We’ve Moved Our Blog!

We’ve moved the official Bob Reeves Brass blog to our own web site at bobreeves.com/blog. All the content on here is already transferred over to the new site. Please update your bookmarks!

For archival purposes, we will leave this old blog up.

Jazz Improvisation Etude #4 by Howie Shear: Have You Met Miss Jones

Howie Shear Jazz Solo Etude for Trumpet

Twice a month we will be posting a new Jazz Improvisation Etude composed by Howie Shear. Each etude will be based on the chord changes of a different jazz standard and will comprise two complete solo choruses.

These etudes will focus on different aspects of trumpet playing and jazz improvisation techniques. They can be played as stand alone exercises but, for best results, we suggest playing along with an Aebersold or another play-along track, allowing you can hear how the melodic ideas work with the chord changes.

The concepts utilized in these solos are presented in Howie Shear’s books Jazz Improvisation – Simplified and Bebop Vocabulary, which are tools that help you develop your own jazz vocabulary that you can use during improvisation. The goal of these etudes is to show how the simple ideas Howie outlines in his books can be applied and developed in a jazz solo format.

Jazz Improvisation Etude #4: “Have You Met Miss Jones”

The  fourth etude features two choruses over “Have You Met Miss Jones.” This solo focuses on the following:

• Diatonic & non-diatonic melodic ideas
• Chordal & scalar melodic ideas
• Chromaticism
• Upper register melodic ideas
• Compositional ideas
• Technical dexterity

Click Here to Download Now!

If you would like to learn more about jazz improvisation we suggest you purchase Howie Shear’s books, Jazz Improvisation – Simplified and Bebop Vocabulary, which detail the concepts he is applying in these solos.

About Howie Shear

Howie Shear received a Bachelors in Education from Fredonia State University in 1975 and a Masters in Jazz Studies from the Eastman School of Music in 1977. He received his Doctorate in Music from the University of Southern California in 2002. He studied with James F. Burke and Raymond Crisara. Howie toured with the Woody Herman Band as lead trumpet player & featured soloist in 1980. After the tour he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a studio musician and soloist. Among the extensive list of artists he has worked with are: The Chuck Mangione Orchestra, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Mel Torme, The Temptations, and The Spinners. He was the musical arranger and lead trumpet player on the Joan Rivers Late Night Show. Howie has also played various shows at the Ahmanson Theater and many jazz festivals around the world where he has held trumpet clinics. Arranger and producer of various jazz albums, Howie currently has his own jazz quartet. His classical work includes playing with brass quintets and choirs, solo church work, and solo work in the studios.

Howie Shear is professor of Jazz Trumpet at California State University: Northridge.

Previous Jazz Trumpet Solos

#1 – There Will Never Be Another You

#2 – All The Things You Are

#3 – Joy Spring

Developing Practice Priorities and Working With Your Equipment by Roy Poper

I am continually grateful for the care and attention that was paid me by my teachers in the areas of foundation, mechanics, technique and musical perspective. Where equipment was concerned they made it clear that the sound must be heard first in my mind, that I must solidify my musical ideas with strong repeatable skills, and that only as those skills gained in strength would good equipment become more and more meaningful. The message they gave to me is the same one I give to my students: In order to get the most out of your practice time you need to prioritize your practice categories. After you have developed efficient and appropriate practice habits you can then look for optimal equipment.

Although the beauty of a trumpet sound, along with its power and brilliant color is what we initially fall in love with, it is our foundation on the instrument that provides the superstructure upon which we build our mechanics and technique. The foundation of our playing is developed and perfected on a daily basis. It is often called the “warm-up” and usually includes mouthpiece work, lip slurs, scales, rapid articulation studies, double- and triple-tongue drills, and lip flexibility studies. My own foundation practice is a combination of selected exercises from the Max Schlossberg book (“Daily Drills and Technical Studies for the Trumpet”) and the James Stamp exercises from the book “Warmups Plus Studies”. I believe that these two books are the most important books of foundational studies for all players, regardless of the musical genre (classical, jazz, commercial, etc.) in which one performs. My advice to a developing player is to choose a teacher that teaches a strong foundation as the basis for subsequent technical and artistic achievement.

Good mechanics are built upon the foundation that we put into place for ourselves on a daily basis. The terms “mechanics” and “technique” are often used almost interchangeably, though I believe that is a mistake. They are two very different things. Proper mechanics create ease of production. Ease of production then supports consistent facile technique. Therefore, good technique is a result of correct mechanics. As an example, if I execute a passage with fast finger technique well on an occasional basis, it means that I am capable of mastering physical speed against a metronome. It does not mean that my finger rhythm is even or that the sound is beautiful, or that I will always be able to produce that technique on demand. Good mechanics will promote a facile and reliable technique, but executing feats of fast technique does not necessarily promote good mechanics.

Musical perspective is the “total picture” that results from combining intuitive and learned musical knowledge. It is the total of what we know expressed in sound. One’s musical perspective is most effectively expressed when one’s foundation, mechanics, and technique are in good working order. Oftentimes, a player’s musical perspective is more developed than his or her mechanics or technique. This is fine because it is still possible to achieve an excellent musical result at each technical and mechanical level. A strong foundation, a high level of mechanical skill, and a strong technique coupled with well-developed musical perspective will produce a superior and clearer sound picture every time. Practice time therefore, should be devoted to each of these aspects on an on-going and consistent basis.

A few words about equipment: I believe strongly in the value of the after-market valve alignment. When the valves are aligned properly the “bugles” in each combination become unified in color and timbre and instrument will then blow evenly. The horn is then optimized and will play as it was meant to play. I prefer the Bob Reeves valve alignment and have been depending on it for over 20 years. It never ceases to amaze me how happy my students are with their trumpets after they have invested in a valve alignment. The current-day valve alignment is one of the significant advances in trumpet technology because in optimizing the instrument it promotes correct trumpet mechanics by encouraging players to blow straight through the trumpet instead of “tipping” the air in the direction that the pitches are moving.

If after a valve alignment the instrument is still unsatisfactory, instead of immediately running out and buying a new mouthpiece you should first examine the resistance created by the relationship between the mouthpiece and the mouthpiece receiver. If your mouthpiece fits in the mouthpiece receiver too far or not far enough its resistance may be wrong for you. Your mouthpiece might need to penetrate the receiver a little more, or be pulled back a little in order to discover a more favorable resistance. If this produces the sound and ease of blowing that you prefer then purchasing a new mouthpiece is unnecessary. If you still find the sound and/or the “blow” lacking you may wish to buy a new mouthpiece and repeat the fitting procedure.

My last point is about trumpet mouthpieces. We are in a golden age of choice where mouthpieces are concerned: there are many fine manufacturers producing excellent models from which to choose. Try everything you want to try. When you hear what you like buy it, have it fitted properly to your instrument, and begin to work with it. Bear in mind that when you first try a mouthpiece and find it attractive, you are just getting a glimpse into what it can be and can do for you. Your facial muscles will not immediately be accustomed to the new position appropriate to the new mouthpiece. Consequently, the mouthpiece might play nicely for you for a week or less, and then begin to give you trouble by making you tire quickly, making your tone airy, marginalizing your range and so on. If you work with it, play scales on it, articulate on it, practice your lip-slurs, all the while practicing carefully and correctly, in about four weeks the mouthpiece will begin to give back to you what you first found attractive about it and you will enjoy its benefits.

This article is aimed at high school and college students in the hope that they may gain a little perspective about what they have ahead of them in studying trumpet. Practice “smart”, get a good teacher and good information about your equipment, and you will enjoy the learning process more and make greater strides in achieving your technical and artistic goals.

About Roy Poper

Roy Poper has for more than 30 years maintained an active performing career of a breadth rare among musicians. His engagements span every facet of trumpet performance including symphonic principal player (Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and L.A. Opera), film studio work (over 500 major motion pictures), chamber music (founding member, The Modern Brass Quintet), and “popular” genres including jazz ensembles, Broadway shows, and even recordings with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.

Equally respected as a teacher, he was for more than 20 years a member of the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Music prior to moving to Oberlin, OH in 2002 to assume the duties of Associate Professor of Trumpet at the Oberlin Conservatory. His book, Roy Poper’s Guide to the Brasswind Methods of James Stamp (Balquhidder Music), which serves as a companion to James Stamp Warm-ups and Studies (Editions BIM) has become an acclaimed addition to the trumpet method-book literature, thoroughly explaining how to execute and effeciently utilize James Stamps’ teaching methods.

He continues to be in demand as a performer, performing frequently in the greater Cleveland Area and Los Angeles. He has commissioned numerous works, some of which appear on his forthcoming CD, L.A. Trumpet Works. Roy has been recorded on the Crystal, Orion, Nonesuch, and Dorian labels.

Four Ways to Improve Your Bach Stradivarius Trumpet

Here at Bob Reeves Brass Mouthpieces we provide many services and products that can improve the playability of your trumpet, including the most popular professional trumpet model, the Bach Stradivarius. Over Bob’s forty-five plus years of experience, he has found that these methods create real and immediately perceptible results.

1) Clean your trumpet and keep it that way!

If yesterday’s tacos and last Monday’s cheeseburger are still in your trumpet, they’re not helping you play better. An acid wash, or chemical cleaning, like our Premium Service acid wash removes all the gunk built up inside your trumpet. Part of our service also includes brushing out the inside of the entire body and slides of your trumpet, and the exterior brass legs of your slides. When your horn is clean inside and outside, we then lubricate all the slides and valves, getting the instrument into ready to play condition.

Once your instrument is cleaned out, you need to keep it that way to keep it playing consistently. For decades we have sold our Leadpipe Swabs to trumpet players, instructing them to swab out their horns at the end of each playing day. Our swabs remove the moisture and food particles from your leadpipe, stopping them from getting further into your horn, causing build up on the interior of your horn.

Another product we now offer to players is Blow Dry Brass. Blow Dry Brass is designed to be used on a cleaned brass instrument, drying out the inside with alcohol loaded foam BIT’s. The foam BIT’s are blown through the instrument, removing moisture, and the residual alcohol then drys out the inside of your horn, keeping it clean from day to day.

2) Bring your horn in for a Bob Reeves Valve Alignment!

Every horn manufactured today needs a valve alignment. Your 1960s Olds Ambassador, your early Elkhart Bach Strad, even your $30,000+ decorated Monette PRANA has misaligned valves. Not only will our valve alignment improve the way your horn plays, but it will keep it consistent from day to day. Bob first discovered the valve alignment working with top studio musicians after he opened his shop in Hollywood. These musicians would come into Bob’s shop complaining about consistency issues, and, knowing that the players weren’t changing, he looked to the instrument. When he aligned their valves, their equipment hunts would end. They no longer needed to play to how the trumpet was aligned each and every day, and had much more direction concerning improvements to their setup.

3) Find the gap that works for you!

Once you’ve had your valves aligned, you can really start making your equipment work for you. After a valve alignment, many players find it possible to play on a more efficient mouthpiece than previously. While a complete mouthpiece change may be deemed unnecessary, many players find it beneficial to “dial in the gap”. Our sleeve system allows the player to experiment with the gap, allowing them to find the correct gap that works for the trumpet, mouthpiece, and — most importantly — the player. Converting for sleeves also allows you to use one mouthpiece in two horns with the correct gap on both instruments. Not all trumpets are the same and not all mouthpiece receivers are the same; this is why the gap must be discovered on each individual instrument you play.

4) Accessorize!

Now that you have your horn cleaned, your valves aligned, and your gap dialed in, (or you just want a quick experiment) Bob Reeves Brass offers two products that improve the slotting of your trumpet. The Cylinder Reinforcer and Receiver Ring both work in similar ways. The receiver ring is a small silver plated ring that fit onto the hexagonal end of your Bach’s receiver, while the cylinder reinforcer, on a Bach trumpet, is a replacement bottom valve cap. Neither of these accessories cause a dampening affect to your trumpet, they instead solidify points on the instrument, preventing the loss of energy that you put into it. The junction between the mouthpiece and the receiver is a point where energy is commonly lost, but a receiver ring will solidify that junction, allowing the energy to continue through the horn. In the same way, the bottom of the third valve casing is a location where energy is lost, but the cylinder reinforcer prevents that dissipation.

Now that your trumpet is in it’s best playing condition, you can focus more on playing the music, so go and have fun!

Jazz Improvisation Etude by Howie Shear: Joy Spring

Joy Spring Jazz Solo Etude for Trumpet by Howie Shear

Twice a month we will be posting a new Jazz Improvisation Etude composed by Howie Shear. Each etude will be based on the chord changes of a different jazz standard and will comprise two complete solo choruses.

These etudes will focus on different aspects of trumpet playing and jazz improvisation techniques. They can be played as stand alone exercises but, for best results, we suggest playing along with an Aebersold or another play-along track, allowing you can hear how the melodic ideas work with the chord changes.

The concepts utilized in these solos are presented in Howie Shear’s books Jazz Improvisation – Simplified and Bebop Vocabulary, which are tools that help you develop your own jazz vocabulary that you can use during improvisation. The goal of these etudes is to show how the simple ideas Howie outlines in his books can be applied and developed in a jazz solo format.

Jazz Improvisation Etude #3: “Joy Spring”

The third etude features two choruses over “Joy Spring.” This solo focuses on the following:

• Diatonic & non-diatonic melodic ideas
• Chordal & scalar melodic ideas
• Chromaticism
• Upper register melodic ideas
• Compositional ideas
• Technical dexterity
• Endurance
• Jazz phrasing and articulation
• Use of upper harmonic extensions in melodic contexts
• Use of modern jazz lexicon

Click Here to Download Now!

If you would like to learn more about jazz improvisation we suggest you purchase Howie Shear’s books, Jazz Improvisation – Simplified and Bebop Vocabulary, which detail the concepts he is applying in these solos.

About Howie Shear

Howie Shear received a Bachelors in Education from Fredonia State University in 1975 and a Masters in Jazz Studies from the Eastman School of Music in 1977. He received his Doctorate in Music from the University of Southern California in 2002. He studied with James F. Burke and Raymond Crisara. Howie toured with the Woody Herman Band as lead trumpet player & featured soloist in 1980. After the tour he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a studio musician and soloist. Among the extensive list of artists he has worked with are: The Chuck Mangione Orchestra, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Mel Torme, The Temptations, and The Spinners. He was the musical arranger and lead trumpet player on the Joan Rivers Late Night Show. Howie has also played various shows at the Ahmanson Theater and many jazz festivals around the world where he has held trumpet clinics. Arranger and producer of various jazz albums, Howie currently has his own jazz quartet. His classical work includes playing with brass quintets and choirs, solo church work, and solo work in the studios.

Howie Shear is professor of Jazz Trumpet at California State University: Northridge.

Missed Our Previous Posts?

#1 – There Will Never Be Another You
#2 – All The Things You Are

Frequently Asked Questions #4: Can You Reverse a Bob Reeves Valve Alignment?

So, you’ve finally decided that a Bob Reeves Valve Alignment is what you need to help your playing, but — what if you don’t like it? Can a Bob Reeves Valve Alignment be reversed?

The answer is: yes.

How far out are your valves?

Before we do any valve alignment we take measurements of where the valves are before altering the horn. We give you this information when we finish the work and also keep a copy for our records. If you don’t like the way that your horn plays after a valve alignment, with those records, we can put it back to exactly where it was before we made any alterations.

That being said, we have only ever un-aligned trumpets in extremely exceptional situations. For example, when a trumpet’s valves are very far out, most players choose a mouthpiece that is very large to compensate for the extra resistance caused by the misalignment. And because the player’s setup is dependent on that resistance to work, removing it through the alignment completely changes how their equipment works for them. To get the familiar blow of their trumpet back, it may take a mouthpiece adjustment that would be very drastic, which some players would be averse to doing.

If you would like to learn more about the Bob Reeves valve alignment, click this link to the information page on our website. You can also contact us by phone or email — consultation is, and always will be, free.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in this series, email them to blog@bobreeves.com and it might be featured it in a future blog post!

Jazz Improvisation Etude by Howie Shear: All The Things You Are

Howie Shear Jazz Solo Etude for Trumpet

Twice a month we will be posting a new Jazz Improvisation Etude composed by Howie Shear. Each etude will be based on the chord changes of a different jazz standard and will comprise two complete solo choruses.

These etudes will focus on different aspects of trumpet playing and jazz improvisation techniques. They can be played as stand alone exercises but, for best results, we suggest playing along with an Aebersold or another play-along track, allowing you can hear how the melodic ideas work with the chord changes.

The concepts utilized in these solos are presented in Howie Shear’s books Jazz Improvisation – Simplified and Bebop Vocabulary, which are tools that help you develop your own jazz vocabulary that you can use during improvisation. The goal of these etudes is to show how the simple ideas Howie outlines in his books can be applied and developed in a jazz solo format.

Jazz Improvisation Etude #2: “All The Things You Are”

The  second etude features two choruses over “All The Things You Are.” This solo focuses on the following:

• Diatonic & non-diatonic melodic ideas
• Chordal & scalar melodic ideas
• Chromaticism
• Upper register melodic ideas
• Compositional ideas
• Technical dexterity

Click Here to Download Now!

If you would like to learn more about jazz improvisation we suggest you purchase Howie Shear’s books, Jazz Improvisation – Simplified and Bebop Vocabulary, which detail the concepts he is applying in these solos.

About Howie Shear

Howie Shear received a Bachelors in Education from Fredonia State University in 1975 and a Masters in Jazz Studies from the Eastman School of Music in 1977. He received his Doctorate in Music from the University of Southern California in 2002. He studied with James F. Burke and Raymond Crisara. Howie toured with the Woody Herman Band as lead trumpet player & featured soloist in 1980. After the tour he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a studio musician and soloist. Among the extensive list of artists he has worked with are: The Chuck Mangione Orchestra, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Mel Torme, The Temptations, and The Spinners. He was the musical arranger and lead trumpet player on the Joan Rivers Late Night Show. Howie has also played various shows at the Ahmanson Theater and many jazz festivals around the world where he has held trumpet clinics. Arranger and producer of various jazz albums, Howie currently has his own jazz quartet. His classical work includes playing with brass quintets and choirs, solo church work, and solo work in the studios.

Howie Shear is professor of Jazz Trumpet at California State University: Northridge.

Frequently Asked Questions #3: What is the Standard Throat/Bore Size in a Bob Reeves Mouthpiece?

Many players believe that all mouthpieces come with “standard” #27 drill bit size bores (or throats). Though many manufacturers still use the #27 throat as a “standard” there are many others that have begun to make variations in their “standard” designs.

So, what is the standard throat size on a Bob Reeve Mouthpiece?

The short answer: it depends.

The Long Answer:

When Bob started his business in 1968, he had no intentions of ever making a “standard” series of mouthpieces. He wanted to work with players one-on-one to find a truly custom fit that each player really needs, and he still does that to this day. But, as he worked with more and more players, he developed what has become his “standard” series of mouthpieces. Each Bob Reeves mouthpiece is balanced to play evenly from low to high and over all dynamics.  The throat size that Bob has chosen varies from cup to cup, rim to rim, and backbore to backbore. You would have to ask about a specific mouthpiece for us to tell you what throat it comes with standard.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in this series, email them to blog@bobreeves.com and it might be featured in a future blog post!

Frequently Asked Questions #2: Does My Brand New Trumpet Need a Bob Reeves Valve Alignment?

Time and time again customers ask us the question, “Does my new trumpet need to have a valve alignment?”

The answer, surprisingly, is yes.

Trumpet valve parts from a Bach Stradivarius Bb trumpet with Bob Reeves Brass valve alignment pads.

Over the years we have done valve alignments on thousands of trumpets, and other piston valved brass instruments, and all of them have been out of alignment before we did any work. Whenever we do a valve alignment, we keep a record of the position the valves are in before we make any alterations — we measure the horn as it is when we get it. (When you get your horn back after an alignment, these are the measurements that we include on the yellow pre-alignment information card.) With all the data we have compiled over the years, we have created a chart that shows the average alignment of trumpets by manufacturer, which you can view by clicking here.

As you can see, all of the popular manufacturer’s instruments are out of alignment when they leave the factory, and that alignment is constantly changing. The only way to really know how your horn plays, and to keep it playing the same everyday, is to have a valve alignment done.

Why Did I Just Pay Several Thousand Dollars for a Mis-aligned Instrument?

Well, there are a few reasons:

“Close Enough” To Sell

First, even high-end trumpets are made in a matter of hours. It takes us at least 2-3 hours (and sometimes all day!) to properly align the valves. Instrument makers cannot add this amount of time and labor to their production costs. They do what they can to get their trumpets “close enough” to sell at a competitive price, but as we’ve found through the years “close enough” leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Accumulated Factory Tolerances

Second, valves are made of at least 7 parts:  the valve body, spring barrel, stem, upstroke pad, valve cap, downstroke pad, and finger button. Each part is made to certain specifications and can be passed through if they fall within a certain tolerance. A good factory keeps these tolerances to within a few thousandths of an inch. For arguments sake, lets assume that every trumpet is made in a great factory that produces parts to +/-.002″ (less than a human hair), and their quality control catches 100% of the parts that fall outside of this tolerance. Even in this case, you have the possibility of each valve being out of alignment by +/-.014″. We get this number by multiplying the 7 parts in a valve by the .002″ tolerance. For reference, we find that valves that are out of alignment by .008″ or more have a detrimental impact to the player.

The truth is, we have measured valve parts from the finest instrument makers in the world straight from the factory and their tolerances on these valve parts are considerably greater than the .002″ in our hypothetical situation above. One recent piccolo trumpet that was sent straight from a factory in the Midwest was out by over .040″!

If you have any questions about our valve alignment process and its benefits, we are always available for consultation over the phone and by email, and, if you are local to Los Angeles, you can bring your trumpet to our shop and we will measure it for free.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in this series, email them to blog@bobreeves.com and it might be featured in a future blog post!

Bob Reeves Brass Customers: Paul Panichi

Australian trumpet player Paul Panichi. Image courtesy of paulpanichi.com.au

It was great to have Australian trumpet player Paul Panichi join us in the shop. He flew all the way from Sydney, Australia to work with Bob and our staff on some new mouthpieces and a couple of valve alignments. Paul is a phenomenal player and can be seen and heard everywhere in Australia, from TV shows to major touring acts. Check out his website at www.paulpanichi.com.au to hear some great audio and video clips of his playing.

Paul has been playing on Bob Reeves mouthpieces for almost 30 years. We’re proud to add him to our list of customers.