Music Minus Jordy | Learn Lead Trumpet

Remember- If you have a different viewpoint on anything, feel free to argue your point. Even if your stance is not the “Learnleadtrumpet way” or the “Jordan Hoffman approach.” That’s just fine. It’s all good! The more we talk, the more we learn.

Fun Fact- I used my beater Holton horn for the palm workout because I had already strung the Getzen up to the ceiling Oops! shoulda thought about that one:) And speaking of the hanging trumpet workout, I got that idea from the one and only: Bill Chase

OK I tried playing it starting on the high G again a couple weeks later… I think I got it this time. Have a listen- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwxSRm3ECio

Chapter Markers:
-What I Use 2:54
-Wedge vs. Cup 8:03
-Gap/ Annulus 13:07
-Big vs. Small 25:46
-Other Mouthpiece Explanations 36:36
-How to Find the Perfect Mouthpiece 44:55
-Round One 48:25
-Round Two 1:16:25
-Round Three 1:19:00
-Coming Full Circle 1:25:00

Let Me Be Clear- There is no magic mouthpiece. There is no Holy Grail Super de Duper Ultra Shallow Killer XRP Turbo Mouthpiece that will instantly give anyone the high notes of Arturo Sandoval, and the volume of Cat Anderson. Sorry:( Everyone has a different mouth. This is why we have different mouthpieces. There is no perfect piece out there that everyone needs to buy, there is only a mouthpiece that works best for you.

How to Find the Perfect Mouthpiece for You- Go to a music store, a big music store with lots of mouthpieces. Ask to take out and try as many as possible. Play on each piece. Make two piles. Make a YES pile and a NO pile. Give the NO pile back. Then get picky. Play many different musics on each of the remaining pieces. Dwindle your selection down by process of elimination until you only have two pieces remaining. Try smaller and smaller versions of these two mouthpieces until you bottom out. Then go one or two sizes bigger. These are the perfect fit. Take them home for a week. Play as much as possible on them. After a week, decide which one to buy, and steal the other one. Jk just seeing if your paying attention;)

One Last Thought- There are certain pieces that tend to work well or OK for many people because they are the “middle of the road” option (7C…). At a basic level they can satisfy, like ketchup can satisfy the craving for sauce on your cheeseburger. But why settle for ketchup when there are so many other sauces to try? You might find a sauce you like much better! The message here is- don’t settle for what works for most people, find what works best for you. Then…
Stop blaming the mouthpiece when you aren’t playing well! The piece is like a rock. It doesn’t change, WE change!! We are the ones that mess things up, the sooner we admit this and stop blaming our equipment, the sooner we can start to REALLY learn to play some trumpet:)

Later comment- I checked my gap using a paperclip. Betsy has no gap! No wonder I slide all over the place…

Chapter Markers:
-Advanced Lip Flexibilities by Dr. Charles Colin 15:50
-Lip Flexibilities by Bai Lin 26:38
-Lip Flexibility on the Trumpet by Walter M. Smith 47:00
-Hessions Sessions by Patrick E. Hession 52:00
-Systematic Approach to Daily Practice by Claude Gordon 58:40
-The Advanced Trumpeter’s Perfect Practice PDF 1:19:05

Be sure to keep tabs on your breathing, tongue, and lips as you practice;)

Chapter Markers:
-Squeaky Balloon 0:52
-Puff Our Cheeks 8:45
-The Garden Hose 10:21
-Application to the Horn (Air Compression on the Trumpet)
-Introduction 19:18
-Breathing (1st Method of Compression) 20:42
-The Tongue (2nd Method of Compression) 59:03
-The Lips (3rd method of Compression) 1:16:38

The whole point of this video is to show that there are only three things you need to work on in order to maximize range, endurance, and power on the trumpet: breath compression, tongue compression, and lip compression. Everything falls into one or more of these three categories. With this information, you’ll be able to pinpoint exactly what area/s you personally can improve in.

Other videos/sources that I have found helpful:

General Range Videos
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XmrI5yvmTw (John “Rufftips”)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn0GnOX4FwM (Charlie Porter)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujrTDbnvDpU (James Morrison)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jeHSX7Vfx4 (Maynard Ferguson)

Air Videos
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zGXjGZMpxg (Adam Rapa)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fviXbWYvaZc (Lynn Nicholson)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmWE3BoSoGM (Roger Ingram)

Tongue Videos
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zov7sdjFi6k (Dr. Brian Shook)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OPRwxDPTe0 (Kurt Thompson)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjDz2SvBfZo (Rashawn Ross)
–http://www.bbtrumpet.com/arch.html (Clint ‘Pops’ McLaughlin)

Lips Videos
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZDTi2-bCMk (Larry Meregillano)
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb11WjXtcaA&list=PL_-5V68_bjORyaJHCDcPXF1Uf7JhEIlV3 (Roy Roman)

Many of the greats started out with the right embouchure naturally. That’s why so many of them focus their masterclasses on breath support and air (which is not at all a bad topic to focus on) but, in doing so, they tend to pass over discussing the topic of embouchure. A large many of them are unaware of the fact that most people have been taught incorrectly. Most players that have gone through the modern education system in the United States, i.e. Middle School/ High School Band Class, have been taught incorrectly, or have been taught the corners method. I can’t speak for other parts of the world, but where I’m from in the United States, many teachers at the Middle School, High school and College levels of education have simply confused their trumpet students by giving them superfluous amounts of information about embouchure. …Nothing against musicians that play other instruments, but I would rather be taught how to play the trumpet by a talented trumpeter than a clarinetist band director who learned everything they know about the trumpet during one two-week segment of their College “Brass Pedagogy” Class. Just saying… In short, the great trumpet players may say too little about embouchure, whereas the not-so-great ones, may say too much…

Here’s a great interview with the boss. The whole interview is captivating, but I would like to direct your attention specifically to the 17:50 mark in the video. This is where MF acknowledges Clark Terry as having “the perfect embouchure.” I was a CT fan long before stumbling across this MF interview, and I just have to say- Maynard has a good point. Whether CT did have the “perfect” embouchure or not, it’s a worthy thing to take note of, and that’s quite a compliment coming from the boss himself! –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSc2L4z0hZY

There’s a great book out there that a friend from my Army Band gave me called The Balanced Embouchure. After reading this book and playing many of the exercises within it, I actually started to understand what I was doing after I switched to playing rolled in. It’s a great read. –http://www.trumpetteacher.net/be_book.html

Remember- If you have a different viewpoint on anything, feel free to argue your point. Even if your stance is not the “Learnleadtrumpet way” or the “Jordan Hoffman approach.” That’s just fine. It’s all good! The more we talk, the more we learn.

YAAAAaaay!! you joined us WOO HOO!!!!