trumpettrax

How do you know when you no longer need to take trumpet lessons? It's probably one of those answeres like "If you have to ask you probably still need lessons" huh?

trax

Alex Yates

Honestly, it never ends and shouldn't. Many advanced, successful players will solicit the ears of a colleague for advice. As long as you have an appetite for learning and improvement, "lessons" will be on your plate forever. It is how information is shared and how the love for what we do continues to stay alive. I have been playing 27 years, but there is always room for improvement and enlightenment. I enjoy getting together with other players of all kinds.

trumpettrax

After a certain leve you probably don't need weekly private lessons though right?

Alex Yates

That's right Trax. After a time, and perhaps a very long time, weekly is no longer necessary. If you are happy with your playing and can do all that you want to do, or all that is required of you as a working trumpeter, then you do reach a certain point where you decide when and if a lesson or consultation is in order.

rjzeller

Trax:

Are you a full-time professional who's at the top of your industry either as a soloist or a permanent principal trumpet of a major symphony?

If not, I'd say weekly is still ideal. No, most of us cannot commit that time out here in the real world. But so long as you're still in HS or College, I think it's a given that you need regular private lessons.

And if I had an instructur in Rochester, MN who could teach at the level I need I would probably StILL go weekly. If not, I'd definitely do it regularly on some form of interval -- monthly, bi-weekly, whatever.

Heck, as Alex said, there are more than a few pros who still study with others in the field. It never stops....

trumpettrax

I know I still have a LONG way to go. I'm a comeback player and probably an intermediate player +

I love going to lessons, but was just curious what others think. My teacher doesn't do the weekly lessons, but does exactly what you said. He consults with other trumpeters etc.

Because of work I'm only able to take a couple of lessons a week though.

Thanks for the input.

Siegtrmpt

I don't think you ever outgrow the need for feedback from good players about your playing. It's so easy to have little bad habits creep in over the years without you knowing it. This doesn't have to take the form of weekly or formal "lessons" but you have to be self motivated and know what you need to work on. Playing "gig" music may not be enough. Why not get together with other like minded players to work on duets, orchestral excerpts or jazz improv?

Mzony

I wish I could go back to having weekly lessons. What a luxory.

stephenwright

I've just cleared my grade 8 with distinction and I saw it as an ideal chance to get back into lessons with a new teacher I met a few days ago over the summer holidays upping my lesson time to an hour a week (from 30 mins.) I just love trumpet lessons now that the grade are finished. As lessons with my teacher are now on a casual "call-when-you-want-one" basis I'm allowed to bring in whatever I want to work on

Stephen

trumpetmike

Stephen - I would suggest that this is where lessons become more important and the fun really begins.

I know that this is a stage I like when dealing with my own students - we can start looking at repertoire outside the terrible limitations of ABRSM
BTW - this is where learning sclaes goes into the next dimension - if you think you know them, now start learnign how to use them properly - learn as many scale patterns as you can think of (if you want a really good book, check out Stievenard Practical Study of the Scales for Clarinet) and start using them to increase accuracy in the upper register (why is it that the almighty ABRSM think that music stops at C??).

Enjoy - this is where it starts to become "fun"