Sunday, December 18, 2011

Building Skyscrapers One Floor at a Time

A TIMELESS ONE-SENTENCE LESSON:

"Do not attempt to play the following line until the preceding line sounds pure and free
." - Ernest S. Williams, from his Modern Method for Trumpet

If Mr. Williams were with us today, we might well hear him advising his students as they begin to practice on the piccolo trumpet:

"Do not attempt to play a higher note until the preceding notes sound pure and free."

This is the foundation for building a secure high range in Piccolo Trumpet Studies. I like Mr. Williams' patient reminder, as he points upwards out the window saying, "Skyscrapers are built one floor at a time."

Piccolo Trumpet Studies, 106 of them, available for $18. plus $2. mailing at: collinsnotes@earthlink.net

Monday, December 12, 2011

Saturday, December 03, 2011

New book - Piccolo Trumpet Studies

Piccolo Trumpet Studies was written to provide easy-to-moderately difficult practice material for piccolo trumpet players of all levels. While it is tempting to plunge right into Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto, the Magnificat, or the B Minor Mass, this book attempts to build range and high note control gradually, one short study at a time.

The goal in this book is to focus on control, tone, ease of playing, and intonation with the same security expected on the larger trumpets. Improvement requires consistent practice with adequate rest. Several organized practice sessions can be more beneficial than one mighty slugfest, and short etudes are more conquerable than those that are lengthy and too difficult.

Release date: December 12, 2011

Price: $18. plus $2. shipping

Contact: collinsnotes@earthlink.net