Great video. Sounds like you play quietly, your tone will improve as well as other fundamentals. I've always been a louder player, which I think might have been diminishing my playing abilities.
Wow! I don't know how I missed this video. <grin> I have a total of 6 harmons (with a lower case "h") including a couple of the ones here. I think my current fav is a copper Harmon, but I suspect it isn't as old as the one you've got cuz it has no stamp. It came to me looking like an old, beat-up penny, so I gave it new cork, a scratched finish, and a coat of lacquer to maintain the look. It still looks old and is the one I currently carry. I think brand new ones have a slightly different construction, and I don't have any idea when the design changed or how different it might sound from earlier versions. I do have an old Emo I bought back in the 60s. I think my teacher recommended it because of the buzz, and for a long time it was the only one I had. I also have a British Selmer Styratone, the LeBlanc, neither of which I would ever play in public, the Soulo (which is REALLY buzzy!), and a Windy City, whose buzz, for me, is really volume dependent and varies quite a bit. The copper Harmon's buzz is more consistent. It's also got a pretty easy blow, but is fairly heavy of course because of the copper. Great demo, as always!
This is such a good shout actually. However, I'm curious is there a truly wireless alternative perhaps for settings where you would wanna move around while playing and not have to worry about cables getting caught? Better still is there a way to adapt the mic you've mentioned for this use case? Perhaps a compact transmitter pack that will attach to the trumpet? I know Timmy Trumpet (the DJ) has a pretty compact setup that kinda achieves this, but I can't for the life of me fogger out what it is haha.
I have to practice late at night and use a straight mute .... have ro force myself to play very softly. I like the sound of that mute as it is more natural sounding. Probably too expensive for me 😅
I've a question! What stand would you use for your trumpet when using a clip on? I love using a clip on but it always feels awkward using a stand in love settings as I'm nervous about knocking the mic etc.
Great question, I have a K&M Trumpet holder - it clips onto the side of a microphone stand/music stand. You can hang the trumpet from that, I'll see if I can make a video about it sometime in the next few weeks. I'll be back in video mode in about 2 weeks.
For many players - yes. Ideally we don't allow ourselves to get to that point, but it's bound to happen from time to time. What have you found to be helpful?
@@JoshRzepkaMusic well I am about to throw in the towel. I had a day where I rested and only played for 10 minutes or so, and the next day that lump on the middle of the upper lip, was really hard, almost like rubber, and wouldn't vibrate. so I guess unless it goes away in a couple days Ill have to quit. I don't really have a way to deal with it. thanks for responding.
Hmm ... sounds frustrating. Send me an email or DM me on Instagram, happy to chat a min to see if I can give you another suggestion or two that might help you out!
You should check out the Humes & Berg Mic-a-mute. I use that model rather than their standard cup. Two reasons: Has a nice rubber ring around the edge of the cup rather than those nasty hard edges. And it has red flocking inside the cup. RE: Fit -- You over generalize when you keep saying "tight". You need to adjust the fit so you have the sound and projection you are looking for. Super tight and it might be really mellow, which could be great if you're on a mic or in a small combo. But that tight fit will mean you will have no volume and it will be hard to project...useless in a typical big band situation. More gap and it might not be as mellow but now at least you'll be heard. It's going to be a compromise.
A nice mute - I've got a few of those now ... this video is one of my earliest. I think I included a mic-a-mute in a later video ... can't recall which one though. Agree on the fit/sound compromise, I was just trying to demo some different sounds that are possible.
Yes - it's basically identical, but I'm not certain on the timeline. I've tried contacting Don Maslet, but they've been out of production for a long time, and any emails/contacts that I was able to get from stores/distributers I never got any response from ... perhaps one day I'll get in touch with them somehow. At any rate, this mute is currently available and in production, and the Maslet isn't.
cold sores are a lie you have been told. go read "the cruel hoax called genital herpes" pdf. all a cold sore is , is your body going into a crisis detox. the cure is fasting what you eat affects how often you will get cold sores and also stress etc.. if you fast the moment you feel one coming on, and fast for 24 hrs it will probably heal within a day. it did for me when I started to examine how germ theory was debunked over 100 years ago. when i got a cold sore I fasted and it literally healed within a day. knowledge is power.
I'm a comeback player. I largely don't need to practice the music I'm playing in a local community band. What I do need to do is improve endurance and re-establish the foundation I had prior to my 5 year hiatus (I was still doing music, I just didn't have time for trumpet). I don't really get to do multiple practice sessions each day. I've found that by incorporating rest (more so than my younger days), I can accomplish a lot just by working on one or Arban two etudes a day (I've chosen to focus on the first studies and spend a minimum of a week per etude). I might not be able to play the full etude all the way through time after time after time. What I can do is find the issues. Where am I missing notes? Is it due to the note itself or coming from the note before? From there, I can work those small portions several times, resting just as much as (if not more than) I play. I'll put it into the context of one to two phrases, but I'll only play the full etude once or twice in any given practice session. I've discovered that it's a lot more difficult at the lower listed tempo than the higher listed tempo.
For me, there's a sweet spot of my chops feeling just slightly fatigued. When I reach that point (this only happens with several consecutive days of playing), they're more responsive.
Thanks, man! I devoted a full day to the '"poo" breath attack. Wow! My tone is more supple, and everything is more connected. It will be a part of my regular routine from now on.
Semantics, my apologies. I was obviously speaking to the difference between an acoustic and amplified instrument and how that impacts playing trumpet on certain gigs. I suppose it would have been more accurate had I said an "analog electric" signal. Nevertheless, whether it's digitized 1s, and 0s, or an analog signal that's been transferred via electric pickup, at the end of the day it's not exactly an acoustic instrument like a trumpet. Acoustic instruments are limited in volume by a number of parameters, and playing louder isn't as simple as turning a dial, pushing a fader, or plugging into a more powerful PA. An electric guitar, bass, keyboard, doesn't emit enough sound (if any) to be heard in a gig setting without plugging into an amp or PA.
I recently bought a 4X heritage. I always liked the 4X but it felt a little too locked in for jazz playing. The heritage is more nimble and allows a bit more pitch flexibility. Demo video on my RU-vid channel. Its a great mouthpiece.
The whisper penny: the world's most expensive elongated pin-tack 😂😂. 60 euros for THAT!? Seriously ? I love your reviews but man that's a lot of money.
It is expensive for what appears to be a small piece of metal, but it's safe, and it works very well and is consistent. I've used it from time to time, so I think it's got utility, just depends on what you're looking for musically. I will admit, I've spent more money on less useful things ... 😂😂
I used to have one of these practice mutes back when I played trombone. I haven’t used it in a while, and don’t remember the brand. But it was a lifesaver in my college dorm room. Great review!
Hi Josh, great video. I'm going to try the Voigt practice mute. Im enjoying your content. Can i ask what make/model horn that is, and which mouthpiece ? It looks awesome.
Thanks!! Oh nice, I think you'll enjoy it. I think it's a fantastic practice mute. In this video I'm playing a Shires Model AHW (at the time of purchase it was called the Masters Series). I play Denis Wick mouthpieces (I'm a Denis Wick artist) and the model is the MM4C.
I think some people might say so, I primarily think of "chops" as the lips and immediate area surrounding the mouthpiece (to what most refer to as the "corners").
Be happy to. Is there an email address I could send images to, or should I just post images here? I believe I have several other vintage mutes as well, but only 2 from S. Florio.
Beautiful, with great sound. Your close-up video of the spinning mute is gorgeous. The section clip was excellent and the section's tuning was crisp, clean, and clear. Fabulous! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your experience with us.
"Very informative video! However, there are still two questions bothering me. About a week ago, I resumed playing the trumpet after a six-year break. This time, my focus is on improving sound quality and range efficiently. In the past, I developed a habit of pressing too hard on the mouthpiece when playing in the upper register. I'm gradually learning to use my abdominal air support to reach higher notes, but so far, I've only managed to extend by one octave. My first question is, at what point should I consider changing my jaw/tongue position? (By this, I mean the sounds for saying 'aaa' or 'eee.') Secondly, in the upper register, do I need to move my lips, or should they remain in the same position as when playing a low C?" Some insights would be great!
Thanks - glad you found this video helpful. Both of those questions are best answered if I could actually see/hear you play, but here's some general concepts that will help. 1: I'd keep it as natural as possible, like talking or singing. Just as we naturally change the shape/position when we talk or sing - even saying aaa - eee the pitch raises naturally. If you can whistle, same thing. I'd allow it to happen vs. try and control it. (If that makes sense ... kind of like when people force themselves into a "good posture" they are usually adding tension to sit up in some manner, versus, allowing yourself to sit tall and relaxed with an extended spine and no undue tension anywhere) 2: That can vary widely from player to player - but I'm able to play from a low F (first pedal) all the way to the F above double high C (not trying to brag, but I just tested this and repeated it half a dozen times to try and analyze what I'm doing for this answer) and I didn't feel as though I was really moving my lips in an active manner - especially if I was focused on the chops having that support for the pedal F that Thibaud talked about in his books. I'm far more focused on my air reaching the next note prior to my chops (air moves before chops, ever so slightly, so then chop movement is minimized), and in that manner I find that chop movement can be minimized as much as possible. All that being said, I find it better to allow the natural movement to happen, vs force something that you think is supposed to happen. There are so many variables in lips, teeth, mouth shape, tongue, gear, that it's really impossible to give a blanket statement that will work for everyone every time. Let me know if this helps and makes sense!
I would love to hear and know the difference between Straight N.1 and 2 and this BS. Have you played with really tight position Cup or just Tight ? Hope you get my point.
I'll see if I can make a short video where I compare those 3 .. and also the cup in a very tight position. Working on some things ... I'll see if I can get it into the mix.
I liked the cup mute at the most closed. However, it’s not a characteristic cup mute sound. Liking the straight mute more, I bought one myself. Not as easy to play softly though because of how responsive it is.
Great vid Josh. We carry these at work (Milano Music Center), and one day they just started showing up with the plastic inserts with no explanation! At the time, there was no mention of it on their website or anywhere else on the web I could find (I see it's there now), so this is the first time I've seen it described in detail. After some dinking around I figured out the slight sound change and, CRUCIALLY, the low F#. I can NOT stress enough how much easier the low F# is with the insert in. It's quite amazing!
