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Trumpet Foundations (Trumpet 101 for Beginners/Teachers)
Seven video lessons on the essential mechanics of trumpet playing. Aimed at beginners, educators, and players interested in sprucing up their chops from the bottom up.
Lessons Included: Breathing, Holding the Trumpet, the Embouchure and Producing a Tone, Articulation, How the Valves Work, Lip Slurs and the Harmonic Series, and Playing by Ear.
Developing Greater Aperture Control
This nine-part video series dives head-first into the theory and practice of aperture control. Huge game-changer for me, and I think you’ll find a lot in the series as well.
Video topics include:
- The point of learning aperture control.
- A brief talk on the general pros and cons, of an “open” vs a more “closed” aperture.
- The easiest way I know to start improving control of your aperture now.
- Understanding how to model other players to fuel your imagination for years to come.
- How to practice aperture control exercises to learn more naturally, easily, and enjoyably.
- A classic drill for finding just the right balance between flow and tension.
- Mouthpiece buzzing for people who hate mouthpiece buzzing (AKA finding “alignment”).
- Some finer points on aperture control
- Introduction to Isometrics for the Embouchure.
Beginning Lip Slur Lesson & Exercises (Beginner / Intermediate)
Five Video Lessons for Trumpet Players Covering the Following Info About Lip Slurs:
- What Are Lip Slurs?
- How Do The Lips Change The Notes?
- Where Should I Start With Lip Slurs?
- How Do I Practice Lip Slurs?
- Anything I Should Be Concerned About / Can Lip Slurs Mess Me Up?
- What If I’m Having Difficulty Changing Notes / Skipping Notes?
- *Downloadable PDF with Progressive, Beginning Exercises Included*
- 100% Free. No BS. Unsubscribe Easily.
Range Building Routine (Intermediate / Advanced):
Discover Ease, Consistency and Musicality in the Upper Register
- Exact Routine I Used to Expand Range to High A
- Downloadable PDF Sent Directly to Your Inbox
- Tips for Practice and implementation
- No BS
This is a range building routine aimed at the intermediate / advanced player that wants to improve their playing ease in the upper register. This is not for beginners (free beginning range course coming soon)! If you are not yet comfortable in the playing range from G on to of the treble clef staff up to High C, BTB suggests starting with the Lip Slur and Trumpet Foundations series.
E-Mail Series:
The Annals of BTB (“Year-In-Review” Collection)
BTB’s annual “Year-In-Review” posts are just that – accounts of what worked and what didn’t after going back through the previous years’ practice journals.
To save you some time, you can now have the yearly reviews sent directly to your inbox.
By signing up you’ll be sent five e-mails over the course of five weeks along with:
- What worked (take it and run with it)
- What didn’t (don’t make my mistakes)
- An idea of what learning the trumpet looks like over a five-year period
Within a few minutes of signing up with a valid e-mail address you will receive the first Year-In-Review (2014), and the following in one week intervals. If five e-mails proves too many, simply unsubscribe and you’re home free.
Making Progress: The Easy Way
A free, five-day e-mail series for trumpet players which outlines simple, yet often under-utilized concepts for getting more out of your practice time. Lessons include easily implemented, practical suggestions for exploring each concept.
You don’t want to miss this one!
Video Series:
Five Videos to A Stronger Embouchure (*Mostly* All Levels – Please Read Description)
Learning the Why’s, What’s and How’s of developing a stronger embouchure is something I wholeheartedly recommend to any player from day one. The two experimental practice tactics are somewhat advanced and may require an existing awareness of how it feels to play a good note. However, the other three videos will be helpful to a player of any level – including the absolute beginner.
- Strengthening Your Embouchure is a Good Idea
- The First (And Most Important) Step to a Stronger Trumpet Embouchure
- Experimental Practice Tactic #1
- Experimental Practice Tactic #2
- Programming Your Bad-ass Embouchure Strength Building Routine
Play Trumpet Effortlessly (AKA “Zen Trumpet”)
“Stop trying so damn hard and start realizing your true potential!”
“Play Trumpet Effortlessly” is a free video series that demonstrates a “zen-ish” method of practice based on the exercises from Kenny Werner’s “Effortless Mastery.”
There are seven video lessons with a total run time of about 26 minutes (the longest video is 5 minutes), and the collective series aims to help you find a more relaxed, positive style of learning to play.
Lessons: 1) Pick up the Trumpet, 2) The Most Beautiful Sound, 3) Free Roaming, 4) An Effortless Lick, 5) Effortless Lick Breakdown for Musical Domination, 6) Play Fast, 7) Moving Forward.
If you struggle with anxiety about playing, are not making the progress you think you should be, and/or just want to have a little more fun, this series is for you.