trumpettrax

I just read an interesting article and decided I would pose a question here about it.

Are "Great Trumpet Players" born or are they made? My teachers (I'm not trying to speak for him) philosophy is that they are made. A great trumpet player is the result of hundreds even thousounds of hours of practise, scales etc. Playing with a focus and determination. Doing what you love because you will WANT to do it more and spend the time necessary to become great.

Thoughts? Are the great ones made or born?

trumpettrax

p.s. Mr. Carroll,

Were you born great or where you made?

scream machine

I think that some people are born with nature ablites. Some, have allready delveped musles in the face. So, playing come's nature. The rest is countless hours of prictice and love of the horn. Just look at that 5 year old kid. He just picked up that horn one day and played a note. He must have allready have good musles delveped or he would not have been able to do that. Now how he got to were he is now was from playing a lot and not geting bord with it. So it's a mixture of both.

ecarroll

Hi, sorry to be dormant for so long...

Great players are made. However, so of us have greater cognitive connections to the process of learning an instrument than others and for those lucky ones things move ahead faster.

We see this in sports all the time -- the young Tiger who delevops his swing at an early age and is hitting the ball 300 yards at age 12 (think Michele Wie as well). The Little Leaguer who throws strikes naturally and fluidly vs. the kid who throws more like poultry.

Intuitive connection can be built through repetition of sound principles. It simply takes more reps for some than it took Vizzutti or Sommerhalder (and they practiced like mad -- thus (voila!) great technique at an early age. I can cite examples (including an ex roomate at Northwestern) of the tortoise winning the race, however. It simply takes patience and stamina -- qualities lacking in most of us today.

Discussion?

Best to you all,
EC

uatrmpt

I wonder if the perception of somebody being great is, in actuality, the result of an early start. My teacher, for instance, started playing at age 8 (on a Bach 1 1/2C, no less!) and was in an elementary school band in Atlanta that played and recorded, very well, the Holst First Suite (and the like). It seems like all of those who are great have one thing in common: intense self discipline. They put the time in and had great instruction. I can blame my shortcomings on not having a natural bent toward music, which I don't; but, the simple fact is that I haven't put in the time that I should have.

There's a line from the musical Ragtime that sums it up: "All men are created equal, but the cream rises to the top!"

trumpettrax

Great players are made. However, so of us have greater cognitive connections to the process of learning an instrument than others and for those lucky ones things move ahead faster.

What, if anythng, can we do to help develop our cognitive connections?


This question is for anyone.

trax

tpter1

Trax- The best answer I can come up with is listen. Go to as many concerts as possible, buy as many good recordings as possible, and immerse yourself in the language that is music. Listen to music of many, many genres to become clearly literate in as many as you can and to develop your ear in as many facets as you can.

trumpettrax

tpter1 or anyone for that matter, my teacher has suggested the exact same thing and I was wondering if you all could help me with suggestions on which cd's to purchase. I need to start developing my own library of cd's. I would appreciate any help I could get. Classical, jazz etc. Names of the CD and artist would be appreciated.

Thanks

noonan

Interesting topic-

I thought of two different quotes, neither of which I remember exactly-

"There are no advanced techniques, only basics well applied."- some martial arts dude, not Bruce Lee though.

and Ghitalla said something to the effect that, "the best players have the ability to practice basic skills far beyond what is considered normal."