[TPIN] How LOUD do I have to be?

[Bob Wright]

Mike,

Every now and then I get a beacon of light shinning from TPIN like the
dissertation you have just provided to Brett about how loud you have to be
to play Lead Trumpet.  To me, that is what TPIN is all about. Sharing our
experiences and talents with likeminded people trying to improve what we
jointly enjoy, The Art and Science of Play Trumpet. Whether we enjoy
classical or Jazz, church or reggae, the mechanic and techniques are pretty
much the same from a physical standpoint.  Some of us are struggling to
learn more and build music prowess while others are seasoned Pro's like
yourself.  I know that all trumpet players have enormous egos or we would
not be able to do what we do in front of other people ( spitting, blowing,
draining, screaming, painting musical pictures, etc). I think a lot of times
we forget to just say thank you for sharing something important enough to
you to write it down for the rest of us.  

So Thank you Mike Vax and all the other Pro's out there for adding to my
wealth of knowledge.

Bob Wright

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Vax [mailto:vaxtrpts42 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 23:22
To: Brett Johnson
Cc: TPIN
Subject: Re: [TPIN] How LOUD do I have to be?

I am getting in on this one late.  To Brett:
It is MUCH more than just playing loud.  I have copied a part of one of my
clinic handouts - which will also be part of a chapter on lead playing in my
book --- if I ever get time to finish it.....................
Hope this helps.
Mike Vax

BASICS OF LEAD TRUMPET PLAYING

To be an effective lead player, one must have good sound, projection,
stylistic concept and time.  Being a lead player means a lot more than just
having a good upper register.  A lead player's main job is to *lead *the
section and to set up interpretation and phrasing for the whole ensemble.
The
lead trumpet player is the "concert master" of a big band.  I feel that a
great lead player should be the least creative person in the band.  He or
she must play everything exactly* *the same every time the band performs the
tune.  Changing the interpretation to fit one's whim that night takes away
from the confidence of the rest of the band.  They all rely on the
consistency of a good lead player.

The sound that a lead player produces should be big, not just loud.  It
should be full and pleasant to hear, not just a "laser" or piercing quality.
The sound must project at all volume levels.  *Projection* is the real key
to being heard at the back of a hall, whether you are playing loud or soft.
In order to have effective projection, you must be blowing the air through
the horn, not just into it.  I think of my sound as a combination of air and
energy.  When I want to play higher or louder, I think of blowing my sound
farther away.  (If you think of high notes as farther away instead of just
higher, it makes things much easier!)

The lead player must be comfortable in all octaves.  The upper register
should be strong, not thin and weak.  The low register should not be "airy"
and inconsistent.  A good lead player knows their limitations! (As Clint
Eastwood might say..)  Don't try for notes in performance that are not
within your *playable range*.  That is the range that you have all the time,
not just in the first minutes when your chops are fresh.  Work towards being
able to pick out upper notes individually and in sequences.  You can
practice octave skips from the low and middle registers and really try to
center the upper notes as you hit them.  You must both hear and feel the
notes in the upper register to be effective at playing consistently in the
"upper reaches" of your range.  Also practice two octave scales up and down
with an even sound all over.  Remember to work on your breathing as a means
to supporting the sound properly.

*Time is of the essence!*  Good time is the cornerstone of good lead
playing.  The music cannot swing without good time.  I tell all my students
to practice at least half of the time with a metronome.  (It really works
much the same as a good drummer.)  Listen to and relate to the rhythm
section when you are playing in a combo or a big band.  They are the ones
that set up the time and then it is every individual's job in the band to
*play
with good time*.  *Feel* the music that you play!  Become actively involved
with the music that you perform.

Stylistic concept and understanding are also a must.  The best way to learn
about styles is to *LISTEN* to recordings and live performances.  *I cannot
emphasize listening enough!*   We learn from imitation, even in learning our
speech patterns from our parents.  The more musicians and bands that you
have listened to, the better concept you have of how to perform the music
properly.  The time spent listening will open up your ears and your mind to
many different styles and sounds.  Really *study* what you hear on a
recording.  Analyze what makes that particular style or musician
unique.  Transcribing
both jazz solos and lead parts off of recordings is of great help, both
stylistically and in broadening your sight reading skills.

Be sure to know all the aspects of reading jazz music.  It is very different
than reading classical music.  Sight-reading is a very necessary skill.  Any
musician must be able to sight read with a great deal of proficiency.  Lead
players need to be even a cut above the rest of the section when it comes to
sight reading and interpreting the music.  If you practice rhythms enough,
you will begin to recognize rhythmic patterns in their entirety.  When you
have accomplished this, you can start to "re-read" rather than just sight
read.  You will be able to see whole phrases that you have seen before.  I
am convinced that this is what the great studio players who make their
living by reading everyday, do.  You must see *all the components* of the
music at once: phrasing, articulations, dynamics, jazz embellishments,
endings, repeats, D.S., D.C., Coda, etc.  I hate it when a teacher says
"Just get the notes this time and we will work on the other stuff later!"
That
is not the way music is written and it is not the way music should be
played.  All the aspects are part of one big whole that makes the music
pleasing to listen to and to understand.

*Some good general things to think about to enhance trumpet and lead playing
ability:*

.     Always warm up properly.  Be sure that you are ready to play from the
very first note of a rehearsal or performance.

.     Musical considerations always come first!  Remember that the goal you
are seeking is to be a great musician, not just a great trumpet player.

.        Always use your: Head - Heart - Air!

.     A great musician must learn to have empathy for the *music* being
performed, the *organization* being performed in, the *musicians* being
performed with, and the *audience* being performed for!


On Jan 16, 2008 7:23 PM, Brett Johnson <brettjohnson1111 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> TPIN,
>
> I'm lead chair in one of the lab jazz bands here at college and my
> instructors keep asking me for more and more sound. In high school, I was
> taught more of the 'blend in with your section and the band.' Now I have
to
> be (what seems like, and is most likely true) louder than everyone. I feel
> like I'm already blowing my brains out here.
> I am playing a Schilke 12A4a with a 26 throat which has helped slightly.
> Does anybody know specific techniques or excercises that would basically
> help me play louder? Should a change in mouthpiece be in order?
>
> Thanks for your time,
> Brett
>
> _________________________________________________________________
>
>