loweredsixth

Now that I've heard about your difficulties, how about the things that have always come easy to you.

For me, it would definitely be the mental stuff. I've always been very quick at memorizing music, scales, chords, etc.

When I was in high school, my trumpet teacher picked up on this, and told me to memorize all my major scales in one week (which I did.) Then the next week was minor scales (all forms.) By the end of the summer, I had memorized so many different types of scales and modes along with their chords. It's just always been easy for me.

The physical part of trumpet playing has always been very hard for me.

What about y'all?

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Horn: Bach 184L cornet
Mouthpiece: Monette B1-1

FlugelFlyer

Throwing my horn against the wall has always come easy for me.


Other than that though, I'm one of the infidellious musicians who have perfect pitch. It helps me play by ear, but it's annoying when I play a Bb trumpet then start singing in C. Other than that, I've always been a decent sightreader. That fell for a year when I started anticipating accidentals being written on the right side of notes, which completely threw me for a year. Now that I expect them on the left side, the biggest thing that helps me sightread is "not trying". By not trying, I don't get myself into a headspell trying to read music and instead just play whats there and not worry so much what comes out of the end of the horn the first time as what I get from the experience.

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Bach 180LR, 72 bell
Bach 1-1/2C
Bach 3D

Lawler Bb

I've always had the big resonant sound thing down pretty well. Wish I could transfer it into the upper register.

My ear and sense of time have been good to me as well.

Eric

Manny Laureano

Imitating sounds I hear.

I used to love to imitate almost any sound I could wrap my ear around.

ML

ROGERIO

Playing the picc came easy to me... and although it got me many accolades at the time, I wish that I had been wiser and kept my focus on the money horns.

Maybe if I had done that I wouldn’t be stuck in an office all day…

trumpet blower88

Improviseing has always come pretty easy for me, its more of the the crazy amounts of creativity i have that always wants to get out, thats why composeing and what not has come farily easily to me too...

I never did post on that last one about what comes hard, but for me, marching a backwards left slide at about 230 bpm at a 3 to 5 step (3 steps for every 5 yards for you non marching band people) while playing a crazy 16th note lick in last years show was a litle on the the difficult side.

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-David Jacques

Anonymous

Two things came really easy to me:

1) Picc playing--I got my picc my junior year of high school and worked up lots of stuff on it. I played the third movement of the Brandenburg for my Curtis audition which was the only good part of it (although looking back I was REALLY stupid for playing that piece on an audition when I didn't have to)

2) Articulation in general has always been really easy for me. Multiple tonguing has come very rapidly.

ROGERIO

peabodytrumpeter,

wow... that reminds me of Manny's story of his audition to Julliard!

I too played the picc for my college auditions (1978), the Leopold Mozard Concerto.

This is by no means a slam on my teachers, but later I wished one of them had said, "NO, pick it up when you get to college..."
It must be difficult for teachers to do that when a student is not only excited about playing such pieces but then is exceptionaly good at it. Playing the picc exposed me to incredible experiences at a young age. But like I said earlier, today... I would have traded that for a better base.

brian moon

Sight reading, transposition, and high notes.

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Revelation 3:20

PhatmonB6

I am good at hearing a song (as long as it is not to difficult) and figuring it out by ear. When I was in high school I listend to Maynards Maria, Chucks Feels So Good, Herbs Spanish Flea and figured out the majority of the songs by ear......the easiest for me and I am sure for all you masters is Star Spangled Banner. Lately I have been playing around with Miles version of Time After Time and Wyntons Who Can I Turn To. Though I did finally get the music for W C I T T,

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Bach Strad 180S37
Monette B2

Well, if I could play like Wynton (Marsalis), I wouldn't play like Wynton.
Chet Baker