Teaching beginners for the first time in my career. Kids are doing good and I am happy with their progress. HD wants to "push their range." I am trying, but I think they are in a good place. They have an octave range: C-C, with the upper C being a struggle for some. Just curious, those of you who have beginner trumpets, what is their current range?
Re: Beginner trumpets
Posted by A thought. on 12/12/2023, 2:08 pm, in reply to "Beginner trumpets"
It sounds like you're on the right track and good for you to be "on track" with it being your first time. Bravo!
The HD sounds like they're sure of what they want out of the trumpet class and it's up to you to try and make it as close to that goal as possible. You can do it.
As a rule of thumb, I like to make sure they have endurance before I "push range". The kids need some substance to that embouchure before they just "push" more. You could probably create a custom warm up page that makes them play about 10 lines of music with 8 measures each line. Give them fundamental work to do, appropriate technique work, and a little bit of top end range work. Make sure this is all something they can comfortably play. The goal is to play 80 measures in a single rep. A measure in between lines is great!
Once they can do this and not whine about fatigue too much, I introduce "pushing" the range. I just passed out my Level 3 warm up page today. It'll take me about 2 weeks to get it down with the new material and I'll try to make it easy in the next 4 weeks of playing. Next semester I'll begin the push from 4th line D to G. Most of our time now is spent with repetition to create fatigue.
All that to say, give them endurance and the range will be easier to push because their faces can handle the fact that 'pushing' the range will fatigue them extremely fast without any endurance.
All the best! Keep it up!
Re: Beginner trumpets
Posted by Me on 12/8/2023, 11:27 am, in reply to "Beginner trumpets"
All of mine can play from low G to 4th space E right now. Most can hit a G if they push. At the very least you should go down to an A and play some scales. Ab, G minor, Bb, and even C major are appropriate before Christmas.
Agreed. Students need endurance at this time before range. Range will fatigue them at this point faster than you can work on it which will also discourage them at this time in their learning. Endurance before range always. It's hard to get range without endurance anyway.
Re: Beginner trumpets
Posted by Me on 12/8/2023, 10:02 am, in reply to "Beginner trumpets"
An octave before Christmas is absolutely just fine. "Pushing" their range causes problems later with pressure and tone quality.
Re: Beginner trumpets
Posted by August to December... on 12/8/2023, 8:59 am, in reply to "Beginner trumpets"
One octave c-c is really good. I would work down to low g right now instead of pushing up at this time, this will prepare for going above the 3rd space C later on.
Re: Beginner trumpets
Posted by Anon on 12/8/2023, 7:47 am, in reply to "Beginner trumpets"
Low Gb to 4th line D
Buzzing sirens from 3rd space C to high F and high G