Frequently Asked Questions (Online Lessons Continued)

These are also listed at the bottom of this page. Follow this link if you’d like to cut to my video responses to many of the email questions I get.

KEEP SCROLLING! There is a LOT more information below offered to trumpeters around the world!

Youtube Driven Free Video Lessons:

I will be leaving all of the free video lessons up. I want people to watch these first before deciding whether or not to come to me for private lessons.

I decided to put up a series of video clips of practice sessions, including mistakes and missed notes. I thought it would be informative to the students to see and hear a professional actually practicing what he is preaching. Now, I don’t mean to imply other teachers don’t practice what they teach. However, during private lessons, the student only gets a smattering of what it its the teacher actually does when he/she practices. They don’t get to sit through the practice sessions themselves. While I do truncate for time, these video clips are indeed the real thing, played with abandon. I do some lecturing as well, in an effort to discuss what it is that I do. I hope these clips can help any player find a way to improve their own way of working.

I have references at the bottom of this page. These should provide added resources for anyone interested in improving their playing.

Now, on to the text portion of this lesson series.

LESSON VIDEO 1: LONG TONES – Sotto Voce

This are my long tone warm up – 8-8-16’s. Note: the agc does hide the volume a bit. I really play these VERY softly – on the verge of losing the sound altogether. I strive to use a TCE type of set (the tongue sitting on top of the lower teeth nudging the back of the lower lip), with my lower lip slightly curled in over the top of the bottom teeth. Now, this might sound a bit strange, but this is what happens. My lower lip is slightly rolled in as though to come ofver the top of the bottom teeth, but the tongue is sitting there gently nudging it. As the tone tries to drop out as I pull the volume down, I bring the tongue forward and the lower lip up slightly to keep the sound going. I avoid pressing and blowing harder to keep the sound going (this is what I used to do). I originally learned these from my trumpet teacher, Neil Dunlap.

This clip is about 6 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 2: Clarkes Studies – Sotto Voce – Killing Two Birds With One Stone

Many years ago I attended a Claude Gordon clinic. He made a big point about having his students practice the Clarkes Technical Studies “in a whisper.” I have always done them this way, but I now have folded in the TCE thinking – keeping the tip of my tongue on top of the lower teeth just nudging the back of the top of my lower lip as it is slightly curled as though to go over the top o the bottom teeth, only to meet the tongue there. This gives me the control basis I am looking for that allows me to get a grip on the tone via control (as opposed to blowing louder or pressing harder) as it tries to drop out.

Now this is a real practice session. It is not flawless and it is NOT intended as a performance. For performances, go to my media page and watch those videos or listen to my CD samples.

This clip is about 5.5 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 3: Singing Exercises – from low Ab to F over Double C

Most students who come to me generally get around to asking about “range building exercises.” As you will see from my trend these days, ALL of my practice is “range building practice” even if I don’t get out of the staff in as given practice session. However, it is nice to have some organized routine for those days on which you might want to devote some time to working on your high notes. This is my routine, which I learned from Neil Dunlap. He called them his singing exercises because he wanted his students to produce a singing vocal quality to their tone in working on these.

In this demo I take them up to an F over double C. Some lead players can nail a C over double C (the so-called triple C). I hit one once. When I made this video, I had not completely perfected my high gear, low gear thing. As of the time of this edit (3/3/10) I can honestly say that I can play up to F and G over DHC pretty much any time I want to. There is really no need to, though. Developing it is a worst case design technique. If I can hit that, anything I HAVE to do (‘range-wise’) ought to be easy.

Now, in this clip I am striving to use the high gear set throughout. I actually do these a bit differently these days, and this will be the subject of a new clip.

This clip is about 10 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 4: Embouchure Design Re-visited:

When I left Maynard’s band in late 1981, I knew I had some problems to solve with my trumpet playing. I was using a “stretch and press” technique that worked, but with very limited endurance and a brute force aspect that was dangerously banging up my chops. I had to find a way to bring more repose and peace into my playing. I would watch other fine players who made it look effortless. I had to learn how to do that.

As an ex-engineer, I made some basic rationalizations. I felt that if I wanted to use less pressure in my playing I ought to be able free-buzz my lips. However, it also made sense that I wanted to make sure that my lip buzzing set was essentially that set set that I played with. This brought to mind a second idea: that I could take my current way of playing and simply improve it and fix it as opposed to completely changing my embouchure, thus requiring a major career adjustment.

What I have her is a video demo of the following ideas: lip buzzing, ring visualizer buzzing, BERP buzzing, minimum mouthpiece pressure set, lead-pipe buzzing, false scales. While I use a different approach these days, thus streamlining my time, I use these ideas periodically to make sure that my set is a minimum press set.

This clip is about 9.75 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 5: Flexibility and Trills:

Learning how to do lip trills and shakes and developing lip flexibility was of huge importance to my learning process. In this segment I give a very brief synopsis of the important points to me.

In summary, for ME, lip flexibility is a bit of a misnomer. It is ALL about TONGUE CONTROL. I use phonemes or syllables to set my tongue position for slurs. I think ‘awww’ for lower notes, ‘eee’ to slur up to higher notes and ‘hisss’ for the extreme high notes. I accomplish lip trills by quickly alternating between ah-ee-ah-ee-etc. This along with the basic lip positioning is what makes it work for me. I don’t consciously think of opening or closing the aperture when I do this. It seems to happen naturally with the tongue-wagging.

This clip is about 4.00 minutes long.

PS: There is a bit of distortion on the sound here. I am NOT recording these as performance videos. I am doing these as quickly and cheaply as possible so that I can get them out to as soon as I can.

LESSON VIDEO 6: Hi Gear Lo Gear:

In this segment I discuss my hybridization of Walt Johnson’s techniques into my own playing.

Johnson refers to a technique of using two slightly different embouchures – one for normal register and another slightly different one for EXTREME upper register. I have been alluding to in throughout the other clips, but I specifically discuss it here. This is an easy technique to master and amounts to a “Falsetto” embouchure of sorts.

This clip is about 7.00 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 7: On Breathing For Trumpet:

I use a type of “Wedge” method for breathing for lead trumpet work. For classical, I just use relaxed deep yoga style inhalation. I try to avoid over-breathing (taking too much air for the demand at hand). This is really about all there is to it.

I included my little trumpet bubble demo here as a prelude to the whole discussion

This clip is about 10.00 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 8: How To Play An Asymmetric Mouthpiece:

I have had many inquiries as to how I can play one of these mouthpieces. I try to explaining briefly and thoroughly as to how I use mine. At the bottom in the references, I have a link to John Lynch’s (the manufacturer of the Asymmetrics) web site. His text is very helpful, as well.

This clip is about 6.00 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 9: Flow Studies:

My trumpet professors when I was in graduate school working on my music masters were disciples of Vince Chicowiscz. As such, there were big advocates of his approach to developing tone and a relaxed style of playing. He called this his “flow studies.” He didn’t have any of his own etudes. Instead he had a collection of readily available etudes that he used in his unique way. Personally, I use the Clarke’s Technical studies as my flow studies material. As mentioned in the previous video clips, I do most of my practicing sotto voce. However, one must do SOME full volume playing during one’s practice session so things are ready to go on the gig. This clip is how I see my flow studies work.

This clip is about 5.5 minutes long.

LESSON VIDEO 10: More on Flow Studies and Tone Development:

This is an etude from my flow studies book I got while working on my music masters. It is slow lyrical piece. I play it first on my new NYTC Stage 1 California C trumpet, then I play it again on my NYTC Stage 1 Model GS Cornet. After that I play it on my Stage 1 California Light Bb. I comment on this during the course of the video, but I am striving for several sounds here. On the cornet I am striving for as dark a sound as I can get yet and yet still have something that I can make “sparkle” as I add air to the system. On the C trumpet I want to have a nice bright characteristic trumpet sound, but C trumpets, being smaller, are inherently brighter. One needs to compensate for this by using a deeper mouthpiece and making adjustments in ones embouchure to control the tone. Finally, I am striving for a pretty sound in Bb even when playing a lead setup.

The differences in tone are very subtle and the layman will most likely miss them. As a trumpet expert, however, you’ll notice these differences. On the C I am going for as dark a sound as possible, hence the Opera model mouthpiece. It is EXTREMELY deep, even though it has a wedge at the bottom. I can brighten it up by blowing harder.

To elaborate on playing flow studies, let me say this. You always take a deep QUIET relaxed breath. It needs to be deep and full as you expel quite a bit of air in playing these. You need to keep it quiet to ensure that it is relaxed, particularly in the shoulders and throat area. When you play, play with a full sound, again going for a sense of repose and calm. In order to understand how to slur the intervals, see my other clip (#5, above) on flexibility. Play with a full sound, but not FFF. A solid mF to F is appropriate with a singing sound. Make it as pretty as possible. This is where my final commentary comes into to play. You need to have a concept of sound to do this. The only way to get a concept of sound is to listen to professional players.

This clip is 7:29 long.

LESSON VIDEO 11: Gattermann Etude

As of this posting (12/31/07) I have recently received my new New York Trumpet Company Stage 1 GS cornet. During the heyday of American Concert Bands (think Sousa or Goldman, etc…) the virtuoso instrument was the cornet. so, I decided to dust off my double tonguing exercises and work up those skills again. This is (pardon the pun, Felix) stage 1 of that effort. One again, from my flow studies collection, I pulled an etude by Gattermann. I do NOT play it “flow-studies-like,” however. I play it as written, which is double tongue coordination exercise to be played essentially as fast as possible. This is a single take and there is absolutely no doctoring of the recording, save for using the computer mix as opposed to the sound from the camera mics and soundtrack. All mistakes are left in. In the spirit of the online lessons page, I want students to hear a pro working on sorting out some issues.

This clip is 2:26 long.

A Little Bit of Physics as it Pertains to PLAYING Trumpet:

These clips are short (typically 10 minutes each) discussions about how some aspect of trumpet can be understood with a very basic NON-TECHNICAL understanding of physics. I will try to use demos and discussions that are understandable to the non-science oriented musician (though many musicians are good at both music and “math/science”). On this page, any “physics” or “acoustics” discussions will be limited to how one can use these ideas to either make playing a bit easier or understand more about how their instrument works. There is a separate page on the physics of music which is directed primarily at students working on musical Instrument projects for a science class or Science Olympiad. On a few occasions. the videos here will also appear on that page.

Physics of Trumpet Clip #1: Why do Light-Weight Trumpets “Play Brighter?”

This clip discusses why it would seem that light weight trumpets play brighter than a massive trumpet. In some ways, a more massive trumpet ought to play brighter because it is inherently designed to NOT vibrate as much. This is supposed to keep more of the energy in the wind column, thus assisting the player. I have no reason to believe that this isn’t happening, but a lightweight horn does vibrate more and it seems to play brighter (most trumpeters agree). However, the reasons are most likely different from most trumpeters think. The vibrating bell on a light weight trumpet probably does not produce any significant amount of sound compared to the sound the trumpet makes. It is almost impossible for this tiny sound to contribute to the timbre of the instrument. The MAIN contributor is the shape of the bell (wind column) and tubing. However, there is the possibility of a tiny bit of feedback to the lips by mechanical vibration which is transferred via the vibrating horn through the mouthpiece back to the lips.

Physics of Trumpet – Clip #2: – How Does a Trumpet Work?

This clip is going to be located both here and on my Science Olympiad page. The primary thrust of this video is to demonstrate that the overtone series you get when a string or wind column is the same at both ends (for example both ends of a string are fixed or both ends of the wind column are open, like a lute or penny-whistle) give a series of all integer multiples of a fundamental frequency and that when a wind column (true for a string two) is capped at one end, you only get the odd multiples. Next we discuss the fact that the only way you can get octaves is with an instrument that is the same at both ends. However, a trumpet clearly plays octaves. It is demonstrated that this is due to the fact that the trumpet is NOT cylindrical. It has about 1/3 (actually more, these days) conical tubing. The tapered tubing collapses the odd only series filling in the gaps left behind by the missing evens producing an extremely good approximation of the all integer series.

Physics of Trumpet Clips #3: Beats and Multiphonics on a Bass Trumpet:

This is a minimally technical discussion about how beats frequencies work in both tuning and in the general sound of music. I use this to dovetail into the idea of mixing two notes together to get a third tones as is done with multiphonics on a bass trumpet. I demonstrate the so called Tartini tones or difference tones in which two notes a whole step apart are sounded at the same time and a third note three octaves under the lower note is clearly heard. The process in multiphonics is slightly different from the beats, in that it invloves mixing in a non-linear transfer function, but you can get the general idea of how this works from a visceral level. This will also be included on my Science Olympiad page.

There is one slight “faux pas” on the bass trumpet segment. I say that I’m going to play a low Bb, which is what I did. Then I say that I’m going to sing the G (hum it) above it. That was a Bb trumpeters transposition slip-up. In Bb speak, I play a low C and hum the G over it. An E above that is now audible. However, I started out NOT transposing, So if you’re keeping track, in concert pitch, the notes are Bb, F and D. When I slide the hummed note (announced as an A), I’m sliding up to a G concert. In the contemporary parlance, “my bad.”

Physics of Trumpet Clips #4: Timbre and Harmonics and Pedal Tones as Applied to Trumpet and Flugelhorn:

This is a minimally technical discussion about why one instrument sounds different from another, even if playing the same note. While there is a brief flirtation with Fourier synthesis, this is a very qualitative discussion.

This will also be included on my Science Olympiad page.

Physics of Trumpet Clips #5: On Trumpet Mouthpieces and Tone Part One:

This is the first video clip on dealing with trumpet mouthpieces, a huge topic for trumpeters. In this clip I discuss the impact of the bowl volume on the tone of the horn. I do not go into much detail on the throat and back bore other than to say it “affects the resistance.” I am being vague here as I have a second video clip dealing with this specifically. To elaborate on this clip, here, I want to just say that the most important add on for any trumpet/trumpeter is the mouthpiece. As you watch the clip you can see how dramatically the tone changes simply by changing the mouthpiece! I made every effort in making the clip to blow with the same effort. Clearly the 10&1/2 E type mouthpiece produced a much hotter sound than the 3B type. What I DIDN’T mention in the video ckip, so I do so here, is that by backing off and closing up the aperture slightly, I can make the hot mouthpiece sound pretty mellow, too! So, why not use it all the time and make the job easier to do all the way around. Well, I come close to that. I use my asymmetric lead model on most gigs with Bb. However, in serious legit gigs, I find that it is to much work to darken up the sound to the extent needed, so I move to a much deeper model. Nevertheless, I would encourage you to always pick a mouthpiece that makes the job at hand easiest to do.

This clip is ten minutes long.

Shattering Glass with the Un-amplified Sound of a Trumpet :

Can the un-amplified sound of a New York Trumpet Company California Stage 1 model Bb trumpet shatter this wine glass? BELIEVE IT! I was able to shatter this cheap wine glass after class one day horsing around while some kids were doing some homework in the back of the lab. Normally this demo is done using a speaker to drive a beaker, but I always thought it would be fun to do with the horn. This is the first time I did it!

This will also be included on my Science Olympiad page.

Frequently Asked Questions (Online Lessons Continued)

As this page gets longer, the Youtube Videos don’t load up very well. Hence this link for a continuation of the Online Lessons Page.

Let me comment on vacations. For me, when I take a family vacation with my wife and kids, I have to struggle with the idea that I shouldn’t take my horn with me. I have a pocket trumpet for that purpose, but when I bring it, I typically scrounge up jam sessions wherever I’m going and go sit in, much to the frustration of some. Here’s is my new guideline. Since I do practice so much already, unless I am taking a working vacation (a trip for the purpose of performing and touring, but with my family with me because I’m going somewhere they’d like to go), I don’t bring my horn unless we’ll be gone for more than three weeks.

References:

This is a work in progress. Thanks for your interest and patience.

I feel that all of the great trumpet methods are excellent, be they TCE, Caruso, Gordon, Maggio, etc. Each one can speak to the needs of specific students. I have worked with most of these. As a teacher, I will NOT be specifically teaching from one or more of these embouchure method books. I will simply tell you what I do and how I do it. While I will address some nuts and bolts mechanics about how to hold the chops and the tongue while playing, this will be a minimal part of what I do. I will work with you to get you to do this all on your own – how to be self-analytic. I want you to know what to do when you encounter challenges. Ultimately, you want to make music and not be thinking about ‘the chops,’ but when the going gets tough, you should know what to do to get it sorted out on the fly.

My goal as a player is to be able to play whatever moves me without fear. This is what I want for my students. I will be posting more video content on my personal approaches to give you a feel for what I do. In fact, you may find that these are sufficient, in and of themselves. Stay tuned.

I want to offer a special debt of gratitude to Antonio Rapacciuolo for helping me establish my Webcam Lessons program. Antontion a fine trumpeter from Italy and has been producing some amazing resources and putting them online for trumpeters all over the world, Just below in the section marked References and Resources, I have links to Antonio’s sites. Trumpeters the world over are strongly encouraged to check these out.

References and Resources:

Sites managed by Antonio Rapacciuolo
The Italian Trumpet Forum
The Arrow Beach Trumpet Site
Also, Antonio is the sole Italian agent for the Taylor trumpet company. While I endorse the NYTC horns, I’m always quick to recognize that most custom manufactures are making fine instruments. It is just a matter of finding the best match for you. Taylor horns are excellent, and if you’re in Italy, Antonio is your guy!

Trumpet Secrets by Callet/Civiletti (self published by Callet)
Double High C in Ten Minutes by Walt Johnson (self published by Johnson)
Systematic Approach to Daily Practice by Claude Gordon (published by Carl Fischer)
Colin Lip Flexibilities by Charles Colin published by Colin Music
The New Asymmetric Mouthpiece

I would also heartily recommend visiting Bob Odneal’s web site Casual Double High C. His ideas are, in many ways, in line with my thinking.

Next, Jim Manley has some wonderful ideas that resonate with much of my thinking. Here are some useful links for Jim:

JimManley.net
Jim ManleyMusic.com
and finally on you tube he can be found at…
http://www.youtube.com/jazzybugler
For those of you who are technically driven and have an understanding of wave physics, this site is fantastic in its depth of coverage: HyperPhysics on Wave Theory

Books:
“The Science of Sound Second Edition” by Thomas Rossing published by Addison – Wesley copyright 1990

“The Acoustical Foundations of Music by John Backus published by WW Norton and Company – copyright 1977

Essential Jazz Tunes List 2008

I regularly attend about 5 different jam sessions in the Chicago area. The make of personnel/attendees varies from very young and inexperienced to seasoned professionals. It is from the seasoned pros (musicians at least 20 years my senior) that I have learned/gleaned the most. Jazz musicians these days study chords, scales, patterns theory. This is important, but this is actually the minimum required. This may sound daunting, as you should know EVERY scale and chord — ALL OF THEM! The next step is transcribing solos, of course. This is a big addition to the theory. However, what I have discovered from working with these experienced pros is that they go far deeper than that. They seem to have an incredibly intuitive understanding of melodic structure. This is no accident and it comes form their experience. They literally know thousands of tunes. I am not exaggerating here. The best folks I have gotten to know seem to be utterly un-stumpable. The finest jazz players can play anything they can hear and have heard and know thousands of tunes. This is what I have gleaned from this project so far.

So in the spirit of sharing, here is a list of 150 tunes/changes in alphabetical order that I have found seem to get called repeatedly at jam sessions and on dinner sets on high class jobbing dates. I have made it my job to know every one of these tunes from memory. I know hundreds more, but, again, these seem to be the essential mix, so far. As my list grows, I’ll edit here.

Essential Jazz List

A Child Is Born
A Day In The Life Of A Fool
A Day Of Wine And Roses
A Night IN Tunisia
Afro Blue
Airmail Special
Alice In Wonderland
All The Things You Are
Almost Like Being In Love
Alone Together
And I Love Her
Anthropology
Au Privave
Autumn Leaves
Back Home In Indiana
Billie’s Bounce
Birk’s Works
Blackbird Singing In The Dead Of Night
Blowing The Blues Away
Blue Bossa
Blue ‘n Boogie
Blues in Ab
Blues in C
Blues in Db
Blues in G
Blueswalk
Body and Soul
Broadway
But Beautiful
Bye Bye Blackbird
Caravan
Chameeon
Cheek To Cheek
Cherokee
Close Your Eyes
Confirmation
Cookin’ At The Continental
Dear Old Stockholm
Desafinado
Dig
Dinah
Dizzy Atmosphere
Donna Lee
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Down By The Riverside
Doxy
Embraceable You
Emily
Epistrophy
Every Time We Say Goodbye
Exactly Like You
Five Foot Two
Footprints
Four
Freedom Jazz Dance
Fungi Mama
Good Bait
Groovin’ High
Have You Met Miss Jones
Hello Dolly
Here’s That Rainy Day
Hot House
How High The Moon
How Insensitive
I Can’t Get Started
I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
I Love Paris
I Love You
I Remember Clifford
I’ll Remember April
Impressions
In A Mellow Tone
Invitation
It Might Asw Well Be Spring
It’s You Or No One
Jada
Jordu
Joy Spring
Just The Way You Look Tonight
Little Sunflower
Love For Sale
Margie
Michele
Misterioso
Misty
Moten Swing
Mr. PC
Night And Day
No More Blues
Now’s The Time
Nuttville
Oleo
Ornithology
Paper Moon
Pennies From Heaven
Pensativa
Pent Up House
Perdido
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
Ramblin
Rhythm Changes in F, Bb, Ab, and C
Robbin’s Nest
Round Midnight
Salt Peanuts
Sandu
Satin Doll
Scrapple For The Apple
Seven Steps To Heaven
Sidewinder
Sister Sadie
Slow Boat To China
Society Red
Softly As The Morning Sunrise
Solitude
Someday My Prince Will Come
Someone To Watch Over Me
Something
Song For My Father
Sophisticated Lady
Stablemates
Stardust
Stella By Starlight
Stolen Moments
Stompin At The Savoy
Struttin’ With Some Barbacue
Sweet Georgia Brown
S’Wonderful
Syeeda’s Song Flute
Taking A Chance On Love
Tangerine
Tenderly
Tenor Madness
The Girl From Ipanema
Them There Eyes
There Will Never Be Another You
They Can’t Take That Away From Me
Thing’s Ain’t What They Used To Be
Triste
Tune Up
Up Jumped Spring
Well You Needn’t
West End Blues
What Is This Thing Called Love
Whispering
Willow Weep For Me
With A Song In My Heart
Woody ‘n You
Work Song
Yesterday’s
You Made Me Love You
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
You’ll Never Know
You’re Blasé

–>>Nick Drozdoff