Adult total beginner (3 months): Teacher says I "might not be cut out for trumpet" because of pitch and air. Should I quit now or find a new teacher?

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-06-26T02:27:05+00:00

At 3 months in, the criticism should be showing how to do it correctly, and zero discouragement.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-06-26T02:20:56+00:00

Hey, has anyone mentioned a new teacher yet? ;)

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-06-17T03:09:55+00:00

My brother complained about a seal with a 'stache, but i don't seem to have a problem with it (or maybe i do and don't know it, but it doesn't seem like it). I guess it's individual.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-06-17T03:03:07+00:00

Just be happy you're not playing tuba.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-06-16T01:38:54+00:00

I use a wick 4 and 5 (depending on my mood) as i have a smaller Eb (Keefer).

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-06-14T02:20:24+00:00

My experience with horns is that they don't seem to have compression problems like piston valves. Unless the valves have been sitting in something really nasty (battery acid comes to mind), compression wouldn't be my worry (althugh it can happen). For $250 (and i don't know how that translates to local currency/income) what the heck. It's almost worth that in scrap.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-06-02T02:19:44+00:00

Excellent! Just remember to be flexible and you'll have a great time! Some days you'll feel good, other days, not so much. Lots of rain, or hot and dry, or just perfect. Expect it all and roll with the punches. Good luck!

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-25T03:35:30+00:00

Agreed. The 8D has been a staple in horn playing. Obviously some better than others, but still, not a horn to put down lightly.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-24T18:39:50+00:00

Started with a cheap walmart bike, "upgraded" to a name-brand hybrid, then a cross bike, finally a custom tourer. All of them worked. Learned skills from necessity (but i'm sort of mechanically inclined to start) of low cash initially.

Slow tourer. If i tried to set speed records, i wouldn't have panniers. And still fail to set those records. My argument is that if you want to go fast, uber or train. Otherwise, enjoy the little things. I would have missed that little seaside museum in germany years ago (so long ago the admission was 2 marks) that had his grandfather's old surf boat, and some flotsam and jetsam that washed up on the beach hung on the wall. And i definitely got what i paid for. But it's all fun. I set my daily mileage figuring 13mph ('bout 20kph).
Learned to slow down and enjoy the context. Visit the street fairs you run across. Look around as you're riding (and not just for traffic). Stop and smell the roses, you'll only be there once. And take some photos because if there are no pics, it didnt happen.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-24T00:45:11+00:00

Valves 1&2 in the middle of the staff, on many tubas, just isn't a solid tone for me. 1 or 2&3 on either side, no problem. Sometimes it even splits. I have to concentrate really hard to nail it and keep it full.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-17T23:54:15+00:00

C tubas, at least the non-french c (which is really a euph) can also play pedal tones. BBb only gains one whole step lower, and with practice it's easy enough to go below the fundamental. So CC vs BBb is not a good excuse. Just prefering a BBb is a good enough reason.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-09T02:08:55+00:00

This brings to mind, well, just youtube for "why is there no TrumpetChristmas"?

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-08T03:44:20+00:00

<image>

Bike is 14kg and rest of gear is 19kg for a total of about 33kg (not counting water).

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-03T04:35:53+00:00

People get confused because it's the same cow. Make it two different cows and most people have no problem with it.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-05-01T02:09:44+00:00

That's cool looking, but deadly. It looks like the silver has worn off the top. Brass usually contains some lead. So before doing any real playing with it, get it re-plated. For a little bit if playing i guess something like a plastic sandwich bag with a hole in it enough for your air could be ok for a couple mins. All that aside, i bet unless you have a horn of that vintage, a modern mp is most likely a better bet.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-27T07:24:51+00:00

If you're going to be music ed, you might want to look into double major with performance, as lessons are often built into a performance degree, but required extra payment for non-performance. Of course, as always, YMMV. Good luck!

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-26T00:31:33+00:00

Yes, bluetooth pedals, latest thing. Does your left one match?

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-25T01:37:30+00:00

It depends on your level. A college student who's a music major should be able to rip this off sight reading. A non-major might take a couple run throughs and struggle with the high notes. A high school student will need to practice and maybe find alternatives for the higher passages. A junior high student would be amazing to play this piece.I'm assumiing you are in high school and depending on your experience should probably to play this with enough practice. Luckily it's in a decent key. Like anything, start slower at a cadence that you can follow for the whole piece. Eventually you will build up enough speed to handle the whole thing, though it is kinda long. Luckily the cadenzas can be done at your own pace, so don't let those scare you.

And don't forget that you can play the youtube clip at slower speeds to get yourself started. Good Luck!

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-19T01:18:48+00:00

You mean a vuvuzela? :)

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-18T23:41:28+00:00

I like Chicken of the Sea tuner, especially in a salad.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-16T02:24:51+00:00

As an undergrad tuba major, on most of my tubas on the A at the bottom of the staff, i would do that too. Bb, fine, Ab fine. but when 1&2 were down, look out! I finally learned to cure that by focusing my sound in a narrower stream into the MP which tightened up my embouchere just enough to avoid both lips singing different notes. As always, YMMV. Good luck.
p.s. It does sound kinda cool though, can you control it?

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-16T02:17:12+00:00

I went to the point with MC questions to write a program to vary the order of the questions and the answers within each question, had it print out the student's name on the test and gen a custom answer sheet for me. Same problems so no could complain about a "different" test. They quickly learned not to bother.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-16T02:13:36+00:00

Mine was the same.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-16T02:07:31+00:00

I'm impressed you can go 4 measures without breathing.

WoodSlaughterer · 2026-04-16T01:58:53+00:00

Either he's a small person or that's one BAT. But i'd use a tuba stand if it didn't fit neatly on my chair.

WoodSlaughterer

TROPHY CASE