Category Archives: General Trumpet Knowledge

Whisper Tones (featuring the Whisper Penny)

Posted on 6. March 2023 by Nathan Plante

Whisper tones, ghost notes, half-air half-tone, aeolian sound – composers have different ways of describing this in their music. I‘ve received several requests from other trumpet players to cover this topic, as it is one that seems to come up … Continue reading →

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Piccolo Trumpet

Posted on 14. June 2021 by Nathan Plante

After so many posts on different trumpet techniques I realized that information about the auxiliary instruments is a bit scattered. In this post I aim to gather all of the relevant information on the piccolo trumpet in one easy to … Continue reading →

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Performance Material

Posted on 9. April 2021 by Nathan Plante

Even though this blog is focused primarily on writing for trumpet, I do think it is important to include a few tips about how the performance material for trumpet – or indeed, for any instrument – should be prepared. I … Continue reading →

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Mutes (Part Three) – More Mutes!

Posted on 6. November 2020 by Nathan Plante

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 →

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Mutes (Part Two) – The Standard Three

Posted on 3. November 2020 by Nathan Plante

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 →

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Mutes (Part One) – General Guidelines and Notation

Posted on 30. October 2020 by Nathan Plante

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 →

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Endurance

Posted on 28. September 2020 by Nathan Plante

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 →

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(High) Range

Posted on 28. September 2020 by Nathan Plante

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 →

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Introducing the Instruments

Posted on 28. September 2020 by Nathan Plante

One of the great things about the trumpet is its many variations and manifestations. There is no such thing as “the” trumpet, rather a collection of related instruments with different tunings, modifications and mechanics that have evolved through time. Contemporary … Continue reading →

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Welcome to The Modern Trumpet!

Posted on 9. August 2020 by Nathan Plante

This blog is all about exploring contemporary trumpet technique. I hope it will inspire you to write some amazing music for the trumpet! Below you can see an overview of the content in this blog, as well as upcoming topics … Continue reading →

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