Blaze Audio Discussions: Teaching the piccolo trumpet

my profile | register | search | faq | forum home

»	Blaze Audio Discussions » Music Education » Pedagogy and Literature » Teaching the piccolo trumpet

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Teaching the piccolo trumpet

tjeffries
Administrator
Member # 8

Member Rated:

posted October 27, 2002 12:21 PM

I'm curious- what do people use these days in teaching the piccolo trumpet?

Back in my day (several ice ages ago) only professionals had any interest, and it was certainly not taught as a separate subject. If you were brave or foolhardy enough to pick one up you were mostly on your own. I did go over a lot of piccolo literature with my teacher, but the only thing he really stressed with regards to the instrument was to try to get a full sound rather than letting it sound like a toy trumpet.

In recent years I've seen books on playing the instrument, and it seems like players are picking it up at a less advanced stage in their development. How do teachers work with them?

Posts: 535 | Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

<Bob Norman>
unregistered

posted November 01, 2002 08:57 AM

I can't speak for anybody else, but I don't encourage students to take up the picc until they're solid players on Bb and C trumpets. It's too easy to learn bad habits.

Once they take up the picc, I sometimes have them play etudes from the Bb repertoire- Charlier, etc.- on the picc to help them learn to play it in tune. They know where the notes are on the Bb, so they're more likely to hear them in the right places on the picc.

Just my two cents...

IP: Logged

tjeffries
Administrator
Member # 8

Member Rated:

posted November 01, 2002 10:41 AM

Playing Charlier on the picc? That's throwing them in the deep end!

Which octave do you have them play? If they play up an octave some of the etudes would be out of playing range for anyone who doesn't have an excellent high register, playing them down (where they sound on the Bb) gets into some very interesting fingering complexities.

Posts: 535 | Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

<Bob Norman>
unregistered

posted November 06, 2002 11:47 AM

Well, I don't have them play everything- just selected passages. Some stuff is too high for anybody except a screech player. But the point is to get them to play melodic lines, lyrical stuff- avoid the trap of letting the picc become an athletic event.

IP: Logged

MVC
New Member
Member # 685

Rate Member

posted March 25, 2003 12:45 PM

The main problem that I have encountered when starting students on the pic is that the basic nature of the "beast" can set the student up for developing bad habits very easily.

The pic being a smaller/tighter bore instrument and also played mostly in the upper register can push a player into practicing with a tighter embouchure which can also tighten the sound.

I do not encourage ANY player to practice or play exclusively on the pic for long hours. In fact, I recommend that players work out much of the pic music on the Bb FIRST in order to develop the phrasing and articulation ...then apply that to the pic without putting hours and hours on the tiny, back pressure enriched, little demon.

You MUST practice the pic enough to work out the feel and intonation etc....but don't play it so much that the pic is the instrument that defines your playing mechanism and approach to the trumpet. The nature of the pic can tighten up and atrophy an embouchure rendering it nearly useless on the Bb or other lower pitched trumpets.

Discipline and focusing on the center of sound is the key (in my opinion) to successful pic practice and development.

And ...oh YES ...LISTEN TO MAURICE ANDRE!!!!!

There....my 2.5 cents worth!

Mark Van Cleave
http://markvancleave.com
http://trumpetplayeronline.com

[ March 25, 2003: Message edited by: MVC ]

--------------------

Mark Van Cleave
http://markvancleave.com
http://trumpetplayeronline.com

Posts: 1 | From: Back home again in... | Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged

Dr. Phil Norris
New Member
Member # 731

Rate Member

posted March 26, 2003 09:21 AM

I concur with the sound responses given to the issue (master the big horns, start simple, full sound, lyrical). I would add to this recommending Gerald Webster's "Method for Piccolo Trumpet" (Brass Press) in 2 volumes, is the best place for a novice piccolo player. I checked Robert King's catalogue and it's available from them, each volume is $20. The method addresses the concerns raised very well.

--------------------

Dr. Phil Norris
Music Dept.
Northwestern College
St. Paul, MN
651.631.5187

Posts: 1 | From: ST PAUL, MN | Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged

tjeffries
Administrator
Member # 8

Member Rated:

posted March 26, 2003 06:16 PM

The discussion of working with the larger horns reminds me that my teacher (Charlie Schlueter of the BSO) always told me that his teacher, Bill Vacchiano, did his warm up on the Bb even though he usually played a C in the NY Phil in order to keep the big Bb sound in his ear. I sometimes apply that to the picc by playing picc parts on the Bb. Yes, I miss more notes, but it reminds me that the parts were originally played on instruments that were still longer and even more prone to error, and it helps me avoid small trumpetitis.

I've tried, as someone suggested here, doing the opposite and playing Charlier on the picc. It certainly is educational!

I haven't taught for years, I'm not sure how today's instant gratification kids would take to such things. Probably pretty well..

Posts: 535 | Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

GeronG
New Member
Member # 1672

Rate Member

posted December 29, 2004 07:18 AM

All,
I appreciate your insights into teaching and playing the piccolo trumpet. I'll add my 2 cents...
I've been playing the pic about 12 years, first on an old 3 valve Leblanc, then a 4 valve Amati (I know, I know...) and finally on a Stomvi (aahhh...) I basically taught myself by playing in front of a tuner, and listening to recordings of great players. I wanted to be able to play the wedding repertoire - trumpet voluntary, trumpet tune, hornpipe, rondeau, etc -in the original (D)keys, and to execute the trills with ease. (even easier w/ a A shank in "F") and I've used it often in performing the Oratorio literature.
It took a while to play the pic in tune, without wearing myself out, and to be able to move back and forth to the Bb and Flugel with ease. To me, the 2 big things to be mastered are: listening for the pitch and timbre of the sound you want, and how you deliver the air - the best way I can describe it is smaller bursts of higher-intensity air. And, in my opinion, the pic needs a large resonant room/auditorium/santuary to sound good - it's not a "small room" instrument.
As you well know, if you try to overplay it, it wears you out and sounds awful. When you play it right, it is clear and lyrical, yet dignified. Not everyone plays it well, but being able to get a beautiful sound gets you a lot of calls. I don't mean to sound like I've mastered it; I still have a lot of room to improve.
For learning/practice, a lot of the Arban themes and variations work well an octave up.
I welcome any comments or suggestions.

--------------------

Geron Gambill

Posts: 1 | From: Fayetteville NC | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

Robert
New Member
Member # 2319

Rate Member

posted April 18, 2006 10:01 AM

To: Geron Gambill
From: Robert Copeland

Geron,

I see that you live in Fayetteville, N.C.
I am also a trumpet player. I have a few questions that I would love to ask you about the Piccolo trumpet when you get a moment.
My email is: copeland_robert@hotmail.com

--------------------

Robert Copeland

Posts: 1 | From: Fayetteville, NC | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

All times are Pacific Time (US)