One Note Tune Lesson

So let's talk about this.

Introduction to the One Note Tune

Here's a one note tune. There's only one note in the song, and it's really about learning the structure of the song. You're learning a whole song:

• When to play
• When not to play
• When to sing

You can really practice your techniques, particularly using your tongue.

The Rhythm of the Song

So, the main tune is a one note tune. The rhythm of the song is:

Ta ta ta ta ta.

Can you do that with me? Let's just try it together:

Ta ta ta ta ta.

Now, let's think about doing that through the trumpet:

T T T T T.

Now I'll play it for you, so you can practice that over and over again until you're really confident and can make a clean sound.

Don't worry if you're not hitting a C every time; you might be hitting a G, which is the next note up. You might be going all over the place. Don't worry about that. Just get used to using your tongue and to playing that rhythm.

Practicing the "Aha" Part

The other little bit is "aha," which is just a tut tu. Make sure to really practice that tut tu and get it really clean.

The backing track is here. You can play along with the whole track. You can practice singing the tune and playing the tune.

But when you're playing along, really get those ahas in the right place, especially the very last one.

Copy Back Section

So, there's a copy back section in this song. That means I play something, and you can copy it back. Of course, when you get more confident, you can make up your own reply. You don't need to copy me.

Tips for Practice

Only using one note, with no fingers to worry about:

• Practice using your tongue
• Be creative with your rhythms

Let's try a few patterns now! I'll play some patterns and leave a gap for you. You can make up something in your reply, and then of course, you can do those along with the backing track and have some fun making up your own ideas.

Ideas for Creativity

You can use the rhythm of:

• Your name
• Your favorite football team
• Food that you like to eat (e.g., chicken and chips)

Ta ta ta ta.

The point is to make up your own thing and be creative.

Here's one from me. You can copy that back and make up your own reply. There will be space for you.

Additional Resources

If you're struggling with any of this or you're not sure what I'm talking about, check out the introduction to the P trumpet course.

It tells you all about the instrument, and I also explain how to make a sound and how to use your tongue, so you'll be a lot more comfortable if you've done that course first.

Don't forget, if you have any questions or you're unsure about anything, do get in touch via the website, and we can get back to you and give you some feedback on your playing.