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Re: Versatility and Doubling (was Vibrato) -Reply

Martin Taylor wrote:

...snip...

> My own take on this is that I've heard players, particularly young players,
> suffering from exactly the problem that Trond Otto Berg describes. I emphasise
> the young players because of course it's a particularly pernicious error to
> overstretch the young player and perhaps destroy his confidence: but the results
> of adult amateurs trying to double unwisely (no pun intended, Jeremy) can also
> be pretty appalling - in my view, it depends on the player, and has quitre as
> much to do with physical capabilities (at least in the brass world) as with
> musicality.

...snip...

> The way I see it, professionals (and yes, I'm sure we would all seek to aspire
> to professional musical standards) do what they must to earn their bread, and
> I'm not qualified to offer them advice. The amateur's priorities are different,
> though, and he/she needs to think carefully before attempting something that may
> adversely affect their playing.
> 
> Any (constructive) comments?

Experience tells me that doubling trumpet and cornet can bring a 
positive benefit to both instruments, assuming a thoughtful approach. 
I'm afraid that my experience doesn't stretch to bigger instruments 
where the problems may be more acute, but it was the trumpet versus 
cornet argument which began this particular thread.  

Some points: 

Musculature:  It seems to be important to play fairly regularly on both 
instruments (no, only one at a time :-)) in order to avoid becoming
a cornet player who sometimes dabbles with the trumpet, or vice versa, so that
the embouchure, diaphragm, tongue and brain (yes!) become familiar
with the swop.  Learning about the very different physical approaches
to each instrument in turn helps a player to understand what they 
have to do in order to produce a good cornet or trumpet tone.  Learning beats 
not learning every time.  

The embouchure is just a set of muscles; although we develop them for 
our specific purpose their ownership isn't exclusive to cornet players.  If
playing the trumpet uses the same set of muscles as the cornet, exercise will be 
most likely to make them stronger, if it uses a different set of muscles then
where is the problem? In terms of what those muscles do, playing cornet
and trumpet are relatively similar activities compared to the function of
these muscles when talking, eating, kissing, yawning, drinking through a straw,
whistling, blowing out candles  etc. etc. etc.  

(Pause for involuntary facial activity...)

Blowing:  In general, cornet players blow within the natural resistance of the 
instrument while trumpet players tend to blow beyond it.  Once the player 
has grasped the significance of this from his experience of doubling 
s/he becomes a more flexible musician.  So many contemporary band
scores expect an enormously wide range of tone colours from players,
ranging from the traditional 'dolce' solo to the massive sound of an orchestral 
trumpet section by way of the big band, often in space of a few 
bars.  A piece like Philip Wiby's 'Jazz' would fall flat if players 
didn't adapt their playing styles to the demands of the music.  Could there be
a better way of learning to play like a trumpet than actually doing it for
yourself?

Piccolo Trumpet:  The trumpet isn't just one instrument - trumpeters
turn up on gigs with bags full of kit.  The piccolo trumpet requires
a much more cornet-like approach to articulation, breath support and tonal 
control.  Trumpeters who don't play cornet often don't learnt to soft 
tongue - essential for the picc, and useful for lots of other things...

Sustaining power:  Anyone who has played cornet on the front row of a
band and blown their b------s off for two hours at a time, twice a week, 
every week will have a huge advantage over a trumpet player who 
hasn't.  'The Trumpet Shall Sound' is a piece of cake (even with the 
DC) compared to many solo cornet parts but how often do you hear a 
trumpeter struggle to reach the end?  Again, being a cornet player 
has helped my trumpet playing.

Vibrato (oh no not again...): trumpet players learn to use different types of 
vibrato from cornet players, including none, slightly sharp vib. (eg. 
for some French music) and slow flat vib. (for jazz).  Some cornet players (no 
names!) only ever use one.  All of these can add to the cornet 
player's palette, and once again the best way to learn to play in those 
styles is to experience them first hand.

History:  playing the cornet like a trumpet isn't new -  see La Forza del Destino 
arr. Frank Wright: "Quasi tromba", for example.

Martin's last point was that doubling was OK for professional players 
but possibly not amateurs.  I'm not a professional player by any 
stretch of the imagination  but have been playing trumpet and cornet
with no nasty side effects for twenty odd years: on the front row of a
championship section band no-one complains that I sound like a trumpet
player, and as first trumpet in the local amateur orchestra I can still upset
the fiddles at twenty paces...   As a conductor of a band I don't 
discourage my younger players from playing trumpet in local/school 
orchestras or swing bands - the knowledge that it gives them makes my 
job easier.   I've yet to come across a case of anyone damaging their 
embouchure by doubling, provided that they do it on a fairly regular 
basis.

That's possibly enough points...  Trond Otto Berg suggested that by 
doubling we risked becoming 'Jack(s) of all Trades';   This is the 
opposite of the truth as I know it.  So many great players (Willie 
Lang, Maurice Murphy, Jim Shepherd, James Watson, Rod Franks...the 
list goes on and on) have clearly been masters of both instruments.  
So I say "no, Trond Otto, by not doubling we put unecessary restrictions on 
achieving our musical potential". 

Amen

David Lancaster 
Cornet player
Trumpet player


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