[TPIN] Frustration in learning

[Allegro69]

And speaking of bad habits, I'm three weeks into the patch where I'm
hopefully keeping off the butts. Even in this short time, my stamina to play
trumpet has improved dramatically. For whatever reason 'now comes the dawn'
or better yet 'well duh', I became reminded that I wasn't blowing thru the
horn and bouncing my sound against the wall. It seems that I was only
blowing thru to the leadpipe and not projecting. It was a most frustrating
thing to always wonder why my sound would be anemic and whimpish. Whatever
the case, maybe it was all those years of ingesting nicotine that clouded my
brain as well as my lungs. Pushing 63 dispels the notion that you can't
teach an old dog (or old 'whatever') new tricks where not smoking and
playing better will help keep me alive and healthy when I celebrate my 100th
birthday.
BOB

Message: 3
Date: Sun, 05 Nov 2006 17:31:39 -0500
From: Tim Phillips <iplatrpt at unifourbrass.org>
Subject: Re: [TPIN] Frustration in learning
To: "Trumpet Players' International Network" <tpin at tpin.okcu.edu>
Message-ID: <454E664B.1030900 at unifourbrass.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

It's been my experience from both sides of the music stand that most
frustration is born out trying to learn a thing too quickly.  There are
two components to multiple tonguing (depending on what syllables you
use) the T and K consonant.  Practice both seperately, and since you are
least familiar with the K consonant - then practice it more :)  Do it
slowly till the K attack is as pure and fast as your T.   Then put them
together, start slowly enough that the T and K are both quality
attacks.  If you accept a less than great attack slow, the fast attacks
will suffer and you will develop a very inconsistant fast tongue - and
it will be very frustrating.  It's a matter to having the patience to
learn to do it right the first time.  You have to develop a set of
coordinations that become a habit.  It's far easier to learn it right
once than to replace a bad habit with a new one.

Even people with speech impediments are taught to speak normally - so, I
don't buy into this whole "some people aren't meant to do" certain
things line of thinking.  I don't consider myself that special or
exceptional an individual so that if I can learn to do it, anyone can.