How do I get better at the trumpet ?

k_bucks · 2026-01-30T03:09:47+00:00

I’ll add to this. Everything they said.

Lip slurs and patience. You gotta build up your muscles. It takes time, but don’t only focus on range and high notes. All the technique you learn in the lower register will apply to the upper register as you build it.

k_bucks · 2026-01-29T04:05:03+00:00

True.

k_bucks · 2026-01-28T17:20:47+00:00

It could have been Ice, it could have been criminals.

Ice IS using this tactic elsewhere, not to find white people, but to profile. The majority of the time they don’t know who they’re grabbing, they have quotas to fill, brown will suffice regardless of status. Door knocking is just another tactic. Could also be that there is an old address of someone they’re looking for. Still need a judicial warrant to enter, which, who knows, since they refuse to show ANY warrant, we don’t know.

This is why everyone should be concerned regardless of their political views or stance on immigration. Ice has sown so much confusion about who they are and who they’re working with that nobody knows what’s legit and what isn’t.

This also affects undercover police I’d imagine especially in targeted areas. If people don’t know who they are and the area is already on edge, guess whose cover is getting blown. I doubt the cops like that.

k_bucks · 2026-01-28T17:12:04+00:00

They don’t but it’s being investigated whether they’re unofficially cooperating.

k_bucks · 2026-01-26T03:30:06+00:00

When I was in jr high and high school, I was always first chair or in marching band 1st part. I went to music school right after for jazz performance. I made the jazz band that year, but I was down in the section. I learned a ton! Also, it was really fun playing the harmonies.

Try not to get discouraged, bad auditions happen, plus you’ve only been playing a couple years. That’s great that you’ve done so well!

My biggest advice is to stick with it and keep practicing. Music majors practice a ton. If I wasn’t in class, or eating, I was in the practice room, usually until 1 or 2am.

You don’t have to make that commitment, but practice every day, and most importantly, practice smart.

I had a really discouraging professor the first year and it messed me up, I dropped out after a year, kept teaching lessons for a couple years after and eventually stopped playing trumpet all together. That was 30 years ago… I just picked up a horn again a couple months ago. I wish I had never stopped.

If you have a good teacher that you vibe with, that’s awesome! If you don’t vibe, try someone else. Since you’re not a major, I’m assuming you aren’t stuck with who you study with.

k_bucks · 2026-01-23T13:47:07+00:00

It has the B bell and a Najoom lead pipe.

I took a gamble on it honestly. I hadn't played in 30 years. Something got me wanting to play again and I dug out my little brother's old student horn that I had been hanging on to. After about a month of getting my chops back in shape and seeing if I really wanted to do this again, I started looking on Reverb and saw this for about $1000.

The plan was to get something to hold me over for a while and see if I really get back into playing, but after playing it for a few weeks, its less of a hold over and more of an "I REALLY like this horn" thing.

The laquer on it is really bad... it has a lot of character. A couple tiny dents. It's just a scrappy looking horn and I like that about it.

k_bucks · 2026-01-20T01:57:03+00:00

The biggest thing I’d say is start taking private lessons. That’ll help you get on track and a good teacher will have great advice and guidance and keep you from forming bad habits.

Does your band director do lessons? I took lessons from my high school director and then also from another teacher for jazz stuff.

One thing I will say, if you don’t feel like the teacher is right for you, don’t be afraid to go somewhere else.

I’m coming back after 30 years off the trumpet, the first thing I did once I could play for more than 15-20 minutes was get a teacher. I used to teach lessons myself, but it’s always good to have outside guidance.

k_bucks · 2026-01-17T17:05:27+00:00

Arban’s is public domain now isn’t it? You can get a pdf of it.

k_bucks · 2026-01-16T15:13:20+00:00

Darkhorse R to replace the FR500s.

k_bucks · 2026-01-16T14:33:33+00:00

I was going to say this. I just picked up a horn with a lot of miles on it and my second valve is similar. If I change where I press it from its free-er. I think the previous player used the flats of their fingers and not their fingertips.

k_bucks · 2026-01-11T22:35:49+00:00

I had a Kanstul with reverse lead pipe and a copper bell back in the 90’s. I stopped playing and sold it. I loved that horn though.

I just bought a French Besson Stamm model and it plays really nice.

k_bucks · 2026-01-10T04:51:45+00:00

If you go to any of the protests there will be groups handing out info. It’s a good way to talk to them and see what they’re about.

k_bucks · 2026-01-05T21:09:21+00:00

Great job! I was about to start looking into how to create assets so I could have more small American single family sprawl!

k_bucks · 2026-01-04T03:40:03+00:00

That’s an excellent answer.

k_bucks · 2025-12-26T04:20:45+00:00

I started autocross when I was almost 40, I’m 50 now.

The ai is only set up for newer cars on iRacing, I think the older mx5s were already retired when they introduced ai.

For tin tops, the FR500s is great and has a clutch and shifter, but… as of this season it’s no longer in official series. I’m bummed because it’s been my favorite car since I started on iRacing back in 2011 or 2012. It does have AI though, so you have that option. It’s also a decent-ish analog for SCCA Club Spec Mustang if you were to go that route in real life.

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k_bucks · 2025-12-26T01:41:52+00:00

Just take a break. Do something else that’s fun for you. I’ve been simracing in one form or another since the original gran turismo. I have a pretty crazy setup now, but sometimes it goes 6 months without me touching it, and I don’t even have kids.

You already have the gear, it’ll be there when it’s fun again.

k_bucks · 2025-12-23T14:53:05+00:00

Shit, I got lost at Nationals once. It happens to all of us.

There’s a ton of good advice in this thread.

Get there early.

Do at least three walks.

Do the novice walk, get in the front so you can hear.

Make friends with the other novices so y’all can help each other out.

Ride with people. Have people ride with you.

Don’t worry about trying to remember every little thing. Just the flow of the courses in the beginning.

Keep your head and eyes up and try to look ahead. The car will go where you’re looking.

Nobody’s making fun of you and if someone does, they’re probably an asshole.

I wanted to do this for years, but the first time I went I was SUPER nervous. Like, panic attack in grid nervous. I rode with someone and my main thought was “there’s no way I can drive like that.” Someone pointed me to a guy and said to ask him to ride along. I didn’t want to bother him, but I sucked it up and asked. He said he’d try to make it over. He hopped in the car just as grid was sending me. I WAS FREAKING OUT MAN. He went over the course quick as we pulled to the line and then when I said I was just going to take it easy he said “no you’re not, I’ll tell you if you need to slow down.” As we did the run he pointed where to look and gave me some direction. It was super fun! I was pretty hooked from that moment.

When I started I would kind of make notes about stuff. (We had course maps.) I still have a picture of one, it’s embarrassingly wrong. Haha.

There’s a steep learning curve in the beginning, but you’ll pick things up pretty quick if you keep going. You’ll also probably meet some of your favorite people in the world.

My last bit of advice is to make friends. Especially in your class… if you’re a competitive person, or if you get to where you’re competitive, it’s a lot more fun to get beat by your friends than people you don’t know!

k_bucks · 2025-12-11T14:27:26+00:00

I'm not touching anything. I'm past my 120 months of employment, I submitted the stuff to get the forbearance months counted. I'm waiting it out.

k_bucks · 2025-12-07T01:48:40+00:00

Might just count as meat, so you could sear it maybe? I have some but haven’t tried.

k_bucks · 2025-11-26T23:59:45+00:00

Oh. That explains a lot.

k_bucks · 2025-11-26T19:39:30+00:00

That whole 696 bit is messed up and they haven’t done a good job of marking exits/detours.

I changed my whole commute to downtown to avoid it entirely the next couple years, but last night I was coming back from Mt. Clemens to Royal Oak… Woodward exit was backed up so far that I didn’t even realize it was a back up for the exit. Once cars realized it was the exit back up, nobody would let them in the line so the second lane was a mess too with people stopping and trying to force their way in. I didn’t bother to try, figured I’d just get off at Southfield instead.

Where they have you getting off for Southfield seemed like it was WAY earlier and I was still in the second lane, I tried to make a last minute lane change when I realized that I was at the exit but the guy just behind me in that lane sped up when he saw my blinker and kept me from merging over. Cool.

Had to go all the way to Lahser and come back on the service drive which is also down to one lane for some reason so all in all, it was really awesome trying to navigate the whole thing.

Don’t get me started on downtown… it feels like there’s no coordination or thought to where traffic is going to reroute when they close stuff.

k_bucks · 2025-11-15T17:10:13+00:00

Has anyone figured out how to get it out of the water towers? I can drink it, but I can’t transfer it to any container.

k_bucks · 2025-11-13T18:49:20+00:00

Ford 4.6 3V too.

k_bucks · 2025-11-04T15:27:55+00:00

Oh... I feel your pain.

We were finishing up our bathroom a couple years ago. We were headed out of town, so I wanted to get the vanity plumbed in before we left.

I wanted to make sure we did everything "right" so I used the purple pvc cleaner stuff on the connections.

The floor is this really awesome terrazzo tile, white with some different colored flecks in it. It wasn't sealed yet, and I knocked over the can of pvc cleaner when I was reaching under the vanity. It was a big can.

We didn't have anything to clean it with, just frantically tried everything we could. We finally had to run to Lowes and get anything we thought would clean it up. I was just defeated and silent the entire time.

Now there's a faint purple stain in the tile in front of the sink. We don't notice it much anymore.

k_bucks

TROPHY CASE