TRUMPET PRACTICE: HABITS AND GOALS

A PROJECT REPORT

Presented to the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music

California State University, Long Beach

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Music

Concentration in Instrumental Music

Committee Members:

Robert Frear, M.M. (Chair)

Raymond Torres-Santos, Ph.D.
John Carnahan, M.A.

College Designee:

Jonathan Talberg, D.M.A.

By Anthony Belletti

B.M., 2014, California State University, Long Beach

May 2017




ProQuest Number: 10262372




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Anthony Belletti

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 ABSTRACT

TRUMPET PRACTICE: HABITS AND GOALS

By

Anthony Belletti

May 2017

While spending many hours of vigorous practice, it is possible for trumpet musicians to

develop bad habits which inhibit growth and discourage their inspiration. In a trumpet player’s

daily life, their constant goal is to sound better in their practice routines than the day before.

However, without setting realistic goals and dream goals, reaching a level of perfection can be

daunting and many fundamental problems may occur such as lipping, tension, or insufficient air

flow. Applying goals to everyday practice is essential for the fundamental and musical

development of an aspiring trumpet player. According to Claude Gordon, practice should always

be done with a goal in mind, just like constructing a tall building. First you dig the trenches. Next

the forms are built. Then the cement is poured followed by the floors, sides and finally the roof.

Too many students try putting the roof on before the foundation is built.

By examining the many fundamental problems trumpet players potentially face every

day, I will express how to efficiently tackle these obstacles by describing how to install good

practice habits while having a desired goal in mind. Second, I will discuss how humans are

creatures of habit and how it effects daily practice. Alva Noe describes habits as environmental,

in the sense that they are triggered by outside forces and they vanish in the absence of the

appropriate environmental setting. In the case of practicing, a novice trumpet player might only

practice in preparation for an event, instead of maintaining their skills every day. The

methodology of trumpet pedagogy and educational studies will supply evidence-based theories

ii
on practice and observation, which will illustrate how habits and goal setting effects trumpet

routines. I will also partake in field work by practicing and analyzing different trumpet method

books.

iii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... ii

1. DEEP PRACTICE AND MYELIN ............................................................................... 1

2. HABIT TRAILS ............................................................................................................ 5

3. CLAUDE GORDON ..................................................................................................... 7

4. IGNITION...................................................................................................................... 9

5. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 11

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 12

iv
 CHAPTER 1

DEEP PRACTICE AND MYELIN

Skill is insulation that wraps neural circuits and grows according to certain
signals.

-Daniel Coyle

Many trumpet players occasionally fall into a trap of mindless practice. This includes

practicing with the television on, with others practicing around you, without a metronome, not

having a clear intention of what sound you want, and many others. Nevertheless, mindless

practice can be diverted if trumpet players consciously maintain their awareness of their

environment and enter into a world of deep practice.

Deep practice is essential for the growth of any musician. Daniel Coyle describes deep

practice as engulfing yourself within your craft were you will be challenged and even fail at

times. Coyle states,

Deep practice is built on a paradox: struggling in certain targeted

way. . . operating at the edges of your ability, where you make mistakes
. . . makes you smarter. Or to put it a slightly different way, experiences where
you’re forced to slow down, make errors, and correct them . . . as you would if
you were walking up an ice-covered hill, slipping and stumbling as you go
. . . end up making you swift and graceful without your realizing it. 1

Therefore, trumpet players need to think creatively of ways to practice which focuses on their

weaknesses, which will eventually turn into strengths.

There are many different methods a trumpet musician can use while in deep practice.

Using a metronome is one method, going slowly over tough passages is another, or even doing

1
Daniel Coyle, The Talent Code (New York: Bantam Books, 2009), 18.

1
fundamentals and if a trumpet player were to practice with all these methods, their skills could

increase by 100%. However, it is conceivable that one could achieve an additional 200%

improvement by applying an X-factor to the pre-conceived methods.2 The X-factor could simply

consist of practicing in a quiet environment with no distractions, but in the case of increasing our

trumpet skills by 300%, different equipment such as noise canceling head phones, 16oz rubber

water bottles, and recordings could be the X-factor many trumpeters are looking for.

While practicing with noise canceling head phones, a trumpeter’s awareness of their air

becomes very apparent. The head phones block out all surrounding sounds, even your own tone,

but the steadiness of your air can be felt and heard through the headset. The purpose of practicing

with noise canceling headphones is to eliminate any bad habits that involve stopping your air.

Flow studies, multiple tonguing exercises, and excerpts should be practiced with these headsets

until no gaps are heard. This is one example of an X-factor that could improve a trumpeter’s skill

dramatically.

Coyle states, adding an X-factor to deep practice methods will allow trumpet musicians

to accomplish a month’s worth of work to about 30 minutes.3 During this deep practice process,

there is a microscopic substance called myelin that thrives off of repetition and is the building

block for skill and talent. Myelin is built on three simple facts.

1. Every human movement, thought, or feeling is a precisely timed electric signal traveling

through a chain of neurons.

2
Coyle, The Talent Code, 24.
3
Ibid., 25.

2
 2. Myelin is the insulation that wraps these nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed

and accuracy.

3. The more we fire a particular circuit, the more myelin optimizes that circuit, and the

stronger, faster, and more fluent our movements and thoughts become.4

Based off these three building blocks, the third fact is by far the most impactful for trumpet

musicians due to repetition. Good and bad habits can form through repetition and myelin does

not understand the difference between good and bad. Myelin only understands one thing; what

you do over and over again. Daniel Coyle describes this procedure as such: “Myelin wraps . . . it

doesn’t unwrap.”5 Myelination happens in only one direction and once a skill circuit is engraved,

you can’t eliminate it. The only way to change a habit or a skill is to build new habits by

repeating new behaviors.

In the case of repetition in trumpet practice, trumpeters need to always be aware of what

they’re doing 100% of the time. If musicians fall into a state of mindless practice, myelin will

strengthen bad habits instead of strengthening good habits. This means practicing fundamentals

correctly and slowly while making sure you play each exercise perfectly over and over again.

The author for one of the best trumpet fundamental books H.L. Clarke, gives important tips on

how each exercise should be played. For example, the fourth study should be played with slow

and careful practice because myelin grows best with slow and repetitive patience. The fingers

and lips should remain flexible throughout this study and once you have mastered this exercise in

4
Coyle, The Talent Code, 32.
5
Ibid., 38.

3
legato, single and then double tongue them.6 Myelin works just like your muscles do. If you start

any fundamental exercise slowly and with perfect form, you will get stronger and eventually

your skill circuits will respond by getting faster and more fluent.

6
Herbert L. Clarke, Technical Studies for the Cornet (New York: Carl Fischer, 1984), 3.

4
 CHAPTER 2

HABIT TRAILS

Alva Noe, a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, and also a

member of the Institute of Cognitive and Brain Science wrote the book Out of Our Heads, about

why you are not your brain, and other lessons from the biology of consciousness. Noe describes

many traits within the term habit which would benefit a musician’s approach to practice. One of

the traits Noe uses to define habit is trail. Every day an individual has a choice to make, good or

bad. However, when that decision is made, a trail begins. Trails are made by the very act of

walking and our movements pat down the earth and sweep aside rocks and debris, and once this

trail begins, it is hard to avoid using it. Noe states that we travel along grooves that our own

repeated actions made for us, and venturing off this path into a new direction requires effort

which most individuals don’t want to take.7 The same can be applied to music.

As trumpeters learn different routines and exercises, habit trails are created to help guide

the musician through any obstacle they might encounter. Such obstacles include sight-reading,

range, scale patterns and even improvisation. In the case of improvising, jazz trumpeters are not

just mindlessly playing notes. They are following a structure of chords that follow along the path

of a tune. However, the amazing thing about a good jazz soloist is that they can take a highly

predictable and conventional structure scheme and play something surprising that ventures away

from the norm. The experienced soloist will occasionally venture off the habit trail, but the trick

is finding their way back. Many trumpeters will not venture off the trail to try something new. It

7
Alva Noe, Out of Our Heads (New York: Hill and Wang, 2009), 121.

5
is not because they are lazy, but they feel they must stay to the path they have created to avoid

getting lost. We pave the road with the skills we have learned and practiced in order to keep

moving forward on that safe trail.8 It is important to understand that trails can be modified to

your benefit and musical growth.

8
Noe, Out of Our Heads, 124.

6
 CHAPTER 3

CLAUDE GORDON

As many different habit trails are created during one’s search for perfection and success,

trumpeters set out upon a mission to find which trail or practice routine is best suited for them. In

Systematic Approach to Daily Practice for Trumpets, by Claude Gordon, goal setting and habits

are the main focus points throughout his method book. There are fifty-two studies in the book

that are fully detailed and describe how to approach each exercise. Gordon even states how long

to rest for in between exercises. However, the most important subject is not found in the study,

but in the preface where Gordon goes into specific facts about how to practice. He says that

students are in a constant search to improve their own playing and end up getting lost in a maze

of ideas. In order to progress, a student must remember the key aspect of “how to practice,”

which is the most misunderstood factor of brass musicians.9 Goal setting is the first element

Gordon implements into his speech on how to practice. “Have a goal in mind. Aimless blowing

will not get you anywhere.” It’s up to the student to progress slowly with a goal in mind of

achieving register, power, and control.10

Gordon utilizes different trumpet method books in order to provide multiple perspectives

on how to practice. One book that plays a significant role in Gordon’s method is the Herbert L.

Clark, Technical Studies for the Cornet. This method book has ten studies, including tips and

information on how each exercise should be played. However, Technical Studies for the Cornet

9
Claude Gordon, Systematic Approach to Daily Practice (Vancouver: Carl Fischer,
1965), 4.
10
Ibid., 4.

7
provides useful information on flow studies, fingering exercises, and building endurance.

Systematic Approach offers more of a spectrum on range exercises. Nevertheless, the books that

Gordon uses provide a system on how to practice which develop good habits if done correctly.

8
 CHAPTER 4

IGNITION

Every individual has a reason for picking up a certain instrument. They either like the

way it sounds, how it makes them feel, or how they can express themselves through their craft.

Nevertheless, the motivational fuel that sparks enthusiasm for a certain individual skill such as

trumpet playing requires energy, passion, and commitment.11 All three of these terms fall under a

category called ignition.

Ignition and deep practice go hand in hand. However, there is a significant difference

between the two that cannot be overlooked. Deep practice is deliberate and can be done no

matter how an individual feels mentally or physically. Deep practice is about baby steps and

repetition. Ignition on the other hand is a burst of energy, or an awakening that utilizes images

and emotions. The signals in our head that make us who we are or give us our identity is based

off of ignition.12

While playing trumpet, ignition can happen in an instant. It is just like flipping a switch,

lighting a match, having an idea. However, the idea of being highly motivated all the time is

improbable due to many different events popping in and out of our lives. Nevertheless,

motivation/ignition can awaken through the idea of working towards a bigger goal with the

prospective of benefiting from it later. A spark of ignition can also occur if an individual is

inspired by another person’s ability. “If they can do it, why can’t I?” 13 In fact, inspirational

11
Coyle, The Talent Code, 97.
12
Ibid., 101.
13
Ibid., 97.

9
ignition is one of the best ways a trumpet player can progress in their craft. The idea of exploring

and listening to different styles of music and emulating what you hear, while in a positive mind-

set, can keep an aspiring trumpet player motivated to succeed. However, if inspirational ignition

turns into stressful thinking such as; you are behind, or keep up, then hasty decisions can occur

and set back a trumpet player’s progress.

10
 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

As people grow older, myelin slowly begins to wear away. By our thirties, myelination is

still in effect and our overall volume of myelin does not change until our fifties, but as time goes

on, our myelin starts to split apart with age. George Bartzokis, a myelin researcher at UCLA,

describes this process by wrapping a napkin tightly around a pen, and over time the napkin

slowly starts to shred.14 Therefore, for aspiring trumpet players, it is important to realize this fact

as they progress through their teens, and twenties so that myelination is being used to its full

potential.

“Myelin wraps, but it doesn’t unwrap.”15 The next level to becoming one’s own teacher is

by using this quote to your advantage. Every trumpeter goes down a musical path of success,

error, and repetition. Being the teacher means that one must be mindful of everything played,

because musicians are constantly hardwiring circuits. Trumpet students must become their own

teacher and pave a road for themselves using the remaining myelin they have available.

14
Coyle, The Talent Code, 215.
15
Ibid., 44.

11
REFERENCES

12
 REFERENCES

Clarke, Herbert L. Technical Studies for the Cornet. New York: Carl Fischer, 1984.

Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. New York: Bantam Books, 2009.

Gordon, Claude. Systematic Approach to Daily Practice for Trumpet. Vancouver: Carl Fischer,
1965.

Johnson, Keith. The Art of Trumpet Playing. Ames: The Iowa State University Press, 1981.

Noe, Alva. Out of Our Heads. New York: Hill and Wang, 2009.

13