Note bending
Lesson time: (2min 40sec)
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Play Authentic Swing Trumpet
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Lesson transcript:
Music Lesson: Bending Notes
In this lesson, we're focusing on the technique of inflecting on notes, particularly bending them.
Listen to this Section:
"You hear that? The bend near the end of that phrase, I do a little bend going into the last note, the long note."
I'll demonstrate it one more time. Bending the note like that helps us feel the time; it gives us a grip on it.
Key Points:
-
Avoid Rushing: We never want to rush the music.
-
Bending Technique:
- I'll now play the note I'm bending, so we can focus on the technique.
- I'll bend it even more to illustrate the process.
Using Airstream:
What we can do is use the airstream, like we did in vibrato, to bend the note.
- Play a Middle G.
- Use the airstream to:
- Change the position of your tongue.
- Adjust your jaw position slightly to make that note go flat in pitch.
Now, You Try:
Speeding Up the Bend
Next, we need to speed that up a bit.
- Practice Prompt:
"Think of doing it after me."
Now let's incorporate that bend into the whole phrase.
- We'll focus on the phrase from the second line, particularly the quaver at the end, the F natural.
- I did another bend there and continued with the phrase, playing another bend.
Experimentation
Feel free to experiment by putting bends in wherever you think it's appropriate:
- It helps to accent certain beats.
- It enhances our musical voice.
- It allows us to tell the story of the music.
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