Jimi Michiel

Hi Manny,

I'm sorry to ask this question of you for the um-teenth time, but could you just explain what you enjoy and find to be helpful about playing B-flat trumpet? I've been trying to force myself to play B-flat everyday, just on Arbans, Clark and scale studies, but I'm having a hard time finding any advantages to the B-flat trumpet. Today I hacked through West Side Story on my B-flat using an old Schilke 13A4A that a friend gave me. I was about ready to quit out of frustration when I decided to try playing a lightweight C trumpet with the lead mouthpiece. Everything felt better on the C. I feel like a little kid who deosn't want to eat his veggies...

-Jimi

Manny Laureano

LOL!

The veggies comment was very funny!

Well, I think it's a very personal thing, Jimi. Since I had all and I mean ALL my lessons at school on Bb and since so many of the solos I played coming up were on Bb it's been hard to give up. However, I notice that when I have something particularly difficult to play at work, warming up on th C helps keep that sound in my head and the feel of the horn at the ready.

There's just no beating the Bb for a big, sexy, lush sound to start off the day. Oops... is that too much information? Anyways, the Bb takes a bit more air than the C so it's sort of like lifting weights before lifting a lighter weight. The mouthpieces are the same in just about every respect, though, so, that doesn't change. Also, it's nice to growl on a low concert E and F before I get going.

I admit it: it's purely psychological! So, don't get caught up in my psychoses unless you really just enjoy playing the Bb.

ML

Jimi Michiel

That surprises me that you never worked with Vacchiano on C or D trumpet. So did you just learn all the cleffs on B-flat and then figure out how to apply them to C trumpet transposition?

So my C997 isn't big and sexy? Nevermind... In all seriousness, though, my C trumpet feels much bigger than my B-flat and, although I don't have measurements, it sure feels like I put more air through my Monette C997 than my little tiny Yamaha B-flat. Maybe my problem with B-flat is a problem with MY B-flat

Your psychoses work for you, my psychoses work for me. Although you're the one with a gig, so maybe I should go look for a decent B-flat....

-Jimi

PS. Were you using the Kosaka mute this morning? My eyes aren't that good, but I thought I saw something yellow in the vicinity of the trumpet section...

Manny Laureano

I sure was!

ML

beppe

I had the same problem with the Eb trumpets: I played nice with Eb trumpets and not so good with Bb. Finally I've understand that I had assumed different position in playing with the Eb trumpets and Bb trumpets: I was playing more off-center (and so more relaxed) with Eb, and this was the reason of the different sound emission!!

So, you can try to see if there are difference in your playing with Bb and C trumpets (in mouth, posture, etc.) also making a movie or some photos with the help of a friend.

Bye. Beppe (Italy)

PS: I've to stop playing for some month for dental problems..AARRRRGH!!!

Veldkamp

It's funny, being merely a "commercial" or jazzplayer I see it the other way around. We play everything we have to play on a Bb trumpet and do not have to change between piccolo, Eb, D,F, etc. So that's a great advantage for us, also for the cost aspects. Next to that, a Bb trumpet is more in tune compared to a C-trumpet.

I think the russian classical players like Sergei, Tomofei etc. also play Bb trumpets and it seems to work for them.

cornetguy

i find that my playing is happier when i warm up on the b-flat even if that is the only playing on it i do. don't know why that is

Vulgano Brother

Veldkamp, no trumpet is "in tune", and if we all use our slides correctly, intonation is not an issue when mixing instruments. What pitch instrument does Malcom McNab use most of the time? Not Bb!

Veldkamp

I didn't say that a Bb trumpet was IN TUNE, but MORE IN TUNE compared to a C trumpet.

I didn't say either that you have to use a Bb trumpet, I was talking about the advantages of playing a Bb trumpet. I know classical trumpetplayers are using different instruments for a different sound. The same goes with Malcolm McNab, he uses the instrument he thinks it suits the job. If Malcolm was born in Russia, he would probably use his Bb more often...