At Paige’s Music, we are frequently asked “what valve oil do you recommend”? This answer can vary depending on the type and age of instrument as well as specific player preferences. Here is a short overview of our most popular options.
Happy Thursday, everyone. Today’s topic is one of my favorite to talk about: Mutes. As stated by Philip Smith, former principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic 1978-2014, “A trumpet player can never have enough mutes of varying types, shapes, sizes, and materials”. With that being said, as trumpet players (and other brass players who may be reading) we are often asked to use a device called a mute while playing certain music. This does not always mean making our sound softer per se, but changing our timbre. Today we’ll talk about the most common mute we are asked to use: the straight mute.
Raise your hand if you’ve had a band teacher or private instructor tell you that you needed to go from your 7C to a 5C, then to a 3C, then to a 1-1/2C and so on and so forth. Ok, now that we’ve all put our hands up, let’s get down to my unpopular opinion: There is no set progression for mouthpieces. They are not like shoes where you start with a size 5 and eventually get up to a size 12. As discussed earlier on October 3rd, 2019; we talked about some factors that help us choose mouthpieces. Today we will briefly discuss a couple of those and other things to think about when testing mouthpieces.
When I meet with a new student for the first time we always discuss what books they need to have for their lessons. Here are five method/etude books that are essential for good foundations to unlocking your full musical potential through the trumpet. Complete Conservatory Method by Jean Baptist Arban Widely considered by many to be “The Trumpet Bible”, this is usually the first book suggested by private instructors if you are serious about studying trumpet due to the amount of material that is covered. Any technical aspect of trumpet playing that you will need to succeed will be in this book including nice songs, wicked characteristic studies, and classic cornet solos such as Fantasia Brilliante, Norma Variations, and Carnival of Venice. Technical Studies by Herbert L. Clarke Mr. Clarke presents exercises that combine several fields and can be utilized for many things. The infamous second study can be played in several tonalities, or you can begin working on playing softer while going higher. The final etude from the fifth study is very challenging as well.
Every once in a while, we get in repairs that we just have to share. For our latest installment, we recently had a cornet brought in that was literally found on a trash pile. One of our highly skilled brass technicians, Sam Richards, performed his magic on this instrument and brought it back to its original beauty. Here is the customer’s review after receiving the instrument back… Look at this beauty. It is an E. A. Couturier, made in 1918. It is a Bb and an A cornet. It has a turn key on the right side when rotated changes it from the Bb to the A. It was given to me about 4 years ago by a friend that retrieved it from the trash pile. He said he didn’t know if it was any good. I could play it some but it needed work to play correctly. Thank you to Mr Kevin Cottrell from the Seymour High School for suggesting sending it to Paige’s Music. They had it only a week and I got it back today. They did an AWESOME job bringing this old cornet back to life. I am extremely happy with the service and thrilled
When I was in high school and it came my turn to play lead trumpet in jazz band, I was like most high school students and began searching for a way to improve range and endurance. We all want to nail those high notes at the end of the show or the concert! How can we achieve this? Most students at that point get on the internet or go to a store and ask about mouthpieces to help them play higher. Enter the Bobby Shew Lead mouthpiece or the Schilke 14A4a. Too often have I seen students purchase these mouthpieces and after a couple weeks tell me that they aren’t working for them anymore and then ask me, “why not?” There are a number of reasons.
Our great friend and trumpet specialist, Ross Werner, is moving on to a new career in the music industry. Over the past year, Ross has done a great service for the central Indiana trumpet community and we wish him well in his new adventure! In saying that, we are looking to hire someone to continue Ross’ hard work in growing our business in trumpet related activities. Check out our job listing for more info and feel free to reach out to me directly with any inquiries. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
As a brass player, there are naturally good days and bad days. Days where the instrument sings effortlessly, and days where you want nothing more than to touchdown spike your instrument into the pavement. What if I said that this issue could partially be within your control without changing the way you play?
Graduation typically means ordering an over-priced cap and gown, long ceremonies with longer speeches, open house celebrations, and more pictures than you may ever want to take. Thankfully musicians can enjoy a more pertinent graduation in the form of the Graduate to Yamaha promotion!
We have all either seen, been, or wanted to be the person who has all of those little gadgets and gizmos plastered on to their trumpet. The cool leather valve guard… The hair tie to secure your 3rdvalve slide… The mouthpiece receiver-hugging BERP… All of these items, and many more, have amazing benefits and should be used to their full potential. However, let’s think for a second about how these additions may be affecting the sound of your instrument.
Every once in a while, we get in repairs that we just have to share. We recently had a trumpet brought in that the customer thought was possibly “beyond repair”. But we assured them that our shop has performed many “miracles” in the past and they might be surprised what we can do. Here is their review after receiving the instrument back…
Last week we featured the Limited Edition “Kangakki” Xeno Trumpet. This week we are taking a look at another new offering in the Yamaha trumpet line-up, the second-generation Bobby Shew Signature Trumpet, YTR8310ZII. The Z model trumpets, released in 2004 and developed in cooperation with world-famous trumpet player Bobby Shew, have been Yamaha’s top jazz trumpet model. This newly revised model introduces the latest Yamaha structural technology and other features refined through tireless evaluations by Bobby and the Yamaha Research & Development team. The new 8310ZII has been refined to give players a more flexible instrument to meet the changing needs of modern trumpet players. From solo performance to lead in a big-band, this extraordinary instrument delivers brilliant tone and great power with a solid tonal core for all types of commercial trumpet playing with particular improvement of support for upper-register playing. From the Yamaha website: “The original Custom Z was born of Yamaha’s long and close partnership with legendary trumpet player Bobby Shew. In 2018, Yamaha and Bobby collaborated to create a second-generation YTR-8310ZII that further refines the brilliant tone and well-balanced playing resistance that contemporary styles demand. Bobby needed one versatile, efficient instrument that can wail out
Unveiled at the NAMM show just several weeks ago, the limited edition Yamaha Xeno “Kangakki” has arrived at Paige’s Music. Even more exciting is that there are only 100 of these trumpets available in the United States! Based on the acclaimed YTR-8335IIS Xeno, the Kangakki is truly one-of-a-kind with gold plated accents on the valve caps, valve buttons, black mother-of-pearl finger buttons, and a 16C4 mouthpiece with gold plated rim and cup. Finally, the “Kangakki” bell engraving adds one final touch that symbolizes “the highest quality of instruments for musicians of any level”. Instrument Features: A new bell design contributes to optimum resistance for a powerful tonal core and accurate slotting. The new design also enhances playability in the upper register. Thinner valve casing and pistons, as well as the modified angle of the branch tube (knuckle) result in improved response and provide the performer with an ideal blowing resistance. The button on the 1st slide serves to fine-tune the blowing resistance for optimum control. The height of the main slide water key gutter has been increased for optimum resistance, and the ends of the water key spring have been curled for improved response. Double case with backpack straps.
We are proud to announce that Paige’s Music will be hosting an Artist Clinic featuring Wycliffe Gordon on Monday, October 8th, 2018 at 6:30PM in the Paige’s Music showroom. The event is free and open to the public, and it provides the opportunity to hear a true master at work. Top Five Reasons to Come
Hello, everyone! My name is Ross Werner, and I am the Trumpet Specialist here at Paige’s Music. My relationship with Paige’s began like most students in Indiana when I followed my parents into the Greenwood High School Band room to get fitted for an instrument during my 5thgrade year. I distinctly remember really wanting to be a percussionist, but Mr. Kalugyer was not hesitant in telling me that I should stick to trying out the trumpet. Turns out, I guess he made a pretty good choice for me! After my time at Greenwood High School, I went on to pursue and complete a degree in Arts Administration with a Music focus and Marketing Minor at Butler University from 2014-2018. During that time, I was fortunate enough to spend 4 years touring the country through Drum Corps International. In 2014, I played trumpet in the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps based out of Rockford, Illinois. I then spent the next three summers from 2015-2017 as a drum major for Carolina Crown Drum Corps from Fort Mill, South Carolina. My time at Butler also presented me with outstanding musical experiences, including four years as part of the University Wind Ensemble under
We recently updated the care videos for several of the beginning instruments available on our Debut Rental Program. Below is the general care and maintenance video for trumpets, with instruction given by Kristina Borders of our Retail Sales Staff.
While searching for the perfect new trumpet, many customers encounter the dilemma of, “Well this horn has a standard leadpipe, but this horn has a reverse leadpipe. What’s that difference?” Thank you for asking! A leadpipe on any trumpet is the main receiver for the instrument in which the mouthpiece fits into, and connects to the main tuning slide. The means in which the leadpipe connects to the main tuning slide is what constitutes the term “standard” (non-reverse) or “reverse”. For standard leadpipes, the main tuning slide fits inside of the leadpipe as pictured below. Players who are mostly playing at loud volumes usually prefer the standard option as there is less variance in the quality of sound at those levels compared to the reverse leadpipe. Reverse leadpipes are simply the opposite, in which the leadpipe fits inside of the main tuning slide. A reverse leadpipe will likely be noticeably longer than the standard option. This factor increases the distance in which there will be any small gap going from leadpipe to tuning slide, resulting in what most players describe as less air resistance and more consistent intonation. Ultimately, what is best for you will require being able to compare
Paige’s Music offers a variety of Hammond Design brass mouthpieces. Hammond Design mouthpieces are handmade by Karl Hammond near Chicago in Western Springs, IL. Hammond mouthpieces provide a fantastic combination of warmth and core while giving the player quick and dependable response. Mouthpieces for trumpet, mellophone, trombone, and tuba are all available through Hammond Design. Hammond’s numbering system is unique, and it is important to understand what the markings on a mouthpiece mean. These charts (trumpet and trombone) are helpful in understanding similarities between Hammond Design mouthpieces and other mouthpieces that may already be in your case. It is important to note that while the dimensions between a Hammond Design mouthpiece and a mouthpiece of another brand may be similar they may play differently. The following mouthpieces are available for testing in our store. Trumpet: 4MB, 5MB, 6MB, 4ML, 5ML, 4MLH, 5MLH Trombone: 10ML, 11ML, 12ML, 13ML For more information, please feel free to contact Paige’s Music or visit www.karlhammonddesign.com
This past Sunday, I was proud to represent Paige’s Music at the 2nd Annual University of Indianapolis Trumpet Day! This event is full of dozens of ready-to-play trumpets for attendees to try, trumpet centered organizations and programs, and features prominent local and international artists. I always enjoy attending events such as this because, as a trumpet player, I get to meet dozens of fellow players and “talk shop” about the intermediate, professional, and custom line trumpets we carry here at our brick-and-mortar location. I encouraged people to try the instruments first-hand to get a true feel of a new instrument, whether they are on the market or just want to try something new for fun.
Yamaha recently released a series of extraordinary trumpets developed with world-renowned performers. These “Xeno Artist” trumpets are some of the finest instruments in the world and showcase the beautiful delights that can be achieved when world-class engineering meets world class craftsmanship. The Chicago and New York artist series trumpets were designed with input from a number of world-class players and demonstrates the absolute best in sound quality, playability, and construction. Paige’s Music has three of these extraordinary instruments available for purchase and we highly encourage you to audition them in our store. Included below are the highlights that make these instruments unique. If you have other questions, please call your Sales Associate at 1.800.382.1099 or stop by our store in Indianapolis. Xeno Artist Model “Chicago” C Trumpet (YTR-9445CHSII) Developed with John Hagstrom of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago series focuses on achieving the ideal blowing resistance and weight balance creating an instrument that is not just easy to play, but also provides delicate response when playing pianissimo and powerful presence when playing fortissimo. Every component of the instrument contains the input of artists from around the world, allowing us to create a highly evolved Chicago trumpet.
