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Old Nov 19 2007, 6:30 PM
Stubbazubba Stubbazubba is offline

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Quote:
when you breath do not think about using your diaphragm, you have absolutely no control over this muscle, and anyone that says you do has no clue as to what they're talking about, its an involuntary muscle involved in breathing.
I'm glad someone brought this up; the diaphragm idea is one of the most prevalent and misleading misconceptions in wind instrument pedagogy. Not to say that support does not come from your lower stomach/abdominal area, but to blame it on the diaphragm is inaccurate

Claude Gordon was one of the most successful trumpet players of all time and re-wrote the books on how to play the darn thing. That being said, he's not always totally correct, and sometimes other methods work a bit better for different people, but 9/10 times, the Claude Gordon method can work wonders; but not quickly. There is no method out there that will increase your range to a high C in any 'short' amount of time, but there are several that will get you there correctly, strongly, and effectively. Patrick Hession, possibly the greatest high note player alive today (RIP Maynard), has a method out, too. There's also The Balanced Embouchure which is very popular and so must be somewhat effective.

There's a wealth of places to learn from; get a teacher, and practice your guts out. There is no stronger correlation than that which exists between practice time and results. The trumpet, IMO, is the most flexible of the brass family; it can soar over the big band, speak for the combo, and champion the hero in a symphony. On the other hand, it can also make fun horse whinnies. That's my pitch for the trumpet.

Last edited by Stubbazubba : Nov 19 2007 at 6:44 PM. Reason: not just trumpet pedagogy!
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