpose in E? How many high school players can play softly with a beautiful sound? Maybe there is something wrong with their role models."

Wilmer,

Have I told you recently what a pleasure it is having you around on TM?

You are so on the mark about this. All of those things were part of constant discussion when I was a kid. Sure, we all loved huddling around somebody's record player listening to the latest MF Horn album and wishing we could do that. Then we'd put on a Mendez recording. Somebody would bring out Doc and an album of ballads. Finally, the symphonic albums would come out for the grand finale.

We'd talk about lessons we had and the latest cool technique we'd learned. We'd have low note contests. LOW NOTE! How fat could we scream a low G or F#? The fat sound was the big thing then, I recall. Everybody wanted to see who could get the fattest sound on a lick.

Guess we were really dumb back then, eh, Wilmer?

ML

bigaggietrumpet

I think part of the problem is at that age, you just wanna say that you are louder and higher than the guy next to you, not so much that you can produce the better tones are play the music better. I'd love to say that I wasn't like this, but I do admit that I fell into the high note trap a lot. BUT, as salvation, by my sophomore year I was searching the internet franticly for a copy of Traumerei as played by Severinsen. I thought that was one of the most beautiful sounds I'd ever heard. I'm STILL trying to get close.