ned

Hi, and greetings from Glastonbury, England.
As someone just embarking on the rather daunting road to trumpet playing, I have already found this forum helpful. I'm 56 years old...but I'm still breathing and seem to have a working set of lips so why not! I play (or have played) a number of instruments in the past: guitar, diatonic accordion & sax ( plus a few oddities like bagpipes: softens up the neighbours a treat - after that they'll beg you to practice trumpet!). Always wanted to sound a trumpet though, ever since I was a child: the parental units were not convinced however & forced me into the arms of a terrifying chain-smoking piano teacher instead who nearly put me off music-making for life! So finally (took my time, eh) I decided what's the worst that can happen (open to suggestions /experiences / warnings !). At present all I have is a desperately beaten up horn that I bought from a carboot sale for £10. It is inscribed "Dallas - London". The bell looks like it's been used as a murder weapon, the 3rd slide finger loop is missing, one of the slides is stuck fast, the valves move in slo-mo & I'm not sure whether the mouthpiece is suitable for a beginner (it is inscribed "Dennis Clift - London"). But I am beginning to get a few notes out and it very occasionally sounds quite nice! I've been reading the threads about beginners' instruments on this forum which will be of great help when I get to buy something less decrepit. Good to know there's a community of experienced players out there willing to share their knowledge.

tedh1951

G'day Ned,

Welcome to TM.

Questions, questions, questions.

What's the worst thing that could happen? If you are getting some nice tones already then the worst has happened - you have the bug. Follow your dream - small warning - it'll take a while.

Do you have a tutor? - See if you can find one.

You're right you know - you have lips - you have music inside - make glorious sounds.

Beat-up old trumpet? Everyone has to start somewhere, a clean, and a polish may help.

See if you can get into a local Community Band - they are very forgiving.

Remember, the wrestling match with bagpipes is part of the reason that they are considered a weapon of war - trumpets, on the other hand, are used in Heaven - and also by we earth bound angels. He! He!

__________________
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Ted

Vulgano Brother

Welcome to TM, Ned!

If you can play bagpipes, you've got the lungs for trumpet. No one could commit murder with such a noble instrument as the trumpet--it would have to have been a justifiable homicide!

Have fun!

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org

s.coomer

Welcome to TM, enjoy your stay. You really need to do yourself a big favor and find a good competant teacher to help you. They can work with you one on one and detect way more than anyone here over the internet can.

Peter McNeill

Hi Ned,
Welcome to TM. As said above, get a teacher quickly to save yourself a lot of grief.
Be patient, it will happen.
Cheers

__________________
Peter
Stopped Counting horns,
But just 1 more will be perfect...

Sofus

Very welcome to TM, Ned!

What the h-ck are you talking about?
I turned 57 a week ago!
Are you trying to put me down!?!?!?

__________________
" There are no secrets to trumpetplaying - except Practice Your Head Off - and that´s no secret! "

Bud Herseth 1977 in Hamar, Norway


********************

Mouthpiece and Solidarity

tedh1951

I'm 59 in a couple of months, and still a pup . Ned, we are just an argumentative bunch of old blokes having fun with trumpets. All is good. Enjoy.

__________________
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Ted

ned

"Old blokes having fun with trumpets": better not let my wife read that!!!!!

ComeBackKid

He said TRUMPETS - not STRUMPETS - of course to many of our wives, there is not that much difference.

__________________
Come-Back Kid
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