A trumpet master class with Professor John Harbaugh of Central Washington University discussing and demonstrating the simple physics that go into producing a sound on the trumpet.
you know what I reckon? it's like teaching someone to whistle. some people can't whistle, you know? have you ever tried teaching them to whistle? you can't. You can only say how you think you do it, trying the best you can to figure out what it is you're doing. But how did you learn to whistle? You found your way. And that's what they really have to do. Find their way. The biggest single thing about both, whistling and trumpets, to me, is the simple question of 'is it easy or hard? ' They want to know - or they should want to know but often they don't - should they be putting more effort into it or not? Usually they instinctively try hard and harder, blowing harder and harder, making more and more powerfil distortions of their face and lip muscles. But it's actually a 'trick', isn't it? Not hard at all. Maybe a little contortion required to get the right 'twist' on the face and lips, position the teeth and tongue right, and from then on in: easy. That's whistling. And I think trumpets, brass, are the same really. You find the knack of doing the 'trumpet whistle' and from then on it's easy.
Hmmm🤔🤔🤔🤔 you have me thinking a lot... So the naturally gifted trumpet players don't even know how they do it right? They just discovered their whistle early I guess. I guess I have to figure out my way to play the horn efficiently and not fight it because I must be doing something wrong. I feel Dizzy every time I try to hold a long high Cs and Ds
@@da11king Yep, that's what I think. But I didn't say it but I'm not a trumpeter. I've got one: a pocket trumpet, I've had it a year and still can only get the first octave. So I'm saying what I surmise might be what's at the bottom of it all. But that's who you're getting it from. Kinda too low down on the scale to even be worth calling a novice. But I've seen all kinds of vids. Of guys teaching. They go in all directions. One that sticks is a guy who got down on the floor and stuff and turned around down there and whatnot while blowing high notes. Proving to his class that it wasn't hard, didn't take a lot of blow... and so on. The thing is the trumpet clearly does not make the note. It is merely an amplifier. The trumpeter makes the note. Somehow. Right there at his lips. So there we are back at 'like whistling'. Like. Not 'exactly' but 'like'. For that contact with the mouthpiece slight as it might be still changes things a lot. That's all I know. Not much is it? Have a good one.. :) p.s. did you see this one about usage of air on high notes.. talking about holding long high Cs and Ds : ua-cam.com/video/0y3BW5Pher0/v-deo.html
Hearing the (most beautiful trumpet) sound in your head ACTIVATES the brain's capability to produce the sound (Arnold Jacobs "Song and Wind" ->>Vince Penzerella). Sing what you see (Sight singing--Doc Severinsen). PLay the sound!!
I’m starting back up with transplanted lungs 🫁 This makes sense .I’m 68.That’s why quality horns cost more. It’s all about resonating .The valves are a mystery to me redirecting small about of air or vibrations
The tubes just add length to the existing tube. Valve 2 adds a semitone. 1 adds a tone. 3 adds a tone and half. So the maximum added length is 6 semitones, three whole notes. With all three valves down. And the longer a tube is the lower the note it produces. Within those different length tubes all is just the same for any one as any other. They just each have a resonant frequency and you play it or overtones of it.
A bit disappointed, he could have gone deeper into certain questions. Like: why do players experience resistance in the high register ? And although it's so hard blowing, without much resistance the high register is even more difficult ( like on a flugelhorn with a huge wide bored moutpiece (DW style)
you know what I reckon? it's like teaching someone to whistle. some people can't whistle, you know? have you ever tried teaching them to whistle? you can't. You can only say how you think you do it, trying the best you can to figure out what it is you're doing. But how did you learn to whistle? You found your way. And that's what they really have to do. Find their way.
The biggest single thing about both, whistling and trumpets, to me, is the simple question of 'is it easy or hard? ' They want to know - or they should want to know but often they don't - should they be putting more effort into it or not? Usually they instinctively try hard and harder, blowing harder and harder, making more and more powerfil distortions of their face and lip muscles.
But it's actually a 'trick', isn't it? Not hard at all. Maybe a little contortion required to get the right 'twist' on the face and lips, position the teeth and tongue right, and from then on in: easy.
That's whistling.
And I think trumpets, brass, are the same really.
You find the knack of doing the 'trumpet whistle' and from then on it's easy.
Hmmm🤔🤔🤔🤔 you have me thinking a lot... So the naturally gifted trumpet players don't even know how they do it right? They just discovered their whistle early I guess. I guess I have to figure out my way to play the horn efficiently and not fight it because I must be doing something wrong. I feel Dizzy every time I try to hold a long high Cs and Ds
@@da11king Yep, that's what I think. But I didn't say it but I'm not a trumpeter. I've got one: a pocket trumpet, I've had it a year and still can only get the first octave. So I'm saying what I surmise might be what's at the bottom of it all. But that's who you're getting it from. Kinda too low down on the scale to even be worth calling a novice.
But I've seen all kinds of vids. Of guys teaching. They go in all directions.
One that sticks is a guy who got down on the floor and stuff and turned around down there and whatnot while blowing high notes. Proving to his class that it wasn't hard, didn't take a lot of blow... and so on.
The thing is the trumpet clearly does not make the note. It is merely an amplifier. The trumpeter makes the note. Somehow. Right there at his lips. So there we are back at 'like whistling'. Like. Not 'exactly' but 'like'. For that contact with the mouthpiece slight as it might be still changes things a lot.
That's all I know. Not much is it? Have a good one.. :)
p.s. did you see this one about usage of air on high notes.. talking about holding long high Cs and Ds : ua-cam.com/video/0y3BW5Pher0/v-deo.html
that's the prettiest tone I've heard from a leadpipe
There's a lot of really great information here. Well done, Prof. Harbaugh!
Thank you John! I appreciate you providing this information for all to use in their teaching. Congratulations! Greg Wing
it's so nice that I can watch this any time I want :) good to hear your voice, Mr. Harbaugh!
Hearing the (most beautiful trumpet) sound in your head ACTIVATES the brain's capability to produce the sound (Arnold Jacobs "Song and Wind" ->>Vince Penzerella). Sing what you see (Sight singing--Doc Severinsen). PLay the sound!!
Dear Sir,
Amacing explanation of how to do and how it works...
Thanks for this..I’m going to send to all my students.
Fantastic....
awesome..., another blast from the past!
Fantastic explanations! Outstanding video
Beautiful!
Very helpful! Thanks!
I’m starting back up with transplanted lungs 🫁 This makes sense .I’m 68.That’s why quality horns cost more. It’s all about resonating .The valves are a mystery to me redirecting small about of air or vibrations
His point is: be great at it, and don't worry about mehcanics. But he doesn't tell how to get good at it.
2:05 never gets old
I just love how he ask a question:
is the sky blue?
Some one answer: now at sunset is red
Yeah right, but at 12:00 PM is blue
Wind 💨 and song 🎶.
good vid
Christi Wans :) (I'm here too)
Could I get info on the tubing and how or why each one produces a sound by way of valves
The tubes just add length to the existing tube.
Valve 2 adds a semitone. 1 adds a tone. 3 adds a tone and half. So the maximum added length is 6 semitones, three whole notes. With all three valves down. And the longer a tube is the lower the note it produces.
Within those different length tubes all is just the same for any one as any other.
They just each have a resonant frequency and you play it or overtones of it.
A bit disappointed, he could have gone deeper into certain questions. Like: why do players experience resistance in the high register ? And although it's so hard blowing, without much resistance the high register is even more difficult ( like on a flugelhorn with a huge wide bored moutpiece (DW style)
That's a good question!
Because more energy is required, more pressurized air, to go into the higher overtones
i can made sound trump, with my voice