Monthly Archives: January 2017

Resources for Group Trumpet Tuition

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Music education has changed drastically over the past few years, and is a topic upon which instrumental teachers have often lamented.  In the UK in particular we had a sudden shift to whole-class and group instrumental tuition 12 years ago, which has taken a long time to establish itself as anything more than a musical experience for children.  Now that teachers are getting more accustomed to this setting and scenario, approaches to teaching beginner students are having to change with the focus particularly in the early weeks and months on having fun, rather than a technical grounding.

From my experience, I felt ill-equipped with suitable resources moving into group teaching (2005-2010), so found that I was primarily relying on writing and creating my own.  I know that this is a similar story that I have heard from many other trumpet teachers too.  In many respects this is a good thing as you do not become bound to a ‘method’ and any materials that you do use are purely as a resource rather than a learning guide.  In this setting particularly, improvisation (both from students and teachers!), singing, general musicianship and listening become even more important tools.

As we have all adjusted to these changes, many of the available teaching materials and ‘tutor books’ have now changed as well.  Here I have given a run-down of many of the methods and resources that can be useful for teaching beginning students in a group situation.

Trumpet Basics – John Miller (pub. Faber) 

This is a great step-by-step method, with a nice mix of different styles too.  The ensemble pieces included here are well-arranged and work really well.  The layout is clear and is engaging for learners of all ages.  The only negative aspect is that there are not many pieces that are suitable for a mixed ability group, and it does rely on everyone progressing at a pretty similar rate.

Standard of Excellence – Bruce Pearson (pub. Kjos) 

The variety of exercises and tunes here is great, and the ensemble stuff, particularly mixing with the other brass instruments is well thought out and fun.  The layout though could probably do with being updated as younger children particularly seem much more engaged by an open layout with pictures and diagrams as well as the notation.  Some of the repertoire could also do with a facelift.

Team Brass – Richard Duckett (pub. Faber) 

I really like the step-by-step nature of this method as each page introduces new elements while also consolidating the previous page.  This alongside the nice ensemble arrangements makes this a good resource particularly for mixed instruments.  The repertoire and the layout though are a little outdated now and perhaps is not as engaging for younger children as some of the other options available.

Essential Elements (pub. Hal Leonard) 

This has good varied content and works well with combinations of all brass and woodwind.  The ensembles work nicely, although involves some adaptation to work with mixed abilities.  The online resources are also really well integrated, with apps available for phone and tablet.

The Boosey Brass Method (pub. Boosey & Hawkes) 

This has a lovely, clear and engaging layout.  It is full of great games and activities that are good for at home as well as in the lesson.  A particular feature that I really like is visualising of notes as ‘building blocks’ to help encourage controlled air flow.  This tutor book is however aimed more at individual or small group tuition with lots of nice mixed ability duets, but no arrangements ‘ready to go’ for larger ensembles.

ABRSM Music Medals (pub. ABRSM) 

The Music Medals offer good targets and in-class assessment for children learning in a group, and there are a number of good resources too.  The ensemble book has a nice selection, but it is very narrow in style.  The ‘musicianship’ side of the syllabus seems a little dry and is also quite hard to teach to groups of younger children in an engaging manner.

Trinity College London – Small Group Tests, & First Access Tests for whole classes (pub. Trinity) 

As with the Music Medals, this is a way of setting targets and offering individual assessment (and certificates) to children learning in groups.  There is a nice variety of repertoire with many different styles represented.  There is also a real emphasis on ear work and improvisation, and all of the tunes have lyrics to encourage aural development.

There are obviously a lot of other resources both in print, as audio, video and online that I have not covered here, and I am very interested to hear of teachers’ experiences with the materials above, or indeed any others that have been useful to readers.

Mike Lovatt: Interview and Instrument Review

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Mike Lovatt has one of the most heard and recognisable trumpet sounds in the world right now.  If you do not think that you have heard him play before, you are probably wrong!  Starring on more movie soundtracks than I can even begin to list, he is instantly recognised by his signature scintillating yet full, rich sound and his smooth, understated style.  His versatility means that he is equally at home in his lead trumpet chairs with the John Wilson Orchestra and Superbrass as he is as guest principal with all of the UK’s major symphony orchestras.  He is also sought after by the biggest names in the pop and commercial sectors and is a true A-lister of the trumpet world.  I never had the opportunity to sit in a section with Mike in my trumpet playing days, but was fortunate enough to work as producer on some Superbrass sessions that he was involved in.  I got to see first hand his incredible skill, musicianship and professionalism.

This incredible level of versatility requires an instrument to match it, which has led to Mike’s latest project, a collaboration with trumpet builder Richard Smith to design a new instrument capable of fulfilling all of these varied requirements.  The ML Smith-Watkins is the result of this partnership.  My review of the new model follows these thoughts and insights on the design process that Mike has kindly shared with me:

Mike: “The process of designing was quite slow as Richard Smith is in York while I am in Hertfordshire, which meant a lot of bits of trumpet being sent backwards and forwards as well as trips up there for me to tweak and try things.  

I wanted to improve all of the things that that weren’t quite right for me on the original SW models which Richard designed in consultation with the late, great Derek Watkins.  After nearly 30 years of playing one of those models I felt that I was in a position to develop them further for my needs.  I always liked the way those trumpets blew though, and wanted to keep the interchangeable lead pipe system.  I think that this part of the design (dual lead pipe) is key to the feel of the instrument and helping the resonance and efficiency of the energy going through the horn.  

We started off by choosing a valve block – I had about 4 different ones to try just as they come (a valve block and slides). I was looking for good compression yet good mechanical movement of the valves.  I sat in front of the TV wiggling valves for hours on end and ended up choosing a .460 bore which had good compression and worked really well !

Next was a bell to balance it up.  I tried a different bell in lots of different settings on a trumpet all taped together!  I tried lots of bells of different sizes and gauges.  In the end I settled (not knowingly)  for something equivalent to a Bach 37 – the only thing was that I thought it sounded a bit bright and wanted to have the full picture range of sound from dark to bright when pushed!  After trying the bell in standard gauge metal we tried a heavyweight version.  This was perfect.  At this stage I still hadn’t tried the instrument soldered together! 

Lastly and importantly we worked on developing a leadpipe to be adaptable in lots of different styles of playing and one which lent itself well to the smaller bore and smaller bell than I’d been used to.  After the ‘core’ of the trumpet was sorted, we addressed little things like a new style finger hook and water key position.”

Since the launch of the new trumpet in Summer 2016, demand has vastly outstripped supply.  Interestingly, they are not only proving a hit with jazz/commercial players but can also be seen in a number of symphony orchestras across the UK and Ireland.  I was therefore very keen to get my hands on one to review and see what all of the fuss has been about!

The trumpet has a .460” medium large bore valve section, heavyweight yellow brass bell and is supplied with the custom ML leadpipe.  A lovely distinguishing feature is the laser-etched titanium finger buttons. It is supplied in silver plate as standard, but gold plate is an optional extra.

I was immediately struck by the ML model’s response.  Most of the Smith-Watkins trumpets that I have played in the past have required a tighter feeling late-taper leadpipe to give you that delicate and immediate response.  I found that with this model, I could get that immediacy yet combined with a rich full sound even at quieter dynamics.  The tonal core feels really stable across the range and dynamics, and there is a lovely sizzle to the sound when you open up the throttle.

In short, I was not disappointed!  For my own interest, I also tried this model with #10 and #32 leadpipes.  For quality of sound and general versatility, the supplied ML leadpipe definitely wins the day though, and I can certainly see why this trumpet’s appeal seems to have reached out of the commercial sector.

To find out more about Mike Lovatt, please visit www.mikelovatt.co.uk

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Bagpipe Lung

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A New Year brings with it a fresh start, and a resolution to keep instruments clean and hygienic.  If you need any further confirmation of the importance of keeping your instrument clean, please read on!…

Back in August 2016, the BBC and numerous other news agencies were reporting on a journal article written by doctors at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Hospital.  They described a rare but fatal case of what they described as “bagpipe lung” in a 61-year-old patient.  The deceased man is thought to have developed a bad reaction to mould and fungi lurking inside the moist interior of his bagpipes.

The patient had been struggling with respiratory problems over a number of years, during which time doctors had ruled out all possible environmental causes that they could think of.  On a hunch, the doctors sent away the pipes for testing only to reveal that the instrument was riddled with damp-loving mould and fungi – the types that the doctors know can cause serious lung problems.

Sadly, the damage that had already occurred to the man’s lungs was irreversible.  His condition deteriorated and he tragically died some weeks later.

There have also been a number of other documented cases of this in the UK with Saxophone, Trombone and Trumpet players.  Fortunately in these cases, the cause was identified early enough for the patients to recover.

So what steps do we need to take to prevent the build of yeast and other harmful pathogens in our trumpets?

Fortunately the answer to this is nowhere near as complicated as the problems faced by this patient or his doctors.  Regular cleaning.  Whether an instrument is being used regularly or not, the damp environment is a perfect breeding ground for all sorts of nasties.

Woodwind instruments where the instrument can be easily swabbed after every playing to remove moisture are pretty straightforward to keep in a hygienic state.  Brass on the other hand is not so easily attended on a daily basis, so it is important that we flush them out and clean them thoroughly when we do make the time.  I generally suggest to student that this is done monthly.

Taking the instrument apart and soaking it in a hot bath with a mild detergent is generally the best starting point to help to loosen dirt and grime.  I would then suggest both a brush pull-though and then a sponge pull-through to drag out the offending matter!  Finally a rinse through with hot (but not boiling) water should leave your trumpet clean.

I have found some really good quality pull-throughs etc for this purpose, links to a few are listed below this article.

You may also be interested in a few of these simple products that I have found that can be useful for keeping your instrument free of grime on a daily/weekly basis, meaning that you can perhaps do the “full flush” slightly less frequently.

Spitballs from Herco have been around for years, seemed to fall out of favour, and have now made a big comeback.  These are specially treated pieces of moist foam that are blown right through the instrument.  On their own, they will not take the place of a thorough flush, but used regularly reduce the need for frequent full cleans.  These are really popular with trumpet players, although not so popular with anyone who is on the receiving end of one exiting a trumpet bell at speed!  The link to the manufacturer’s webstore is here, although it is also available from most good music stores.  http://store.jimdunlop.com/p/he185si-sm-spitballs-18-jar

There has been a huge drive towards using natural and/or non-toxic ingredients in oils and cleaning materials recently.  One interesting company that I have come across are B Sharp Brass.  Their Virtuoso Cleaning Kit includes a really good instrument soak that you dilute to clean your instrument – the residue from this also helps to prevent build up in the instrument too.  http://www.bsharpbrass.com/products

There are loads of good brush pull-throughs around, too many to list here, but I generally favour ones without too much bare wire to scratch the inside of the instrument.  In addition to these, I like the following kit from Reka which has perfectly sized spheres on the end of the cleaning cord and bars, perfect for dragging out any last bits of dirt.  http://www.reka-web.com/228/