Less tension when playing the trumpet
Most trumpeters are more or less tense when practising and playing. For many, it is just annoying and spoils the joy of making music. It also affects the quality of the playing and relaxation exercises often won’t do the trick. In the professional sector, many occupational illnesses are due to long-term chronic tensions and, for […]
Playing the trumpet more efficiently
How is it that some make music with great ease, while most have to make a lot of effort, are tense and are far from efficiency, despite good playing technique? The body always implements your wishes. If you want to drink a glass of water, your body will coordinate to stand up, then walk to […]
You should have a better playing posture!
A good posture is indispensable for ease of play, free breathing, harmonious movements and much more. While almost everyone thinks they know the right posture, almost everyone apologizes for unfortunately not having it. So if you secretly have a guilty conscience about your posture, your teacher tells you to work on it or you‘ve already […]
The Context of Performance Anxiety
At its core, performance anxiety is the fear of the opinion or judgment of others. Now, opinion is always dependent on relationships or the role you play. What kind of performance is it? Is it a classical concert? A jazz festival? A party? An audition? A competition? Where is it? In a concert hall? A […]
3 principles of highly effective practice
In this post, I want to talk about three “underground” principles of effective practice that most people are hardly aware of. Immediate feedback When you’re playing soccer, you can immediately see whether the ball hit the goal or not. The same is true with tennis, it’s either a winner or a fault. This immediate feedback […]
“I already know that…”
Many times in the past, I didn’t take advantage of a chance to learn something new or to improve certain things. Instead, I told myself, “I already know that.” This notion is one of the most common ways to prevent learning. Well, that doesn’t happen to me easily anymore, but it does happen from time […]
One cannot not practice
The most essential dynamic in trumpet playing is practicing on a regular basis. German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk wrote,”One cannot not practice.” By that, he means that everything we do can be defined as practice. Think about it this way: you get better at everything you practice. By constantly staring at your smartphone, you get better […]
Mouthpiece Buzzing
Mouthpiece buzzing is a useful method, not only to improve your trumpet playing technique, but also to train the synchronization between inner hearing, airflow, and trumpet. I approach mouthpiece buzzing from two perspectives. 1st perspective: functional Here, the idea is to use mouthpiece buzzing to improve certain movements or processes within your body‒such as airflow, […]
The Concentration Factor
Concentration is a crucial factor for practice or rehearsal efficiency. But also, and especially when performing concerts, a high level of concentration is necessary. What concentration is not As a teacher of the Alexander Technique, I often become aware of things others wouldn’t notice. By that, I mean the smallest changes in muscle tonus and […]
3 important principles for the high register
Let’s look at some principles for playing the trumpet, particularly the high register. By giving you some new input here, I want to inspire you to reflect on your daily practice and strengthen your ability to differentiate. This will lead to smarter practice and faster progress. Principle No.1: Power vs. Skill If you want to […]