Title pretty much says it all with this category. Take a look and see if any titles look appealing.
2020: What a year.
Global pandemic.
Lock-down.
Masks.
And oh yeah, I completely trashed – and then rehabilitated – a severely overused playing embouchure. So, if you feel like things aren’t quite right – or are dealing with long-time damaged chops – this one’s for you. …
Rehabilitating A Severely Overused Brass EmbouchureRead More »
One of the great jazz artists to ever blow the trumpet, the infamous Tom Harrell, crushing the blues in all 12 keys here with Jamey Aebersold. Feel free to be inspired. … This Is How You Play The Blues (Tom Harrell / Blues in 12 Keys)Read More »
Hey fellow trumpet-folk,
Everybody knows that you actually have to practice to get better at the trumpet. But, if you’re not already in the habit of practicing every day, it can be a tough thing to start. Therefore, this article outlines an easy, solid plan that basically guarantees you’ll be able to do it.
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How To Practice The Trumpet For One Hour, Every DayRead More »
As a trumpet player, getting braces on – and later having them removed – can be a major challenge to overcome. Not only are the braces themselves physically uncomfortable, you also have to basically retrain your playing embouchure and technique from what seems like the ground up. As you can imagine, this harsh and sudden drop in playing ability makes getting braces a tough time for many trumpet players.
Because of these challenges – and the general confusion surrounding any sudden embouchure change – this article is meant to help trumpet players get through what may otherwise be a very sucky time. We will cover what you can expect braces to do to your playing, ways to remedy the initial discomfort of playing with braces and then outline a path in the practice room that ultimately makes you a much stronger player.
Please enjoy the read and when you’re done, be sure to share your experience playing with braces in the comment section below. …
Hello fellow trumpeter and BTB reader,
As you may be aware, BTB releases an annual “Year-In-Review” post to start each new year. The Year-In-Review is a big-picture account of what paid off in the practice room the previous year – as well as what didn’t.
Since these posts are basically an outline of the best things I’ve learned through trial-and-error, you may find some motivation in them for your own trumpet practice. And having the past five years worth of reviews sent directly to your inbox is a pretty convenient way to digest the info.
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New FreeTB E-Mail Series: The Annals of BTB! (Wait, What?)Read More »
(Maybe I had a little too much fun with these “stickers”…nah)
Well BTB readers, the title pretty much says it all on this one. Let’s bring in the new year with a fresh FreeTB Course!
Here are the details of BTB’s latest addition, “Five Videos To A Stronger Trumpet Embouchure.”
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New FreeTB Course, “Five Videos To A Stronger Trumpet Embouchure” Now Available!Read More »
Hey everyone,
Here’s a brief look at what’s been happening this month. It’s a quick one covering a recent playing trouble, a small and very powerful goal accomplished on the road this year and maybe some motivation for you to move forward with your playing. If you don’t care about that stuff, you still might want to scroll to the bottom of the article. There are some links to a couple fun and inspiring trumpet interviews I recently watched on YouTube…late at night in my hotel room.
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The Brian Setzer Orchestra is Back on the Road! (Plus, Some Killer Trumpet Interviews)Read More »
If you are reading this, it’s likely you’ve read some of BTB’s other blog posts. You must have, right? There’s no effing way Google sent you here otherwise.
Anyways, I recently had sort of a revelation about playing, and in particular my own journey with this demon hell-pipe while skimming through a copy of Roy Stevens’, “Embouchure Self-Analysis.”
Before reading the book, the only thing I knew about the Stevens-Costello approach to embouchure development was that the players who master the techniques can rest the trumpet on the palm of their hand and rip up to loud-as-shit double and even triple C’s!
Roy goes on to explain how setting the embouchure in a particular way with regards to the teeth and lip placement promotes healthy development of the embouchure muscles. This ultimately leading to consistent, day-to-day ease of playing and extraordinary range.
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This Took Me Seven Years – You Can Do It in Half That Time (And It’ll Be Worth It!)Read More »
A young boy comes home from school. While talking with his mother, he exclaims, “Today we learned how to spell ‘banana,’ but we didn’t learn when to stop.”
The “Banana Principle,” (get it? banananananana…hahaha) or knowing when it’s time to stop is one of the not-so-obvious challenges of trumpet playing. You know that pushing your embouchure too far makes playing a drag. And when playing is a drag, we can easily turn into huge grumpopotamuses. Therefore, this article flushes out how the Banana Principle might look in your daily routine, then gives practical solutions for creating guidelines in practice.
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This article has suggestions for gear we often need to purchase as trumpet players.
Each item on this list is certified bad-ass by BTB. …
Awesome & Inexpensive Gear for the Gigging Trumpet PlayerRead More »