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TrumpetFOR

DUMmIES‰

by Jeff rey Reynolds

TrumpetFOR

DUMmIES‰

Trumpet For Dummies®

Published byJohn Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.6045 Freemont Blvd.Mississauga, ON L5R 4J3www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.

Published by John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and icons, may be repro-duced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd., 6045 Freemont Blvd., Mississauga, ON L5R 4J3, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. For authorization to photocopy items for corporate, personal, or educational use, please contact in writing The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For more information, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free, 1-800-893-5777.

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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication DataReynolds, Jeff, 1946- Trumpet for dummies / Jeffrey Reynolds.(--For dummies)To be accompanied by compact disc of audio samples. Includes index.Issued also in electronic formats.ISBN 978-0-470-67937-1 1. Trumpet--Methods--Self-instruction. 2. Music theory--Elementary works. I. Title. II. Series: --For dummiesMT448.R463 2011 788.9'2193 C2010-907507-2

ISBNs: 978-0-470-96348-7 (ePDF), 978-0-470-96350-0 (eMobi), 978-0-470-96349-4 (ePub)

Printed in the United States

1 2 3 4 5 RRD 15 14 13 12 11

About the AuthorJeff Reynolds has been a trumpeter for almost 50 years, since the fi rst day of band class, when the trumpet seemed to be a magical gift, possessed of supernatural powers. Since then, he has performed all manner of engage-ments, from funerals to weddings, from jazz gigs and dances to orchestra concerts. He has toured North America with ballet companies, played fan-fares for Shakespeare plays, played onstage in tights for a pantomime and in tails for the great symphonies of Beethoven and Mahler, and entertained the folks at country-and-western bars. He once popped out of a (fake) cake to play “Happy Birthday” for the president of a corporation. In spite of, or because of, all these various engagements, he retains a great pleasure in play-ing the trumpet and has an insight into the whole spectrum of music making available to the modern trumpeter.

As long as he has performed, Jeff has taught, from the Grade 8 beginners he started with (when Jeff was a whole grade more advanced) to doctoral students at the University of Toronto, where he has taught for 30 years. Explaining, analyzing, encouraging, and cajoling hundreds of students over the years has given him another kind of insight: the understanding of how to communicate trumpet playing to others. Teaching has always been as impor-tant to Jeff as playing, always as challenging and rewarding. Many of his former students are professional players and teachers.

DedicationThis book is dedicated to all my students who have taught me so much of what I know, and how to teach it, and to all my teachers, for all the rest. In particular, the late Vincent Cichowicz was a model of humanity, musicality, and communication whose infl uence is always with me.

Author’s AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks to: Katharine Rapoport, for recommending me as a potential author for Trumpet For Dummies; Robert Hickey, who helped me shape the book and gave me the chance to write it; Elizabeth Kuball, my editor, whose fi rm and patient shepherding of me toward the completion of the project were invaluable; Gillian MacKay, who in addition to acting as the book’s technical editor, gave generous assistance in the form of suggestions, advice, and much appreciated encouragement; Geoffrey Tiller, Jamie Reynolds, Ryan Cameron, Gillian MacKay, and Robert Hickey, who were great partners in the recording session; Gary Honess, our brilliant sound engineer; Robert Hickey, Lisa Hartl, and Nathan Saliwonchyk, who facilitated a smooth photo shoot; and my family, for their support and encouragement throughout the project.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and

Media Development

Project Editor: Elizabeth Kuball

Acquiring Editor: Robert Hickey

Copy Editor: Elizabeth Kuball

Technical Editor: Gillian MacKay

Production Editor: Pamela Vokey

Editorial Assistant: Katie Wolsley

Cover Photo: iStock #4347825 © Claudia Dewald

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Laura Westhuis

Interior Photos: Nathan Saliwonchyk

Proofreader: Lisa Young Stiers

Indexer: Claudia Bourbeau

John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.

Deborah Barton, Vice President and Director of Operations

Jennifer Smith, Publisher, Professional & Trade Division

Alison Maclean, Managing Editor, Professional & Trade Division

Karen Bryan, Vice-President, Publishing Services

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents at a GlanceIntroduction ................................................................ 1

Par t I: Ta-Da! A Prelude to Trumpet Playing .................. 7Chapter 1: The Instrument of Royalty ............................................................................. 9Chapter 2: How the Trumpet Works ............................................................................. 23Chapter 3: Choosing Your Weapon ............................................................................... 35Chapter 4: A Primer on Music Notation ........................................................................ 51

Par t II: The Noble Sound of the Trumpet ...................... 69Chapter 5: Making Buzzing Beautiful ............................................................................. 71Chapter 6: Sound the Trumpet! ...................................................................................... 83Chapter 7: Adding More Notes, Making More Music................................................... 99Chapter 8: Becoming Articulate on the Trumpet ...................................................... 113Chapter 9: Warming Up for Greater Success .............................................................. 125

Par t III: Developing Your Technique .......................... 139Chapter 10: Lower! Slower! ........................................................................................... 141Chapter 11: Higher! Faster! ........................................................................................... 153Chapter 12: Arpeggios: Leaps of Faith ........................................................................ 167Chapter 13: Developing Strength and Endurance ...................................................... 177Chapter 14: Becoming More Articulate ....................................................................... 191Chapter 15: The Different Characters of the Trumpet .............................................. 217

Part IV: The Complete Trumpeter: Knowledge and Skills for the Advancing Player .......................... 231Chapter 16: A Practice Routine for Success ............................................................... 233Chapter 17: Becoming More Versatile......................................................................... 269Chapter 18: Valves, Slides, and Leadpipes: The Greasy Side of Trumpet Playing.... 293Chapter 19: Collecting Stuff for Your Trumpet .......................................................... 309Chapter 20: Studying with a Teacher .......................................................................... 325Chapter 21: Get ting in the Game .................................................................................. 333

Par t V: The Par t of Tens ........................................... 345Chapter 22: Ten Trumpet Kings and Queens ............................................................. 347Chapter 23: Ten Bad Habits to Avoid .......................................................................... 353Chapter 24: Ten Ways You Can Be Your Best ............................................................ 357

Appendix: About the CD ........................................... 361

Index ...................................................................... 369

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................. 1About This Book .............................................................................................. 1Conventions Used in This Book ..................................................................... 2What You’re Not To Read ............................................................................... 2Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................................... 2How This Book Is Organized .......................................................................... 3

Part I: Ta-Da! A Prelude to Trumpet Playing ...................................... 3Part II: The Noble Sound of the Trumpet ............................................ 4Part III: Developing Your Technique ................................................... 4Part IV: The Complete Trumpeter: Knowledge and Skills for the

Advancing Player ........................................................................................5Part V: The Part of Tens ........................................................................ 5

Icons Used In This Book ................................................................................. 6Where to Go from Here ................................................................................... 6

Par t I: Ta-Da! A Prelude to Trumpet Playing .................. 7

Chapter 1: The Instrument of Royalty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

All in the Family — The Brass Family, That Is ...................................................9The trumpet .......................................................................................... 10The horn................................................................................................ 14The trombone ....................................................................................... 15The euphonium .................................................................................... 16The tuba ................................................................................................ 17

Making a Start ................................................................................................ 18Reaching Upward and Onward .................................................................... 19

Playing more notes and more tunes .................................................. 20Developing fl exibility and fl uency ...................................................... 20

Taking It Up a Notch ...................................................................................... 21Practice makes perfect ........................................................................ 21Equipping yourself for success .......................................................... 21Seeking the best role models ............................................................. 22

Chapter 2: How the Trumpet Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

A Star Is Born: The Making of the Trumpet ................................................ 23What trumpets are made of ................................................................ 24The parts of the trumpet .................................................................... 24

Trumpet For Dummies xiiMouthing Off: The Mouthpiece .................................................................... 28

How the mouthpiece is made ............................................................. 28Two main variables: Different sizes for different styles ................. 29

Making a Sound .............................................................................................. 31Good vibrations ................................................................................... 31Blowing, buzzing, playing ................................................................... 32

Where the Notes Come From: The Natural Overtone Series ................... 32No Valves Necessary: The Open Notes ....................................................... 33

Chapter 3: Choosing Your Weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Choosing the Best Trumpet for You ........................................................... 35New or used .......................................................................................... 36Professional or student models ......................................................... 38

Choosing the Right Mouthpiece .................................................................. 41Cup depth: Shallow versus deep........................................................ 41The inner rim: Wide versus narrow ................................................... 42Modular or solid................................................................................... 43Material: Silver versus gold ................................................................ 44Makes and models ............................................................................... 44

Looking for a Trumpet and Mouthpiece ..................................................... 46Getting expert help .............................................................................. 46Shopping around .................................................................................. 47

Chapter 4: A Primer on Music Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Reading the Language of Music ................................................................... 51The musical staff .................................................................................. 52The scale ............................................................................................... 53Intervals ................................................................................................ 54The piano keyboard............................................................................. 55

Key Signatures: Put Your John Hancock on It ........................................... 57The degrees of the scale ..................................................................... 58The order of the sharps ...................................................................... 58The order of the fl ats ........................................................................... 59

Figuring Out Note Lengths ........................................................................... 60Whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and more .......................... 60Ties and dotted notes ......................................................................... 63The sounds of silence .......................................................................... 64

Signs of the Time ........................................................................................... 64Common time: Everybody’s favorite ................................................. 65Cut time: Looks the same, but it’s twice as fast ............................... 65Waltzing around the topic .................................................................. 66It’s polka time! ...................................................................................... 67

xiii Table of Contents

Par t II: The Noble Sound of the Trumpet ....................... 69

Chapter 5: Making Buzzing Beautiful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

The Art of Breathing ...................................................................................... 71Posture perfect ..................................................................................... 71Keeping it natural................................................................................. 72Flow, not force ...................................................................................... 73

The Embouchure: How to Hold Your Mouth ............................................. 74Taking a dim view of an embouchure ............................................... 74Buzzing the lips for a clear sound ..................................................... 75

Playing the Mouthpiece Alone ..................................................................... 76Playing long tones ................................................................................ 78Sliding around ...................................................................................... 78Using the tongue for clarity ................................................................ 79

The Musical Mouthpiece .............................................................................. 79

Chapter 6: Sound the Trumpet! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Posture for Playing ........................................................................................ 83Standing tall .......................................................................................... 84Standing while seated.......................................................................... 84

Holding the Trumpet ..................................................................................... 86Placing the left hand ............................................................................ 86Placing the right hand ......................................................................... 90

First Note G: Home Base ............................................................................... 91Tone and Tuning ............................................................................................ 93

Good trumpet tone .............................................................................. 94How to tune your trumpet .................................................................. 94

Starting Notes with the Tongue ................................................................... 95Breath attacks ...................................................................................... 96Adding the tongue ............................................................................... 96

Connecting Notes .......................................................................................... 97The Second Note: Low C ............................................................................... 98

Chapter 7: Adding More Notes, Making More Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Changing Notes Using Wind ....................................................................... 101Adding Notes Using the Valves .................................................................. 102Filling in the Gaps: The Chromatic Scale .................................................. 104

Connecting the open notes ............................................................... 104Combining valve positions with the overtone series .................... 105

Scaling the Heights of Technique .............................................................. 106The C scale.......................................................................................... 107F and G: The closest neighbors ........................................................ 108

Playing Around with Songs in C, F, and D ................................................. 110