Building Blocks of Trumpet
A Complete and Modular Method Book for the Beginning Trumpeter
Reference Material
Music is an art form meant to be shared and experienced by everyone, regardless of background. However, in our modern society, it's increasingly challenging to motivate students to participate in music creation and identify themselves as musically curious and expressive.
Music programs in Western culture recruit and teach students about music concepts, but the practice of individual expression through self-practice or performance isn't promoted until later teenage years. Students often face the pressure of transitioning into a demanding social society during these adolescent years. Thankfully, many free resources are scattered throughout the internet, allowing students to practice and perform efficiently at home. Yet, it takes significant time and educated choices to determine what benefits students and what should be ignored.
This is where the Building Blocks of Trumpet comes in. This resource provides all trumpeters access to both songs and etudes and the necessary tools to understand and excel in the band room and expressive soloistic practices. It allows trumpet teachers to assign appropriately leveled lessons explicitly written for trumpet and brass, complementing both modern-day band curriculums and also providing a resource for those without access to band programs.
The book achieves accessibility through its modular design, meaning every part of the book can be paired together in various ways to offer specialized, creative lessons. While it could be played from beginning to end, it's more beneficial to explore the larger sections and select the most suitable for the student's current needs or abilities. This provides agency and decisiveness for any teacher or private student using the book.
Ultimately, the goal is to break down barriers for any trumpeter who wants to excel in this medium. This trumpeter could be in a band program without a private teacher, a private teacher seeking a less confusing method for their students, or even a student without access to a band program. This book can help students reach a modern high school trumpeter level quickly by allowing individuals to choose the building blocks which allow their performance to progress.
All Sections of The Building Blocks of Trumpet
Each Section is Available for Download at the Sections Below. Click on the Arrows on the left to Investigate More.
-
Links to Individuals Sections Available for Download Below
Brass instruments, especially the trumpet, can be physically demanding for many individuals, both young and old. The history of trumpet pedagogy is filled with various, often differing, ideas on combatting the challenges of physical playing best. Nevertheless, most philosophies concur that establishing a simple routine to enhance a trumpeter's awareness of physical aspects is crucial. Unfortunately, many of these exercises can be challenging for beginning trumpeters.
Reviewing scales, etudes, and songs does not help build the trumpeter's vibration/embouchure, air/breathing, aim/flexibility, and clarity/articulation. In this book, exercises from notable pedagogues are distilled to their core and presented as approachable tasks for even starting trumpeters. These exercises help trumpeters easily identify the starting pitch, flow through a phrase, move around the horn, and build clarity.
The main objective of a routine is to perform exercises that enable you to focus on each physical aspect of trumpet playing. This encompasses everything from lip vibration to airflow control. By focusing on the physical elements in your routine, you won't need to ponder how to create the sound during the repertoire portion of your practice. Instead, your attention can be directed to the music in front of you and how you wish to express it. This allows your creativity to flow into the music and gives you the freedom to express.
Moreover, this routine gives you, the trumpeter, the freedom to understand how these physical aspects relate to your perspective. This routine can be a starting point for conversations to become your own personal teacher and initiate a creative discussion with other trumpeters.
Chromatic Flow Studies (Download)
Most students in high school band programs are likely familiar with Emory Remington's famous chromatic exercises. These exercises are excellent, and the chromatic flow studies serve as a valuable addition, specifically for trumpet players. Emory Remington, a trombonist, designed his exercises to assist with slide positions. In contrast, the chromatic flow studies help trumpet players familiarize themselves with all the chromatic notes using valves and transition the necessary flow of air to standard scales. This exercise is excellent for focusing on effectively starting your pitches and allowing the flow of air to carry you through the exercise.
Vincent Cichowicz’s Flow Studies are notably influential exercises for trumpeters. They are highly praised for helping trumpeters produce an easy sound across the horn's range and allowing a naturally produced full sound. However, the exercise may seem daunting to the starting trumpeter due to its higher range and the necessary chromatic knowledge to play effectively.
The Centering Studies convert Cichowicz's ideas into a long-tone exercise focusing specifically on the turn. These studies develop the range of the musical turn throughout the exercise and progressively return to the musical turn. This approach removes the chromaticism of the flow studies, making the training more accessible to understand and perform.
Pentatonic Flow Studies (Download)
The Pentatonic Flow Studies share similarities with the centering studies. However, instead of focusing on a long tone, the aim is to navigate the trumpet's range. The fingerings are the most accessible part and are much more approachable for any trumpeter alternating between an open fingering and fingers 1+2 (and occasionally finger 1). Playing through these exercises can evoke a sensation similar to performing the Cichowicz Flow Studies in a higher range, even without knowing chromatic notes.
Positioning Studies (Download)
One of the greatest challenges for any trumpeter looking to expand their range is knowing where and how to play the notes. The positioning studies are exercises designed to tackle this issue by helping you locate the notes and then blow through them. The exercises are divided into Pecks (Staccatos), Slur/Tongue Patterns (Tenuto), and Full Slurs.
In Pecks, find the note with minimal effort and power. Slur/Tongue Patterns: the focus is on putting your airflow behind the notes and using your tongue to confirm their positions. Lastly, a full slur is performed. This method allows you to explore the notes on the trumpet to not only enhance your overall flexibility as a trumpeter but to expand your range healthily and avoid overexertion.
Slur studies are a vital part of brass pedagogy. Slurs are often associated with a player's flexibility. However, performing slurs seamlessly can be challenging. Thankfully, the concept of "centering" can simplify this task. When slurs are perceived as centering on one note, moving to another (either higher or lower), and then returning to the center note, it becomes much easier to perform. These slur studies are specifically designed with centering in mind. For those struggling with effective slurs, the slurred/tongue pattern from the positioning studies returns for assistance as the ‘b’ exercises, if needed.
Articulation Studies (Download)
When playing the trumpet, articulation is the final element that ties all other physical aspects together. Simple exercises for improving clarity and articulation involve going up and down scales. This book offers various exercises to allow players to choose their daily focus.
-
Links to Individuals Sections Available for Download Below
Practicing the trumpet involves two main areas: Routine and Repertoire. Routine focuses on the physical aspects of playing the trumpet and building awareness. Repertoire addresses the musical components of Etudes, Solos, and other pieces of music. We aim to learn, analyze, and distill the music. This part of practice expands our understanding of music and how we interact through reading, interpreting, and performing.
We must intentionally shift our mindset to overcome physical limitations and let our musical imagination propel us forward. Before we can explore the possibilities of what we can achieve in music, we must start with the fundamental building blocks of music creation. Only then can we demonstrate this understanding through our musical instruments.
The practical purpose of simple songs, duets, and recognizable music is to build up our musical vocabulary and to enable us to perform solos in front of an audience. These components expose us to core functions of how notes are grouped, how motives are developed, how musical form is structured, and how simple expressions can be notated. The more we perform these intricate studies, the better our body can navigate through passages of music with minimal awareness of our motor skills. This aids in breaking the physical barrier and leads to the ultimate goal of expressing our musical message to the world.
Click the Names of Each Section to Download
Scale songs are simple eight-measure patterns that highlight an uncomplicated tune. These songs are designed to be short and easy, making them accessible for anyone to attempt and master. They are organized in a couple of different ways. Some scale songs go up and down in steps, while others focus on practicing skips and leaps. The starting notes of each scale song feature different parts of the trumpet range, providing an excellent opportunity for trumpeters to play both high and low in the register. Finally, each scale song has very few rhythmic variations. This helps students focus on the arch of the phrase in terms of notes and removing the extra element of rhythm. These songs also serve as excellent entry points for trumpeters to learn their key signatures beyond doing scale exercises.
The translation of the word "étude" from French means "study." In the context of music, an etude is primarily defined through personal practice to understand musical concepts. In other words, they help us understand how music is formed and constructed. However, études can sometimes be quite grueling, as they are relentless and have knowledge acquisition as their primary objective. Despite this, they are vital to include in daily practice as they enhance your ability to interpret music. This will make it easier to perform in front of an audience.
However, it is essential to note that études are not intended for public performance but for personal refinement to hone your musical craft. When introduced to a new etude, the best strategy is not to perceive it as a study but as a musical puzzle. Engage with the intriguing construction in front of you and figure out how the pieces fit and what the message of the work conveys. Finally, express the etude to a friend or your teacher and show how the puzzle works and the message you found.
One of the quickest ways to learn a piece of music is by listening to it. If you know how the song goes, you can understand how to play it. Many beginner books include recognizable songs such as nursery rhymes, anthems, holiday music, and even catchy pop songs. This section highlights the importance of including recognizable music and provides access to free transcriptions of notable pieces. There are versions not only in C major but also in multiple different keys to help trumpeters expand their range and provide accessibility to those who are eager to play these songs.
What's more fun than playing the trumpet with a friend? Playing duets is a common and engaging activity that helps foster a collaborative music community. A collection of duets has been composed specifically for this book to encourage more collaborative performances, similar to Jean-Baptiste Arban’s Complete Method Book. They are not only for a teacher and student to play together but also for students in the same community. These simple duets help build independent playing as they gradually increase in difficulty. Playing with someone else can readily enhance many musical concepts, such as internal tempo, note accuracy, and sound development. Give it a try with a friend sometime.
Playing the trumpet at home can be enjoyable, but music is meant to be shared and expressed. Unfortunately, there is a lack of literature designed for beginner trumpet players. Young trumpeters usually don't have solo opportunities until they reach high school (13-18 years old). During recitals, most performers resort to playing etudes from the books they have been working on with their teacher.
Seven solos have been custom-written for the trumpet in this beginner method book to address this. It includes two in C major and one for each other key represented in the book. These pieces are easy to understand and execute, allowing the soloist to focus on expressing the music rather than figuring out how to play it. Each work also includes brief notes describing the intention of the piece, hopefully encouraging students to discuss the composition with their friends at performances.
-
This chapter contains exercises tailored for beginners starting their journey with the trumpet. These exercises aid in developing the desired sound, not only for a single note but throughout the initial range of the trumpet. Once the desired sound is established, starting exercises, songs, and etudes are available to explore immediately after. These can help build an understanding of how music is composed and provide challenges to learn how to read music effectively as you play throughout an octave of the trumpet.
—————————————————————————————————————————
Exercises Unique to This Portion of the Book
These exercises mainly aim to help produce the first notes on the trumpet and enhance the sound through straightforward exercises.
—————————————————————————————————————————
Congratulations on beginning your musical journey with the trumpet! As you progress, you will find the trumpet is a fantastic and versatile instrument once you master it. Producing a consistent sound is one of the most challenging parts of learning to play a brass instrument. For some musicians, this may take as little as 3 to 5 minutes, while for others, it could take two to three weeks. The key is to be patient and seek extra help, whether through private lessons or helpful YouTube videos. Check out the linked videos if you need additional resources.
Once you can produce a sound, it's time to play and understand music! The following exercises will help you quickly develop music, recognize musical patterns, and play a variety of accessible starting songs. Finally, you can play duets with a friend or teacher to begin sharing the music experience.
-
Links to Individuals Sections Available for Download Below
This book includes additional resources to assist those struggling with researching and finding materials for all aspects of learning music and playing the trumpet. These are designed to provide the tools for effective music learning and trumpet performance. Resources include guidance on holding the trumpet, a finger chart for every note, and strategies for reading rhythms and notes in music. While this guide may not be the most comprehensive in each field, it can be a helpful starting point.
————————————————————
————————————————————
Resources About the Trumpet (Download)
This is a list of helpful information to guide Beginner Trumpeters, including the interworking knowledge of how the trumpet works, how you should hold the trumpet, and some extra information such as a fingering chart.
A common barrier for most aspiring trumpeters is the necessity to read music before playing the instrument. While there are notable examples of great musicians using their ears and skillful training to figure out the music, modern music programs typically require knowledge of music reading. This is particularly true for playing the trumpet.
This book provides two resources to start reading music, counting rhythms, and understanding articulations. While these are not extensive guides, they can be a helpful introduction and valuable for understanding this book. Additionally, I have provided other video resources for reading music and counting rhythms as supplemental material to this book.
One of the biggest challenges for modern trumpeters is learning how to interpret rhythms. Even though many external guides exist on counting, it is essential to incorporate a resource into this book for counting exercises. This leads to the introduction of counting games.
This system utilizes established counting rules and provides specific counting examples and written exercises. Trumpeters can enhance their rhythmic knowledge. This section of the book is handy for those who do not have access to a music program in school or are outside the school system. These exercises can help you build up your rhythmic understanding. Note that we will only cover eighth notes and sixteenth notes.
Playing and Counting (Download)
If you're currently in a band program, it's likely that you're practicing exercises similar to the ones presented here. These exercises require you to play a piece and then rest. During this rest, either the instructor counts for you or you count yourself in before your next entry. This exercise can effectively help build your internal rhythm. However, if you are not part of a band program, you might miss out on this skill development. The exercise here aims to assist those not in a band program develop a solid internal pulse.