Tag: Gear

‘Design Innovations’ Part 4 : Berp

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‘Design Innovations’ is a series of articles looking at new and innovative developments in trumpet design, as well as gadgets and tools that are designed to make our practice and performance easier. 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 lecturer on the pedagogical concepts involved with his designs.  Here he shares some thoughts and insights on the processes involved with the development of the BERP.

Buying Guide : Practice Mutes

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Practice Mutes have become accepted as a necessary evil for brass players.  They are not an ideal way of preparing yourself, however there are times where we all accept that you just need to practice or warm-up quietly.  Listed below are a number of mutes currently available that will all do the job.  They will all have different strengths though, so I have tried to demystify them somewhat with this ‘Buying Guide’.

Trumpet Case Review: Ft Series by Fultone Brass

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Getting the right balance of protection and portability in a trumpet case or gig bag is always a challenge. And add to that being able to actually fit in everything that you need and then carry it without breaking your back... Gig bigs or soft cases have long been a popular alternative to hard cases to cut down on weight, but there is often a huge compromise to be made in it's level of protection for your valuable instruments. I was keen to see a new range on the market from Fultone Brass - the Ft Series.

Trumpet Artist Profile: John Thirkell

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Johnny Thirkell is one of the most recorded trumpet players still working today. Through the 80s and 90s, as well as being a member of Level 42, Swing Out Sister and Jamiroquai, he has also worked with George Michael, Bruno Mars, Phil Collins, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Eric Clapton, Buddy Rich, The Who and Tina Turner. He has performed on over 6000 recordings including 23 No.1 records – most recently the Bruno Mars/Mark Ronson smash, “Uptown Funk”. The list goes on and on!!

Trumpet Artist Profile: Eric Miyashiro

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With a trumpet in his hands, Eric Miyashiro is a force of nature. The powerful sound, blistering range and flamboyant lyrical playing suggest a very different personality to the one that I met! Eric is one of the gentlest, nicest people that I have come across so I was thrilled when he agreed to spend some time doing this interview for Mouthpiece Online…