Mind, Air, Chops (MAC)

I intended about a month ago or so to write an article sharing some insights I had gleaned from my own efforts and from what I had read in some of the entries on the TPIN site. Sadly, I did not get to it until now and have forgotten exactly what it is I wanted to convey. However, in my efforts to locate what it was I wanted to share, I came across some other thoughts that will hopefully be useful. [Read more]

Visualization

Unlike a piano or guitar that are color-coded and allow for one to consider multiple notes at a time, the trumpet is not an instrument that lends itself to harmonic visualization while playing. We only have three keys to choose from, so we must learn to practice visualizing in our minds what it is we want to play. I noticed that prior to playing anything in the upper register, Louis Armstrong’s eyes would look to the heavens. I can only assume that was his way of visually telling his mind what he wanted to occur. Perhaps not exactly the example I would like to convey, but worth some thought.

Just like the lungs and lips, the mind needs to be warmed up and focused too. You might want to begin thinking about your playing throughout the day, without your horn in hand, and practice visualizing various scales and other musical idioms. This approach will get the mind thinking about your musical desires and also help you to practice planning out your musical efforts in advance of a session. It will also make the physical aspect of your playing come easier when the actual time comes to either practice or execute.

Back to my thought about Louis’ eyes, I also recommend getting in the habit of thinking about a passage before you play it. You will be surprised as to how much this will improve your execution. In addition to the mental visualization thing, I recommend singing whenever possible. This also will greatly assist with the physical side of playing.

Scat singing might be a way for you to simply practice your singing ability, regardless of any particular passage. Scatting will aid you in opening up your throat and of course relaxing!

Life on Jazz

Personally, between you and me, coming up with new ideas and sounds and executing them nicely, is the biggest rush that I receive from playing music. I think that to be creative you must attempt it often, not just in your music, but in your overall life. I call this, ‘Life on Jazz.’

Now, I’ve termed this column, ‘creativity,’ but it’s not going to be limited to the literal sense of that word. The process of being creative involves numerous subjects. Although from time to time I will be discussing various aspects of ‘creativity’ in the “Playing/Improvisation’ section of this site and also within the ‘Player Well Being’ section, I think that it is a broad enough and important enough topic that the dividends of its pursuit are worthy of a separate section. [Read more]

Life Force

In order to play the trumpet well you must be in strong health, mentally and physically. As such, I have decided to include a column that addresses this topic. This article focuses on one of the eight branches of yoga, known as pranayama.
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Relax, Open Up, and Sing

An important aspect of the art of trumpet playing, is mastering the physical components of the mind and body. Like all wind instruments, especially those in the brass family, trumpet players must be able to control the air stream. It is the energy, power source and life-blood of playing. This is somewhat akin to the art of golfing. While golfing is surely a physical sport, the fluidity and control of the player’s movements are far more important than brute strength. In trumpet playing it is critically important for players to produce the air stream and control it in a way that does not close the throat off. I myself unknowingly suffered from this throat issue for years. Some days I could play brilliantly; many other times horribly. I was very frustrated by this even after it was brought to my attention by a keen observer. While I have finally gained mental control of this negative impediment, I must vigilantly be on guard, because it is a natural physical occurrence within our bodies.

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