a question for any trumpet/soprano player

[PaNors77]

I'll wager the students of PaNors77 sound pretty good.

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Hah...thanks for that. The ones who practice anyway. Geez you wouldn't beleive about the ones with parents who could care less and I'm looked upon like a musical babysitter, lol.

I do have a little 4th grader too, who's been studying since 3rd grade, who now after he got the braces off is warming up to high Bb, doing flexibilities from top space G and reading in 4# Emajor and other keys. Love it when piano playing mom's help,heh.

Philbert

[PaNors77]

while playing high notes is fun, the guys who make the most money are the people with the best tone and a decent range to accompany that... not vice versa. I would bet adolph herseth made, and probably sitll makes much more money than any lead player who is looking for the easiest way to make everyones ears bleed. When it's all said and done, it's all about making music, and people who can't do that are out of a job.

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I dunno about Herseth but I agree with your post. My teacher always taught(while we were doing range, too) it's all about what you can do with what you have. Just because somebody can hit a loud high note isn't enough. What can you DO wth it? I've got too many old friends who only focused on high notes when they were young. Now they don't play anymore.

I think it's more fun making music whether high notes are included or not. I've done a ton of Palm Springs desert gigs where if you think you're impressing somebody by screaming a double G on a dinner set you'll be sadly mistaken. Of course.....if I were to do that, it'd be on a mute, ^0^ hahahaha.

Still I like and work range so don't get me wrong but I find it's better if you can solo with some of that range.....mix it up so to speak. At least for ME it's more fun that way. Ahhh....to be like Arturo or Faddis,no?? heh.

PHilbert

[bssop97]

I still find it sometimes funny that when some in this post (counting myself) talk about up and downstream we get the same response....

Just breath...

Make Music...

etc.etc.etc..

Good points and I agree with them all BUT... I wish I knew back the what I know NOW.

My life as a player would of been much easier and the music would of been better too.

[fnchdrms87]

one more important thing that i don't is emphasized as much is tone

getting a good sound is half the battle

everything else is the other half

[PaNors77]

one more important thing that i don't is emphasized as much is tone

getting a good sound is half the battle

everything else is the other half

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You DID emphasize tone in your other post. Tone is important....way important. BUT...what kind of tone we talking about? I mean I like a phat tone but not so much that I sound like a cornet or flugelhorn. If I wanna sound that dark, i'll play those horns.

Of course now this bleeds into the shallow cup vs. deep cup debate.

I tell my students(the older ones who wanna scream,heh) that if you want high chops don't immediately go with the smallest mouthpiece. Try em all out and aim for one in the middle. Not too shallow which can give a shrill/too bright tone and you can get a lot of note shut off problems. Not too deep because you wanna sound like a trumpet plus you need resistance to help support those high notes. Blowin down an elevator shaft aint fun,heh. Where that "happy medium" IS will be different for everyone, altho I've had good luck with the Schilke B cups for students so far.

PHilbert B)