Rafael Mendez - Flight of the Bumble Bee & Mexican Hat Dance 

It's all in the mustache.

*looks at trumpet* *looks at video* *looks back at trumpet* *trumpet and I laughed cause hell no lol*

Flight of the Bumblebee actually sounds like a bee on the muted trumpet.

The secret is... If you can play it slowly You can play it quickly

One of the greatest trumpet players ever to live and he gets 367 thumbs down. Must be woodwind players, or 2nd trumpets who thought they should be 1st?

My trumpet was next to me when I started. I paused halfway through. And when I look at where my trumpet. It’s in its case shaking. I let it sleep with me so I didn’t have nightmares that night.

I'll stick to hot cross buns

I got to accompany Rafael Mendez (french horn in youth orchestra performance), he was very generous with his time, kind and patient encouraging children with music. I have special memories listening to "Flight of the Bumble Bee" in person.

"Well, it's been 5 years, I think I can try more advanced stuff." " Watches video." ....I'm just going to stick to Mary Had A Little Lamb....

How? Just...HOW?! *curls up into a ball and sobs*

He's The only reason why I'm proud to be Mexican.

ok now that you have scales down... lets move on to something a little harder... like flight of the bumble bee... a song notorious for being hard to play

Notice that he's circular breathing 😍 the only time he breathes is when there's a break in the solo

In the late 50's , I attended High School in Colorado Springs Colo . Our band teacher was a friend of Mr.Mendez , and every year he would come to our town a do a concert with our High School band . He was a true gentleman and a great musician . Some memories last forever . Thanks for posting this .

Its been almost 40 years since he died and there are still some stuff he did that no else could

He was a true master! He was doing a little circular breathing at the beginning. But he has tremendous breath control which is at the heart of great players..

I was fortunate enough to have him living 3 blocks from my house when I was 18 and played alongside him at LA Valley College. He walked in one day and said can I join the concert band? We had a great time and became friends. He made many personal recordings of his techniques, and song studies for me on cassette. He was one of the long-time greats! Along with Maynard of course!

I love how it's so fast yet you can here the sound and tone of each note clearly

I could practise 25hrs a day, 8 days a week, for the next 200 years and still never be anywhere near as good. Amazing talent

IT'S WALT DISNEY!!

OMG the level of instrument mastery of people that lived and played before the computer age may never be matched. He has inspired me to go for it now.

3:35 Dj Khaled 😂😂😂

This is what you call a MASTER!

Dad introduced me to this guy when he was playing in the pit on Broadway. I asked Maynard about him and Maynard said he was amazing. Notice Rafael's rotary breathing, a technique also utilized by Bill Chase, Lyn Nicholson,Maynard etc. Thanks for posting. True Natural Greatness!!

I'm quoting this man in a packet I'm making for my students, so I thought I'd post the transcription here (I cut out a little to keep things clear) “There are no shortcuts learning how to play the trumpet. It takes practice and patience. I know that it’s monotonous, but finally [there] comes a time where you can express your emotions with music - and this brings you such a pleasure, that all the dull hours are forgotten. All you have to do is practice scales. Scales, scales, and more scales …When you no longer need to think of the mechanics of the instrument, you can begin to think of playing things like, well… the Bumblebee … There is an old saying, that cleanliness, is next to Godliness. With trumpet, cleanliness is purity of tone. It must be kept clean always. The trumpet is a wind instrument. And you need plenty of wind to play it. Not that one forces the wind, never that. You never use more effort to produce the tone, than you do in ordinary conversation. But breath control is one of the most important factors in trumpet playing. ”

I have been playing Trumpet over 30 years! I started late in life, I picked up the Trumpet at age 29. Rafael Mendez was a great teacher whos teaching methods are still used today I learned a great deal on range development from Him!

That man could move a house with his breath!

If as a child I had heard this introduction and explanation of how dull, boring practice of scales can lead to a knew way to express your emotions, I would be the best cellist on earth.

one my heros. a great artist. i remember his great albums from just a kid. i am now 65 and hold him dear in my heart, i am a gosple trumpeter. he was a great inspiration to my study on the horn. thanks for this great video. kenny B

153 Clarinets did not approve

That is amazing and his tone quality is really good he is by far the best trumpet player.

He was on that , another one, before dj khaled

Wow, that breath control at 3:50 is freakin amazing.

If anyone is wondering what trumpet that is, its a getzen non custom.

I love this man so much. Been playing the trumpet for 10 year's now and i am always watching this video.

I got to hear him play live at my high school in the 70s. Utterly amazing. He also played Carnival of Venice with one finger.

Un orgullo michoacano y mexicano impresionante interpretacion

Alright now that we have finished the scales let's move on to a little more difficult song (plays one of the hardest songs ever)

Coming back to this video after months still amazes me

Ive been playing trumpet for 5 years and this is amazing

h-how do you go from scales to THAT

3:45 Wow! That makes Flight of the Bumblebee seem like an easy feat, he just played this song in 1 breath!

His embouchure always looks relaxed. I hadn't seen this since high school and it is even more amazing now.

My trumpet hero when I was a junior high/high school cornet player

“If you can play it slowly, you can play it quickly.”

Yeah!! We can definitely play as fast as woodwinds!!

Words of wisdoms, it always comes back to the basics.

Thank you Rafael, very cool!

damn!?! **tears in eyes**

This man is an amazing man

I'm learning the violin at the moment, but just the very few beginning seconds of the video was more than enough to remind me and inspire me why I wanted to play an instrument

The final part was simply un-human, Kudos to you sir.....

I hyperventilated just watching this.

2:19 he misses the 2nd to last note and then legit acts like he’s about it throw his trumpet on the ground, but then he keeps his cool and moves on

I was privileged to see Rafael Mendez in person and while this is fine music, his rendition of The Trumpeter's Lullaby has stuck with me for the last 60+ years as the best I've ever heard.

Out of this world! Exquisito!

I’m not even impressed how he can play this IM JUST WONDERING HOW THE HELL HE MEMORIZED THE WHOLE DAMN SONG!!!

Another one.Another one

One of my musical Idols.

Favourite Flight of the Bumblebee performance of ALL TIME !!!

2:40 The trumpet is a WIN instrument, and you need plenty of WIN to play it!

"IF YOU CAN PLAY IT SLOWLY, YOU CAN PLAY IT QUICKLY"

I first became aware of Mendez when I was in junior high. He was an artist representative of the F. E. Olds instrument company then, late 1950's and early 1960's.

Much respect to you Rafael Mendez, you were the greatest trumpeter

Maestro!

Dude that was so good it's not physically possible. But I'm not a trumpeter...I'm a...A PERCUSSIONIST! But still, great job, very great job.

so amazing he inspires me to do better...and his tips are so helpful!

Holy freaking crap that was amazing

Wtf that was amazing

Holy trumpeter Batman!

Thanks, Zooter! Fantastic!

I love trumpets screaching (Maynard Ferguson, Chase, etc.) ... but there's more to playing trumpet than hitting high notes. This guy is amazing ... technical brilliance.

Imagine playing this for your addition for school

At 3:52 slow it down to .75 then you'll know what he is playing

Yes! Finally someone gets me! I play trumpet and this guy really explained how hard it is.

I play trumpet, I’ve been playing for 3 years. All I have to say is… HOW IN FRICKING HELL ARE YOU SO TALENTED!!!!

His poor lips. My mouth dies after simply after playing 16th note slurs. I can't even imagine.

**bows down**

Magnifico!!! what a pleasure to my ears !

Never gets old

im going to put silde grease in his valves if he doesn't behave 😑

I am NOT WORTHY! LOLOL! ;) This guy plays incredibly fast and smooth! I play--well--not too good yet! I am a beginner though! And I thought "What now my love" by Herb Alpert (my idol as a trumpet player) was fast and kinda difficult! As for scales--yeah I know you have to do it and do it and do it, but I always tend to "burn out" on them and this is a bad habit I need seriously to break! I love my horn as much as life itself--and also the fellow who autographed her twice (my horn's name is "Lucy"), the incredible, wonderful, Chris Botti! this definitely gives me some inspiration, but it'd be so cool to have someone else that plays trumpet in my town come and practice scales with me--it would motivate me so much---I am 47, but even a high school student would make a fine practice companion! It's so much more fun to practice with another player. What a beautiful instrument, albeit one that tends to be difficult, and add to this the fact that I never properly learned how to read music, so at 47 I am learning all this stuff! I guess anything beautiful is worth a little "pain" to learn and master. I taught myself to play drums and am quite good--can hold my own on about any song, easy or complex. The trumpet is an instrument I wasn't able to really get down at all by myself, so lessons it is. My instructor is excellent, and I do believe I'll get over the "scale boredom" issue and get those scales down pat and start playing well. Rick Delair.

show de bola cara eu toco trumpet faz tempo , mas ver um trumpetista que nem esse é fio de ouro 👍✌

That’s incredibly clear for how old this video is

3:38 DJ Khaled 😉😉

This guy invented the word "suave".

Best ive herd I have always loved the trumpet :3

I love this omg

The best...has NOT been surpassed yet..........

0.o i could never play that good -_-

That's just awesome👍

nice one! love the video! Loved your video! . just subscribed! I'll watch for your next post.

when you finally found god

Dang

Incredible!

THIS IS TURLY AMAZING!!!!!

*was proud of playing mary had a little lamb* watches video *curls up in a ball*

If you can play it slowly, you can play it quickly

Amazing !

Beautiful