WindWorks Trumpet Academy Forums WindWorks Newbie: I don't know what I'm doing here, can someone tell me

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    • #77175
      joshuatants
      Participant

      So I’ve had one lesson with Greg where we worked on the non-instrument stuff (BCH breath, tissue work, etc). After that and several days of experimenting, I’ve gotten to the point where I can do this (https://youtu.be/3zIGzr8iL1c) on the trumpet.

      But I don’t know what I”m doing, like, what note is this? Doesn’t sound like anything trumpet-y to me. Can someone tell me what I’m doing? Am I on the right track?

    • #77208
      j.gardam
      Participant

      Well done Thats a fabulous pedal note off the bottom of the trumpet range.
      yes you are on the right track
      to go higher ie to a low trumpet note bring your corners inwards slightly go back and watch Greg
      he is quite good at it !
      Keep having fun! and maess about and explore.
      all the best
      Wish I had had acess to windworks when i was learning. Taught nyself all sorts of bad habits which I am still unlearning

    • #77260
      johnelwood
      Participant

      Yes, good start Joshua, as j.gardam stated above that’s a pedal note below the normal range / harmonic series of the trumpet, which starts at F# below the staff (all three valves).

      You appear to be “playing in the red” a bit to me–it’s good that you’re open, relaxed and forward and appear to be passively releasing air through the lips, etc. As Greg says, that’s a great place to start, but we can’t play the entire range of the instrument this way.

      My lips are on the thinner side. What works for me, is I place the bottom rim of my mouthpiece right under my bottom lip where the skin is no longer red. I keep my throat and lips relatively relaxed and allow the air to separate them or think “Ooooohhh” once my lips are inside the mouthpiece, then I release air through the lips and objectively observe what happens–if only air sounds, then that’s ok, I just make minor adjustments to the “aperture corners” to try to reduce the aperture a bit or adjust things until a sound comes out.

      This way, you’ll probably either get a C (assuming no valves pressed) below the staff (most likely) or a G on the staff to sound.

      From there, you can begin to experiment with the valves and observe what happens.

      When you say “Newbie”, how new on the instrument are you? This will help us better answer your question.

      Good luck and Welcome! This is a great resource to develop properly on the instrument and avoid some of the problems that some of us old guys encountered when we were your age.

    • #77264
      joshuatants
      Participant

      Newbie here meaning 3 weeks 😀 Got an instrument 3 weeks ago, 1st lesson with Greg the week after that.

    • #77268
      johnelwood
      Participant

      Welcome, you’re getting a good start. Just listen to Greg and the mantras…we don’t blow into the instrument, we release air into it and we don’t buzz our lips, etc.

    • #77326
      joshuatants
      Participant

      Still no luck producing anything other than my pedal tone. Have signed up for another lesson with Greg. Thanks all!

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