Credits
Editing by Samuel Johnstone
Illustrations by Juliane Pieper
Research for this blog was made possible by a generous scholarship from the Berlin Senate.
Author Archives: Nathan Plante
Pedal Tones
My first encounter with pedal tones was in college, as warm-up exercises. I was taught that, in order to properly play the high register, I also had to learn to play super low. Though the connection between the two is … Continue reading
Mutes (Part Three) – More Mutes!
In this third and final (for now!) part in my mini-series on mutes I will introduce several more types of mutes. There are certainly a few more than I list here, but these are the most common ones after the … Continue reading
Posted in General Trumpet Knowledge, Mutes
Tagged aluminum foil, bucket, CD, crown royal, flugelhorn, melowah, mutes, piccolo trumpet, plunger, practice mute, velvet, whispa, whisper
4 Comments
Mutes (Part Two) – The Standard Three
Welcome to part two of my mini-series on mutes! Today I‘ll explain the three most common mutes in a trumpeter’s arsenal. Many players can make it far into their career without needing anything more than these three mutes. They are … Continue reading
Posted in General Trumpet Knowledge, Mutes
Tagged cup mute, harmon, mutes, straight mute, wah wah, wawa
Leave a comment
Mutes (Part One) – General Guidelines and Notation
Brass players are often made fun of for their obsession with – and vast collections of – mouthpieces. While those jokes are most certainly justified, when it comes to hoarding, no one talks about the real problem – mutes. Not … Continue reading
Split-Tones
My first venture into split-tones was over ten years ago for a performance of the piece “Humans in Motion” by Canadian composer Annesley Black. If I remember correctly, there was one single split-tone in my part – one of the … Continue reading
Posted in Contemporary Techniques
Tagged half valve, multiphonics, saunders, split tones
Leave a comment
Flutter Tongue, Doodle Tongue and Growl
The tongue is a trumpeter’s secret weapon, with which they can coax some fascinating effects from their instrument. In addition to using the tongue for articulation, it can be used to create some interesting sound colors. Here are three of … Continue reading
Posted in Contemporary Techniques, Standard Techniques
Tagged berio, doodle tongue, flutter tongue, growl, saunders, stier, trumpet
3 Comments
Air Sounds
As a younger player I thought air sounds were silly and didn’t take them very seriously. I’ve worked so hard to create a beautiful trumpet sound, and now all I’m supposed to do is blow some air through the instrument!? … Continue reading
Endurance
The embouchure required for trumpet playing requires a set of delicate muscles in the face, lips and tongue. Trumpet players have to train these muscles daily to stay at the top of their game. However, composers should bear in mind … Continue reading
(High) Range
Back in my high school marching band (Go Scotties!), me and my fellow trumpeters were only interested in three things: playing fast, playing loud and playing high. Playing high was never my forte (sorry), but that didn’t stop me from … Continue reading