There’s a lot of confusion about what a hand hammered, one piece bell really is. Not to mention the confusion about what makes them so special. Well, maybe not confusion so much as misinformation. The market is flooded with professional...
By Charlie Miller (edited and reprinted from April 1978 Getzen Gazette) How many times have you seen someone play test an instrument and spend most of his/her effort tying to hit that high F? Or try to perform a passage...
By Dr. Maury Deutsch (reprinted and edited from the September 1979 Getzen Gazette) There is nothing more crucial for a successful trumpet or cornet career than a proper fitting mouthpiece. This clearly points out the importance of a qualified instructor...
By Bobby Herriot (edited and reprinted from September 1972 Getzen Gazette) 1. With the Lips Only Try to make a buzzing sound by forcing the air through the lips. To do this, put your mouth in the same position needed...
By Dr. Leonard A. Candelaria (Professor of Trumpet & Artist in Residence, University of Alabama at Birmingham) Many players seem unaware of the fundamental concept that must remain foremost in the minds of all wind musicians. The concept is that...
They say teaching isn’t for everyone and I always thought it wasn’t for me. That is, until I started to teach. Since graduating from college, I’ve created my own studio with twelve students. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that,...
By Mike Vax The proper way to build range is to increase it gradually over a number of years, always using as natural an embouchure as possible. Students need to learn to let the air do the work instead of...
Everyone knows that trombones have a bell and a handslide. What a lot of players don’t realize is that all trombones also have a leadpipe. However, the majority of leadpipes are fixed (soldered) into the handslide. This is because most...
by Mike Vax The most important aspect of playing any wind instrument is getting air through that instrument. I believe that one of the best ways to practice proper use of the air is to do it away from the...
Adapted from NAPBIRT publication At Getzen, we understand the early years are the most crucial in the education of a young musician. The availability of a quality instrument is key to the development of their skills. However, it is unrealistic...
by Patricia Backhaus The cornet – just a little trumpet? No, not at all. A real cornet is a conical bore instrument that is most similar to the F horn. Early versions of the instrument used a mouthpiece that was...
by Robert Levy – Professor of Music, Lawrence University Getzen Artist & Clinician While Part I of this series addressed an approach in practicing by isolating Musical Elements, I’d like to backtrack a moment in Part II to the very...
