Six American Master Trumpet Teachers
Six American Master Trumpet Teachers
Six American Master Trumpet Teachers
August 2014
APPROVED:
and the Regional Schools of Playing that They Represent. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance),
Jet travel and the widespread availability of recordings are factors that have led to an
increasingly homogenous sound concept in American trumpet playing; this is a stark contrast to
the unique regional sounds that existed in the United States in the middle of the twentieth
century. Despite the growing dissipation of these regional sound concepts from the mid-
century, it is important to understand the styles and pedagogy associated with these schools.
In this paper, six player/teachers are associated with specific regional playing styles: Vincent
Cichowicz in Chicago, Louis Davidson in Cleveland, Armando Ghitalla in Boston, John Haynie in
the Southwest, James Stamp on the West Coast, and William Vacchiano in New York City. Each
of these players made a notable impact on the trumpet world through their performances,
recordings, and unprecedented legacy of students. It would be difficult for many modern
American trumpet players to trace their trumpet lineage without one of these individuals in
the picture.
Not only are these players an important part of the modern trumpeters heritage, but
the vast success of their students warrants that their pedagogical methods are still relevant
today. This study is unique due to this comprehensive and categorical comparison of
pedagogical techniques, and this paper additionally examines the distinct sounds of each
players regional style through the use of spectrograms. Ultimately this paper provides a
myriad of teaching strategies from some of the most influential American trumpet players,
which will aid trumpet teachers in negotiating the diverse needs of their students.
Copyright 2014
by
Laura L. Bloss
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Upon completion of this paper, I am greatly indebted to my parents, Jim and LuAnn
Bloss, for their constant support throughout my academic career. I am also grateful for all of
the encouragement and advice that Keith Johnson has provided, and I will always remember
our trumpet lessons fondly. My thanks go out to Prof. Johnson for constantly reminding me to
sing in whatever I play, and for fueling my bizarre passion for trumpet scholarship. I am also
indebted to Scott Johnston, who made me realize I was working too hard to play the trumpet!
Thanks for helping me with the high notes, Scott! And finally, I am very thankful for my role-
model both in trumpet playing and in life, Jack Brndiar. You would be hard pressed to find a
more encouraging, patient, and humble man. I cannot say thank you, enough to these
individuals!
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 1
Purpose ............................................................................................................ 1
Method............................................................................................................. 2
John J. Haynie................................................................................................. 40
William Vacchiano.......................................................................................... 46
iv
4. TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX ........................................................................................... 52
Breathing ........................................................................................................ 52
Embouchure ................................................................................................... 59
Articulation..................................................................................................... 77
Technique....................................................................................................... 87
Why Did the Regional Sounds and Pedagogy Disappear? ........................... 130
v
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
Tables
Figures
vi
5.4: Herseths spectrogram of Pictures with guide lines .............................................................114
5.5: Spectrogram of Vacchiano playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony .....................116
5.6: Spectrogram of Herseth playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony .........................117
5.7: Spectrogram of Ghitalla playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony .........................118
5.8: Spectrogram of Vacchiano playing the loud passage from Mahlers Fifth...........................119
5.9: Spectrogram of Herseth playing the loud passage from Mahlers Fifth ..............................120
5.10: Spectrogram of Ghitalla playing the loud passage from Mahlers Fifth.............................121
5.16: Spectrogram of Smith playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony ..........................128
vii
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
Modern classical trumpet players in the United States are faced with a variety of
over, and players must be versatile in many styles. Increased mobility among musicians has
made it essential for players to quickly adapt to specific regional styles of playing as they travel
or relocate professionally. In order for collegiate trumpet teachers to cater to this problem,
they should have an understanding of regional styles and the schools of trumpet pedagogy
associated with them. Additionally, a teachers ability to adapt instruction to the unique
pedagogical backgrounds. This paper seeks to trace the development of the art of American
trumpet teaching in respect to the regional schools of pedagogy that emerged in the middle of
Near the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries, many immigrant players came
to America and served as the first generation of American trumpet pedagogues. These
musicians brought techniques and styles, shaped by their own national identities, which
eventually brewed into distinct new styles in the American melting pot. Notable players of this
time included Herbert L. Clarke, Ernest S. Williams, Louis Klpfel, Gustav Heim, Georges Mager,
Max Schlossberg, and Harry Glantz. This generation served as some of the earliest soloists and
1
The next generation of players and pedagogues from the middle of the twentieth
century crystallized the regional styles that have strongly influenced our modern concepts of
associated with their respective regional schools of trumpet playing: Vincent Cichowicz
(Chicago), Louis Davidson (Cleveland), Armando Ghitalla (Boston), John Haynie (Southwest),
James Stamp (West Coast), and William Vacchiano (New York City). 1 These teachers will be the
primary focus of this paper, as their methods are still the basis for most of the trumpet
instruction in the United States today. The study of this generation of players and teachers is
essential to solving the problem at hand. The goals of this paper are to: 1) identify the
pedagogical techniques and characteristic sounds associated with each of these teachers and
regional schools, 2) compare the methodologies of the schools and what influence they have
had on the characteristic sound and style of each school, and 3) identify how these ideas and
1.2 Method
A great deal of information is available about each of these pedagogues and their
methods; however, such information is spread across a variety of sources. The first step in this
investigation is to compile the existing information into one location. Chapter 1, which deals
with the early generation of American players, stems primarily from historical research. This
1 These teachers were selected based on a combination of their own professional accomplishments, the number of
their former students who have achieved success as trumpet players/teachers, and the volume of scholarship
available relating to each player. The astounding scope of their influence can be seen in Figure 5.18.
2
sets the context for the next generation of teachers, who receive the bulk of the attention in
this investigation.
Historical research also aids in setting a context and creating a biographical sketch for
the six selected teachers from the mid-twentieth century. The primary focus on these teachers
is concerned with their pedagogical methods, and this information has been gathered from
their essays, method books, and interviews. In Chapter 4, this material is compared among all
of the teachers within the context of the following categories: breathing, embouchure, sound
concept and tone production, articulation, technique, and lesson structure and materials. This
categorical comparison explores: 1) what practices are common to all of the schools, 2) what
practices are unique to certain schools and have contributed to each schools identity, and 3)
what practices are different among the schools, but have yielded similar results.
The comparative analysis is done from two lenses: what and how. The what consists of
the specific musical materials that each teacher used. These musical examples can be found in
method books written by the teacher or other materials that the teacher used consistently with
students. The how refers to the way that these exercises were used to encourage student
growth. This information was obtained through the verbal instructions written by the teachers
as well as through the study of published interviews of both the teachers and their students.
The final part of the investigation considers how these methods have developed over
time. Chapter 5 focuses on defining the regional sounds and comparing them to each other
and to modern sound concepts. This section also traces the pedagogical lineage of modern
players and pedagogues through the previously discussed generations. Some difficulties in
3
creating a pedagogical lineage are examined. Finally, several factors are explored that have
contributed to the dissemination of regional styles and the move toward homogeneity.
Due to the successes of each of the selected pedagogues, the bibliography for this topic
is rather extensive; however, none of the sources examine the information in the same manner
or to the same extent as this paper. The bibliography consists of the following types of
resources: method books from the pedagogues in question, published interviews of the
pedagogues and their students, historical and biographical information by noted trumpet
scholars, and essays or articles written by the pedagogues themselves. Previous scholarship
tends to focus on one specific method, which is problematic for two reasons. First, as a teacher
it is essential to have as many tools as necessary to address the unique challenges posed by
individual students; one methodology may work better given a students specific
trumpet players are more mobile and will likely be exposed to multiple teaching methodologies
throughout their careers. This investigation is unique because it examines pedagogy from a
regional perspective, puts the methods side by side in categorical comparison, and
demonstrates how these methods have been adapted to suit needs of the modern trumpet
player.
4
The scholarship of Andr M. Smith, 2 John McCann, 3 and Peter Knudsvig 4 is used in
creating the biographical and musical context for the first generation of pedagogues that are
examined in Chapter 1. While specific details of the teachings of Ernest S. Williams and Herbert
L. Clarke are not well documented, their methods are still staples in many trumpeters routines,
which is discussed in many of the interviews with students of the later generations of
pedagogues. 5
Of the six teachers that are studied in detail, Louis Davidson, John Haynie, James Stamp,
and William Vacchiano have published methods which include both musical exercises and
verbal instructions. Vincent Cichowicz did not write a method, but his famous flow study
exercises have been published posthumously under his name. 6 Armando Ghitalla also did not
write a method, but many interviews with Ghitalla and his students have been published.
Direct recollections from Davidsons students are scarce, but he provides detailed verbal
instructions in his method book in addition to musical examples. 7 Anne Hardin has compiled a
collection of essays written by John Haynie which is an important source. 8 Luis Loubriel
published a book on Vincent Cichowicz which gives valuable insight into Cichowiczs teaching. 9
2 Andr M. Smith, Max Schlossberg: Founder of the American School of Trumpet Playing in the Twentieth
Century. International Trumpet Guild Journal 22, no. 3 (May 1997): 23-48.
3 John McCann, A History of Trumpet and Cornet Pedagogy in the United States, 1840-1942 (DM Diss.,
2009).
5
The methods of James Stamp have been explained in great detail in Roy Popers Commentaries
The interviews published in the International Trumpet Guild Journal, Brass Bulletin, and
The Instrumentalist contain valuable insight into how these methods were applied to specific
repertoire, tailored to individual students, and how they have changed over time. Matthew
teaching of three American trumpet pedagogues. 12 Both dissertations include the information
about Ghitalla and Cichowicz and are important sources, but the material is neither compared
One of the challenges of this study is that all of the teachers are deceased except for
John Haynie. This means that any information that is omitted or unclear cannot be ascertained.
If a teacher did not discuss one of the areas of trumpet pedagogy in the available resources, we
must not assume that they omitted it because they did not feel it was important. A good
illustration of this is the examples that teachers gave of method books; just because a teacher
does not specifically mention a book, it does not mean that he did not use it. Another
10 Roy Poper, Roy Popers Commentaries on the Brasswind Methods of James Stamp (Montrose, California:
Balquhidder Music, 1995).
11 Matthew R. Inkster, A Review of Twelve Outstanding University Trumpet Studios: A Comparison of
Methodology, Pedagogy, and Structure (DMA Diss., Florida State University, 1997).
12 Bradley Kent Sargent, Vincent Cichowicz, Vincent DiMartino, and Armando Ghitalla: Three American Trumpet
6
challenge lies in the subjective nature of sound concept. While it is widely accepted that there
were several regional schools of trumpet sound, it can be difficult to verbally describe them.
Chapter 5 seeks to define the sounds in a more scientific manner through the use of
spectrograms.
As the author, I must admit that my own background in trumpet pedagogy comes
primarily from Vincent Cichowiczs method. I admit this because I hope that I do not present
the material with any bias toward his method due to my own familiarity with it. All of the
teachers produced many successful students, and all their methods deserve consideration. I
have also chosen to refer to players and students with masculine pronouns for the sake of
7
CHAPTER 2
EARLY ROOTS
The earliest trumpet instruction in the United States was provided by immigrants from
Europe. John Lawrence McCann studied the trends in trumpet and cornet pedagogy in the
United States from 1840 to 1942 in his doctoral dissertation at Northwestern University. In his
paper he seeks to prove that changes in pedagogy reflect and are influenced by cultural,
and policies of public education. 13 He found that around 1860 most trumpet players came
from the British Isles. From 1880 to 1935, German born players were second most populous,
and in the 1920s many French players were brought to America by Henri Rabaud, Pierre
Monteux, and Serge Koussevitsky to play with the Boston Symphony. 14 Because of the
numerous nationalities of players, the United States maintained its reputation as a melting
Around 1840-1870, many of the players who came to the U.S. were originally part of a
touring ensemble, and when the ensemble disbanded, they settled in cities such as Boston,
New York, Chicago, or Baltimore. 15 Americans were particularly interested in European music,
as was evident in many News from Europe columns in newspapers. 16 Brass bands became
exceedingly popular beginning in the 1830s, and the Civil War provided various opportunities
13 McCann, 107.
14 Ibid., 10.
15 Ibid., 16-17.
16 Ibid.
8
for brass players to play in bands. 17 After the Civil War, there was a return to full concert
bands, and there was a peak in the construction of town bandstands at the end of the
nineteenth century. Both Patrick Gilmores band and the Sousa Band were established in
1892. 18 The cornet was the most important soprano instrument; bands showcased their cornet
soloists in virtuosic musical displays. In 1872, the number of cornet solos that were performed
at band concerts outnumbered the total number of all other instrumental solos combined. 19
Some of the great cornet soloists included Herbert L. Clarke, Walter B. Rogers, Alessandro
Liberati, Bohumir Kryl, Del Staigers, and Paris Chambers. As jazz music gained popularity in the
Orchestras also gained prominence in the American musical scene, and the status of
trumpets and cornets began to change. Orchestral literature by composers such as Gustav
Mahler, Richard Wagner, and Richard Strauss made brass sections more prominent in
compositions, and the demands on trumpet players became greater. 21 McCann explained:
A distinction was made at the time, however, and while players like Kryl, Chambers,
Liberati and Clarke were better known to the general public, the star trumpeters of the
symphony became, as early as the 20th century, more celebrated within the musical
world. 22
He also clarified that by 1934, trumpets had become just as popular as cornets had been at the
17 Ibid., 21.
18 Ibid., 28.
19 Ibid., 22.
20 Ibid., 29.
21 Ibid., 32.
22 Ibid., 31.
23 Ibid., 32.
9
Though Hale A. Vander Cook established a College of Music in Chicago in 1909 and later
Ernest S. Williams founded a School of Music in Brooklyn in 1922, most early cornet instruction
was done through correspondence courses. Edwin Franko Goldman estimated that at this time
50% of all cornet players were completely self-taught. 24 The correspondence courses consisted
of specific lessons that were sent from a teacher to the student. The student would work on
the lesson for a few weeks and then write to the teacher indicating his progress. The teacher
would then write back, responding to any specific issues and encouraging the student. 25 These
written correspondences provide a significant amount of detailed insight into the pedagogical
McCann dissected these different courses and other method books to determine
specific pedagogical trends. Some of the earliest debates were over mouthpiece placement
and embouchure setting. A trend for setting the mouthpiece 1/3 on the upper lip and 2/3 on
the lower can be traced back to the French pedagogue Jean-Baptiste Arban. 26 Early accounts
also suggest that there were distinct differences between the set-up of the trumpet, cornet,
many French methods and were used in the U.S. by teachers such as Alessandro Liberati,
Harold Rehrig, and eventually Max Schlossberg. This is a setting where the corner muscles of
the mouth are stretched backwards while playing, giving an appearance similar to a smile. 27 As
some of the great cornet soloists pushed the limits of the upper register, there was a
movement by many teachers who advocated no pressure systems. The idea behind this
24 Ibid., 30-31.
25 Ibid., 58.
26 Ibid., 50.
27 Ibid., 71.
10
system was to eliminate any pressing of the mouthpiece into the lips. The earliest teacher of
this system was Walter Eby, and it was also adopted by Vander Cook, Kleffman, and
DeLamter. 28 From 1920-1940 there was a trend toward a pucker embouchure, where the
corners of the mouth are set forward rather than stretched backward. This was accompanied
McCann noted that in 1908 the diaphragm muscle was identified as being involved in
the expulsion of air. This discovery led to several teaching methods that encouraged students
to tense their abdomen or support from the diaphragm to achieve proper breathing. In a
correspondence course from 1908, Alfred Weldon said, the diaphragm should be used to play
high notes. 30 In his Universals Method of 1939, Donald Pease said, Breathing should be
supported by the use of the abdominal musclesChest high-stomach in. 31 Some well-known
pedagogues who endorsed this method included Joseph Gustat, Donald Reinhardt, and Del
Staigers. 32 McCann recognized Haydn Shepard as the first teacher to find fault with the method
of breath control via the diaphragm. Others who became skeptical included William Thieck,
Ernest Williams, and William Revelli. 33 Another trend was to arch the tongue, or change the
vowel shape within the mouth in order to execute lip slurs. McCann traced this technique to
German pedagogues such as Julius Kosleck, 34 and later this idea became particularly important
11
The trends that McCann identified are important to bear in mind because several of
these issues (and related issues) return in our examination of pedagogy in the mid-twentieth
century. McCann noted the general pedagogical climate just prior to mid-century:
Four overlapping approaches can be identified in response to the quality of tone, power,
and consistency demanded of orchestral trumpet players. First, contracting the lips
forward, using some pressure, and stressing breath control. Second, further
development of tongue arch techniques. Third, breathing pedagogy in general. And
fourth, the increased reliance on conceptual approaches. 36
Herbert L. Clarke was one of the most influential figures in the cornet/trumpet world in
the early twentieth century. Though he doesnt have a direct teacher/student connection to
any of the teachers examined in this paper, his technical and characteristic studies are a large
part of all of the pedagogues teachings. 37 Clarke claimed that he tried everything at some
point in his career in an effort to figure out how to play. He said, I was soloist with Gilmore at
the age of 24, held the same position with Sousa at 25, and did not really know how to play the
cornet correctly until I was 35! 38 Most of his pedagogical writings were done after he had
turned 50. Clarke also commented that every player has to find his own way, because every
method book is just the teachers way. His early thoughts on conceptual approaches were also
important. He said you must, carry in mind the sound of each note before sounding it, 39 and
Similar to Clarke, Ernest S. Williams did not have a direct link to the teachers in question,
but his methods were used by most of them. Williams was a versatile player, because he
36 Ibid., 118.
37 Herbert L. Clarke, Technical Studies for the Cornet (New York: Carl Fischer, 1984);
idem., Characteristic Studies for the Cornet (New York: Carl Fischer, 1943).
38 McCann, 80.
39 Ibid., 81.
40 Ibid., 82.
12
served as both principal trumpet of The Philadelphia Orchestra (also appearing as a soloist on
Bachs Brandenburg Concerto No. 2) and was a featured cornet soloist with the Goldman
Band. 41 Williams enjoyed teaching and founded his own music school in Brooklyn. This school
was designed as a three year course of study, and Williams made arrangements so that credits
could be transferred to New York University and applied towards a degree. Students had to be
proficient on one instrument and demonstrate knowledge of keyboard and strings. 42 Band
playing received much attention because Williams felt it was important for students to have the
opportunity of soloing with the band. 43 Aside from the direct impact that Williams had on his
students, many of his method books have become important parts of trumpet routines still
used today. These include his Method of Transposition, Secret of Technique Preservation, and
Method of Scales. 44
Louis Klpfel was another one of the earliest trumpet teachers in America, and he had a
significant impact on American orchestral style. Klpfel was born, raised, and studied trumpet
in Germany. Some of his earliest trumpet studies were with Arban, and he studied with several
of the leading German teachers in Berlin, Leipzig, Hannover, and Cologne. He came to the
United States in 1897 because he was recruited by Walter Damrosch to play in the New York
Symphony. When he came to America, cornets were still popular in orchestras, but Klpfel
played exclusively on the B-flat trumpet. He moved to Boston to play in the Boston Symphony
41 Keith Winking, The Legacy of Ernest S. Williams, International Trumpet Guild Journal 24, no. 2 (January 2000):
35-37.
42 Ibid., 42.
43 Ibid., 43-44.
44 Ibid., 35.
13
Orchestra from 1898-1927, and taught at the New England Conservatory from 1902 until his
death in 1936. His studies with Arban led him to play in a straight style, and he advised that
Arbans studies be played perfectly straight, level, with high tones as broad as low ones. 45
Gustav Heim eventually succeeded Louis Klpfel in the Boston Symphony, and the two
had several things in common. They were both born in the same region and studied with the
same teachers in Germany. Heim was also recruited by Walter Damrosch, but he came to play
first trumpet at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair. Heim had quite a distinguished orchestral
Orchestra. The next year he became third trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and
later became principal trumpet of the BSO from 1914 until the strike in 1920. After the strike
he held positions with the Detroit Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York
Philharmonic, and the New York Symphony. 46 Like Klpfel, Heim was instrumental in the use of
trumpets in American orchestras, 47 but unlike Klpfel, who played B-flat exclusively, Heim was
influential in his use of higher pitched trumpets to fit the repertoire at hand. 48 Vacchiano took
I owe practically all my success to [Gustav Heim]. I have attributed my long career to
the ability to play all these [different pitched trumpets] and he taught me the proper
way of doing it I have a funny story to tell you about Gustav HeimYou werent
allowed to drink [alcohol] in those days and he was a German up in Maine, which was a
really dry state. He used to make home-brew and they told him, Gus, please dont
make any home-brew and give it to the farmers. If you want to drink it, do it yourself.
Well, he insisted and they put him in jail for four weeks. I went up there one day [for a
45 Knudsvig, 39.
46 Ibid., 40.
47 Ibid., 42.
48 Brian Shook, William Vacchiano: His Career as a Trumpet Player and Pedagogue (DMA Diss., Arizona State
14
lesson] and I couldnt find him. They told me he was over at the jail. So I went over [to
the jail] and took a lesson [from him]. It was quite a memorable experience. 49
Vacchiano also recalled Heim telling him, for a Brahms symphony you can work playing a B-flat
Georges Mager was the next successor as principal trumpet of the Boston Symphony.
Mager was also a singer and a violist. He played viola during his first year in the BSO (1918),
sharing a stand with Arthur Fiedler. The following year Mager moved to third trumpet, and
then became principal as a result of the same strike which prompted Heim to leave the
orchestra. 51 Mager was particularly important because he pioneered the use of large bore C
was unique for his time because he was a style teacher rather than a technician. McCann
says, he wanted a certain sound but would not prescribe how to get it. 52 Harry Herforth
recalls that Mager would say, You do not play zee trumpet. You SING wizz zee trumpet! 53
Mager was successful as a teacher, and his students include distinguished orchestral players
such as Adolph Herseth, William Vacchiano, Bernard Adelstein, Harry Herforth, and Roger
[Georges Mager] influenced my life more than anyone else The equipment he was
using [i.e. the mouthpiece] is what I should have been using, but I didnt realize it at the
time [His mouthpiece] doubled my sound, range, speed of tonguing everything
49 Ibid., 16-17.
50 Andr M. Smith, William Vacchiano: An Appreciative Recollection on His 83 rd Birthday: 23 May 1995,
International Trumpet Guild Journal 19, no. 4 (May 1995): 16.
51 Harry Herforth, Adolph Herseth, and Martin Lessen, A Tribute to Georges Mager (1885-1950), International
15
opened right up! If I hadnt met him I probably never would have known these things
were possible until, perhaps, much later in life. 55
Klpfel, Heim, and Mager represented the early twentieth century pedagogical and
orchestral trumpet legacy in Boston, but in New York there was one important man, and his
name was Max Schlossberg. He was born on November 5, 1873 in Libau, Latvia, 56 and was the
second of seven children. 57 He most likely spoke Yiddish at home and German in public and at
school. 58 His early trumpet studies were at the Moscow conservatory, but he eventually left
and began studies with Julius Kosleck, the famous German pedagogue in Berlin. 59 Max first
came to America in 1894, but quickly returned to Riga to fulfill his military obligations because
the Russian government was holding his 89 year old grandfather in prison until he returned. In
1902 Max married Jennie Lohak, deserted the army, and came to America to stay. 60 There is
little information about Schlossbergs life from 1903 until 1911, but a letter from Gustav Mahler
possibly explains Maxs future with the New York Philharmonic. McCann explained that Mahler
requested Schlossberg:
In a letter to Bruno Walter early in 1909, Gustav Mahler announced his intention to take
over the New York Philharmonic and asks Walter to find out whether the splendid
trumpeter of the Konzertverin, by whom we were so much struck at the time, is still in
Vienna and if sosee if he would be willing to come to me in New York. 61
16
In 1911 Schlossberg took a job as the second trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, but at the
time that was not enough of a salary to make a living, so he supplemented his income by
playing in other orchestras and theaters around town and by teaching private trumpet
lessons. 62
As a teacher, Max Schlossbergs name became associated with magic. Vacchiano said,
studying with Schlossberg, you knew you were going to be good. Schlossberg put a stamp on
me. 63 Schlossberg inherited his teaching style from the German school through his teacher
Julius Kosleck. Vacchiano explained, The reason Schlossberg was so great was his style [sic]
What made him so famous is the instruction he got from Kosleck. He was a stylist and passed
that on to Schlossberg. 64 To be a stylist meant that you were not merely interested in
technique, but taught from a much broader musical context. Harry Jenkins, a former student of
Schlossberg, recalled:
Max Schlossberg stressed musicality above everything else. He had the utmost
contempt for unmusical playing and was particularly impatient with any naturally gifted
student who neglected his musical responsibilities. Such waste of talent was considered
a supreme injustice. 65
Schlossberg was appointed to teach at the Institute of Musical Art (IMA) in 1923, which
later became the Juilliard School. He also taught numerous students from his house, and many
of them recollect their lessons at 811 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. Vacchiano remembered his
studio:
17
When I studied with him, he lived on Walton Avenue in the Bronx. His apartment was
on the top floor in the back and it was more or less soundproof. His studio walls were
covered with all the famous trumpet players of the day, many of whom were his
students. He would periodically point to them and tell you what desirable qualities each
of them possessed; then would say, Pretty soon Ill have your picture up there! 66
Brass musicologist Andr M. Smith noted that Schlossberg lived on the block between Yankee
Entering the studio was like entering an inner royal chamber for an audience with the
Czar. His eminence, Max the First, was usually seated on his dais, awaiting the arrival of
his humble subject, who was to be initiated into the ancient and arcane mysteries of
trumpet lore. 67
Schlossbergs students also recollect his humble and kind nature. Vacchiano recalled:
He knew how to encourage a student and make him feel he was going to make it. Not
once in my six years of affiliation did I ever hear [him] say an unkind word about anyone.
He was above jealousy and never bragged about himself; he left that to others. He was
a very kind man. I cant say enough about him. 68
Smith explained:
His personal and encouraging manner was graced with a consoling, paternal smile that
was a continuing source of solace to his struggling students and convinced them of his
personal concern for their well-being. 69
Schlossbergs care for individual students was also manifest in his teaching style. The
weekly lesson routine usually began with two octave scales in all keys, including scales in thirds
and arpeggios. 70 Drilling the fundamentals was very important to Schlossberg. He used many
analogies and metaphors to get his point across, 71 and Vacchiano remembered that Schlossberg
once said, [Practicing these rudiments of playing] is like pressing a pair of pants with a cold
18
iron; you must go over it enough times to form a crease. 72 Vacchiano also said that he would
stop at a deli across the street after every lesson so that he could write down everything he
He was a very slow and meticulous teacher. He would give you a little bit each
week and continue to add to it. He had an exercise he called four-in-one where you
played two octaves of a scale, two octaves of thirds, two octaves of chords, and two
octaves of intervals, all with one breath. It would take three or four months to get that
ability.
When you played for him it had to be right on the button. If he found a
weakness in your playing, he would address it immediately and not move on until you
could fix it. He would always tell me, Practice your liabilities, not your assets. 74
Schlossberg placed a strong emphasis on transposition, and he had students play etudes
by Charlier, Laurient, Chavanne, Werner, Paudert, and Harris. In his last year of teaching,
Schlossberg liked to use the newly published Top Tones etudes by Walter Smith. 75 He based
much of his teaching on the issues that arose from the music at hand. To fix issues, he
generally used exercises from Arban, St. Jacome, Sachse, and most importantly, little exercises
that Schlossberg himself created for individual students. Schlossbergs exercises were almost
always based on orchestral repertoire. 76 After his death, Maxs son-in-law (and former
student), Harry Freistadt compiled the exercises into what is now known as Daily Drills and
for Trumpet and the Existing Schlossberg Manuscripts: A Summary, International Trumpet Guild Journal 33, no. 4
(June 2009): 61-62.
Max Schlossberg, Daily Drills and Technical Studies for Trumpet (New York: M. Baron Company, 1965).
Jeffrey Nussbaum and Frank Hosticka did a recent examination of manuscripts of Schlossbergs exercises in
comparison to the published book. Naomi Freistadt, Maxs granddaughter, had some difficulty identifying the
handwriting of the manuscripts, but she said they were most likely done by Maxs son, Kalman, or a copyist. The
19
Harry Jenkins won a spot in group lessons with Schlossberg through a contest that was
sponsored by the New York Philharmonic. He wrote about his experiences in an article for The
some of the drills that he composed as warm-up material. Jenkins said he tried to get students
to play cleanly and with a pure tone, while stressing that high notes are coaxed out gradually
rather than being forced. Table 2.1 shows exercises that Schlossberg favored.
Page Exercises
Schlossberg, Daily Drills 1 1, 4
2 5, 6
3 11a, 12
4 13, 16
6 22, 23
7 27, 28
9 35
18 59, 60
Arban, Complete Method 28 18, 19, 20
29 21, 22
41 14, 15
42 16, 17, 18
104 38
108 48
132 13
144 Entire Page
145 Entire Page
149 Entire Page
Characteristic Studies 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
manuscript exercises were written primarily in whole notes, whereas many of the exercises were given rhythmic
values of eighth or sixteenth notes in the book. There were also some exercises where the general melodic
patterns were completely different than the manuscripts, and they were probably some of Harrys compositions.
Only the introduction of this method can be truly attributed to Max Schlossberg.
78 Jenkins, 607-608. Based on this account, we know that these exercises had to have been written by
20
Jenkins explained that for each lesson Schlossberg would choose an operatic aria for students
to play, and he would provide background about the piece. He would have an advanced
student model for the rest of the group. In these lessons, Schlossberg would take advantage of
the larger number of students and divide them up to play duets or small ensemble music. 79
tongue arching for lip slurs and his persistence to use a stretched embouchure long after it fell
out of fashion. Louis Davidson remembered these aspects of Schlossbergs teaching (especially
the use of different syllables to create tongue arch on lip slurs), though Davidson rejected
Schlossbergs smile embouchure. Davidson studied with Schlossberg from age 11 to 16 and
was vastly influenced by the great teacher. Davidson considered his own method, Trumpet
Techniques, to be the missing text from Schlossbergs Daily Drills. 80 McCann suggested that
Schlossbergs teaching matched that of Kosleck, with the exception of the instruction to raise
the diaphragm for breathing. Harry Freistadt recalled that breathing and attacks were the most
important to Schlossberg, and that the amount of air taken in should be determined by the
length of phrase that you were about to play. 81 One aspect of Schlossbergs teaching that was
unusual for the time was that he purposefully faced away from his students. He did this
because he wanted to evaluate their playing purely based on the sound they produced and not
Unfortunately Schlossbergs health deteriorated late in life, although this did not stop
his passion for teaching. Vacchiano remembered lessons where Schlossberg taught with his
79 Jenkins, 607-608.
80 McCann, 88,
81 McCann, 87-88.
82 Smith, William Vacchiano, 13.
21
trousers rolled up and his feet in buckets of water of contrasting extreme temperatures due to
a heart condition. Later Schlossberg even taught while lying in his bed. 83 Schlossberg passed
away on September 23, 1936. 84 Andr M. Smith explained the important role that Schlossberg
The fundamental concept of modern American trumpet tone and performance style is
one Vacchiano to a great extent inherited in its mature form from the more refining of
his teachers, Schlossberg. Most of the influential players in orchestras and bands of
various kinds in the United States between 1915 and 1950 had been students of either
Schlossberg or Ernest Williams in New York it was Schlossberg and Williams who had
the more lasting impression than all the others because of the sustained excellence of
their teaching of the great number of their students over about 35 years. 85
Some of Schlossbergs students include distinguished players such as William Vacchiano, Louis
Davidson, Nathan Prager, James Smith, and Harry Glantz. 86 Schlossbergs grandson, Bernie
As a symphonic artist and teacher, his fame was worldwide. Students and celebrity
trumpeters came to him from all over the world. His name was Max Schlossberg.
Almost every major trumpeter in every major symphony studied with him. 87
Like Herbert L. Clarke and Ernst Williams, Harry Glantz did not teach any of the
pedagogues in this study, but his impact on the climate of American trumpet playing in the
middle of the twentieth century was paramount. Though Glantz was born in the Ukraine, he
moved to the United States at a very young age. Knudsvig explains that he, was trained and
22
spent his entire playing career in America, making him not by birthright, but by his musical
training and cultural upbringing, a first generation American trumpeter. 88 Glantz studied at
IMA with Max Bleyer and Max Schlossberg. 89 Glantz said that he learned to sing on the
trumpet from Modest Altschuler, and he also studied with and was quite fond of Christian H.
Rodenkirchen, who Glantz attributed with getting him into the Philadelphia Orchestra. 90 Glantz
studied with Gustav Heim while he was teaching privately in Manhattan. Though Vacchiano
recalled a funny story about his lessons with Heim, Glantzs studies with him ended more
When once Heim failed to appear for a lesson, Glantz went to Carnegie Hall searching
for him. He did find him, relaxing with colleagues in a lounge reserved for the exclusive
use of the German musicians of the Philharmonic. When Glantz walked in only for the
purpose of speaking to him, Heim turned on him, immediately and loudly told him to,
Get out, Jew. If you ever come in here again youll have your teeth knocked out!
Glantz fled, stunned. 91
Glantz was not fond of teaching, but needed the money to supplement his income. He
only taught students who he thought were talented and driven, and he would often tell
students after their first lesson that they should pursue something else. His teaching style was
not developed through a systematic approach, but rather by trial and error. Some of Glantzs
distinguished students included: Bernard Adelstein, James Smith, Robert Grocock, Frank
88 Knudsvig, 39.
89 The records are unclear on his studies with Schlossberg, but Schlossbergs comments on Glantz confirm that
Glantz was, even if briefly, one of his students.
90 Andr M. Smith, A Centennial Tribute to Harry (n Hersch) Glantz on His Birthday: The First of January 1896-
1996, International Trumpet Guild Journal 20, no. 3 (February 1996): 12-17.
91 Ibid., 14.
92 Ibid., 22-23.
23
Glantz had a notable orchestral career and held many coveted positions. He played
exclusively B-flat trumpet in orchestras, which was a one trumpet fits all attitude held over
from the pre-WWII era. 93 During his career, Glantz played principal trumpet with the Russian
Symphony Orchestra (an ensemble in the US meant to promote Russian music), principal of The
Philadelphia Orchestra, he played 19 years as principal of the New York Philharmonic, and 12
Glantzs impact on the world of trumpet playing was due to the large quantity of
recording that he did, and the relative novelty of radio and recording at the time. Uan Rasey, a
L.A. film studio trumpeter, explains that Glantz had a huge impact on the American sound. He
says, Harry Glantz changed the whole concept of classical trumpet playing in America, just that
one guy. 95 Rasey described Glantz as unique because of his overall sound concept and use of
vibrato. 96 Vacchiano praised Glantz as, a model of style for all young trumpeters striving to
follow that change from the prevailing cornet orchestra style to that being defined for the
trumpet. 97 Peter Knudsvig described Glantzs weekly NBC telecasts and recordings with
[It] gave him the exposure to spread his playing style and reputation to all corners of the
country, including the most remote places in the country as long as radio signals and/or
recordings could get there.
Max Schlossberg, who preceded Harry Glantz in the New York Philharmonic, is
generally credited as being the founder of the American school of trumpeting, with
Glantz his disciple who later spread the gospel. 98
93 Ibid., 24.
94 Ibid., 13-14, 26.
95 Knudsvig, 39.
96 Ibid., 42.
97 Smith, William Vacchiano, 11.
98 Knudsvig, 41.
24
CHAPTER 3
Vincent Cichowicz was born on August 27, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. He didnt play
trumpet until he was in high school. Due to The Great Depression, the Cichowicz family could
not afford an instrument, so he was given a cornet by the local Boys Club. 99 After watching
bands, Cichowicz said that he wanted to play the trumpet because, I was attracted to the nice
uniforms and the prominent role of the trumpet. 100 Cichowicz did not study privately until his
second year at Harrison High School, when he took lessons from George Albrecht. Cichowicz
recalled that Albrecht had him play a lot out of the Arban book, especially the arias and songs in
the back section. They would also sight read duets at every lesson. 101
During his second year of high school, Cichowiczs band director told him, Theres no
room in the cornet section but if you want to play the French horn, well put you in the
symphonic band. 102 So Cichowicz played horn in the band for a year but kept practicing the
cornet. His director dealt a blow to Cichowiczs confidence because he also told him, You
really should be playing horn because you dont have the lips to play trumpet. 103 The next
year Cichowicz decided that if he wanted to play trumpet, he needed to study with someone in
99 Vincent Cichowicz, Mark Dulin, and Michael Cichowicz, Long Tone Studies (California: Studio 259 Productions,
2011), 52.
100 Bruce C. Briney, Vincent Cichowicz: Master Teacher, International Trumpet Guild Journal 23, no. 2 (December
1998): 5.
101 Ibid.
102 Ibid.
103 Ibid.
25
the Chicago Symphony, so he began lessons with Reynold Schilke. Schilke completely changed
Cichowiczs embouchure because he had played with his lower lip rolled out too far. 104
Cichowiczs studies with Schilke went well, and when Schilke received a call to
recommend a student to play third/assistant principal trumpet with the Houston Symphony,
Cichowicz got the job. This is astonishing because he was only 17 at the time, had begun
playing trumpet four years earlier, and had recently been dealt a blow from his band directors
discouraging comments. Cichowicz remembered that when he was in Houston, they played
everything on rotary valved trumpets, which is very unusual for an American orchestra. He said
that many of the players in the orchestra were young due to the war. It was a great experience
because the conductor, Ernst Hoffman, was supportive of the young players. 105
After playing in Houston for a year, Cichowicz was drafted into the Fifth Army Band
stationed at Fort Sam Houston. He worked as a file clerk and was later stationed at Fort
Sheridan and then in Galesburg, Illinois. When he was discharged in 1949, he returned to
Chicago and enrolled at Roosevelt University so he could continue to study with Schilke. He
worked as a free-lance musician around Chicago and played with the Grant Park Symphony. He
also became a member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, a position which allowed him to study
with Adolph Bud Herseth, the new principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His
early association with Herseth gave him the opportunity to play extra with the CSO. Cichowicz
joined the Chicago Symphony as fourth trumpet when the position opened up in 1952; after
about seven years, he moved up to second trumpet in the section. 106 As a member of the
104 Ibid.
105 Ibid., 6.
106 Ibid., 7-8.
26
orchestra, he also played with the Chicago Symphony Brass Quintet, and played on the Grammy
award winning recording, The Antiphonal Music of Giovanni Gabrieli. 107 Cichowicz played under
many of the great conductors during his time with the CSO. He recalled this story about Fritz
Reiner, who was noted for his strict and demanding demeanor:
We were rehearsing Respighis Pines of Rome, and I was playing the first trumpet part in
the stage music. Another trumpeter and I were on risers well above the orchestra. In
the last movement we rehearsed several short bugle calls that occur in the beginning of
this section. Reiner stopped the orchestra and asked me, Can you hold your trumpet
higher? You see, I angle my trumpet down because of a slight overbite. I assured
Reiner that I would, however, do better. We began again, and after playing through the
same passage, Reiner stopped the orchestra a second time. This time with much
agitation he, asked, Can you hold your trumpet higher? Because of my high position
on the risers, I now had my head tilted back considerably and was having difficulty
seeing the music and the conductor. However, I again assured Reiner that I would do
better the next time. After a third time through the passage, Reiner abruptly stopped
the orchestra, and this time very angrily shouted, Why dont you hold your trumpet
higher? He turned to Herseth and asked him to explain the problem, and Herseth
proceeded to give a detailed monologue on embouchure formation. Reiner then turned
to me and said, Mr. Cichowicz, go see your dentist! 108
had always been interested in teaching and felt that I learned a great deal myself. 109 He
became a full-time professor in 1974, and the schedule of teaching and playing in the orchestra
was very taxing. Cichowicz knew he had to choose, so he retired from the orchestra in 1975 to
keep teaching full-time. He was greatly influenced by the other brass players in the Chicago
While in the Civic Orchestra, Cichowicz took a few lessons with Adolph Herseth the
legendary principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra but did not have
success finding answers to some of his playing problems. 110
107 Rick Chapman, Vincent Cichowicz The Man Behind the Trumpet, The Instrumentalist (August 1985), in Brass
Anthology (Evanston, Illinois: The Instrumentalist Company, 1999), 729.
108 Ibid., 731-732.
109 Briney, 10.
110 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 5.
27
Herseth and Jacobs served as playing models for him, but it was his association with Jacobs that
changed many of his views on teaching. In 1952 Cichowicz took a few lessons with Arnold
After working over a considerable period of time, and keeping in mind certain
perceptions, I was convinced. Those lessons answered a lot of questions that in my
previous ways of going about my work never seemed to be fully solved. 111
Though he was initially skeptical, Cichowicz especially benefitted from Jacobs thoughts on
respiration and psychology. 112 Cichowicz said, My exposure to Jacobs refined and clarified
many things. It was not a dramatic change in what I was doing but there was a deeper thinking
involved. 113
Cichowicz also traveled the world to give master classes. From 1980-2002 he was on
faculty for the National Youth Symphony of Canada, and from 1986-2004 he taught at the Brass
Seminar at Domaine Forget in Charlevoix, Quebec. Cichowicz became conductor of the Millar
Brass Ensemble in 1995. He put together many arrangements for the group, and they released
a CD entitled Brass Surround. Cichowicz was on the committee that founded the
International Trumpet Guild (ITG), and he served on the advisory board of The Instrumentalist.
His career has been commemorated through awards such as a Special Achievement Award
from the European Chapter of ITG in 1997, Northwestern Universitys Legends in Teaching
111 Ibid., 6.
112 Briney, 10.
113 Louis Loubriel, Vincent Cichowicz on Arnold Jacobs, International Trumpet Guild Journal 30, no. 2 (January
1996): 28.
28
Award that he received in 1998, 114 and the International Trumpet Guilds Lifetime Achievement
Award in 1999. 115 Vincent Cichowicz passed away on December 11, 2006 from colon cancer116
Louis Davidson was born in New York on March 16, 1912. 117 His earliest studies were on
piano, but at age 11 he began studying trumpet with Max Schlossberg. 118 During his youth he
was active playing trumpet in many New York theaters and he even sailed to Europe several
times as a musician on the S.S. Leviathon. 119 At age 16 he began playing with the Cincinnati
Symphony, under the direction of Fritz Reiner. He played with them for five years and then
During his second stay in New York, he played with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and
at Radio City Music Hall, in addition to playing several Broadway shows and radio programs, he
served as a staff member of NBC. 121 In the summer of 1941, Davidson was chosen as one of six
soloists to play under Arturo Toscanini at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 122 At the
age of 23 he became principal trumpet of the Cleveland Orchestra. He spent 23 years with the
orchestra, playing for conductors such as Rodzinski, Leinsdorf, and Szell. 123
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-12-14/news/0612140148_1_trumpet-player-cso-teacher.
117 Davidson, Trumpet Technique, iii.
118 Charles Gorham, A Tribute to Louis Davidson, International Trumpet Guild Journal 6, no. 4 (May 1982): 8.
119 Davidson, Trumpet Technique, iii.
120 Gorham, 8-9.
121 Ibid.
122 Davidson, Trumpet Technique, iii.
123 Gorham, 8-9.
29
While in Cleveland, he taught privately and at Case Western Reserve University, the
Cleveland Institute of Music, and Oberlin College. 124 He was an active participant in the
International Trumpet Guild, 125 and upon retiring from the Cleveland Orchestra, he began a
celebrated career as a trumpet teacher at the University of Indiana at Bloomington from 1963
to 1982. He moved to Studio City, California in 1992 and passed away in March of 1999. 126
Davidson published two books, Trumpet Technique and Trumpet Profiles. Trumpet
Technique is a method book designed for use in trumpet study, and Davidson says:
This book is aimed primarily at those players who have problems in one or more
of the various techniques of trumpet-playing. Together with approaching each problem
from its physical aspect, special exercises have been devised for dealing directly with
problems. 127
The book contains Davidsons detailed written explanations of the major aspects of trumpet
playing such as attacks, breathing, embouchure, slurs (lip and valve), tonguing (single and
multiple), his thoughts on warming-up, and general practical guidelines. After the verbal
descriptions, Davidson includes many exercises designed to address each of these areas. 128
Trumpet Profiles is a fascinating and unique book. The book is not a playing method,
but rather a compilation of survey answers from some of the most prominent trumpet players
in Davidsons time. Table 3. 1 lists the respondents and shows their respective area of
expertise. Davidsons survey included questions about influences (trumpet players and
musicians on other instruments or in other genres), practice habits, and use of equipment
(mouthpieces, models of horns, and specialty trumpets). The survey answers are first
30
presented as facsimiles of the hand-written forms returned by the participants, and then
Davidson compiles the information and makes note of any trends. This book is a valuable
resource that provides insight into the practice habits of working professionals, and which
William Vacchiano
Roger Voisin
John Ware
31
Davidson was also influential in bringing Russian trumpet virtuoso Timofei Dokshidzer131
to play in America. 132 Dokshidzer wrote the foreword to Davidsons method, Trumpet
My first encounter with Louis Davidson came in 1965 while I was touring the
United States as a member of the Moscow Philharmonic. We played one concert in
Bloomington, Indiana at a concert hall on the campus of Indiana University. During a
rehearsal for that concert our conductor, David Fedorovich Oistrakh, emphasized that
the music faculty of Indiana University was one of the most distinguished in America,
where professors famous throughout the world were employed. He specifically
mentioned the names of violinist Joseph Gingold, French hornist Philip Farkas, and
trumpeter Louis Davidson
After the concert that evening, I was approached by a dapper, gray-haired man
of about fifty who introduced himself as Louis Davidson. Despite the late hour, he
invited me to his home I realized at once that meeting with such a man was well worth
losing a nights sleep, and I accepted. 133
In addition to recalling his fond memory of the night he spent at Louis and Melba
Davidsons home, he credited the visit as the beginning of a close friendship. This association
proved important to Dokshidzers career, and it also had an impact on trumpeters all over the
Meeting Louis proved to be a most important and auspicious moment in my life. It was
Louis who sent a letter to the Soviet leaders insisting that the opportunity to see and
hear Dokshidzer perform could no longer be the exclusive privilege of the citizens of the
Soviet Union, but should be extended to the citizens of all countries. It was Louis
Davidson, in association with his old friend, James Stagliano (the famous French horn
player, then a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra) who produced a record of
me playing popular instrumental pieces and distributed it throughout the worldI call
Louie my Columbus the man who discovered me for the entire world. 134
131 There are many spellings of his name because it is translated from Russian to English. The spelling used here is
the one present in Doshidzers forward to Davidsons Trumpet Technique.
132 Gorham, 8-9.
133 Davidson, Trumpet Technique, v.
134 Ibid., vi.
32
3.3 Armando Ghitalla
Armando Ghitalla was born in Alpha, Illinois on June 1, 1925, 135 and was known to many
as Mundy. 136 He grew up on a small farm in Knoxville, Illinois, which taught him the
importance of hard work. In an interview with Michael Tunnell, Ghitalla revealed the origins of
his playing:
My beginning with music was not exceptional. When I was six years old, my brother
played clarinet and didnt like practicing, so when my folks asked me if I wanted to play
an instrument, I said, Yes, anything but the clarinet! They brought home a used
Holton cornet with a No. 1 Holton mouthpiece. 137
Ghitallas love for the cornet stemmed from a 78 rpm recording that he had of Del Staigers and
the Goldman Band playing Carnival of Venice on one side and Napoli on the other. His favorite
solos were cornet solos, particularly those written by Herbert L. Clarke. His earliest teacher was
Herman Hampy. Hampy was from Peoria and traveled a lot, so Ghitalla was mainly left to his
Ghitallas family was not financially well-off, but his high school Latin teacher, Jane
Anderson, recognized his talent and paid for him to study at the Interlochen Music Camp one
summer. At Interlochen, Ghitalla studied with Pattee Evanson, the first trumpet player from
Rochester. In order to help pay for his lessons, Ghitalla did odd jobs around the camp. He
fondly remembers, I was the only guy who could openly enter the girls camp of course I had
135 Michael Tunnell, Armando Ghitalla Master Trumpeter, Master Teacher, Master Musician, International
Trumpet Guild Journal 21, no. 4 (May 1997): 5.
136 Julie L. Patton, A Tribute to Armando Ghitalla: A Survey of His Influence on Trumpet Teachers in America and
Canada Today, International Trumpet Guild Journal 23, no. 2 (December 1998): 13.
137 Tunnell, 5.
138 Ibid., 5-6.
139 Ibid., 6.
33
Ghitalla began college at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Illinois. He had to work his
way through college. He served as a house boy at the Delta Omicron sorority and drove a
bakery truck early in the mornings. He recalled that he loved the trumpet but had very little
time to practice. At one point he won $10 in a competition where he performed Carnival of
Venice. He wrote a letter to Joseph Gustat, principal trumpet of the St. Louis Symphony, asking
if he could take a lesson with the $10 (Ghitalla admitted that this was an audacious move).
Gustat accepted, and Ghitalla said that during the lesson Gustat changed his embouchure.
Ghitalla described that, at the time, many players used a smiling or stretched embouchure to
play high notes, but Gustat completely reversed Ghitallas embouchure to a pucker formation.
This laid the seed for Ghitallas interest in embouchures throughout his career. 140
Ghitalla was drafted into the Navy, where he served for three years. He had never
heard about Juilliard until someone in the service told him about it. When Ghitalla was
discharged in 1945, he used the GI Bill to attend Juilliard. Ghitalla was thankful for this
provision, because without it he would not have been able to afford the prestigious school. He
said, Without the GI Bill, I would have probably finished Illinois Wesleyan and probably
become a band director in Illinois. 141 One of the other effects of the GI Bill was that schools
were flooded with students following the war. Ghitalla recalled that he was one of 96 trumpet
players at Juilliard, and not everyone got to study with William Vacchiano. Ghitalla said that he
felt very fortunate to be able to study with Vacchiano. 142 He considered Vacchiano to be his
first real teacher. Ghitalla had originally wanted to be a cornet soloist, but Vacchiano opened
140 Ibid.
141 Ibid.
142 Ghitalla studied at Juilliard from 1946-1949.
34
him up to the world of orchestral playing. 143 Ghitalla served as the principal trumpet of both
the New York City Opera and New York City Ballet Company while he was still a student in 1948-
1949. 144
Upon graduation from Juilliard, Ghitalla played with the Houston Symphony from 1949-
1950, and then he joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1951. He spent his first 13 years
with the BSO as third/assistant principal trumpet (Roger Voisin was principal), and he also
played solo trumpet with the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler. Ghitalla played principal
trumpet in the BSO from 1964-1979 under conductors such as Munch, Leinsdorf, Steinberg, and
Ozawa. When asked about playing for so many esteemed conductors, Ghitalla responded, I
enjoyed my later years. There I was, sitting back there with my gray hair and a frown on my
face, and they didnt say much [to me] very often. 145 Ghitalla also discussed that he got to
play LHistoire du Soldat with Stravinsky conducting. The Royal March movement contains
several five-tuple markings that are nebulously marked with a slur mark (Figure 3.1). There has
always been question about how to play these figures, so Ghitalla asked the composer.
Stravinsky responded that he didnt know it was possible to articulate them, and said, Well, if
you can tongue it, by all means, do it. 146 Ghitalla believed that being an orchestral trumpet
player was like being an athlete one of the most important things is to stay in absolute top
shape. Unfortunately Ghitalla developed a sebaceous cyst on his lip and had to take 4-5
143 Tunnell, 7.
144 Stephen L. Glover, Armando Ghitalla: An Interview, International Trumpet Guild Journal 6, no. 3 (February
1982): 7.
145 Ibid., 10.
146 Ibid., 12.
35
months off of playing with the BSO. 147 The surgery separated his lip muscles and he felt that he
Like Vacchiano, Ghitalla would often play trumpets of different pitches; however,
Ghitalla attributes this more to his time spent playing with Roger Voisin than his studies with
Vacchiano. He said that Voisin used to play a French four-valved C trumpet that actually
became a D trumpet when the fourth valve was pressed. Ghitalla extended this idea by
building a five-valved C trumpet that could be played in B-natural, C, D-flat, and D, depending
on which valves were pressed. He admitted that he used the D-flat tuning of the instrument to
play the difficult first two movements of Tomasis Trumpet Concerto, because all of the difficult
36
C-sharp and F-sharp passages could be played in C and F on his special trumpet. He also
strongly advocated playing the Halsey Stevens Sonata on C trumpet because it fixed many
Ghitalla paved the way for the future of solo trumpet playing because he was one of the
first players to present full-length solo trumpet recitals. He was the very first person to do this
at Town Hall in 1958, and then again in 1960. 151 Wriston Locklair reviewed the March 23, 1958
On paper, the prospect of a concert featuring a single trumpet might not be too
stimulating. But Armando Ghitalla quickly dispelled such ideas before a cheering
audience in Town Hall. 152
Richard Lewis reviewed the March 27, 1960 performance and made similar comments:
No one would ever think that the trumpet could dominate a whole concert of chamber
music without destroying the refinement and intimacy that this idiom creates. Yet what
often seems unlikely in theory takes on a different aspect when approached with
imagination and craftsmanship. This was proven many times over during this
concert. 153
On these recitals, Ghitalla performed important works such as Hindemiths Sonate for Trumpet,
Handels Suite in D Major, 154 Enescos Legende, and he also resurrected Hummels Trumpet
Ghitalla said that Hummels concerto was originally found by Merrill Debsky, a student
at Yale who was studying privately with Ghitalla at the time. They had the piece sent from the
British Museum in London, and Ghitalla edited the work and gave its first modern performance.
37
The concerto was written in E Major. Ghitalla performed the piece in E Major, using a C
trumpet, but when he edited the work, he moved the key down a half-step to E-flat major,
making it more accessible to the B-flat trumpet. Boston Symphony harpist Bernard Zigagra
helped Ghitalla make a piano reduction of the accompaniment. 156 After Ghitallas edition was
published, some scrutiny arose about the marking over long notes in the second movement
(Figure 3.2). Ghitalla clarified, Mary Rassmussen figured that out, theyre both trills. Its not a
vibrato indication like some people think. I believe her. Shes very thorough. 157 Ghitalla also
There are only a few dynamic indications in the original manuscript, so all of the editing
shown in the edition was done by myself. I think I might leave out a lot of them now as I
am less adamant about them than I was then. 158
Ghitalla recorded three solo albums: Three Concertos, Concertos, and Cantatas for Soprano and
Trumpet. 159
Figure 3.2. Wavy line notation in Ghitallas edition of Hummels Trumpet Concerto. 160
Berklee School of Music, Hartt School of Music, and the Tanglewood Institute. 161 After retiring
156 Ibid., 8.
157 James West, In Memorium: An Interview with Armando Ghitalla, International Trumpet Guild Journal 26, no. 3
(March 2002): 50.
158 Glover, 8.
159 Ibid., 7.
160 Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Trumpet Concerto, ed. Ghitalla (Paris: Alphonse Leduc, 1960), 4.
161 Patton, 13.
38
from the BSO, he taught at the University of Michigan from 1979-1995. He then moved to
Houston and taught at Rice University from 1995 until his death in 2001. 162 Ghitalla felt that he
really learned to teach when he was in Michigan. He said, The University of Michigan,
however, did not enjoy large numbers of exceptionally talented students, so I really had to dig
deep to be able to help these students. 163 Ghitalla liked the challenge and fully committed to
his teaching in Ann Arbor. When he chose students, he looked for their development in sound
and technique, reception and sensitivity to instruction, and their overall potential. 164 He was
notorious for attending all trumpet recitals (even those students not in his studio), symphonic
band, and symphony orchestra concerts. Ghitalla said the following of his own teaching
method:
I do not teach as I was taught. That is a definite no. But the person who was
most influential on my playing was VacchianoI am sure that I picked up things from
him; but most of my teaching has been just pounding away at it trying to find a way to
get kids to play better sooner. 165
According to his students, Ghitalla was very flexible in how he approached problems; he
could come at them from all angles. 166 Steve Hedrickson said that Ghitalla would invent
exercises to help individual student problems, and Charles K. Finton commented on Ghitallas
overall approach, He could be very technical in his approach for some students, and at times
fixated on embouchure. However, above all else, his musicianship always dominated his
teaching. 167 Ghitalla thought that one of the most important things was the development and
consistent use of a warm-up and routine. He explained that, Part of my job is to find out all
162 Tunnell, 7.
163 Ibid.
164 Inkster, 39.
165 Ibid., 38.
166 Patton, 11.
167 Ibid., 16-17.
39
the things you cant do on the horn and then raise hell until you can overcome them. 168
I had lots of anxiety about coming to terms with not playing any more. My
motivation to play and practice so much in the early years was that I felt like a complete
person only while playing. 169
He admitted that he eventually felt liberated from having to practice and perform. In 1994 he
was awarded with an honorary doctorate from Illinois Wesleyan University. 170
John James Haynie was born in Ralls, Texas on December 14, 1924. His family moved to
Cisco, Texas, and Haynie began playing cornet at the age of seven. 171 Haynie explained that his
Haynie made rapid progress on his own as a young cornet player, playing hymns and other
songs. His first private instruction was with C.G Collum, a band director in Cisco. When Collum
7.
172 Haynie, Inside John Haynies Studio, 205.
40
left, Robert Maddox became the band director, and Haynie continued to study with him.
When Maddox moved to Mexia, Texas in 1939, John lost interest in playing cornet.
Robert offered to have John come to Mexia to live with the Maddox family, and Haynie did for
his junior and senior years of high school. 173 Haynie also attended summer band camps at
Texas Technical University. Haynie said that Colonel Earl D. Irons was one of his childhood
heroes as a cornetist. Haynie never had the opportunity to take private lessons with Irons, but
the Colonel was one of the teachers at the Texas Tech. summer camps in 1938 and 1939. 174
Haynie really enjoyed his time at the camps, which influenced his decision to enroll at Texas
Haynie began his studies at Texas Tech., but he was soon drafted into the 76th Infantry
Division Band. At first he was stationed in Wisconsin, where the band toured the Midwest with
Haynie as the cornet soloist, to promote the sale of U.S. war bonds. When he eventually
entered combat, Haynie served as a military policeman in the Battle of the Bulge. 176 He
recalled that he had an idea to remove telephone wires that resulted in a traumatic injury for
I was given the opportunity to defeat the enemy by clearing telephone lines out of the
way. This had gone well all day, but I was about to have a close encounter of the worst
kind. I made the mistake of not facing forward to dodge the tree limbs. Sure enough,
when I did face forward, a tree limb struck me right across the mouth, sweeping me
from atop the truck. I awoke in an army field hospital
My teeth were hanging loose, and the attending dentist hadnt had a dental
patient in weeks. He told me that he intended to remove all my front teeth. For a
173 Hardin, 7.
174 Haynie, Inside John Haynies Studio, 219.
175 Cynthia K. Thompson, In Honor of John James Haynie, International Trumpet Guild Journal 11, no. 4 (May
1987): 9.
176 Ibid.
41
trumpet player, this was a fatal blow, but it seems that band directors were always
rescuing me. As soon as the dentist left, CWO John Sandidge, my band director, came
after me and took me out of there. He not only saved my teeth, but also probably saved
my life, as well. The usual duty assigned the injured after recovering was a transfer to a
rifle company. Instead, I was returned to the band, and after my mouth healed I began
to learn how to play again. For many years my front teeth were loose; in time there
proved to be no permanent damage. 177
When Haynie left the service in 1945, he had earned a Good Conduct Medal in Battle, a
World War II Victory Medal, an American Theater Medal, and a European Theater Medal. He
returned to Texas Tech. for a year, but then transferred to the University of Illinois. 178 Haynie
earned both Bachelors and Masters degrees in music education from the University of Illinois,
graduating in 1950. 179 Mark Hindsley was the Director of Bands at Illinois during Haynies
studies, and John ended up marrying his daughter, Marilyn. Anne Hardin describes that, John
and Marilyn Haynie are partners in every aspect of life. 180 Haynie was deeply influenced by
Mark Hindsley was a pioneer, an innovator, and a musician for whom I had the
most profound respect. But was also my father-in-law, Granddad to my children and
Great-Granddad to their children. When our oldest grandchild Rachel was growing up
and participating in band, she had band directors who referred reverently to Mark
Hindsley. Ill never forget the phone call she made to Marilyn one day to ask, Just who
is Great-Granddad?
Now she knows. 181
During his studies at Illinois, John also took trumpet lessons with Haskell Sexton. Haynie
remembered:
My lessons with Haskell were always a musical experience since I played mostly
solo literature and with piano. Sometimes when an accompanist was not available we
would play from the Charlier book. He would play so elegantly that I could hear things
42
that just were not there when I played the same thing. I would like to think that I have
had some of that same influence on my students.
Haskell introduced me to the best of trumpet literature with special emphasis on
the French trumpet conservatory contest pieces. What a sharp contrast to the limited
repertoire of virtuoso pieces I knew. 182
Before studying with Sexton, Haynie had primarily made a career by playing cornet solos.
Sexton truly introduced him to a new world of literature that proved useful in Haynies later
teaching career. Haynie recalled that in one of his lessons Sexton showed him Hindemiths
I played right through it without much difficulty and when I finished I looked at Haskell,
he looked at me and asked what I thought of it. I said it was the worst piece Id ever
played. He laughed, I laughed, too. Then he said, You have a right to whatever honest
opinion you may have, but I want to know why you think it is such a bad piece of
music? Without hesitation I told him that there was no opening cadenza featuring lip
slurs, no double or triple tonguing to speak of, no singable theme, and no high F at the
end. Haskell thoughtfully mused in his kind of way, John, that says more about you
than it does about Hindemith and his music. 183
Haynie clarified that later Hindemiths Sonata became one of his all-time top five favorite
After graduating from University of Illinois, Haynie took a job teaching at North Texas
State University (now University of North Texas). His career there lasted an impressive forty
years, from 1950-1990. He was first hired to teach brass, but later became specifically a
trumpet teacher. One of the truly unique opportunities for Haynie at North Texas was that for
some time he played in the bands and orchestras with his students daily. Haynie believed that
43
this allowed him to be a better teacher because he could observe students in different
Haynie observed that students tend to work on music that is harder than they are ready
to play. This seldom goes well and causes endurance and range problems in addition to a false
sense of achievement. This notion led to the development of Haynies course of study for use
during his time at North Texas. Haynie felt that 75% of all music that students play should pose
no physical challenges. This allows students to build up, rather than tear down, their skills. 186
In addition to prescribing specific solos, scales, etudes, and excerpts for each year of study,
Haynie expected students to take written exams that covered trumpet history, pedagogy, and
musical terms. At the end of each semester, students had to perform a solo with piano, from
memory. 187
Haynies views on selecting appropriate literature extended beyond just his studio walls.
Much of the Texas UIL 188 trumpet contest list is the result of Haynies push to present a greater
variety of literature in public schools. 189 Haynie made two recordings featuring the music from
the contest list with his wife, Marilyn, playing piano. 190 They also toured the state giving
concerts at public schools. Instead of having a predetermined recital program, John allowed
In the later 1950s, Marilyn and I did a two-week tour of Texas, performing
everything on the state contest list. I wrote up a brief statement/analysis of each solo
what the demands were, the range, the difficulty of the accompaniment,
185 Thompson, 9.
186 Hardin, 9.
187 John J. Haynie and Leonard Candelaria, Course of Study: North Texas State University School of Music,
44
whateverWhat those kids would do! Theyd go through the list and see which ones
required the highest notes. They were out to kill me! Sometimes those requests came
from kids that I knew could never play that piece. They just wanted to see if I could do
it. So, I finally got smart, and I had the band directors make the requests of pieces they
felt the kids could use. 191
Haynie was beloved as a teacher and honored in many ways. In 1984 he was presented
with the annual Fessor Graham Award, given to the most outstanding faculty member at North
Texas as voted by the student body. He also received a Distinguished Service Award from the
University of Illinois in 1991, the International Trumpet Guild Award of Merit in 2003, a Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2006 from The North Texan magazine, and the Edwin Franko Goldman
Memorial Citation from the American Bandmasters Association in 2007. The high school in his
hometown of Cisco, Texas also dedicated its new music facilities the J.J. Haynie Band Hall in
2006. 192
James Stamp was born in 1904 in Minnesota. He began playing with the Mayo Clinic
Band at the age of 16, and played at many different theaters around the Minneapolis area. He
played as the principal trumpet of the Minneapolis Symphony (now the Minnesota Orchestra)
for 17 years. In 1944 he moved to Los Angeles to play in Hollywood studios and on radio
broadcasts. He played for composers such as Carmen Dragon and Dave Rose. 193
attack in 1954. He taught numerous players in the Los Angeles area, many of whom were
45
professional commercial players. Stamp gained a reputation as a chop doctor. He was
originally not taken seriously by legitimate orchestral players, but that attitude eventually
changed completely. He was discovered by Jean-Pierre Mathez, who invited Stamp to teach at
the Brass Bulletin workshop in Switzerland. His success at this workshop led to international
fame and the eventual publication of his materials through BIM. 194 Stamp has two published
method books, Warm-Ups + Studies, and Supplemental Studies. 195 Roy Poper published a
method entitled, Roy Popers Guide to the Brasswind Methods of James Stamp, 196 and Jean-
Christophe Wiener published a series of articles in the Brass Bulletin which explain and
supplement Stamps method books. 197 Some of Stamps successful orchestral students include
Michael Sachs, principal of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Thomas Stevens, former principal of
the Los Angeles Philharmonic. James Stamp passed away on December 22, 1985. 198
William Vacchiano was born the seventh of eight children on May 23, 1912 in Portland,
Maine. His parents had come to the United States from Cicciano, Italy, so he was raised in an
Italian home with a strong appreciation of music and Italian opera. Vacchiano has quite an
When I was about eight years old we lived at the bottom of a tremendous hill. I
used to come home from school every day on my bicycle, which didnt have any brakes.
Jean-Christophe Wiener, James Stamp: Master in Listening (Part 2), Brass Bulletin 101, no. 1 (1998): 135-141.
Jean-Christophe Wiener, James Stamp: Master in Listening (Part 3), Brass Bulletin 101, no. 2 (1998): 64-71.
198 Stamp, Warm-Ups, rear jacket cover.
46
The only way to get home was to meander. There was a boy, Louis Bennet, who lived
on my street and played the baritone horn. One day I crashed right into him while he
was carrying his instrument! We both panicked since I had made a big dent in the bell
of his horn. I went with him to his music teacher to explain what had happened. We
didnt realize at that time what a trivial thing it really was the dent could have been
smoothed out with our hands. The teacher saw a potential student in me and asked if
Id like to study an instrument. I said, Yes, Id love to. (Id have said anything to get
out of there!) So, I studied solfeggio for a whole year, as that was the European way
When it came time for me to select an instrument, my five older sisters decided
on the saxophone because Rudy Vallee, a Maine boy, was very popular. My father knew
enough about music to know that a clarinet was a good stepping-stone before going to
saxophone. Youd better play clarinet, because Rudy Vallee came from Portland, too.
But he said it in Italian, and to a nine year old, clarinetto and cornetto sounded pretty
much the same. By the time I got to the teacher and he began to tell me the
instruments that were available, just by luck, or mis-luck, he started on the brass
instruments. When he said cornetto I said, Thats it! When I came home with a
cornet my father hit the ceiling and explained to me that a clarinetto was black and
made of wood. But my mother said, Whats the difference? Leave him alone; hes not
going to be a professor. My father looked heavenward and gave up. So, thats how I
got my instrument. 199
The solfege lessons that Vacchiano mentioned were taught by Senor DiNobili in 1920. 200
Vacchianos earliest trumpet lessons were with Frank Knapp, who had been a cornet soloist
with Liberatis band. 201 Vacchiano primarily studied the St. Jacome method with Knapp, though
he later told both Max Schlossberg and Walter Smith that he was unfamiliar with the book
because he wanted a fresh start. Vacchiano also studied piano, but due to financial restraints,
he had to give up one of the instruments, and Vacchiano decided to stick with the trumpet. 202
Knapp conducted the 242nd Coast Artillery Band, which Vacchiano joined when he was 14. The
age limit was supposed to be 18, but Vacchiano had a mustache and was tall for his age. Knapp
also played first trumpet in the Portland Municipal Orchestra, and invited Vacchiano to play in
47
Throughout high school, Vacchiano kept a rigorous practice schedule in the afternoons
and evenings. He played a solo at the beginning of his schools weekly assemblies. Other
schools began engaging him to play in an effort to encourage their music students. 203
Vacchiano believed that he had learned about 60 solos by the time he graduated! 204 Vacchiano
worked out a system of using passengers unused train fares to travel from Portland to Boston
and back. This allowed him to take trumpet lessons in the city with Klpfel, Walter Smith,
The stock market crash in 1929 made Vacchiano consider his career options, and he
thought that accounting would provide a steady income. 206 He went to New York City to visit
Saint Johns University, but he was not admitted because the grading scales in New York and
Maine were incompatible. Vacchiano decided to visit Times Square while he was there and ran
into an old friend, Oscar Jones. 207 Jones was a trumpet student of Max Schlossbergs, and told
Vacchiano that he couldnt leave the city until hed had a lesson with Schlossberg; Jones even
paid for the lesson. Andr Smith commented, That one lesson closed permanently his plans
for a career as an accountant. 208 Vacchianos future had greatly changed in that one trip to
I made the appointment for Sunday morning and after the lesson I would take the bus
back to Boston. I was glad it happened this way, because I would be close to my home.
Well, Schlossberg was very nice to me and after the lesson he said, Vacchiano, you are
very talented. I want you to stay here. I will give you a full scholarship to the Institute
48
of Musical Art. I figured I didnt have anything to lose and if I didnt make it after one
year I could always go back to Boston. So I told him, Alright, I will stay. 209
Schlossberg taught Vacchiano the intangible aspects of orchestral playing and orchestral
style. Vacchiano played first chair in the Chautauqua Symphony while he was a student at IMA.
He also met his wife, Ethel Josephine LaParde, while he was studying there. 210 They later had
two children, Ralph (1939) and Joanne (1944). 211 Vacchiano was lucky to find work during the
Depression. He auditioned for both the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York
Philharmonic on the same day, and was offered a job with both ensembles. Unsure of what to
do, Vacchiano called the personnel manager of the Met Orchestra, Simone Mantia, and
explained his job offers. Mantia said of the Philharmonic, Vacchiano, that is a better job than
this one. Take it and God bless you. 212 So in 1935, Vacchiano joined the New York
Philharmonic as the third/assistant principal trumpet. The other players in the section were
Harry Glantz (principal), Nat Prager (second), and Max Schlossberg (fourth). 213 Vacchiano
admired Harry Glantz and recalled that his lessons with Schlossberg were enhanced by his daily
orchestral associations with Glantz. 214 Vacchiano also had a recording of Glantz playing the solo
cornet part on Meyerbeers March of the Prophets that Vacchiano would listen to every
morning to get the sound in his head before he practiced. 215 Vacchiano was appointed
49
principal trumpet of the Philharmonic by Bruno Walter in 1942. His colleagues in the section at
the time were Nat Prager (second), John Ware (third/assistant), and James Smith (fourth). 216
Vacchiano gained a tremendous reputation around New York City. He was appointed to
teach at Juilliard (formerly IMA) in 1935. He also played in many orchestras in the city and
recorded over 400 albums. He became extremely busy as students returned from war and
wanted to study using the GI Bill. Vacchiano recalled that he taught every hour he could, often
30 hours more than his regular orchestra duties. Students recalled that he would teach as early
as 8 AM on Saturday mornings, and sometimes hed still be in his bathrobe for Sunday morning
lessons. Vacchiano attributed this schedule to his life during the depression; he never knew
Vacchiano eventually went back to school because he wanted to show his students the
importance of having a college degree. He earned Bachelors and Masters degrees from the
Manhattan School of Music in 1952 and 1953 respectively. While in New York, he taught at
Juilliard from 1935-2002, the Manhattan School of Music from 1937-1999, Mannes College of
Music from 1937-1983, Queens College from 1970-1973 and 1991-1994, and Columbia
Teachers College (exact dates unknown). This was in addition to an unprecedented 70 years of
private teaching from his home in Flushing, New York from 1935-2005. 218 In May of 2003,
Vacchiano was presented with an honorary doctorate from Juilliard. 219 He has also received the
Award of Recognition from the New York Brass Conference for Scholarships Journal in 1978 and
50
Vacchiano decided to retire from the Philharmonic while he was still in good health and
in his prime. At the time he had set a record for playing the longest as a principal trumpeter in
an American Orchestra. 220 He used his extra time to teach more students and to travel to give
master classes. Over the course of his career, Vacchiano estimated that he taught at least
2,000 students! 221 He also compiled many of the exercises that he had written for students into
method books. One of Vacchianos interests was in learning languages. He compared copies
of the bible in various languages in order to learn new ones. He grew up speaking English and
Neapolitan Italian, but he also learned French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese. 222 During his
retirement, Vacchiano also played in community bands just for fun. Sometimes he would play
the French horn part on an alto F trumpet because his range had diminished. 223 As testament
A few years ago he played third trumpet in a summer municipal band near our
home. The trumpet section was seated on a riser and a step had to be made for my
father so he could get there. Apparently he was not pleased to have to use an extra
step that none of the other trumpet players needed. To remedy this he made a step
with a railing the same height as the riser and practiced getting up on it all winter. The
following summer he very proudly removed the extra step and went to his chair without
any assistance! 224
Vacchiano passed away on September 19, 2005 in Manhattan due to respiratory failure. 225
220 Shook, William Vacchiano: His Career, 29; this record was later broken by Adolph Herseth.
221 Shook, William Vacchiano: (1912-2005), 6.
222 Smith, William Vacchiano, 29.
223 Shook, William Vacchiano: His Career, 31.
224 Ibid.
225 Ibid., 90-91.
51
CHAPTER 4
4.1 Breathing
To Vincent Cichowicz, a free flowing breath was the most important physical skill in
trumpet playing. Freedom of wind is vital to the production of a rich sound. 226 Luis Loubriel
explains that Cichowicz believed, If a player has difficulty with any part of his or her playing
technique, 90% of the time the problem is related to the release of the breath. 227 While
Cichowicz was greatly influenced by Arnold Jacobs teaching, he said that he had to modify
some of his breathing concepts because the trumpet requires more intensity and has more
One of the main elements of Cichowiczs methodology was that complex or elaborate
explanations generally dont help. Instead he used buzzwords and illustrations that were
tailored to each student to achieve the desired result. 229 He believed that, simplicity means
less possibility of misunderstanding. 230 This idea fueled his approach to breathing. Though he
admitted that the physiological components of breathing can be complex, he compared the
player to a racecar driver and the teacher to the mechanic. The teacher/mechanic needs to
know all of the specific inner-workings of the breath, but the player/driver needs to only focus
52
Cichowicz told students that the inhalation was like a yawn, only slightly more active,
and the exhalation was like a sigh. The body should remain flexible during the inhalation.
Cichowicz would use the buzzwords, yawn and blow! He always spoke of moving wind rather
than air, because wind always moves, but air can be stagnant. 232 He told students to breathe
for the very last note of the phrase rather than only blowing at the first note. Cichowicz also
thought that the free release of the wind should be a follow throughlike if the wind was
continually chasing after the notes as you played. 233 He believed that the top 40% of the air
blown from the lungs was the best air to use. The next 25-30% is okay to use, but the last 30%
is the emergency supply. 234 To make sure that students maintained a healthy airstream for
pianissimo passages, he would have them visualize blowing at a candle flame and making it
flicker. 235
Cichowicz compared the release of wind to the bow stroke of a violinist. He used this
analogy to explain why he did not believe that brass players need to create tension or support
in order to breathe:
If you see a violinist all cramped up scratching away at the violin, the very same
tension would be analogous to what we do with the breath. This comparison of string
and wind playing is very useful because the technique in string playing is very visual but
our technique is not. In wind playing we have to go very much by a method of induction
to learn our technique. 236
He said that a way to check for unwanted tension is to have a student stop playing mid-phrase
and speak. If his voice sounds labored, he was using tension. Another warning sign of tension
27.
236 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 85.
53
is when a player feels stuffed up when playing long articulated passages. 237 Tension often
results in some of the most conscientious players who are trying hard. This actually
compounds their problems by creating more tension! 238 Linda Brown described that Cichowicz
would tell students to listen to the sound of the inhale. It should be an open, resonant, ah;
One of Cichowiczs most useful tools was the breath pattern or air solo. He
described it as follows:
These wind patterns should be executed by forming the mouth as if preparing to play
the instrument, taking a full breath, and blowing the musical pattern with the wind and
articulation only. This should be done without the instrument or mouthpiece and
without buzzing the lips; the articulation should divide the airstream, not interrupt it
Put a piece of paper in front of your mouth [while doing the breath pattern] and see
that the wind moves the paper energetically, although it feels almost effortless. In
contrast, if you lock the air down, the paper barely moves and the abdominal area
solidifies in a solid state of tension, which means you are wasting 50% or more of your
effort. 240
Cichowicz admitted that he got the idea for breath patterns from watching flute players. At
first he wasnt sure how they would transfer for trumpet players, but he found: 241
Experimenting with wind patterns, I realized that nobody ever fails students have
immediate success. The trick is to try and retain as much of that approach when you
pick up the instrument. 242
Loubriel explained that Cichowicz did not believe in trying to manipulate the diaphragm while
breathing:
54
At some point during their developmental years, most students are told to
support from their diaphragm to enrich their tone and attain notes in the high register.
However, supporting from the diaphragm is impossible since it is a muscle used mainly
during inhalation. Attempting to exhale using the diaphragm often translates into
isometric tightening of the muscles in the pelvic and abdominal regions. This tightening
of muscles is similar to the pelvic pressures used in childbirth or defecation. If the
players goal is to inhale large amounts of air, tightening of the abdominal muscles is
illogical; the diaphragm must be elastic and move freely.
The diaphragm is a muscle of inhalation. The diaphragm is unique among the
muscles of the body in that it is circular. It is most active during the inspiratory portion
of the breathing process, when it contracts downward in order to create a vacuum to let
the outside air rush into the lungs. During exhalation, it lets go and assumes its relaxed
position. 243
thoughts on breathing in a series of articles published in the Brass Bulletin. Wiener said that
Stamp did not believe that the abdomen should relax during inhalation. This was because
Stamp believed that we need compression to play, and if we wait too late to create this
compression, it can be problematic. Though the abdomen should remain firm during inhalation
(support), it should not contract. Wiener suggested a trick to make sure that the abdomen is
not contracted: if it is contracted, you would not be able to pant rapidly like a dog. One way to
ensure the correct type of firmness is to pretend you are about to lift a heavy object. This firm
Though Stamp did not explicitly discuss any of these physical requirements for breathing
in his book, he did provide several exercises that are designed to develop proper breathing.
One of the exercises involves taking the biggest breath you can and then adding to it by taking
sips until it is no longer possible to take in any more. Another exercise goes as follows:
55
1. Exhale completely, inhale four 8 counts, hold for 8 counts, breath out for 8
counts, and then stay empty for 8 counts. This step should be repeated eight
times.
2. Exhale completely, inhale for 8 counts, hold for 8 counts, exhale all the air in 1
count, then stay empty for 8 counts. Repeat this step eight times.
3. Finally, exhale completely, inhale for 1 count, hold for 8 counts, breathe out for 8
counts, and stay empty for 8 counts. Repeat this step 8 times. 245
Louis Davidson believed that the breathing apparatus consisted of the entire chest and
abdominal cavity. He said that he specifically avoided talking about the diaphragm when he
discussed breathing with students. He said that breathing to play the trumpet should be done
through the mouth because it is much quicker than the nose. When you take a breath, it
should have the physical sensation of great expansion in the mouth, chest, abdomen and back.
The abdomen should be set or braced by thrusting it outward and the air should then be
expelled (propelled) from the abdomen upward. This enables one to control the volume
and intensity of the air column. As the air in the abdominal region is being used, the
abdomen will gradually deflate, just as naturally as a balloon would deflate if air were
being expelled from it. 246
He called this abdominal setting support. While a fortissimo note requires great support, a
Davidson said that the corners of the embouchure should remain generally intact during
the breath, and the throat should be open as if saying ah. He cautioned against stretching
56
the lips too far during inhalation. He said that a good way to check for this is to practice in front
of a mirror. He also suggested that each breath should be gauged by the length of the musical
phrase. He said, it is important that one always have a reserve of air, always more than just
John Haynie said, I do not concern myself with how the initial breath is taken. It is far
more important to be concerned with those muscles that get rid of the air rather than those
that cause the air to be taken in. 249 He believed that we have more control over our
expiratory muscles than those used in inspiration. He said that several bad things can happen if
you tell a student to take a big breath. These include raising the shoulders and tightening the
Students should sit tall with good posture and play long tones. If the long tone is held
as long as possible, the next breath will be a good one as a force of nature. Haynie advised that
students begin by playing long tones loudly and boldly, and then reduce the dynamic as they
gain more control. He said, Let us concentrate on getting rid of the air, and then taking air in
Notice that no mention has been made of the diaphragm. [] the diaphragm is
the chief muscle of inspiration, contracting in a downward direction. Since a muscle
may contract in only one direction, let us state once and for all that air cannot be
pushed out of the lungs by tightening the diaphragm. On the contrary, the diaphragm
must be in a state of relaxation during expiration. When the expiratory muscles
contract they serve as a second-hand hammer to push the air out of the lungs. Thus, it
248 Ibid.
249 Haynie, Inside John Haynies Studio, 31.
250 John Haynie, Development and Maintenance of Techniques for all Brass Instruments in Treble Clef (New York:
Charles Colin), v.
251 Ibid., v-vi.
57
may be said that the diaphragm does nothing voluntary to assist in expiration. It serves
only as the middle-man, so to speak, between the abdominal muscles and the lungs. 252
Though Ghitalla identified breathing as being one of the most important aspects of
trumpet playing, he described it very little. Like Cichowicz, he related breathing to the use of
the bow on a stringed instrument; 253 however, Ghitalla strongly advocated use of the
If the student takes a shallow breath, the chest expands, but nothing happens
below that. In diaphragmatic breathing, we push the diaphragm. We push the
abdomen outward to allow room for the air. The idea is to fill the bottom and top of the
torso simultaneously. 254
Both Cichowicz and Ghitalla explicitly discussed breathing as one of the most important
aspects of trumpet playing, but their approaches could not be more different. Ghitalla
advocated diaphragmatic breathing while Cichowicz dispelled the idea that the diaphragm even
plays a conscious role in breathing. Davidson and Haynie were also cautious of discussing the
diaphragm with students, because describing the action of breathing and performing breathing
should be two different tasks. While Stamp did not specifically mention the diaphragm, his
breathing method called for abdominal firmness during inhalation which he believed created
necessary compression. Cichowicz, on the other hand felt that any necessary compression was
created by the airstream itself and not by the muscles of the player. Haynie took a more
ancillary approach to breathing by saying that it will happen naturally. While all of the others
focused on breathing for the first note, Haynie was more concerned with how the air is expelled
because he believed it forced the body to make a correct inhalation. Unfortunately Vacchiano
did not explicitly mention his views on breathing in any of the available resources. This could
58
be due to the fact that he tended to teach more advanced players, so much of his teaching was
devoted to style.
4.2 Embouchure
Armando Ghitalla and John Haynie both took a scientific approach to their
understanding of the embouchure, and they both conducted studies to see what trends were
most common among players. Ghitalla surveyed 65 participants from the Ann Arbor area. He
began by taking pictures of each players embouchure (side and front views with the
mouthpiece placed on the lips). Each participant had to play a three page long excerpt that
became progressively harder and higher. When a player stopped, Ghitalla marked the pressure
ring on their lips with a marker and took pictures to see where the mouthpiece had pressed.
He also made a note of the sound quality and the number and nature of mistakes that each
The study convinced him that the amount of inward roll in the embouchure made the
biggest difference between successful and non-successful players. Because of this inward roll,
Ghitalla said that the trumpet embouchure does not compare to any of the other brass
embouchures. 256 If the mouthpiece is misplaced or the lips are rolled out to far, a player is said
to be playing on the red. This is a reference to the red fleshy part of the lips verses the white
surrounding skin. Ghitalla said that both the top and bottom of the inner rim of the
mouthpiece should be touching some of the white part of the lips. 257 He felt that the
255 Tunnell, 9.
256 Ibid.
257 Armando Ghitalla, Armando Ghitalla on Trumpet, trans. Keith Clark, The Instrumentalist (November 1974): 73.
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embouchure was essential in providing the trumpeter with endurance, range, and the ability to
impacted by the very first time a trumpet player puts a mouthpiece to his or her lips. He felt
that any beginning student should not touch the trumpet unless supervised by a teacher who
Ghitalla devised a very specific process for the basic formation of an embouchure:
1. Without the trumpet or mouthpiece, roll the lips in as if saying the letter m. If this is
2. Blow an airstream through the center of the lips without unrolling them. Saying
3. The teacher should place the mouthpiece on the students lips while they are holding
the m formation. Placement should be approximately 50-50 on the top and bottom
4. The student should hold the mouthpiece and blow the same airstream as Step 2. The
5. Join the trumpet to the mouthpiece and have the student play the first note with the
same m formation and airstream. If done correctly, this should yield a note which is
second line G or higher. The student should not play lower than the G for three to five
Ghitalla believed that too often beginners start too low and then create a habit of playing with
their lips rolled out too far. He believed it was better to start students with their lips rolled very
258 Jean Moorehead Libs, Embouchures: Their Assets and Liabilities An Interview with Armando Ghitalla,
International Trumpet Guild Journal 22, no. 3 (February 1998): 17.
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far in and then have them gradually unroll to where they need to be. He also felt that over-
While this was Ghitallas wish for all beginning trumpet players, many of his trumpet
students were not started this way, and he had to change many embouchures over the course
If the player is hardworking and serious about the trumpet and there remains a lack of
either range, endurance, or tone, and we have thoroughly checked air use and support,
tone vowels and production, conditioning, and practice habits, then I look to the
embouchure. 260
Before any change, a teacher must have a conversation with the student so that they
understand the work and risks involved. Ghitalla felt it was important for the teacher to see the
student every day during the initial habit forming stages. He would tell students to practice
three hours a day, which is difficult at first due to the lack of endurance. Students would go
through three phases during their embouchure change. During phase one, they would not be
able to play on the new embouchure, but could still play on the old one. Phase two was when
there was progress with the new formation, but the student would find himself unable to play
successfully on either embouchure. Finally, during phase three, students could play on the new
embouchure but would no longer be able to play on the old one. Ghitalla said that the amount
Specific exercises that Ghitalla used with students during an embouchure change
included exercises done without the trumpet, such as holding a pencil between the lips without
61
using the teeth and flexing it up and down. Ghitalla said he benefitted personally from Stamps
students. The Stamp approach involved buzzing both with and without the mouthpiece and
also pedal tones and bending exercises. Ghitalla believed that pedal tones and bending
exercises increased flexibility, range, and endurance because of the huge quantities of air that
players while they played. During the course of the study players had to play notes in all ranges
of the instrument, both slurred and tongued. They also had to play notes which were single,
double, and triple tongued. 263 Based on the images from the study, Haynie came to the
following conclusions:
2. Most players showed that their teeth were opened for production of low notes.
6. The amount of aperture of the teeth and jaw will determine the position for the
attack.
7. The position of the teeth, jaw, and tongue used when speaking multiple tonguing
syllables is different from the position when playing the syllables. 264
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Haynie believed that the embouchure was not just the lips, but it includes the lips, air, jaw,
tongue, and pivot. He said, I have never seen or heard a fine performer who does not
The jaw position was one of the most important aspects to Haynie. He believed that the
lower lip needs to support the mouthpiece so that the upper lip can vibrate more freely. In
order to locate the correct jaw position, one should wet the tip of ones finger and blow a
column of air with pursed lips. Project the jaw forward until the airstream that is hitting the tip
of the finger is parallel to the floor. He said that the jaw will recede slightly for higher notes,
and he believed that a players range is determined by the players discretion in jaw recession
while ascending. 266 When things are working correctly, the jaw will move slightly and create a
Like Ghitalla, Haynie believed that the mouthpiece should be placed 50-50 on the upper
and lower lips, but unlike Ghitalla, Haynie advocated that, In time the mouthpiece will find its
most natural position. 268 Haynie said that there is no either-or for the smile and pucker
characterized by an overall feeling of relaxed firmness. 270 He believed in practicing both lip
and mouthpiece buzzing, but cautioned that prolonged use could create stiffness in the lips. 271
He recommended practicing buzzing in front of the mirror. He suggested that one should start
buzzing the lips alone and then put the mouthpiece to the lips, trying to maintain a buzz
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throughout. 272 Though he didnt see any practical performance use for them, Haynie also felt
that pedal tones could have positive effects, such as relaxing the lips and jaw to develop a rich,
open tone. Haynie said that the goal was to be able to play from low F# to high F or G with the
Louis Davidson did not prescribe any specific setting for the embouchure in terms of
placement or lip formation. He said that there are almost as many different embouchure
settings as there are good players. He suggested that a good starting point is to set the corners
of the mouth in a slight smile, so the lips are firm but pliable. 274 While he said to try to set
the mouthpiece evenly top to bottom and side to side, ultimately a players dental structure
will determine the position. Instead of spending time on specific formation, he discussed the
importance of keeping the lips relaxed while playing. He explained, Generally speaking, when
the lips are comfortable, the sound is good. 275 He compared the tension across the lips to a
rubber band being pulled and relaxed. He said, It is the degree of pull (lip tension) which must
be of concern for the player for it is this which directly affects his flexibility, range, endurance,
He also compared brass playing to being a baseball pitcher, and he said, In a sense,
brass players are athletes who are using infinitely more sensitive and delicate muscles, which
consequently require more delicate treatment. 277 He suggested standing in front of a mirror
to observe tension in the lips while playing an open lip slur. He thought that a player should
64
observe his tension visually and sense it physically. He said that the tension builds up
unnoticeably over time and many players are completely unaware until that a major playing
Davidson cautioned against excessive mouthpiece pressure on the lips, because this
prohibits the lips from freely and easily producing an open sound and achieving smooth
flexibility. Warning signs include the discolored ring left on the lips from the mouthpiece after
playing, pulling from the right hand pinky in the pinky rings, and pulling from a tensed left hand.
He said, The player sincerely desirous of overcoming this problem must at all times exercise
great patience and perseverance as well as concentration and self-discipline. 279 The player
should not attempt to play any note higher than he knows he can play without excess pressure.
He should work on relaxing on these lower notes and then gradually extending his range
Much of James Stamps method was focused on using the lips correctly. While he did
not give specific descriptions of embouchure formation and mouthpiece placement, Stamp was
detailed and thorough in his method of buzzing. Jean-Cristophe Wiener used his own studies
with Stamp as the basis for his series of articles in the Brass Bulletin. Wiener believed that
these articles served to supplement the comments included in Stamps book. Wiener described
The unique function of the lips is to vibrate, and they must come in contact with
each other to do so. The corners of the mouth must be sealed. The lips must be
65
moistened with saliva, which plays a role in the lubrication that allows the lips to change
their positions with respect to each other so that the best position can be found
An excellent exercise for the lip muscles consists of supporting the end of the
thumb and the middle finger of the left hand against the upper front incisors teeth,
leaving open space where the index finger would be. Then you bring the middle of the
lips forcefully together in spite of the presence of the two fingersThis must be
repeated nine times with a second between efforts. The tenth time you keep the lips
firmly shut, one against the other for ten seconds. 281
Stamp advocated buzzing the lips alone as the very first exercise in his warm-up. He
suggested starting the note without the tongue, beginning the buzz by using poo for a breath
attack. He said that the sound should be like the buzzing of a bee, but should be done at
pianissimo. Wiener said, The feeling of making a very slight but constant crescendo (also
during descending passages) helps preserve proper vibration. 282 He cautioned against lip
buzzing in extreme registers because the position of the lips is not the same as when buzzing
with a mouthpiece: the mouthpiece rim supports the lips differently, and the resistance
changes. 283 Buzzing should always be done with proper intonation by checking with a tool such
as the piano. 284 In order to maintain proper intonation both horizontally and vertically, Stamp
advised students to think up when going down, and think down when going up. 285
Since mouthpiece buzzing was a large part of Stamps warm-up routine, he had very
specific instructions. The mouthpiece should be held in the left hand because this is the hand
that controls the horn angle when the instrument is held. The mouthpiece should be held
between the thumb and index finger approximately two or three centimeters from the shank;
the other fingers should be raised. This prevents players from applying too much pressure
66
while buzzing. Stamp believed that buzzing the mouthpiece with this hand position avoids any
preconceived notions about horn angle that might be present when practicing on the
instrument, and it allows players to find the correct placement of the mouthpiece on the lips.286
Roy Poper described Stamp as painfully patient in making sure that students were buzzing
correctly. This meant that they produced a buzz as loosely as possible and in the center of the
lips, while keeping the corners together and maintaining support. Poper explained that
stiffness in the lips is usually blamed on poor buzzing, but it is more likely due to faulty balance
Stamp believed that whatever mouthpiece pressure was needed to play should be
added after the breath. Roy Poper explained that Stamp believed that more than 90% of range
and endurance problems came from applying mouthpiece pressure too soon. Poper said:
Simply stated, breathing in, putting the tongue in place, closing the lips and making
them ready to play before the mouthpiece is put on the lips, will translate almost
immediately into improved range, endurance, and sound. 288
Wiener said that Stamp would have students practice attacks by thinking, ready- hop- play,
where pronouncing hop while inhaling sets the lips for the attack. 289
Vincent Cichowicz saw a properly functioning embouchure as the result of the efficiency
of other systems (such as respiration and mental sound image). He said that it used to be
fashionable to blame any playing problems on the lip, but he believed that there is no one
67
correct embouchure because there are so many great players who all look different. 290
Cichowicz said:
The embouchure is much like vocal cords; training comes from use. By combining good
musical standards, healthy breath support, and appropriate practice materials, the
embouchure develops almost autonomously, with little direction. The practice of
studying your embouchure in front of the mirror is seldom helpful and often is
frustrating or discouraging. A cloudy tone is not caused by a poor embouchure but may
be the result of pressing the air out, which causes the higher overtones to disappear. 291
The muscles of the embouchure are delicate and very intricately connected. Often
trumpet players become concerned with trying to consciously control these muscles in an effort
to fix problems. Cichowicz believed that the key to success was to focus on solutions rather
than problems. This meant that a clear mental image of your desired trumpet sound would
serve as the stimulus for your lips to respond the way that you want. He compared this to
imitation of speech, and said that all humans have an innate ability to imitate. Loubriel
explained, All human beings are born with the ability to imitate. For example, humans learn to
speak by imitating their parents or siblings without conscious thought of the techniques
involved. 293 As with trumpet playing, complex movements of the tongue and lips are
necessary to speak, but we do not try to manipulate these muscles when talking. Instead we
think of the end result, what we want to say, and we simply say it. This is why a clear mental
image of sound was so important to Cichowicz: instead of trying to manipulate muscles, think
68
of the message you want to send. Cichowicz said, Your parents did not teach you about vocal
cords or tongue position, but instead they kept repeating the same word until you got it. 294
images of sound and was a useful diagnostic tool. Cichowicz was known for his ability to
simplify problems into manageable steps. 295 Mouthpiece playing allows students to listen to
sound and pitch without the added challenges of the trumpet. By isolating passages on the
mouthpiece, intonation problems, sound problems, and breaks in the airstream are readily
noticeable. Playing the mouthpiece also directly connects the brain to the lips without the
distraction of valves, and it allows players to sing, much like the brain is connected to the
vocal cords. Cichowicz admitted that the mouthpiece does respond slightly differently than the
trumpet, but that it gives a clear picture of what we do to make music. 296
Vacchiano did not discuss much about the embouchure. Instead, he was described as
having an uncanny knowledge of mouthpieces, and he spent a great deal of time finding just
the right mouthpiece for each student. Brian Shook said that he had a critical knowledge of
each of his students embouchure formation and facial structure which he used to recommend
mouthpieces. Vacchiano said, If you have a problem with your feet, you change your shoes. If
you have a problem with your eyes, you get different glasses. Why should the lips be any
different? 297 Instead of messing with the embouchure, Vacchiano would recommend a new
mouthpiece. Louis Ranger explained, He would use mouthpieces in a therapeutic manner. 298
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His primary considerations included the rim diameter and the cup depth. The rim
diameter determines how comfortable the mouthpiece will feel on the lips. As long as students
kept the rim diameters with which they were most comfortable, Vacchiano believed that they
could easily change cup depths to fit the music they were playing. Vacchiano thought that the
cup depth had the greatest effect on tone quality, attack, and articulation. Contrary to popular
belief, Vacchiano believed that a shallower mouthpiece cup provided cleaner articulation in the
lower register and a deeper cup was better in the upper register. Normally players do the
opposite, but he believed that a deep cup made the low register sound tubby, and a shallow
In his book, Advanced Etudes for Trumpet for Ear Training and Accuracy, Vacchiano says:
The most important embouchure builders can be found in the Arban book pages:
128-129. Start in the middle and work in both directions (high and low; two a day
preceding this book).
The proper mouthpiece is of great importance. If you do not improve with
diligent practice, seek advice from some well informed teachers. Most of the incoming
students at The Juilliard School needed some changes in equipment. 300
He also provided some general guidelines for mouthpiece selection. The thickness of the lips is
important in determining both the cup depth and the rim diameter. Thick lips require a thinner
rim, and vice versa. If attacks on notes are too hard, the rim should be rounded, which will
soften the sound. To play light staccatos, use a V-shaped rim. The ideal size of the hole (not
the throat) of the mouthpiece should be 23, though the standard manufactured size is 27. 301
299 Ibid.
300 William Vacchiano, Advanced Etudes for Trumpet (Montrose, California: Balquhidder, 2004), 4.
301 Ibid.
302 Shook, William Vacchiano: (1912-2005), 10.
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Ghitalla, Haynie, Davidson, and Stamp all took very physical approaches to dealing with
the embouchure. Ghitalla and Haynie approached the subject scientifically, and while they
found similar results for ideal mouthpiece placement, Ghitalla felt that this needed to be
established right away, whereas Haynie felt that each player would settle into his placement
over time. Davidson and Stamp were both concerned with the flexibility of the center of the
lips. While Davidson suggested practicing in front of the mirror and watching for tension,
Stamp encouraged students to listen for the pitch and sound quality of buzzed notes to
determine proper lip tension. Vacchiano was knowledgeable about his students facial
structures, and rather than changing their embouchures, he changed their mouthpieces.
Cichowicz felt that proper embouchure formation was an ends rather than a means. He
strongly believed that proper use of wind and aural imagery would guide the muscles to
To Cichowicz, sound concept was the basis for all trumpet playing. This relates to his
ideas of playing like speaking. The music becomes the message that you want to convey, and as
musicians we must be storytellers. Sound concept also relates to the Cichowiczs psychological
ideas about playing. Since he found that the mind can only concentrate on one thing at a time,
players should make that one point of focus their desired sound. By having a clear image of
their desired sound, they are creating a strong stimulus to which the physiology will
By focusing and wanting to play a clear mental image of sound, the player will be able to
translate those mental images from imagined sounds into physical sounds via the semi-
71
automated actions (conditioned reflexes) without having to think of what muscles need
to be innervated. 303
Sound concept has to include as much clarity and detail within the players mind as possible:
sound quality, intonation, tempo, articulation, etc. 304 Gareth Jones explained, It is not enough
to say that we would like a dark sound or a bright sound or a fat sound. We must be able to
Cichowicz believed that listening was of the utmost importance in developing a good
sound concept. This did not just apply to trumpet recordings, because many aspects of
phrasing, articulation, and musicality can be absorbed by listening to instrumentalists and great
vocalists. Cichowicz favored a vocal approach to all playing. He said, Everything we play is
cantabile. Even in the fanfare passages, you will be well on your way to playing with proper
technique. There has to be some singing in all you play. 306 Some of the trumpet players that
Cichowicz admired include Maurice Andr, Timofei Dokshidzer, Bud Herseth, Gerard Schwarz,
Manny Laureano, Saul Caston, Tom Stevens, Hakan Hardenberger, and Sergei Nakariakov. 307
One of the interesting parts of Cichowiczs career at Northwestern was a course he taught
about brass sections in orchestras. Mark Camphouse recalled that the course involved a great
deal of listening to recordings. They would discuss the differences in sounds, and the exam
required students to identify orchestras by the sound of their brass sections. Camphouse
credited this course as forcing him to listen closely for nuances in sound. 308
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Cichowicz did not like long tones in their most common practice. He felt that sustaining
a static pitch lacked musicality. He said, It was Clarkes contention that long tone studies were
potentially dangerous. This brought me to the concept of flow studies. 309 Cichowicz created
his own exercises which were known as Chicago slurs or the VC studies. He said:
My long tone studies evolved out of using Schlossberg and realizing that distortions
sometimes occurred when players approached exercises based on the harmonic series.
I wrote this exercise with fingered notes between each note in the series in hopes of
eliminating the pushing between pitches. By doing so, players are less inclined to push
since they feel the valve is helping them get to the next stepIf they go back and play
Schlossberg as a follow-up exercise, they are usually more successful. 310
Figure 4.1 shows the pattern for VC 1, which should be practiced in all transpositions.
John Haynie, on the other hand, believed in using long tones for both tone development
I believe that a long tone is held as long as you can sustain a sound plus four beats when
there is no tone coming from the horn. Holding these long tones will make you aware of
muscles youve never become acquainted with, especially when blowing. 312
He believed that long tone practice should be loud and aggressive at first, and then more
dynamics could be added as the player gains control. 313 He continued by saying:
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Development of a strong lip coupled with well-controlled wind is the proper beginning
for tone; however, these skills do not assure a beautiful tone. Every player must
develop style and musical taste, both of which are a by-product of his musical
environment. In other words, what he hears will largely determine the style he plays.
Therefore, it is the teachers obligation to guide his students listening habits just as
carefully as he guides his technical development. 314
He also encouraged students to play simple melodies, either with music or by ear. 315
Haynie discussed several types of vibrato. The first is created by moving the hand or
arm. The next type comes from moving the lips or jaw, as if saying, yah yah yah. Next is
changing pitch with wind intensity: ha ha ha. Another type of vibrato comes from tilting the
head slightly as if nodding, yes yes yes. Finally, he described the very wide nanny goat
vibrato which sounds like, he he he. He said, Vibrato is very personal and is an outgrowth of
ones basic musicality. I often suggest that my students emulate vocalists since the words
determine different nuance, speed, and amplitude of vibrato. 316 He suggested that students
practice vibrato by playing softly, gradually adding in gentle pulses. Regardless of the type of
In addition to his belief that the cup of the mouthpiece has a great effect on tone,
Vacchiano believed that practicing long tones developed ones sound. Brian Shook explained,
The overall concept of sound and weight was of paramount importance to Vacchiano. He used
to practice long tones for hours just to get the perfect sound. 318 Vacchiano said, Tone is
everything, technique is secondary. 319 Lee Soper remembered that Vacchiano said, Vibrato
shouldnt be artificial, it should come from the heart; it is a reflection of the soul. In fact, all
74
music comes from the soul and is part of our being. Every note that you play should be an
Ghitalla hoped that he could help his students create a beautiful tone, but he didnt
want to force his ideas on them. Instead he wanted to awaken their musical potential and give
them an idea of what they could do. 321 He said, Its better when a person knows how they
(sic) want to sound and the teacher just adds to it. 322 Though he had very strong ideas about
embouchure formation, Ghitalla said, The concept of sound that you give a youngster is much
more important than getting into complicated technical explanations of how to do it. 323
Davidson believed that long tones could be useful in moderation, but that overdoing
them may cause harm or create stiffness in the lips. Rather than just playing long tones, he
said, Slow, sustained playing of any kind as well as extended technical exercises can do as
much for gaining breath control and endurance as does sustaining a number of long tones, one
The vibrato should do for the basic sound what seasoning does for food it should
enhance the flavor of the food, not dominate it. A vibrato can no more disguise a
basically bad sound than can salt and pepper disguise basically bad food. 325
If a student has not naturally developed a lip or diaphragm vibrato, Davidson believed that
hand vibrato was the easiest to teach. He cautioned that if the pulsation or pitch change is very
75
noticeable, then the vibrato is incorrect. Ultimately he said that students should always have
Stamps rigorous use of lip and mouthpiece buzzing was to ensure that each note is
played in the center, where it is most resonant. Tom Stevens said that Stamp wanted his
exercises to be played as if singing, and when the note is locked in, a beautiful sound would
pop out. A large component of Stamps method was ear training, because students must
hear exactly what they are going to play in order to negotiate some of the modes and scales
used in Stamps exercises. 327 Stamp also believed that correct buzzing would eliminate the bad,
All of the teachers agreed that sound concept must be developed in the mind through
diligent listening. All of the teachers who commented on vibrato also felt it was important to
have a solid straight tone established as the foundation for any vibrato; the vibrato should be
subtle and add to the music rather than detract from it. Stamp thought that intonation was
crucial to tone, because playing in the center of each note made them more resonant. The
teachers differed in their approaches to long tone practice. Vacchiano and Haynie believed that
long tones were essential to developing the embouchure and consequently range. Davidson
was not adverse to practicing long tones, but he said that other exercises could yield the same
results. Cichowicz thought that long tones are inherently unmusical, so he suggested students
play simple, flowing exercises instead. He believed that these exercises should be played with
326 Ibid.
327 Stevens, James Stamp, 18.
328 Poper, 5.
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4.4 Articulation
language, but it is not easy. Articulation takes work, patience, and discipline. 329 He also
stated, Children learn to speak without any idea of how they manipulate their tongue and
lips. He compared this to the placement of the syllable tu used in articulation; it should be
natural and not overthought. He believed that the French school of trumpet playing exhibited
phenomenal articulation, but he advised against the trend to articulate using the French
pronunciation tyu because the sound is not a normal part of American English. 330 Former
student Gareth Jones added that the T consonant was used for more articulate passages, but
Cichowicz suggested using a D consonant for legato tonguing. 331 Cichowicz believed in
producing staccato by attacking each note clearly and letting the notes natural decay give the
audience the impression of separation. Students described this as the illusion of staccato.
Loubriel explained that in articulation, the vowel was more important than the
consonant to Cichowicz. He wanted students to think tOOOO, rather than Tooo, because
the emphasis on the vowel sound promotes airflow. 333 Cichowicz believed that the most
important aspect of good articulation is to have the characteristic sound of the desired
articulation clearly established in your mind. 334 Former student Yoram Levi remembered that
77
Cichowicz thought of tonguing as a musical tool that added color and accent to musical
phrases. 335
Multiple tonguing should work in the same way as single tonguing, but Cichowicz
cautioned against letting the ku syllable originate from too far back in the throat. He
mentioned books that describe the ku syllable as being coughed into the instrument.
However, Cichowicz believed that approach yielded a poor sound and slowed down the overall
tonguing speed. 336 Cichowicz said, the ku is what is known as a palate syllable. It should be
as close to the front of the mouth as possible. 337 He continued, The main idea of using ku is
to make it sound as close as possible to the tu. 338 Cichowicz believed that students should be
able to play with clear single tonguing before trying to learn multiple tonguing. 339
The type of attack that a player uses should also be determined by the sound and style
To Cichowicz, the articulation of the first note was a clear indication of what was to
come, in terms of sound production and tonguing. This is because at the start of each
note, three essential elements of sound production meet and they have to be correct
and synchronized to produce an open and resonant sound. These three elements are:
1) the mental image of sound the exact pitch, tone color, and intensity for each note,
2) breath the energy source as blown by the player, and 3) vibration the buzz
produced by the wind activating the lips. If one of these elements is deficient, the free
release of the wind will suffer. 341
78
Often players choke an attack due to fear or presence of the Valsalva Maneuver during
respiration. 342 When fear was the culprit, Cichowicz approached the concept of attacks
through imagery and psychology. He would work with students so they could let go and trust
themselves. 343 He suggested that students think of their attacks like that of violinists, freely
To emulate the violin attack, practice just blowing, without the trumpet or mouthpiece,
and without forcing, pushing, or pressing; just let the wind flow. Then take the
instrument and match this effect as closely as possible. If you chop at a note or
interrupt the airflow, this invites a cracked note. Listen for which notes sound like violin
strokes and which are more like timpani strokes; the notes you slap at are likely to
break. 344
Cichowicz also had students practice breath attacks therapeutically to get the air moving before
One of the contested areas of trumpet pedagogy is the use of various syllables
throughout the register to dictate tongue position. This determines how open the oral cavity is,
and some advocate it is better to have a smaller oral cavity for higher playing and vice versa.
342 Ibid.; The Valsalva Maneuver is the natural reflex to lock in the breath during childbirth, defecation, and heavy
lifting.
343 This will be discussed in more detail in Section 4.5.
344 Cichowicz, Teaching, 30
345 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 94.
346 Loubriel, Vincent Cichowicz, 30.
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Cichowicz said that when you concern yourself with the tongue arch, you endanger your tone,
Davidson believed that the key to good articulation was to shorten the tongue stroke as
much as possible. This allows for greater speed, uses less energy, and keeps the tongue from
going off the track. The best way to achieve a short tongue stroke is to start with the syllable
doo. He suggested to first hum while vocalizing doo doo doo doo When beginning this
exercise on the trumpet, Davidson said that players should try to maintain the same physical
sensation as when they were vocalizing. As students gain facility with the exercises, they can
begin to make the attack of each tongue stroke slightly harder. Davidson said that the
articulation will eventually evolve into a soft too and finally a hard too. He cautioned
against prematurely moving to the harder syllables because they may cause stiffness and an
because this adds dimension to the music and distinguishes great performers. He said,
Without exception, the great artists of bowed string instruments use their bows as much to
achieve nuances of articulation, as they do for purposes of tone, technique, and dynamics. 349
He mentioned that the use of the syllable loo can be helpful for difficult slurred intervals.
Music notation will often depict a passage of notes with a staccato marking over every note;
347 Ibid.
348 Davidson, Trumpet Technique, 8-9.
349 Ibid.
80
Davidson suggested that the proper approach is to punctuate each note with a sharp
Davidson stated that multiple tonguing should not be tried until a player has fully
developed his single tonguing. He described the formation of the multiple tongue syllable:
The basic problem is to articulate clearly and sharply the koo syllable, a throat
sound heretofore not employed in articulation, therefore causing an unfamiliar
sensation. To acquire the proper feel of this throat articulation, one should pronounce
the word cough several time, not loudly, but with an exaggerated emphasis on the
first part of the word. 351
He continued to explain:
If the koo syllable is not exaggerated at this stage it will emerge as a goo. Continued
use of the latter syllable will in time produce a doo goo doo goo or doo doo goo doo
doo goo kind of articulation which is not the real thing and should never be mistaken
for the real thing. 352
He advocated overemphasizing the koo syllable when practicing, and he cautioned student to
be diligent about rhythmic integrity when multiple tonguing. 353 Figure 4.2 shows one of his
350 Ibid.
351 Ibid., 10.
352 Ibid.
353 Ibid.
354 Ibid.
81
Davidson said that all aspects of trumpet playing are inextricably bound to the
attack. 355 Attacks need to be as natural as possible. He says, the less fuss and preparation
there is before attacking a note, high or low, loud or soft, the more natural and secure that
attack will be. Successful attacks are made up of cooperation between the lips, breath, and
tongue. Davidson suggested setting the mouthpiece on the lips before breathing, which allows
the player to then exhale without any hesitation. He said, Do not blow at the note, blow
through it! Davidson believed that problems often occur because the lips are more tense than
they need to be for the desired note to speak. He advised that the mechanics of an attack are
the same regardless of dynamic, and sneaking into a pianissimo attack usually results in a
Though the point of contact of the tongue may vary slightly with each player, the
general area will be somewhat at the juncture of the upper teeth and gum line. The
tongue should never be held in a fixed positionrather, be used much in the manner of
a timpanist striking his drum-head softly with the mallet a short downward and
upward motion of the mallet corresponding to the short forward and retracting
movement of the tongue. It is not this forward movement which starts the note, but
rather the retraction of the tongue which releases the air and activates the vibration of
the lips. 356
Davidson did advocate the use of different vowels in different registers to help with
slurs. He suggested thinking eeehyaah on downward slurs and aahyeeeh on upward slurs.
He warned that regardless of the vowel change, the throat should remain open and
unrestricted. 357 Though he thought these vowels are helpful for slurs, he believed they should
only affect the tongue arch and not the placement of the tip of the tongue. He said that, The
most important thing is that the point of contact of the tongue must always be the same
355 Ibid., 1.
356 Ibid.
357 Ibid., 6.
82
regardless of range (high or low), volume (loud or soft), or degree of articulation (hard or
soft)." 358
John Haynie disagreed with Davidsons advice on tongue placement. He said, the
problem stems from the concept that all notes are tongued the same with the placement of the
tongue in the identical place for every tone regardless of whether it is a high or low note. 359
Haynie believed that this is impossible because there are so many other variables at work:
tongue arch, dropping the jaw, and lip contraction. 360 Instead he believed that tongue position
Another example of differences of opinion is the position of the tongue for attack.
Many teachers tell their student that the tongue must remain behind the upper teeth
for all attacks. I have some evidence that as the teeth separate and the tongue flattens
for the low register, the tongue naturally goes forward and will probably touch the
inside of the upper lip on the lowest notes. Ascending, the tongue arches and backs up,
serving the purpose of blocking the air prior to withdrawing the tongue and releasing
the air. My advice is not to try to make the tongue do anything. Just let it do what it
wants. 361
Haynie did discuss that the tongue arches in different ways depending upon range, but
he said that the idea of assigning syllables to each range is of little value. He stated, The
student must realize that no vocal sound is made when playing the trumpet; therefore, to say
tu, ta, or tee is pointless other than to use syllables to describe the sound of the attack, not
the position of the tongue. 362 He did recognize that the oral cavity is shaped more like ah in
358 Ibid., 1.
359 Haynie, Development and Maintenance, vi.
360 Ibid.
361 Haynie, Inside John Haynies Studio, 127.
362 Haynie, Development and Maintenance, vii.
83
the lower register and ee in the upper register, but he cautioned students to avoid elevating
Haynie also suggested that a better single tongue yields better multiple tonguing. He
The ku is produced by building up the air pressure toward the back of the
tongue. Its like whispering ku, not saying ku. The student should work on the ku
attack until it sounds as nearly like the tu as possible. 364
He suggested that speaking the syllables is quite different than playing them. He related this to
I was told to say tu-tu-ku over and over. I rode my bicycle from the elementary school
to the high school for band rehearsals, and I would say tu-tu-ku all the way there and
back. Following the ride, I would take my horn out and continue to say tu-tu-ku into
the horn, and I still could not make it sound right. Then quite by accident I just blew into
the horn without saying anything, made the same tongue action, and lo and behold, I
could triple tongue! 365
T-K-T T-K-T
T-K-K T-K-K
K-K-T K-K-T
K-T-K K-T-K
T-K-T K-T-K
T-T-K T-T-K
While Haynie thought that the tongue naturally moved positions as a player changed
registers, Ghitalla taught his students that the tongue should always be arched as if saying the
French u. Though there is no English syllable comparable to this sound, Ghitalla also
84
compared it to a German umlaut. This means the back of the tongue is set for the syllable ee
while the lips are set as if saying oh. 367 Ghitalla explained:
In the beginning, we use tah for playing the high notes and toe for playing the low
notes, but after a while, we learn to have more flexibility by holding the same syllable
throughout the range of the instrument. This really makes a big difference in getting
around the instrument. It is too unreliable to try and find the exact same spot each day
for the right syllable. 368
Ghitallas former students remember that he thought the tongue should affect style (note
length), tone quality, and intonation; the tongue had to be used to control the air stream during
Brian Shook said that, Vacchiano spent a significant amount of time on shaping the
students attack and cleaning up articulation. 370 Even in his approach to articulation,
Over my last forty-five years of teaching experience I have noticed that some students
play with a lighter attack and other students have a tendency to play with a heavier
attack. We can compensate for this difference in the mouthpiece. A bigger hole and
open throat will slow the student with a lighter attack down. A snugger hole and throat
will speed up the student with the heavier attack. Even though this may speed up his
tongue, many times that same player needs a rounded rim to soften his attack. 371
Louis Ranger also recalled, If he decided your attack was too heavy, he would say, Okay, play
this 7D for a week with the idea that your attack would be magnified so you would have to
Vacchiano devoted an entire method book to double tonguing, and another book just
for triple tonguing. Though he did not discuss specific syllable placement, he provided several
85
useful multiple tongue patterns. The most basic triple tongue is T-T-K T-T-K, but he suggested
playing isolated triplets with T-K-T. For prolonged passages, he superimposed double
tonguing over triplets, creating T-K-T K-T-K. Figure 4.3 shows Vacchianos triple tongue-like
Figure 4.4 shows what Vacchiano recommends for sixteenth note passages that are at the
included a staccato control exercise in his method book, Stamp did not say anything about the
production of articulation. Roy Poper said that the objective of Stamps staccato exercise is to
First say: tah. Feel where the tip of the tongue is when you say tah. Next say dah.
Feel where the tip of your tongue is when you say dah. The difference is that when
you say dah the tongue is more blunt before the release of air. Now put the tongue
373 William Vacchiano, The Art of Triple Tonguing (New York: C.F. Peters, 1998), iv.
374 Ibid.
375 Ibid.
376 Ibid.
86
where the tah is but say dah. [] Be sure to keep a constant and steady air-flow
throughout the exercise and gradually increase the speed. 377
Neither Cichowicz nor Haynie provided specific instructions on where the tongue should
strike in articulation. They both felt that the tongue would naturally find its position if the
player concentrated on the end result. Davidson felt that the tip of the tongue should always
strike in the same place, and the stroke should always be as short as possible. Ghitalla
explained that the arch of the back of the tongue should always be the same, but he did not
provide specific instructions for placement of the tip of the tongue. Stamps method of
articulation required a rather broad approach to tonguing (by pronouncing dah), but the
placement is the same as what Davidson described. While all the teachers discussed using the
syllable ku for multiple tonguing, Davidson and Haynie mentioned that it should be placed far
back in the mouth, but Cichowicz thought it should be as far forward as possible. Ghitallas idea
that the tongue arch should stay the same was contrasted by Cichowicz, Davidson, Haynie, and
Vacchiano. Both Cichowicz and Haynie recognized that the oral cavity changes throughout a
players register, but they preferred to let the changes happen naturally rather than trying to
control them. Davidson, on the other hand, suggested changing the tongue arch when playing
4.5 Technique
Cichowicz said, If you build a skyscraper, you build it on solid ground with a strong
foundation. 378 This illustrated his thoughts on the importance of fundamentals. Students of
87
his can recall him saying, lets go back to basics. 379 This was because Cichowicz believed that
many students did not know how to integrate their physical and artistic skills, so he would
break them apart and work on them step by step. 380 Cichowicz thought that even the most
advanced players needed to return to work on the fundamentals, and he joked about having a
10,000 note check-up. 381 Former student Manny Laureano explained, Integrating the basics
is also having the ability to work at a conscious level on skills that you later want to be
unconscious. 382 This quote also alludes to the very strong psychological component of
Cichowiczs teaching.
Cichowicz believed that one of the most important parts of playing the trumpet was
letting the body do what it can without getting in its way. One way to do this is to study the
Alexander Technique. Cichowicz valued this method because it encouraged efficiency and
effortlessness in body movements; posture affects performance and self-confidence. 383 He was
interested in the writings of Percy Buck and William James. 384 From their writings, he gleaned
the idea that the human mind can really only focus on one thing at a time. 385 This fueled his
approach to the basics as a way of simplifying trumpet playing. His idea was to separate
complex passages into single components and then put them back together. This was evident
in his use of breath patterns, mouthpiece buzzing, and one-note exercises. The one-note
exercise involves playing the rhythm and phrasing of a passage of music on only one note, often
the first note of the phrase (in a comfortable register). This allows players to focus on phrasing
379 Ibid., 3.
380 Ibid.
381 Ibid., 15.
382 Ibid., 16.
383 Ibid., 69-71.
384 Percy Buck, Psychology for Musicians; William James, Talks to Teachers.
385 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 38-40.
88
and a steady, horizontal airstream without the added challenge of finger technique and
intervals. This exercise, in addition to the breath patterns, supported Cichowiczs idea that all
When you look at notation, it is vertical, it goes up and it comes down, but all sound is
horizontal whether the note is a high c or a low c. The air-patterns emphasize
that. Think about the violin. The bow goes horizontal as well. For us, it is in the
blowing. From personal experience, I can see that because the notes go up and down
on the page affects the way you blow. You want to reach up for the high notes and you
want to reach down for the low notes when you must think of everything really in a
linear way. When you deflect the air, like when you are reaching for a note, it becomes
thinner and when you bottom down for it, it loses direction and energy. 386
Some of his other psychological approaches included quieting the mind and positive
self-talk. Cichowicz thought that these were essential to technique, because they are ways of
letting the body do what it has been trained to do. He described, We are what we think all day
long. 387 This means if one pictures a disastrous performance, it is more likely to happen that
way. If one is attempting to avoid mistakes, more mistakes are likely to be made. 388 Players
must learn to keep self-worth separate from playing abilities; this will take some of the pressure
off of performances. Former student Linda Brown remembered him saying, Its all a matter of
trust. Trust yourself. 389 Cichowicz explained, When you judge yourself personally, such as
when you say I am a good person because I played that well or I am a bad person because I
played that badly you will have problems. 390 The ability to keep your mind calm also allows
Meditation offers this opportunity. Just sitting quietly for five minutes observing your
breathing without trying to change it. Your mind might wander but you are not to
89
worry. Just bring it back and keep observing your breathing. The mind works more
effectively when its calm and you are in a state of repose. 391
Former student Leonard Candelaria further explained, The battle is not with the trumpet, the
battle is with ones self. Still the mind and calm the body. 392
John Haynie believed that hand and finger position are important in technique. He says:
The trumpet should be held firmly with the left hand, leaving the right hand
completely free. This implies that the little finger of the right hand be free of the finger
ring and allowed to move as the other fingers move. Furthermore, the right hand
thumb must not be bent in a cramped position, but should be placed between the first
and second valves, under the leadpipe, and allowed to bend only slightly as required to
arch the fingers. 393
He continued by explaining that the fingers should be curved, as if holding a tennis ball,
allowing them to freely operate the valves. 394 He suggested that one way to train the fingers is
to play a phrase backwards. 395 He also discussed why his method books contain exercises in
the twelve common tonalities. He thought that the more patterns you became familiar with,
the easier it would be to sight read without error. His edition of Petits method began in this
way, because he wanted students to play those exercises in all keys. Haynie believed that
transposition was best achieved by learning a different set of fingerings for each scale or
In my opinion, one should see one note at a time. We can play only one note at a time,
and each note that we play requires a different setting of the embouchure, a different
amount of air pressure, and the use of correct fingerings. When reading ahead, the
embouchure, tongue, breath, and fingers become confused when looking at one note
and playing another. 397
90
Haynie addressed high register technique with his students by approaching it from the
lower register. He refuted methods that claimed to develop a high C in a certain number of
weeks, and he said that there is no substitute for practice! 398 Haynies plan for working on the
high register begins with spending a few weeks working on total body relaxation. Practicing
pedal tones is useful during this time. Next he suggested that players try to achieve the same
feeling of relaxation without doing the pedal note exercises. He said the goal of this step is to
play third space C just as easily as low C. Buzzing the lips and mouthpiece will help strengthen
the muscles of the embouchure. He said to practice long tones in all registers, and as they
begin to feel more comfortable, double, triple, and quadruple the length that each note is held.
Next, work on slur patterns from the Irons book using a fast glissando up and down the
range. 399
Haynie said that the book, Development and Maintenance of Technique, grew out of the
areas that were not addressed in Williams The Secret of Technique Preservation. 400 Haynie
stressed the importance of practicing with a metronome. He even provided spaces in the High
Notes, Low Notes method so that players could write in the tempo which they could play the
exercise successfully, and then continue to add faster and faster tempos as they progressed.
This encourages a healthy coordination between the tongue, fingers, breath, and
embouchure. 401 Haynie was a strong advocate of regular scale practice, and he told students to
398 Haynie, How to Play High Notes, Low Notes, and All Those in Between (New York: Charles Colin, 1988), 5.
399 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 28-29.
400 Ibid., 174.
401 Haynie, High Notes, Low Notes, 6.
402 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 60-61.
91
Louis Davidson said of technique, To gain great technical proficiency as an end in itself
only to be able to play the right notes in the right sequence is an exercise in nothingness. 403
He continued to explain that the real point of gaining technical command is so that you can
focus completely on making music while playing. 404 He agreed with Haynie on how the hands
and fingers should be positioned, and he also acknowledge that this can have a tremendous
impact on dexterity and cleanliness. 405 He cautioned that sometimes the lips get blamed for
A students sight reading abilities were of paramount concern to Vacchiano. Many of his
students recall being frustrated because they would prepare for their lessons and Vacchiano
would never listen to the material. Not only was much of the material sight-reading, but
Vacchiano also asked students to transpose it. Many students remember that they could only
play a few measures at a time because of the intensity of the sight reading and
transposition. 407 One of the biggest goals of Vacchianos instruction was to prepare students
for whatever they might encounter on a job. 408 Tom Stevens recalled, After enduring the
rigors of Vacchiano lessons, situations like studio recordings or concerts with no rehearsals
Vacchiano felt that transposition was not only cerebral, but it trained the ear and made
students better musicians. He had three ways of teaching transposition: clefs, intervals, and
92
transposition via clefs, and he visualized everything as if playing it on the piano. Students had
to practice excerpts in at least three different keys and on three different trumpets. 410
Vacchiano even had a spare valve casing that he called the transposing machine, which
students could borrow to practice transposition away from the trumpet. 411
Ghitalla also made transposition an important part of his teaching, but he began with
very simple material and worked to progressively more difficult exercises. 412 Ghitalla explained
that his approach to transposition is to play more than one transposition within a given etude:
To illustrate this briefly, let us say that one has a C trumpet in hand and wishes
to transpose to B-flat trumpet. With the disappearance of solfeggio as basic training for
musicians, very few people use clefs, so now the general practice is to read a step down
in B-flat major. If flats appear, the music is no longer in the key of A major, because the
flat has lowered the pitch an additional half step. This is accomplished by reading down
a third to the key of A. When naturals return, the player returns to down a step in the
key of B-flat. When sharps appear, the player reads down a note, but now in the key of
B-natural rather than B-flat, since the sharp raised the pitch by a half step. 413
Like his teacher Max Schlossberg, Vacchiano was a stylist. His experience with many
of the great conductors of the Philharmonic gave him valuable insight into orchestral style. He
would relay much of this information to his own students. He gave general stylistic advice and
also taught students about the interpretations that conductors had about specific works. 414
Vacchiano made it very clear that Mozart was played differently from Wagner, and that
Strauss was played differently from Bruckner. The Italian style is vastly different from
the French style, which is different from the German style. 415
93
Vacchiano explained that in fast tempos, quarter notes will be played long, eighth notes short,
and sixteenths should be long unless marked otherwise. Shorter notes need to be played
louder than longer ones. He also described that in dotted eighth-sixteenth rhythms, the dot
become a rest. German dotted eighth-sixteenths are very heavy, whereas in America they are
very precise. Manny Laureano said that Vacchiano taught phrasing from a violinistic view.
There was great diversity in how each teacher approached the topic of technique.
Instead of direct comparison, it is more interesting to point out what each teacher felt was one
of the most important factors in technique. Psychology was very important to Cichowicz, and
he felt that what was happening within a player had the greatest impact on how the body
externally. Haynie, on the other hand, believed that much of technique practice required
collaborating elements such as lips, fingers, air, and tongue. Davidson thought that technique
in itself was worthless because the music drives the technique. Transposition was a particularly
Ghitalla thought that the best formula for ensured improvement was to combine the
warm-up and daily routine, which requires repetition and tedious practice. The players
abilities dictate the content of the routine, and though it should be challenging, it should also
be structured in a way that more material can be added as a player grows. Ghitalla believed
94
that the warm-up and routine should ultimately sharpen a players abilities, instincts, and
technique. 417
The warm-up and routine should involve: lip and mouthpiece buzzing, scales, slurs,
arpeggios, tonguing, musicality, and soft playing. Lip and mouthpiece buzzing exercises might
come from the Gordon, Stevens, Schubreck, Maggio, Caruso, Quinque, and Stamp methods. 418
He recommended Carusos long setting drills for use after embouchure changes to establish the
new setting. 419 Ghitallas lesson assignments were intense, and students remember having to
practice four to five hours daily to get through everything. 420 When students first started
studying with him, there was a much greater concentration on scales, etudes, and transposition
than there was on solo repertoire. 421 He often began transposition with Caffarelli etudes, and
eventually students progressed to a special set of transposition exercises that Ghitalla had
designed. 422 He used Arban, Nagel, Clarke, and Vizzutti for technique, Bitsch, Bozza, and
In his book of essays, John Haynie provided what he calls a recipe for a 1-hour practice
routine. This begins with a warm-up of assorted buzzing, long tones, lip slurs, and scales. Next
is a section of 45 minutes playing music that you are already familiar with, such as solos,
etudes, and excerpts. Next is a 15 minute section of new material, including solos, etudes, and
excerpts. Finally, Haynie urged that students spend at least 10 minutes warming down. The
warm-down contains the same things as the warm-up. He cautioned not to overdo the warm-
417 Tunnell, 8.
418 Ibid.
419 Inkster, 41.
420 Patton, 11.
421 Inkster, 40.
422 Ibid., 42.
423 Ibid., 39.
95
up or warm-down. 424 Haynie provided a list of book that he finds helpful to work on rhythm
and sight reading: Bordogni: Vingt-Quatre Vocalises, Cafarelli: 100 Melodic Studies, Dufresne:
Develop Sight Reading, Nagel: Trumpet Studies in Contemporary Music, Stevens: Changing
Meter Studies, and Stevens: Contemporary Trumpet Studies. 425 Haynie also provided the North
Texas Course of Study on pages 166-171 of his book. This is an extensive list of suggested
Like Schlossberg, Vacchiano primarily used the Arban, St. Jacome, and Sachse method
books and would compose specific exercises to address individual student needs. 427 He said,
Stick to the Arban book. Modern books are rangy, but they dont teach what the Arban
1. Check the students tone quality on a simple exercise, likely from page 40 of
Arban.
page 142.
96
Regular students of Vacchianos recalled that each lesson included the following components,
all transposed: two or three Sachse etudes, a few pages of fundamentals assigned from the
Arban or St. Jacome method, a few orchestral excerpts, and a wide variety of other etudes. 430
Louis Davidson cautioned against any warm-up routine that lacks direction. Instead he
said:
He noted that some of the techniques included in the warm-up are tonguing, slurring, loud and
soft attacks, and fast and slow playing. 432 Davidson also described the warm-down, which
involves playing a few minutes of low notes to gradually relax the embouchure. 433 In the text
for his Trumpet Technique, he did not mention the use of any other methods (possibly a conflict
of interest within a method book), but we can safely assume that he used other materials in
James Stamp was most famous for his warm-up materials. Roy Poper described that
what have become known as the Stamp exercises are not meant to be music, but rather serve
as concepts to guide tone production, though this is not to say that they should not be played
musically. 434 Stamps routine begins with breathing exercises. Next is buzzing the lips alone on
simple scalar patterns that do not cover much range. The same scalar passages are then played
430 Ibid.
431 Davidson, Trumpet Technique, 13.
432 Ibid.
433 Ibid., 16.
434 McGregor, 46.
97
on the mouthpiece. Next, the most famous of Stamps exercises, Number 3, is buzzed on the
mouthpiece. A player will then move to the instrument and play Stamps exercises 4-6 on the
trumpet. Exercise 6 is supposed to be played in all tonalities, including diminished scales. 435
One of the hallmarks of Stamps exercises is his unique notation. He created several
new signs that serve as reminders to students while playing. Poper explained that Stamp found
too often students would telegraph the direction that the music was going to move by pulling
the pitch of a note down or up before it was time to change notes. In order to remind students
to stay on the note until the exact moment of change, Stamp created a square corner
symbol. 436 The idea of this symbol is extended to other exercises, as Stamp used lines and
corners to remind students to keep the pitch and air intact. Figures 4.5-4.7 show incipit
forms of Stamps exercises (with his symbols), which are expanded and transposed in Stamps
book.
98
Figure 4.6. Excerpt from Stamps warm-up exercise #3. 438
Stamp provided several alternate warm-ups for more advanced players and to provide
some contrast to the daily warm-up. His method also includes slur exercises, lip bending
exercises, trill exercises, power exercises, attack studies, staccato control exercises, and
more. 440 Since Stamp did not write much verbal instruction in his book, Roy Poper published a
guide that explains how to approach each of the exercises. 441 Poper advised supplementing the
Stamp warm-up with studies from Irons, Colins Advanced Lip Flexibilities, Arban, St. Jacome,
Smiths Top Tones, and Clifford Lillyas Trumpet Technic. 442 There is also a second Stamp book
that supplies more etude material and provides exercises written in more obscure keys and
modalities. 443
In a series of articles for the Brass Bulletin, James Stamp provided his own adaptation of
each of the most popular Herbert L. Clarke Technical Exercises. He broke each of them down to
438 Ibid., 5.
439 Ibid., 8.
440 Stamp, Warm-Ups.
441 Poper.
442 McGregor, 45.
443 Stamp, Supplemental Studies.
99
its skeletal structure, and Stamps ideas about holding notes to center the pitch and his square
corner notation are evident. Figures 4.8-4.11 show Clarkes Studies and examples of Stamps
100
Figure 4.11. Stamps version of Clarkes study #3. 447
Cichowicz felt that the first half hour of practice should be spent on the warm-up and
daily maintenance. This included conceptualizing a beautiful sound, working toward smooth
wind release, producing a clear and beautiful buzz on the mouthpiece, producing a clear sound
in all registers and dynamics, and producing clear attacks. 448 Cichowicz felt that the key to
practicing was, not to see how many things you can get through, but how well you can play a
few things. 449 In lessons, Cichowicz had the following sections: warm-up and calisthenics, flow
studies, cantabile studies, articulation studies, etudes and transposition, and other
repertoire. 450
The warm-up and calisthenics section specifically included the VC exercises and Clarke
studies. Cichowicz believed that the Clarke studies were meant as flow studies and as a means
447 Stamp, Practical Hints III, Brass Bulletin 32, no. 4 (1980): 84.
448 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 17.
449 Inkster, 29.
450 Loubriel, Back to Basics, 101.
101
to producing a full, resonant sound. He disliked the way that many players practice them. He
said:
The Clarke studies are to be viewed as a tone study with the fringe benefit of improving
mechanical technique. They have to be played rhythmically, with phrasing, and with a
good connection of sound. Otherwise, they are meaningless Just manual dexterity is
not enough if it does not have musical value. 451
Next in Cichowiczs routine were flow studies. Loubriel described that the flow studies are,
slurred etudes that usually stay in the low tessitura and are not technically demanding in
terms of articulation. 452 Like the Clarke studies, these flow studies should be approached as
musically as possible. The cantabile studies in Cichowiczs routine included Italian vocalises like
the methods of Concone, Bordogni, and Rochut, and Russian studies by Vladislav Blazevich.
The concept of the trumpet as an extension of the voice is important. If you use vocal
materials, you can most effectively make the connection between musical thought and
musical expression by encouraging the use of a vivid musical imagination in terms of
playing. 453
Cichowicz used Ernest Williams Method of Scales to work on articulation, and the books he
used for etudes and transposition included Sachse, Getchell, Charlier, Smith, Goldman,
Bousquet, and Brandt. 454 One of the most important things to Cichowicz as a teacher was the
careful consideration in selecting appropriate materials for students. He said, The dimension I
added to what I learned from Arnold [Jacobs] was paying special attention to the choice of
102
materials. 455 He also explained, Assigning the right etude or solo played two roles: improving
the students physical and artistic skills, and developing the students confidence level. 456
While this section looks at many of the materials used by the teachers, we cannot
assume that just because a method was omitted that it wasnt used. We are limited by the
material that happened to be mentioned by the teachers or their students, but we can still see
many trends. All of the teachers used exercises from Arban, St. Jacome, Schlossberg, and
Sachse. All of the teachers included sections in their routines for warming-up and all made
assignments of etudes, excerpts, and exercises covering fundamentals. All of the teachers also
allowed some latitude in the warm-up so that players could change materials to suit their
needs. Both Haynie and Cichowicz acknowledged that students often try to play material which
is too difficult, so they both incorporated materials designed to be easy for students to play
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CHAPTER 5
Tone quality is one of the most discussed aspects of an individuals playing, but it is one
of the hardest to define. During the mid-twentieth century, there were differences in the
specific sounds produced by different regions of brass playing which led to descriptors such as
the Chicago sound or New York sound. An accessible example of these differences is the
1969 recording, The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli, 457 where brass ensembles from the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra play polychoral
works of Giovanni Gabrieli. The differences in sound are readily audible as the different brass
ensembles make their antiphonal entrances. In an effort to see any connections between
regional pedagogical approaches and regional sound concepts, we need to try to define these
The first and most general exploration is that of the American sound of trumpet playing
in general. Peter Knudsvig discussed the differences between American and European trumpet
sounds when the trumpet finally emerged over the cornet as the orchestral instrument in the
Louis Klpfel was the first to play B-flat trumpet exclusively in a major American
orchestra and the first to pioneer the dramatic and dominating style of playing using a
big, vibrato-lean sound, that later, through Harry Glantz, became a standard of playing
in America. 458
457 The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble, et al., The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli, Sony Classical MHK 62353, CD, 1996.
458 Knudsvig, 41.
104
Knudsvig defined American trumpet playing as different from European playing in two ways:
sound concept and vibrato. The sound is generally much bigger in American trumpet playing,
and he relates this to the idea of race and space present in American landscapes that Ken
Burns discussed in his documentary about the American West. 459 Knudsvig said:
In America, with its larger concert halls and strong military band tradition, it went to yet
another level with New World improvements in machine manufacturing and trumpet
design helping to drive the prevailing trend further until it became difficult to determine
who was chasing who, a players desire in getting a bigger sound, or the fashion of using
bigger equipment. 460
He pointed out that the use of rotor trumpets and smaller bore instruments in Europe create a
lower sizzle point than the large bore piston instruments in America. The sizzle point is the
point where the air actually moves faster through the instrument than the sound waves do.
This can be thought of as producing a small shockwave that is manifest in the tone as a sizzle.461
American orchestral players tend to have a more similar approach to all of the literature than
Europeans. This includes the scale of sound, attack styles, and note decay. Trumpeters in the
United States tend to use vibrato more linearly as a way to heighten or accent the ebb and
flow of the musical phrase. In Europe, nationality is a defining characteristic in how vibrato is
used. If it is present, it is usually considered an integral part of the sound concept, and it also
When leaving the Boston Symphony, Armando Ghitalla was asked about different sound
459 PBS documentary The West by Ken Burns, cited in Knudsvig, 42.
460 Knudsvig, 43.
461 Ibid.
462 Ibid.; One exception is the English style of orchestral playing where players tend to shy away from vibrato,
105
A lot depends on who is playing first trumpet, and that is adopted. You couldnt
change the sound of the Chicago Symphony brass section without changing HersethI
think that the American school of brass playing is an amalgamation of a lot of brass
playing ideas. The bigshot in the brass section will have a great influence on how that
brass section sounds. In other words, I feel that the Boston brass section will change
now with Charlie Schleuter, who will have a great deal to say about the style and sound.
I think thats the way it should beBetween the time that Voisin stepped down from
first and the time that I thought I sounded like I wanted it to sound, even my own
playing had changed a lot. When I played with Voisin [as principal], I wanted to fit in
with what he was doing. When I got a chance to play first myself, it gave me a chance to
express, over the years, what I felt it should sound like. That doesnt come immediately.
It evolved over eight to ten years. 463
Luis Loubriel explained that Cichowicz also believed in a hierarchy within the brass section to
Cichowicz thought that first trumpet players needed to lead not only the trumpet
section but also the brass section of a symphony orchestra. This was especially
important because the trumpet register serves as the top voice, and perhaps most
audible instrument, of the brass section. Therefore first trumpeters need to establish
style and dynamics for the rest of the brass section to follow. The job of a second
trumpet is, according to Cichowicz, to be a shadow of the first. He said that if you do
your job well as a second trumpet player, nobody will notice you are there. 464
William Vacchiano embodied the New York School of playing, and Andr M. Smith
stated, His robust sound and manly manner captures the best of what can be rightly called a
New York trumpet style, a style which is particularly well suited to recording. 465 The Chicago
sound has also been very widely discussed. Loubriel stated, Cichowicz helped define what
came to be known as the Chicago Brass Sound: a gold standard in balanced ensemble playing
that proved the sum is indeed greater than its parts. 466 John Haynie also addressed the
Chicago sound. He said, OK, then what is the Chicago sound? To my ears I hear a freedom
from any nervous tension and great control over other kinds of tension necessary for the body
106
to perform the myriad of tasks in performance. 467 Cichowicz himself even discussed the
Chicago sound:
For the longest time I wasnt sure what the Chicago brass sound was. Was it so
peculiarly different from what everyone else was doing? There were certainly qualities
and characteristics unique to that brass section. It simply evolved as the result of the
people who were there. There were never any real discussions about it or much effort
to discuss matching equipment. It was basically motivated by the high standards set by
the players and in fact everyone in those sections really performed their individual parts
with the same intensity and concentration as the principals. 468
While many people have described a players tone as one of the reasons they admire
someones playing, such attributions have little measurable substance. Frank Hosticka, a New
York freelance musician remembered the sound of his former teacher. He said, Vacchiano had
an extremely haunting sound that was full of many colors. He could really float a note out with
no sense of power or energy it would just be there. 469 Chandler Goetting, retired solo
trumpet of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, recalled, I will always remember Vacchianos tone. It
wasnt dark; it was bright, shiny, and coppery. It matched perfectly with James Chambers on
horn; it had a core. 470 Former Vacchiano student Adel Sanchez, Assistant Principal of the
National Symphony Orchestra, described, he made it sound like the trumpet had no valves. He
had this incredibly liquid sound. 471 And Irwin Katz, president of Helicon Records, remembered
Vacchianos sound, His playing style was always with a big and very lyrical bravura sound. 472
All four of these descriptions come from professional musicians and describe the same player,
107
but it would be very difficult to recreate Vacchianos sound in our head using these
In acoustics, timbre is used to describe a perceived quality of sound that also has a
certain pitch and loudness. This means that two sounds that have the same pitch and loudness
can still be perceived as dissimilar. Typical descriptors of timbre (tone quality) include: bright,
dark, strident, grating, harsh, lackluster, mellow rich, covered, open, sonorous, dull, or
colorless. Unfortunately there is no specific rating scale for these descriptions of timbre. 473 The
Oxford Companion to Music describes that the one and only factor in sound production which
overtones. 474
David Howard and Jamie Angus state that notes consist of onset, steady state, and
offset phases. Perceived timbre is impacted most greatly by changes during the notes onset
phase. 475 This phase is the most acoustically robust because it receives instant effects from
the surrounding acoustic environment. Since a listener has already perceived a notes timbre
during the onset and steady state phases, the offset phase is least important. 476 Studies have
shown that listeners cannot identify musical instruments reliably if the onset and offset phases
are removed, which demonstrates the importance of each of these distinct phases. 477
While timbre judgments remain highly subjective, most tests involving timbre have been
conducted by pairing descriptors and asking listeners to rate based on a scale. For example
listeners might be given bright as 1 and dark as 10, and then be asked to assign a number to
473 David M. Howard and Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics (New York: Focal Press, 2006), 216.
474 Ibid., 217
475 Ibid.
476 Ibid., 220-221.
477 Ibid., 227.
108
individual sounds they hear. 478 D.M. Howard and A. M. Tyrrell conducted a series of tests to
determine trends in timbre perception. They discovered that since trumpet notes have large
amplitudes in their sound spectrum between the fifth and seventh harmonics, listeners typically
considered these sounds bright, brilliant, or shrill. 479 While Howard and Tyrrells study
provided some useful standard descriptors associated with specific instrument groups, our
timbres of specific players associated with different regional schools of playing. For our
differences.
By processing audio through a spectrogram, we are able to see specific differences in all
three phases of notes (onset, steady state, and offset). Using spectrograms, we can more
objectively compare trumpet tone differences. A spectrogram shows which harmonics are
present in a sound and the strength of each of these harmonics (their amplitude). The vertical
axis represents frequency (perceived as pitch), and the horizontal axis represents the passage
of time. The intensity of each harmonic is represented by the color of the line. In this case,
darker lines indicate stronger harmonics (those with greater amplitudes). Mussorgskys
Pictures at an Exhibition was chosen as a comparative piece because it features solo trumpet at
the beginning. For our purposes this is essential because only one players sound can be
109
Figures 5.1 and 5.2 show spectrogram views of William Vacchiano and Adolph (Bud)
Herseth playing the opening of Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition. 480 These figures
represent the New York and Chicago sounds in the mid-twentieth century. The figures may
appear to be very similar at first glance. Though the upper harmonics are slightly stronger in
Herseths spectrogram, the specific harmonics which are present are more indicative of the
acoustic properties of trumpets in general than of any individual tone differences. Close
examination of the onset and steady state phases is very revealing. To observe the onset
phases, we must look at when the overtones appear in relation to when the fundamental note
is sounded. Notice how in Herseths playing, the overtones are all present at the very moment
of attack on the note; you could draw a vertical line from the fundamental up through the
harmonics. In Vacchianos sound, the overtones take slightly longer to appear and are more
arched than vertical. If we look at the lines horizontally, we can see what happens to the notes
during their steady state phases. Looking at the graph horizontally, we can see some
fluctuation (vibrato) in Herseths sound, but notice how the horizontal fluctuations show that
the vibrato in Vacchianos sound is much more pronounced. Figures 5.3 and 5.4 show the same
spectrograms, but lines have been added to highlight the horizontal and vertical differences.
480These spectrograms were created by importing audio into Sonic Visualiser, which is free to download and use
from www.sonicvisualiser.org; Herseth best represents the Chicago sound, since solo recordings of Cichowicz do
not exist.
110
Figure 5.1. Spectrogram of William Vacchiano playing Pictures at an Exhibition. 481
481 Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Sony Classics, CD, 1990.
111
Figure 5.2. Spectrogram of Adolph Herseth playing Pictures at an Exhibition. 482
482 Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, RCA, CD, 2004.
112
Figure 5.3. Vacchianos spectrogram of Pictures with guide lines.
113
Figure 5.4. Herseths spectrogram of Pictures with guide lines.
114
Figures 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7 show Vacchiano, Herseth, and Ghitalla playing the opening
trumpet triplets of Mahlers Fifth Symphony. We see the same differences in the onset and
steady state phases between Vacchiano and Herseths playing in Figures 5.5 and 5.6. Figure 5.7
shows that Ghitallas sound is somewhat between that of Vacchiano and Herseth. The onset of
the overtones is slightly arched compared to Herseth (Figure 5.6), but definitely more vertical
than Vacchiano (Figure 5.5). We can see that the same is true of Ghitallas vibrato by examining
the spectrographs horizontally (Figure 5.7). Figures 5.8, 5.9, and 5.10 show Vacchiano, Herseth
and Ghitalla playing the loud sustained passage from the opening trumpet solo of Mahlers Fifth
Symphony. 483 These graphs are generally more similar, but notice the connection between the
short notes. Vacchianos graph shows a quick decay as the short notes move to the long notes,
which is visible in the space between the overtones of the notes (Figure 5.8). Herseth connects
these notes very much (Figure 5.9), and Ghitalla connects the notes more than Vacchiano but a
little less than Herseth (Figure 5.10). It is also easy to see that both Vacchiano and Ghitalla are
using quite a bit of vibrato, but Herseths tone is much straighter throughout.
Unfortunately there were no recordings made of the Cleveland Orchestra playing either
Pictures at an Exhibition or Mahlers Fifth Symphony while Louis Davidson was principal, so we
will have to loosely compare spectrograms of different pieces. Figure 5.11 shows the Cleveland
Orchestras opening to the final movement of Dvoraks Eighth Symphony, which begins with the
first and second trumpets. You can see in the figure that this Cleveland sound has many of
the vertical components of Herseths Chicago sound, but the notes have a very quick decay
and are not connected, which is more similar to Vacchianos New York sound spectrograms.
115
Figure 5.5. Spectrogram of Vacchiano playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony. 484
484 Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 5, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Sony Classical, CD, 1997.
116
Figure 5.6. Spectrogram of Herseth playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony. 485
485 Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 5, Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Decca Record Company, CD, 1970.
117
Figure 5.7. Spectrogram of Ghitalla playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony. 486
486 Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 5, Erich Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, RCA Victor, CD, 1991.
118
Figure 5.8. Spectrogram of Vacchiano playing the loud passage from Mahlers Fifth. 487
487
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 5, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Sony Classical, CD, 1997.
119
Figure 5.9. Spectrogram of Herseth playing the loud passage from Mahlers Fifth. 488
488
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 5, Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Decca Record Company, CD, 1970.
120
Figure 5.10. Spectrogram of Ghitalla playing the loud passage from Mahlers Fifth. 489
489 Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 5, Erich Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, RCA Victor, CD, 1991.
121
Figure 5.11. Spectrogram of the Cleveland sound in Dvoraks Symphony No. 8, IV. 490
490 Antonin Dvok, Symphony No. 8, George Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra, Sony Classics, CD, 2011.
122
Figure 5.12 shows John Haynie playing the opening cadenza from Del Staigers Carnival
of Venice. His characteristic cornet sound has far fewer of the upper overtones, and the very
top overtones are arched during the onset phase of each note. The highest overtones present
are around 8656-9259 Hz as compared to readings nearly twice that in Vacchiano, Herseth, and
Ghitallas spectrograms.
While no recordings of James Stamp are available that can be used for the spectrogram
analysis, Figures 5.13 and 5.14 show samples of Tom Stevens playing. Stevens is a former
student and one of the leading advocates of Stamps method. Stevens has described that one
of the most important aspects of Stamps methodology is to lock in each note so that it is
centered and will pop out of the horn. Figures 5.13 and 5.14 illustrate this beautifully. Figure
5.13 is a spectrogram of Stevens playing the opening of Anthony Hall Lewiss Monophony VII.
Even in the opening of Henzes Sonatina (Figure 5.14), which is extremely quick, each note has
Figures 5.15 and 5.16 illustrate the change in sound over the last half of the twentieth
century. In general, orchestral trumpet sound concepts have moved more toward homogeny.
Though Michael Sachs and Phil Smith have subtle differences in their sounds, those differences
are significantly less than the differences of the regional schools earlier in the century. Notice
how Figures 5.15 and 5.16 are nearly identical for the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony. 491
491 Aside from the note durations, which are a function of tempo rather than sound.
123
Figure 5.12. Spectrogram of Haynies cadenza in Staigers Carnival of Venice. 492
492 John and Marilyn Haynie, John and Marilyn Haynie Play Music for a Contest, Gore Publishing, CD, 2006.
124
Figure 5.13. Spectrogram of Tom Stevens playing Lewiss Monophony VII. 493
493 Thomas Stevens, Thomas Stevens, Trumpet, Crystal Records, CD, 1996.
125
Figure 5.14. Spectrogram of Tom Stevens playing Henzes Sonatina, mvt. I. 494
494 Thomas Stevens, Thomas Stevens, Trumpet, Crystal Records, CD, 1988.
126
Figure 5.15. Spectrogram of Sachs playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony. 495
495 Michael Sachs, The Orchestral Trumpet (Montrose, California: Balquhidder, 2012), CD.
127
Figure 5.16. Spectrogram of Smith playing the opening of Mahlers Fifth Symphony. 496
496 Phil Smith, Orchestral Excerpts for Trumpet, Summit, CD, 1995.
128
The spectrograms in Figures 5.5-5.14 provide visual information necessary for an
objective comparison of the individual regional sounds. Vacchianos New York sound is
characterized by arched overtones at the attack and wide vibrato. Haynies Southwestern
sound also has an arched shape in the upper overtones and has a wide vibrato, but contains
significantly lower overtones in general. Ghitallas Boston sound had a slight arch to the onset
of the overtones and some vibrato. The Cleveland sound is characterized by vertical overtones
during the attack, little vibrato, and sharp decay at the end of the notes. The Chicago sound
had even more vertical overtones at each notes onset, had little vibrato, and notes were very
connected. The West Coast sound had absolutely vertical overtones, a very connected quality
between notes, and a straight tone with little vibrato. Figure 5.17 shows that these regional
129
5.2 Why Did the Regional Sounds and Pedagogy Disappear?
The latter half of the twentieth century saw the dissipation of distinct regional sounds of
brass playing and a trend towards sonic homogeny. Vincent Cichowicz explained:
When I was growing up there were more players with an individual character. So you
could tell this person from that person and that is harder to do now. If you listen to
orchestras now they all play wonderful but I miss the individuality. Somebody like
Mager who had this individual sound, didnt sound like Vacchiano or Ghitalla. Today it
seems like there is a general bureau of standards. 497
One of the biggest factors in the change of sound concept is the widespread availability of
recordings and videos. The internet has made it possible to disperse music at an
record store and buy an album. The internet has allowed anyone to purchase .mp3 albums
with a credit card and the click of a button. In the past few years, free music programs, which
allow streaming of music from a huge database, have become increasingly prevalent. Youtube
allows people to watch performances of major orchestras and other famous performers from
anywhere in the world, and live streaming of concerts has also increased. The amount and
variety of music that is available is astounding. Players can listen to soloists, jazz performers,
orchestras, and other ensembles from all over the world in a matter of seconds. Pedagogues
have also taken advantage of new technology, with streamed master classes by musicians such
as David Bilger and Kristian Steenstrup, 498 and many private teachers now offer lessons over
video programs such as Skype. Ghitalla explained the difference now from when he was
growing up:
130
The first real symphony I heard was when I was in the Navy and went to Boston and
heard the Boston Symphony. I can still remember the seat I sat in. I can remember
vividly the picture of the orchestra. George Mager and Roger Voisin were playing
Today there are thousands of records available, broadcasts, and all sorts of things.
Many more opportunities to learn are more accessible to more people. 499
Ghitallas quote also alludes to another possible factor in the homogeny of sound concept.
Perhaps due to the availability of so many different recordings, we have become more
saturated with these recordings, and each one leaves a much less distinct impression on us.
Another large factor in the change in orchestral sound concept is the change in
orchestral auditions themselves. Andr Smith explained that auditions used to be very
What is difficult for modern young performers to understand is just how easy it was in
this country prior to the 1960s to get near enough to a major orchestra to be heard for
an audition. Audition screens, lists of approved repertoire, ethnic diversity, affirmative
action, pre-recorded audition tapes, rsums, letters of recommendation, etc. are the
vexing keys designed to unlock doors (which seldom open) for the contemporary young
aspirant to a symphony orchestra. All this baggage simply did not exist in prior times A
musician may have studied with a current member of an orchestra or had favorably
impressed a conductor with performances elsewhere. 500
Ghitalla described the scale of the modern orchestral audition as compared to earlier in the
century:
There were 25 players when I auditioned for the BSO job in 1951. Ten years ago there
were 600 inquiries for a fourth trumpet job in the St. Louis Symphony. They accepted
about 175 tapes, and at least 60 players came to play the audition. No one was
chosen. 501
The audition process has become very mechanistic because of the sheer numbers The
lack of time to listen can create a situation of not getting the right player for the
131
position There are real dangers in this practice. I am also upset by occasional decisions
not to accept any player out of a field of 100 or more players. 502
Smith also noted that many orchestras, especially the New York Philharmonic, used to be
strongholds of nepotism. 503 Additionally, Cichowicz explained that auditions were not
Many of these events got around by word of mouth. There was no regular publication
that announced these events An interesting aspect about the audition process was
that there were no lists. You came in and were asked a series of excerpts. 504
To summarize, in the early part of the twentieth century, new orchestra members were usually
students of current section players or local musicians that had heard about the audition from
the local newspaper or by word of mouth. Both of these factors contribute to sustaining
distinct regional sounds, because the players were only from that region! Modern auditions, by
great contrast, are nationally (even internationally) advertised, and thanks to jet travel,
The educational climate in the country has also changed over the last part of the
century, and larger percentages of people are attending college. Collegiate teaching jobs, like
orchestral jobs, are becoming more and more competitive, and most collegiate positions now
require a doctoral degree. As players get more advanced degrees, they are more likely to study
with more teachers. A student could potentially have a different trumpet teacher for
undergraduate, masters, and doctoral study, in addition to any high school or other outside
lessons they have taken. This exposes students to a wider variety of pedagogical ideas, and
132
McCann pointed out that it can be extremely insightful to trace pedagogical lineages,
because they allow us to answer questions of why and how we were taught to do things in
our own playing; 505 however, it is not possible to conceive of a student as a copy of their
teacher, especially when they have had so many potentially diverse influences. Both Cichowicz
and Ghitalla admitted that they made changes between how they were taught and how they
In later years, I found myself rejecting certain aspects of his teaching, especially in the
area of respiration. It was an older school of thought the tight abdomen philosophy.
In my own approach to the materials, I found that if I avoided his physical instructions,
my performance worked better. 506
Trumpet teaching is still an oral tradition in many respects, which means it is subject to both
intentional and unintentional change as it is passed from person to person. Figure 5.17
illustrates the complexity of the situation. It shows the trumpet family tree that belongs to
the pedagogues discussed in this study. After looking at this figure, it becomes quickly
apparent that many distinguished players have studied with multiple teachers who have
differing pedagogical views. As students study with more teachers and as teachers adapt
pedagogical approaches in their own ways, it becomes increasingly difficult to trace clear
pedagogical lineages. In this manner, much of the regional pedagogy from earlier in the
133
Figure 5.18. The pedagogical lineage of the six selected teachers. 507
507 This chart was created by the author based on player biographies published on official orchestra and university websites.
134
5.3 Final Thoughts
All of the teachers examined in this paper produced many exceptional students who
have won jobs in top orchestras, military ensembles, or have had successful solo or recording
careers. It is amazing that these teachers differed a great deal in methodology, especially in
some of the most basic aspects of trumpet playing. Some of these differences extended back
to the earliest trumpet instruction the United States, including the issues of diaphragmatic
breathing, smile vs. pucker embouchures, and tongue arch. The category of articulation
provided the greatest diversity of approaches from the teachers, but all yielded surprisingly
similar results. The pedagogues had opposing views on telling students to use the diaphragm
during inhalation, and their ideas about embouchure training included physical and
lips alone, gained prominence with this mid-century group of pedagogues. McCann also noted
that around 1942 conceptual approaches were becoming more popular, which proved to hold
Looking at the aspects of trumpet playing in a categorical manner allowed us to not only
compare what the teachers taught (method books and exercises), but how they had students
execute these materials (tongue arch, articulation syllables, etc.). All of the teachers used
Arban, St. Jacome, Sachse, and Clarke exercises, but they had different opinions on the exact
execution of trumpet fundamentals. One specific example of this is that both Cichowicz and
Stamp created their famous exercises (Figures 4.1 and 4.5) based on the slur exercises of
Schlossberg. They both found that students would pinch or slip off of the note before the slur,
135
so they incorporated valved notes between the slurred intervals. This represents teachers who
used the same material (the what), but adapted it in their own way (the how).
Michael Sachss book, Daily Fundamentals for the Trumpet, is an excellent example of
how pedagogical concepts have become more mixed in modern practice. In his verbal
instructions, his studies with Stamp are evident in his discussions of buzzing and slotting notes
like pressing keys on the piano. 508 He adapts long tones so that they are a hybrid between
traditional long tones and moving long tone studies. 509 Sachs includes VC I patterns in his book,
but discusses practicing them in a manner that is more indicative of Stamps style. 510 He also
adaptations have been modified to enhance a players routine to fit the needs of modern
orchestral playing. Sachs, now in Cleveland, has brought many of Stamps west coast ideas to
the mid-west. As a native of northeast Ohio, I have seen this influence on the trumpet players
of the region. Many of the young players have taken to practicing Stamp exercises 511 or using
Sachs book because of his influence through The Cleveland Orchestra. This allows us to see
another way that the what has been used in a new how, which has contributed to the
It would be difficult to say that any one physical aspect of playing made the difference
between regional sounds; however, the new conceptual approaches best explain the difference
in the sounds. All of the teachers had very strong opinions about the benefits of listening and
imitation in the formation of a sound concept. If a student listened to his teacher every week,
508 Michael Sachs, Daily Fundamentals for Trumpet (New York: IMC, 2002), 2.
509 Ibid., 4.
510 Ibid., 37.
511 Also influenced by Roy Poper at Oberlin College.
136
and also to his teacher or a similar player in the local orchestra, that would be the sound he
would imitate. Psychologically speaking, this imitation would guide the student more than any
verbal instruction.
The fact that regional sounds were most prevalent during the middle of the century
strengthens this argument. McCann discussed that much of the early instruction in this country
was conducted by written correspondence. This means that there was no aural component to
lessons, and students formed their own sound concept independent of their teacher. We also
discussed that regional sounds have increasingly dissipated as recordings and travel have
Thinking of these teaching methods as a toolbox can be helpful. For example, though you
might not always use an 18mm wrench, but if you ever have to work on the suspension of your
car, youll be awfully glad that you have it. The same is true of teaching methods. Since all
students are different, a teacher may need to try something completely uncharacteristic of
their normal methodology to reach out to an individual. While a teacher may not subscribe to
all of the methods presented by these pedagogues, a teachers abilities are enhanced by
137
APPENDIX A
138
Bernard Adelstein: Former Principal Trumpet, Cleveland Orchestra
139
David Hickman: Trumpet Professor, Arizona State University
Ray Mase: American Brass Quintet; Trumpet Professor, The Juilliard School
140
Louis Ranger: Former Co-Principal Trumpet, New York Philharmonic
Gerard Schwarz: Former Principal Trumpet, New York Philharmonic; Former Music Director,
Seattle Symphony
141
APPENDIX B
142
Author Title Publisher
143
Gaetke, Ernst Studies in Scales and Arpeggios Musikverlag Wilhelm
Zimmerman
Getchell, Robert First Book of Practical Studies Warner Bros.
144
Shuebruk, Richard Lip Trainers Carl Fischer
145
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Clarke, Herbert L. Characteristic Studies for the Cornet. New York: Carl Fischer, 1943.
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