XO Brass brought out this Roger Ingram signature model a little while back now, but there has been a big rise in this horn's popularity over the past year or so. It has proved to be a hit with players looking for ease of blow and slotting along with a centred and bright sound. And … Continue reading Instrument Review : XO 1600l Roger Ingram Trumpet
Johnny Thirkell : Horn Camp 2020
Last year we spoke to Johnny Thirkell about his new venture “Horn Camp” – a week-long course in Southern Spain for Trumpet and Sax players. It all sounded pretty exciting, so we caught up with him again to see how it all went and if he had plans for more.
Tone-Ring Mouthpieces from Atelier Donat
A brand new development from Donat mouthpieces, in collaboration with Ko de Rooij: Tone-Ring mouthpieces, available for cornet and flugelhorn, designed to give an unmatched combination of sound and playability. Along with a unique new design, adding a Tone-Ring to the cup, a shorter heavy blank has been developed for improved tuning. Characteristic for the … Continue reading Tone-Ring Mouthpieces from Atelier Donat
Well you can’t argue with the ‘World’s Greatest’!
Stomvi USA was recently featured on the 'World's Greatest' TV series with a fantastic segment. It shows what a great industry trumpet design and building really is! https://youtu.be/1543JdJSu2o Visit Stomvi USA for further information.
Cheater Mouthpieces and Independent Thinking
I watched this video from K.O. and it really struck a chord. So many young players are 'trained' to accept that certain models of instrument or mouthpiece will be the correct ones for them to achieve their goal. Ignoring key factors such as sound quality, intonation and comfort in order to arbitrarily prescribe equipment seems … Continue reading Cheater Mouthpieces and Independent Thinking
What’s the story behind Trump Street?
Visitors to the City of London (London's main financial district) will be accustomed to the glass-fronted homes of high finance and over-priced coffee. They may well have also come across the interestingly named 'Trump Street' and thought it to be a nod to our friends over the pond. They would however be wrong! I recently … Continue reading What’s the story behind Trump Street?
How to build the perfect space for trumpet playing
When trying out new instruments or mouthpieces, it is often challenging to find the right environment in which to do so. You may have had that experience of being shoved into a completely dead-sounding, glorified broom cupboard in a music shop. Or left just to play in the middle of the store, trying not to … Continue reading How to build the perfect space for trumpet playing
BlackBinder : App Review
Over the past few years I have come across numerous apps for reading and performing with ‘sheet’ music. I find the developments staggering in how far we have come, integrating this technology into our performances. However, there have always been compromises to be made, whether it be in turning pages, marking up parts, editing, or just the general viewing and using experience, that I have made me wonder whether I wouldn’t just prefer to have some sheets of paper in front of me! That is until now!... I tried BlackBinder for the first time a few weeks ago on my iPad, and it is the first app that I have found that really addressed all of these niggles that I had.
Is this the future of the trumpet?
I was blown away by this video introduced by K.O. Skinsnes from Stomvi USA, about the 'Stomvi Titan 4 Valve Edition' range of trumpets and cornets. They sound absolutely stunning in this performance by Pacho Flores, Javier Gonzalez and Aaron Smith. Perhaps there really will be no need for trombones in the future!
37 vs 43
The Bach Stradivarius 180 model Bb trumpets have been the best-sellers worldwide in the pro and advanced upgrade instrument market for many many years. The 2 most popular bell shapes, models 37 and 43 both provide a lot of flexibility and versatility, and of course will respond very differently depending on the player. This video from Dawkes Music gives a really good overall and balanced comparison of the two models, allowing you to really hear the different characteristics.
Vhizzper : Mute Review
So, here is a really interesting new product that I have been sent through for review… The Vhizzper mute is the brainchild of Christoph Baerwind, trumpeter in ‘German Brass’ and ‘Der Orchester der Hamburgischen Staatsoper’. The essential concept is a practice mute that can also be used as a mouthpiece mute. This is not something that I have encountered before so was fascinated to give it a try.
Frate Precision : Mouthpiece Review
Since 2006 Dario Frate has been designing and making mouthpieces from his base in Lombardy, Italy. The aim across the entire range is to give the player richness of sound, fluidity, and to do it as easily as possible. These are certainly noble ambitions and I was very keen to try some mouthpieces for myself!
The Bach LT190 1B Commercial Model Trumpet
A run down on the Bach LT190 1B Commercial Model trumpet, and demonstrated by the brilliant Georgina Jackson
Trumpet Artist Profile: Mario Guarneri
Mario Guarneri will be known to many readers as a performer and educator of the highest calibre. A former member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mario is also in demand as educator and lecturer on the pedagogical concepts involved with his groundbreaking designs and the trumpet in general. Here he shares with me some thoughts on approaching different stylistic challenges both as a player and a teacher.
The Bob Reeves Interview
When you talk about getting your trumpets adjusted so that they respond perfectly to you or matching and adjusting a mouthpiece so that it works perfectly with your horn, you are probably already thinking about Bob Reeves!
How to Clean the Trumpet
Keep your horn clean and you will never have a problem with sticky valves or slides. Keeping it clean inside also removes bacteria that can build up in the tubing.