Inflexions falls
Lesson time: (1min 40sec)
Mike Lovatt shows how to fall off a note on trumpet - wiggling the valves and relaxing your embouchure - for an authentic rock ending.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Play Authentic Rock Trumpet
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Music Lesson: Techniques for Ending a Note
In today's lesson, we've learned how to perform a slide. Now, let's explore another technique: falling from the note. There are different ways to achieve this effect.
Falling from the Note
- One method is to wiggle the valves down.
- Relax your embouchure.
- Relax the airstream and let the note literally fall away.
Demonstration
I'll count myself into the last bar again:
1, 2, 3.
Did you see that? I wiggled my valves, relaxed my embouchure, and fell away from the note. Let's do that one more time.
This technique creates a powerful effect and beautifully finishes the piece.
Practice Tip
If you try this with the track, you might find it fits perfectly with what's happening on the drums right at the end of that piece.
Important Note: Whatever effect you're using on the last note, ensure that it ends on the fourth beat.
Finishing the Piece
We want to finish this piece off on the beat, creating a great ending. Here's how:
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Sliding up to it:
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Begin the slide on the third beat.
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Move to the fourth beat:
1, 2. Yep. Onto the fourth beat.
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Falling Technique:
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Similarly, for the fall:
1, 2, 3, bow.
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Then you can let the fall go down.
About the instructor
Mike Lovatt studied at Trinity College of Music, where he was awarded the Jon Kelly Jazz Scholarship. He has performed and recorded across a huge range of styles with artists including Quincy Jones, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Buble, Oasis, Michel Legrand, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey and Danny Elfman, among many others. As Principal Trumpet in London's West End, Mike has performed in Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Producers, Billy Elliot, Guys and Dolls, Saturday Night Fever, My Fair Lady and Spamalot, amongst others. He has played on movie soundtracks including the James Bond films, Harry Potter with the London Symphony Orchestra, the award-winning Chicago, Kevin Spacey's Beyond the Sea, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Madagascar and The Corpse Bride. He is featured on trumpet and cornet in George Fenton's Mrs Henderson Presents, and on trumpet in Looking for Eric. Mike is principal trumpet with the Grammy-nominated John Wilson Orchestra and has been featured in their celebrated BBC Promenade concerts and recordings. Mike is sought after as a teacher and clinician, and is a professor of trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. In April 2013 he was proud to be awarded the prestigious Derek Watkins' Chair of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, London. In his MusicGurus courses, Mike shares the secrets behind his versatility, showing you how to nail authentic swing, rock and Latin trumpet styles so you can play any of them with confidence and the right feel. read more