better_notes — blackwellcopy

Value-building email/blog post opening with a personal letter, followed up with juicy educational details, and then ending with a call to action.

Subject: Play Better Notes with Three Simple Drills

Text Display: Boosted confidence, a smoother tone, and easier high notes ...

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Hello my trumpet-playing friend,

How are you doing on this fine day?

At the moment, I'm sitting on the floor in the front room of my house. I'm not really sure if it's a living room, a front foyer, or what, but we call it the home gym. There's a pull-up bar hanging from the ceiling, some gymnastic rings, a bike, a litter box (don't worry, it's contained (speaking of which, if you want an eco-friendly, odorless, and dust-free cat litter solution - hit me up)), a pair of dumbbells, a paper shredder, some cardboard (for composting), and a brick wall. If you find yourself in Lancaster, PA, hit me up. The door is always open, and you're more than welcome to swing by. (Well, actually, the door is usually closed – but you get the idea.)

Anyways, the reason for this email is to both offer up some hot practice tips and also let you know that I am currently taking on students. So, have a read, give the practice tips a go, and let me know how they work for you. Then, if you're interested in exploring private lessons, that reply button.

Thank you for reading and know that you are sincerely appreciated.

Your trumpet-playin' pal,

James Blackwell

[Sunday, 13:31, 28 August 2022]

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More Reliable Trumpet Playing

As jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie once (supposedly) put it, 'Some days you win, some days the trumpet wins, and then you die, and the trumpet wins.'

Dizzy was a funny dude. And as a life-long performer, he understood the realities of daily trumpet playing better than most: no matter who you are, no matter how good you get, inconsistency is the name of the game. You're human. Some days, things are easy, and others ... well, not so much.

The problem is that daily inconsistencies can make a big difference to the way you sound – especially in the beginning. But that's only because playing the trumpet is weird. Because what you're doing in the practice room is training your lips to act as the vocal cords of an inanimate brass tube. And frankly, it's a miracle that we can do it at all.

However, learning to play the trumpet is not only possible, but can also be rather simple. You just need a productive attitude and few drills that point you in the right direction. Then, as you learn to rely on the feelings of good playing, you can focus on singing your song as only you can.

(You won, Diz)

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Greater Playing Confidence

A big part of reliable trumpet playing is training the embouchure to 'assume the position' for each note as soon as the air is released through the lips. The embouchure's ability to do this dictates the quality of what's referred to as your 'initial attack' – or – how your first note sounds when you start playing.

While feeling secure in your attacks is critical for confident trumpet playing, many players avoid holding themselves accountable for their first notes. Instead, they either allow 'test notes' (starting with one or two notes that 'don't count') or get in the habit of leaving the mouthpiece on the lips in between phrases (for fear of losing that 'perfect' spot). Unfortunately, both of these practices breed insecurity and performance anxiety.

Since you don't get multiple tries on the bandstand (and this includes playing for friends and family during the holidays), you must challenge your ability to play any note 'cold.' Then, as you learn the feelings associated with doing that, you'll discover a growing self-assurance in your ability to 'grip it and rip it.'

The good news is that developing a solid attack is easy. Simply shorten the amount of time you allow yourself to 'set' before playing the first note of a phrase. A great way to do this is to give yourself only a single beat to set the mouthpiece on the lips and breathe. Then, after attacking a single note, remove the mouthpiece from the lips and try the same thing again.

Something like this:

By practicing your attack for a few minutes each day, you learn two things: first, that you need to know what the note sounds like before you play it, and second, what it feels like to play a good-sounding, physically-supported tone. Then, as these two habits become old hat, you'll find yourself donning a humble confidence while hitting better notes all day long.

(And BTW, this doesn't not need to be complicated. I'm playing straight up the C major scale like this each day and it's working out just fine.)

A Smoother Sound

After a bit of initial attack practice, it's wise to work on your ability to connect one note to the next without using the tongue to start and stop the airstream between notes. Known as slurring, developing your ability to play with a constant sound trains the embouchure/aperture to maintain an ongoing vibration while also reinforcing efficient air usage – this makes playing a lot easier.

To start, practice slurring simple, scale-wise patterns. Focus on using the air like you do when you hum – in other words, there's no need to 'pump' the abdomen to go from one note to the next. If this feels strange, it's useful to alternate back and forth between playing and singing, or imagine that you're simply playing one long note.

The following scale pattern comes from the introductory materials to James Stamp's 'Warm-ups and Studies for Trumpet.' It's also one of the preliminary exercises demonstrated in BTB's Trumpet Foundations program for beginning players. (*ahem*)

As you progress with your ability to slur, you can begin to add other elements while aiming to maintain the same sense of ease and connectedness.

... Which brings us to the third exercise.

Easier High Notes

At some point, every trumpeter wants to play higher notes. It's our addiction. So, in an effort to scratch that itch, players often 'go for it' without proper guidance. Now, this is all well and good, except for the fact that it usually ends in a frustrating lack of progress.

However, with a bit of practical know-how, you can easily improve your playing range over time. You just need to train the muscles of the embouchure to make the subtle adjustments in firmness required for each note. A great way to do this is by practicing wide intervals while listening for clean, seamless transitions between the registers.

The embouchure's ability to make these adjustments is called lip flexibility – and the faster and more accurately the muscles can adjust in firmness, the more effortless playing becomes. Therefore, by training lip flexibility by switching back and forth between low notes and high notes (and high notes and low notes) you learn the feeling of what it takes actually improve your range ... easily. Then, you can use that feeling to guide your practice time and experience steady progress.

While practicing wide leaps, focus on connecting the notes just as you do during your slurring practice (in fact, intervals can probably (maybe) replace scale-wise slurring as you progress). Listen to the transitions between notes without judgment and wait patiently for them to become smoother and cleaner over time. As they do, the upper register will begin to feel like no big deal.

In terms of practice exercises, anything that challenges your ability to jump between ranges is great. Recently, I've been practicing the electric guitar intro from Guns n' Roses' 'Sweet Child of Mine' on the mouthpiece. It's a good time. Just look for something off the beaten path and have some fun with it.

(Thanks for the warm-up, fellas)

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Keep it Simple

When it comes to constructing a daily routine, don't overthink it. Just pick something fun and ... do it. The point is to get comfortable with a small amount of material so that you can truly refine your playing at a deep level. Then, you can enjoy the remainder of your practice time working on the music you love.

Make Even Faster Progress

Figuring out this trumpet thing can be overwhelming – but it doesn't have to be. Sometimes, all you need is someone to tell you what to do. So, if you think you'd enjoy some one-on-one guidance creating a fun and effective practice routine, hit reply to schedule your FREE 30-minute introductory lesson.

Your first lesson comes with no strings attached and is simply a way for us to get to know one another and assess your playing. We'll discuss your background, musical goals, and a few personalized practice suggestions. Then, if you wish to continue working together, great. And if not, no sweat. You'll still leave with some solid playing tips and a new musical friend.

And just so you know, lesson times are first come, first served, so it's wise to get the ball rolling.

Talk to you soon,
James

"I am 70 years old and played piano as a kid, but had never played trumpet until I inherited one. When I decided to take lessons last year I found James, and I’m so glad I did. When I started with James, I couldn’t get a single note out of the horn, and now I’m playing songs and learning so much about music that I never knew. I won’t be ready for New Orleans any time soon, but James keeps reminding me how far I have come. He is the perfect combination of encouraging and tough. He makes me memorize exercises and scales, even when I tell him I’m too old. He is very patient with me when I don’t have time to practice, but I hate to disappoint him, so I’m always trying to practice more. Playing the trumpet is very challenging, but James has made it fun and rewarding."

- Harriet B. (Chicago, IL)

P.S. Remember, your free lesson comes with zero obligation, so even if you're unsure if lessons are right for you at this time, go ahead and schedule your freebie now (before your ideal time slot gets snatched up by some other trumpeter).

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