I'm getting my first trumpet in a few days and am really finding your videos helpful. Been playing stringed instruments for decades, this is my first horn. Thank you for the great instructional videos.
Middle finger goes in the valve slide, not the ring finger. This is because when you play notes using your first and third valve together, you will need to kick the slide out just slightly to keep it in the right pitch. Using your ring finger to do this would be incredibly difficult. Your middle finger is correct as it is more powerful and will allow you to easily kick that third valve slide out. Your ring finger can just be placed along the slide itself. I learned this from professionals in the college trumpet studio. You also are better off using curved fingers on top rather than flat. Meaning your right hand fingers should be curved like you are pushing the keys like they are buttons. This will allow you to be faster and more precise. Flat fingers leave you with less power and control.
Thanks Anthony. It seems like we agree on curved right hand fingers. As for the 3rd valve slide there's a surprising variability in finger length and strength in our species and what works best for some is different from some others. I recommend that players find the finger that works best for them and which creates the least tension. My hands aren't large and I used my middle finger for the 3rd valve slide for 30 years or so until a bout of tendonitis forced me to find a more relaxed grip. All of the 3rd valve slide rings I'd had moved in to fit my middle finger had to be moved out to fit my ring finger. My ring finger is long enough and strong enough, but I also make sure that my 3rd valve slides move really easily. ( New players reading this might Among new players - my primary audience - I rarely come across a 3rd valve slide that moves as easily as it should. Sometimes it just needs a little lube, sometimes It needs to be polished and lubed and with new trumpets it often just needs to be broken in - but I'm guessing you knew that!
Hi Jim! This was very helpful video! Can you tell me if there is any exact rule for how to tell which notes I need to slide out my 3rd valve slide for proper intonation? I've always taught my students to slide it out for D, but are there other notes that require it? Is it just for notes using valves 1 and 3?
This is a tricky one. That D and the C# below it are the 2 main offenders and need flattening in pretty much every context. Exactly how much correction they need depends on context, but they always need it. Beyond that "rule" the ground gets really uneven. Often the E and A at the low end of the staff are a little high and if a player doesn't have a 1st valve slide saddle they'll use the 3rd valve in a pinch. I'll use 1&3 plus some slide to lower a B in the staff if I have to (a held note where that B is the 3rd in a Major chord). Harmonic and melodic intervals aren't the same; some players prefer to tune a little high and "play down"; some players are convinced that they can "lip" the notes down; etc etc. There are so many variables. Having students attempting to play in tune is a worthy goal - definitely worth the effort. I'm glad you care!
The short answer is YES. Any trumpet made in the last 50 years should have a third valve slide and a way to move it. The ring for your finger sometimes gets lost, the adjuster screw can get lost and it's even possible for the fixture that holds an adjustable ring to fall off. If that has happened to you a decent band instrument repair shop can get another one and solder it on for you. Most professional model Trumpets have that ring soldered on and the only way to adjust it is for a repair tech to "sweat" it off and re-solder it where a player wants it. I've had that done a number of times. There's an article: trumpetheroes.com/trumpet-lubricants/ about lubricants and I'm working on one specifically about 3rd valve slides (because sometimes grease isn't enough). That might be a video if I can make it happen. Another option is to get one of those key-shaped rings for an adjustable setup, cut some length off of it and have a tech solder it on where it feels good. That's worked for me as well.
I'm getting my first trumpet in a few days and am really finding your videos helpful. Been playing stringed instruments for decades, this is my first horn. Thank you for the great instructional videos.
Thank you so much for this video! -and for all your videos! Very informational and helpful.
Thank you! As a teenager who will start with the trumpet this year, I know you'll be a great help for me! Greetings from Colombia 👋
great video! keep it up
Another great video. Do you have a fingering chart that shows the slide usage? Otherwise, do you know where I can find one?
Middle finger goes in the valve slide, not the ring finger. This is because when you play notes using your first and third valve together, you will need to kick the slide out just slightly to keep it in the right pitch. Using your ring finger to do this would be incredibly difficult. Your middle finger is correct as it is more powerful and will allow you to easily kick that third valve slide out.
Your ring finger can just be placed along the slide itself.
I learned this from professionals in the college trumpet studio.
You also are better off using curved fingers on top rather than flat. Meaning your right hand fingers should be curved like you are pushing the keys like they are buttons. This will allow you to be faster and more precise. Flat fingers leave you with less power and control.
Thanks Anthony. It seems like we agree on curved right hand fingers. As for the 3rd valve slide there's a surprising variability in finger length and strength in our species and what works best for some is different from some others. I recommend that players find the finger that works best for them and which creates the least tension.
My hands aren't large and I used my middle finger for the 3rd valve slide for 30 years or so until a bout of tendonitis forced me to find a more relaxed grip. All of the 3rd valve slide rings I'd had moved in to fit my middle finger had to be moved out to fit my ring finger. My ring finger is long enough and strong enough, but I also make sure that my 3rd valve slides move really easily. ( New players reading this might
Among new players - my primary audience - I rarely come across a 3rd valve slide that moves as easily as it should. Sometimes it just needs a little lube, sometimes It needs to be polished and lubed and with new trumpets it often just needs to be broken in - but I'm guessing you knew that!
WOW
GREAT
I love your videos
Thank you it help!
I'm left-handed and playing with my right hand bothers the tendons in my arm. Is it ok to press the valves with the left hand?
Hi Jim! This was very helpful video! Can you tell me if there is any exact rule for how to tell which notes I need to slide out my 3rd valve slide for proper intonation? I've always taught my students to slide it out for D, but are there other notes that require it? Is it just for notes using valves 1 and 3?
This is a tricky one. That D and the C# below it are the 2 main offenders and need flattening in pretty much every context. Exactly how much correction they need depends on context, but they always need it. Beyond that "rule" the ground gets really uneven. Often the E and A at the low end of the staff are a little high and if a player doesn't have a 1st valve slide saddle they'll use the 3rd valve in a pinch. I'll use 1&3 plus some slide to lower a B in the staff if I have to (a held note where that B is the 3rd in a Major chord).
Harmonic and melodic intervals aren't the same; some players prefer to tune a little high and "play down"; some players are convinced that they can "lip" the notes down; etc etc. There are so many variables. Having students attempting to play in tune is a worthy goal - definitely worth the effort. I'm glad you care!
5:14 Do all trumpets have a third valve slide?
The short answer is YES. Any trumpet made in the last 50 years should have a third valve slide and a way to move it. The ring for your finger sometimes gets lost, the adjuster screw can get lost and it's even possible for the fixture that holds an adjustable ring to fall off. If that has happened to you a decent band instrument repair shop can get another one and solder it on for you. Most professional model Trumpets have that ring soldered on and the only way to adjust it is for a repair tech to "sweat" it off and re-solder it where a player wants it. I've had that done a number of times. There's an article: trumpetheroes.com/trumpet-lubricants/ about lubricants and I'm working on one specifically about 3rd valve slides (because sometimes grease isn't enough). That might be a video if I can make it happen.
Another option is to get one of those key-shaped rings for an adjustable setup, cut some length off of it and have a tech solder it on where it feels good. That's worked for me as well.
@@TrumpetHeroesHowie Thank you!
To be honest, it hurts when i hold it like that.
Sorry, your demo is abit low on the video and I can't see it enough to be comfortable to follow you..thank you anyway..I'm moving on