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It’s the time of year again folks—-time to dig back through last year’s practice journals and share the best of what I’ve learned. This year, you’ll find something special.
The simple concepts that helped me get back on track after a few years’ hiatus—-and rekindled my love for daily trumpet playing.
Let’s go → …
Seven Tips For A Kickass Trumpet Comeback (2025 Trumpet Year-in-Review)Read More »
Here’s another great example of legendary lead trumpeter, Al Porcino, swinging his butt off with the Terry Gibbs Dream Band.
At 2:07 you’ll learn how to articulate and accent upbeats to lead the ensemble (and swing your butt off) without “shouting.”
At 2:57, you’ll hear the trumpet section–in unison–laying into the syncopation and some big, fat beats 2 and 4 on a simple quarter note line. When the section splits off into harmony, Al leads the ensemble with some laid-back, relaxed shakes and tasty vibrato to introduce the next solo. Can you say swinging?
Finally, you’ll want some good headphones and speakers for 4:38. Leading the band through Holman’s “soft shout,” Al is no slacker with his articulation. And as the band stomps into the shout chorus, you’ll hear the open-ended releases, dynamic shading and relaxed sound in the upper register that made Al one of the greats.
IT’S ALL THERE, FOLKS.
You can have all of the Terry Gibbs Dream Band Charts–68 swingers played by the best–by purchasing the Terry Gibbs Lead Trumpet Transcriptions.
Evil Eyes; Composer/Arranger: Bill Holman; Lead Trumpet: Al Porcino; Album: Terry Gibbs Dream Band Vol. III “Flying Home”
[Wednesday, 1:07 PM,
November 24, 2021]
Hello my trumpet playing friends,
I hope this message finds you well, and you’re hittin’ all the right notes this holiday season!
Now, in the spirit of practice room motivation, here are two simple tips that you can use during your daily shedding. They come from one of the all-time greats, L.A. studio legend Charles Davis. Both are easy to apply and obscenely helpful. …
Two Tips (for Staying Sane in The Practice Room) From Trumpet Legend Charley DavisRead More »
Howdy my lead-trumpet friends,
Here’s the complete playlist for BTB’s ‘Terry Gibbs Dream Band: Lead Trumpet Transcriptions.’ It’s all on Youtube – so I can’t ensure it’ll last forever – but if you’ve been looking for the recordings to play along with, look no further!
And have fun!
Terry Gibbs Dream Band Lead Trumpet Transcriptions FULL PLAYLIST (Youtube)!Read More »
Hello my trumpet-playing friends! If you’re curious about what’s inside the Terry Gibbs Dream Band: Lead Trumpet Transcriptions book, this post shares the book intro as well as the list of charts. Full clickable Youtube playlist / table of contents below!!!
Enjoy these swingers!
Terry Gibbs Dream Band: Lead Trumpet Transcription Book (Introduction)Read More »
My main man and internet trumpet brother Jeff Lewis had me on his podcast awhile back. We got into lots of chops, lead trumpet and education talk, plus loads of other nerdy trumpet material.
Enjoy and be sure to check out Jeff’s sweet YouTube channel and other podcast episodes!
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Hello my trumpet-playing friends!
This was my ear-training masterclass presented as a part of the 2021 International Trumpet Guild’s ‘non-pro’ segment. Inside you’ll find some awesome practice strategies for internalizing the 12 chromatic intervals so that you can recognize them instantly by sound and sight. Enjoy!
James Blackwell
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If you found this presentation helpful and interesting, check out BTB’s step-by-step course ‘Ear-Training for Trumpeters.‘ ET4T is a progressive program for taking even the complete non-musician to the point of instantaneous and thoughtless recognition of all 12 chromatic intervals. By the time you finish, you’ll never wonder if you’re playing the right or wrong note again!
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This is the fifth part of “Making Trumpet Playing Easier.’ Click here to start with Part I.
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What is the Best Practice Routine?
One of the main problems we face these days when learning something new is information overload.
Sure, having access to everything, anytime, might seem pretty convenient, but it also makes it tough to choose and stick with any one program.
That’s why this email series has only talked about one fundamental aspect of playing – ease in tone production – along with just two simple exercises. …
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*This is part IV of the ‘making trumpet playing easier’ series. It’s recommended you read the previous article to get the most from the practice suggestions below. Click here to start with Part I.
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When Is Enough, Enough?
With this final email on efficient tone production, we’ll discuss how embouchure fatigue relates to your progress as a trumpeter and how to know when it’s time for a break.
But first…
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My Terrible Playing Mistake …
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This is part III of a V part series on efficient tone production. Click here for Part I.
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Training the Playing Aperture
Now that we’ve outlined how you can use the air more efficiently while playing the trumpet, it’s now time to discuss the next critical element of easy tone production – focusing the playing aperture.
To do this, we’ll first remind ourselves how the aperture is meant to respond to the air. Then, you’ll learn a tried-and-true exercise for focusing the aperture while allowing an easier, more-controlled response. …