Scoops
Lesson time: (2min 35sec)
Mike Lovatt shows how to play a scoop - sliding up into a note - to add authentic swing-style inflection on trumpet.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Play Authentic Swing Trumpet
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Music Lesson: Adding Inflection and Spice
Hopefully, you noticed that on the last note I played, which lands on the third beat, I played it really emphatically. This is to properly finish the piece off. It gives us a full stop at the end of our sentence and signifies that our story has come to an end.
Introducing Scoops
Let's talk about another inflection or spice that we've added to this piece. It's actually marked on the part in several bars, indicated by a little line going up to a note.
- You can see this in:
- The first full bar of the piece.
- The key change (the second bar of the key change also has this little scoop).
Example of a Scoop
I'll play an example of that now. It's like a little blip. We come from under the note.
How to Execute a Scoop
How do we do that? Well, I do it by using the valves.
- Two methods:
-
Quick Valve Movement:
- Move from the note before to the note below.
- In the first full bar, the note below is an E.
- Obviously, valves one and two go from one and two to two, but do it quickly with a little flip.
You can have a go at doing that.
-
Sliding Between Notes:
- Still use those valves, but make a half valve noise between.
- This has to be done pretty quickly for a smoother little whip.
-
Application of Scoops
These things are called scoops, and you can apply these in lots of parts of your playing. Not only in this piece, but you can experiment with using it in others to give it some added spice.
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