You play so fast up and down the horn. I’m studying transcriptions of several of your solos. How much false fingering are you using? i.e. 3rd valve for 1&2 fingering?
None- I never use false fingerings when I play fast. If I’m playing lead, I may use third valve on an A on top of the staff if I feel it’s a little sharp to the rest of the band.
Carl
I have lost teeth to pariodontal disease, all but eight. I’m a Trumpet Player (or was) up until 1996. I was doing a few lead gigs, met Carl Fontana in Vegas in 1994 and did a jam w/him …what a player he was/is.
A few years ago 1996 (I believe) a friend of yours came to Tulsa,OK to do a concert ..Bobby Shew. I had met Bobby a few times when I worked at Disney (trpt player). Kind of felt we were more than just acquaintances. We talked briefly about you and my teeth problems.
My problem, is in my head. I quit playing in 1996 because of losing so many teeth and it’s not really over. All I had ever done was play the Trumpet from age 5 until 1996. I’m 50 now. I have this belief that I will never play again. The partials I have now move and cause pain.
What did you do and how did you over come having teeth problems? I desperately need advice and help. I can drive a bus any longer.
I have never had teeth problems but if you check out my little article on the embouchure it might help.
 up until 1996. I was doing a few lead gigs, met Carl Fontana in Vegas in 1994 and did a jam w/him ...what a ... )
I’m a professional trombone player in the San Francisco area & I teach private lessons.
Having spent a few years in LA in the early 70’s & having the good fortune to play with some good studio brass players, I saw a wide variety in facial physiologies.
I’ve read your web page on embouchure & I’ve heartily recommended it as a fundamental guide for fellow professionals & also my advanced students.
I noticed through the years that many brass players who seems to have “natural” power & high range have perfectly even teeth (or have had them re-sculpted by a knowledgeable orthodontist), and in some cases, they have a slight underbite.
* And, of course, they are focused & practice! *
Question: do you view a slight underbite as a natural advantage?
Could be, but then since the lower jaw would have to be pulled back it might not be comfortable or natural, I wouldn’t want to say for sure. I think you have to take it on an individual basis.
I am a Spanish trumpeter, I play in dance bands. When I play above high C my cheeks automatically puffed. It´s normal?
Puffing of the cheeks is a phenomenon that comes from a combination of being lax and lazy about keeping your embouchure tight and firm, having equipment that has too much resistance to your air stream and/or overblowing.. Dizzy is an example of what can happen when this condition goes uncorrected.. A little puffing of the cheeks is ok but if it starts to effect your range, flexibility, endurance or control, measures should be taken. You say high c is where the puffing starts.. When you practice play up to where the puffing starts, as you go into that area, reduce your air velocity and play softer, and concentrate on keeping your cheeks in and firm. Once you are playing those notes (softer) without puffing slowly, add velocity. When you can’t control it anymore, stop and start again. It’s not an overnight thing to correct this and you may not be able to correct it totally but by doing this procedure you can stop it from getting worse and more than likely make it better. For now when you are working, do what have to do to play the gig but as improvements come from practice, slowly apply it to the gig.. Remember.. use the least amount of air to get the job done to its fullest..One more thing… Stay on top of the beat but don’t rush.. Good luck.. Carl Saunders
Hello Carl, I hope to see you in Newport. My question is about the best way to build endurance as a trumpeter. Is it just playing as much as possible, or can you suggest specific things which work best? thanks
You have it right, you answered your own question.. Playing everyday is the best way to build and keep your endurance.
Hello Carl, I live in Adelaide, South Australia. Started playing the trumpet when I was 25, that was about 1973. Just played for pleasure not too serious but put a lot of work in nevertheless. About 7 years ago I let it go and didn’t play for a couple of years except the odd blow every couple of months with a CD. After a couple of years I was really missing it and at the age of about 51 tried to get some of back. At 57 I somehow managed to get into the Adelaide University and study jazz trumpet. 2005 will be my 3rd year. There are some things that just arn’t as good. My range is lower – only about High C with the odd D and a squeaked E (Used to get F and just G). Seem to get ‘sticky’ lips after a while – very frustrating. Anyway mainly enquiring regarding playing fast or rapid passages – flourishes. I really don[t quite know where to start. Do you know of a book that would help? I listen to a lot of CD’s which is good but some times its hard to know how the passages are created and of course what they are broken down. – is it scales?, or lyrical lines? or chromatic lines? are most flourishes slurred? etc. Wondered if someone has written a book on the subject?
Playing fast and rapid passages, flourishes as you call them can only be achieved with very flexible fingers. Finger flexibility is of course achieved by running regular scales in all the keys until you can run them very fast and clean but I have found that if you concentrate on the chromatic scale you can reach higher levels of flexibility because you are playing all the notes instead of some of them. Make up your own patterns of chromatics like 8 sixteenth notes going down starting on C for example and then starting on B and on down chromatically, then 12 triplets the same way..Then do the same thing going up. As you make up your own patterns write them down. Make long and short patterns and make a collection of them. When practicing them start slowly and never go faster than you can play them clean and as you improve increase the speed. I have found that working on chromatics makes the regular scales easier because your fingers are more flexible..Play them as fast as you can but always at speeds that you are in control of.. Good luck and good skill. Carl
