Personal Narrative: A Personal Style Of A Trumpet Player
There are hundreds of thousands of trumpet players in the world, perhaps even millions. I really have no clue as to the real number of players there are, and the exact number isn't important. The thing I would like you to think about is how many of those players could you distinguish by name from their sound alone? My guess is you probably couldn't name too many. Why are some players instantly recognizable while others may be good players, but sound too similar to other good players to recognize individually? The answer is that the players who are easily identifiable have developed a personal style that sets them apart. And for this reason, most of those players are the ones that have become more well-known such as: Louis Armstrong, Wynton
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The reason is simple. Style cannot be contrived. It is a natural outgrowth of a player's experiences and practice over a long period of time. In other words, you can't just say, "I'm gonna sit down and practice my personal playing style today." You just practice, and practice, and practice, and one day it begins to come out the end of your …show more content…
If you have trouble hearing them, record yourself often. Then, listen to the playbacks. What do you hear? How would you describe your playing? What other players would you compare it to? Ask others to listen to you as well. Ask them the same questions. You should begin to hear some of the same things. Those words that are often used to describe your playing are really words describing your style. Once you have an idea of what some of the elements that stand out in your playing are you can begin to capitalize on them. Maybe you can emphasize those aspects just a little more in your playing and really begin to distinguish yourself.
Finally, style has a lot to do with interpretation of the music. That comes from really connecting to what you are playing. Don't just play the notes. Feel the notes. Feel the rhythms. Don't be afraid to let the music take you to some place in your mind. All of that will come out in your playing.
When it comes to style, there is no set period of time that it takes to develop, but I can tell you it is measured in years, not months or weeks. Keep playing a lot. Keep listening a lot. And enjoy the
The reason is simple. Style cannot be contrived. It is a natural outgrowth of a player's experiences and practice over a long period of time. In other words, you can't just say, "I'm gonna sit down and practice my personal playing style today." You just practice, and practice, and practice, and one day it begins to come out the end of your …show more content…
If you have trouble hearing them, record yourself often. Then, listen to the playbacks. What do you hear? How would you describe your playing? What other players would you compare it to? Ask others to listen to you as well. Ask them the same questions. You should begin to hear some of the same things. Those words that are often used to describe your playing are really words describing your style. Once you have an idea of what some of the elements that stand out in your playing are you can begin to capitalize on them. Maybe you can emphasize those aspects just a little more in your playing and really begin to distinguish yourself.
Finally, style has a lot to do with interpretation of the music. That comes from really connecting to what you are playing. Don't just play the notes. Feel the notes. Feel the rhythms. Don't be afraid to let the music take you to some place in your mind. All of that will come out in your playing.
When it comes to style, there is no set period of time that it takes to develop, but I can tell you it is measured in years, not months or weeks. Keep playing a lot. Keep listening a lot. And enjoy the