THE SECRET TO FIXING TRUMPET MOUTHPIECE WOES!


THE SECRET TO FIXING MOUTHPIECE WOES!

HERE IS THE SECRET, BUT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE IT:

STRENGTH!
See? I told you you wouldn't like that answer, but the fact is, IT IS TRUE!
I am not talking about "dialing" in a more perfect mouthpiece to give you that extra edge which is something I have spent time and money doing! 
10 years ago, when I went to Bob Reeves, I already had a Triple G. I had already stood out in from of large to very large audiences and played Maynard type high note solos or the hardest lead parts known to man!
10 years later I am the official record holder for the highest note documented via video on Trumpet: QUADRUPLE C...it's not the mouthpiece I got from Bob Reeves!

CART BEFORE THE HORSE!
All of us including me, have bought a new mouthpiece "HOPING" she's the one that will make and keep the magic happening.
In some cases, the magic happens right away, but then dissipates ....PERMANENTLY!

The reason is UNDERLYING: The underlying issue is STRENGTH and most likely in YOUR case: LACK OF STRENGTH!
Let's go down 2 octaves from my top note of quad C to the note you still can't get, can't squeak, or can squeak, but is totally useless in any playing situation including your home studio.
What is that note? The Double C aka the Super C aka the Grand C.
I know you know about this amazing note that you can't get and it doesn't matter your age. Even as a 14 year old All mid state trumpet champion in 9th grade at Hawkins Junior High under the direction of Mr. Featherston ( hope my memory got that correct), I was keen on playing higher and hearing my first double C  FROM anyone just...to be able to know it truly existed!
So, you can't get this spectacular note, but think: "IT'S THE DAMN MOUTHPIECE! THAT IS THE ONLY REASON I CAN'T PLAY THIS BEAST OF A NOTE!" 
Wrong!
Man, let me tell you how sweet it is to play that double c! Even if all you ever do the rest of your life is pop out a few decent double c's in your living room or basement, WOW, it is worth achieving!

YOU DID YOUR HOMEWORK OR...DID YOU?
Yes, you probably did and did a very good job! Well, you did a good job of hunting down another mouthpiece YOU think will do the trick!
Did it do the trick? Maybe? It did for the first week? First 2 weeks?

CONTAMINATED THINKING
After decades of playing along side other brass players or teaching them, I have learned at least one thing: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HUMAN DESIRE TO DO THE LEAST AMOUNT OF WORK TO ATTAIN A GOAL!
I learned this when I was 18 years old and a freshman at AUSTIN PEAY STATE UNIVERSITY and most nights being the ONLY trumpet player to go past 3 hours, then 4 hours, then on some nights..FIVE OR SIX HOURS of straight practice! 
I exaggerate not even 1%. This happened in the belly of the Clement building where all the practice rooms were under the floor of the Clement Auditorium above. 
I have heard this building now does not exist or they remodeled it.
What is the point and where is the contaminated thinking? 
99% of you are not willing to actually DO THE WORK!
1% or more accurately, LESS THAN 1% of you will do some work or THE work required.
CONTAMINATED THINKING says: "All that ridiculous practice time crap is for chumps! I am smart enough and talented enough that I don't really have to waste all that time practicing repetition. I just need to find the perfect Mouthpiece, the perfect Horn THEN LOOK OUT PEEPS! You will be seeing me dust and burn any trumpet player I have to audition against, compete against!"
SORRY MY FRIEND: That is contaminated thinking! In the world we live in, YOU DON'T GIVE, YOU DON'T GET! You don't give me 5000-10,000 INTENSE HOURS OF PRACTICE and you are NOT going to get what you think you deserve!
NADA!
WHY NOT TRY BUILDING STRENGTH?
Practically ALL of you reading this have not TRULY tried building strength. You may think you have, but you haven't...not compared to me you haven't!
And if you have to compare to something, it might as well be the strongest, highest playing trumpet player on the planet....yes, passed old Jon Faddis bye bye UNLESS Jon is hiding some triples we have never heard of before.
You might not like working hard, but I have a program that ANYONE can stick it out with because it is only 4 months! NO NOT 4 YEARS, BUT 4 MONTHS!
You can do this!
HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT NOBODY ELSE CAN DO INCLUDING FADDIS:
 

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE JUST A PIECE?
You are not going to be able to do what I just did in this video. Bergeron, Ingram, Morrison, Faddis or any other worthy competitor of mine won't be able to come close to this, but how about being able to get a piece?
Could you do everything I just did down 1 octave? The players above probably all definitely could..down 1 octave! How about you?
NOT A CHANCE?
So, you can't do what I just did, you can't do it down 1 octave, then what?

BABY STEPS!
First: Get rid of your contaminated thinking. Quit thinking you don't have talent. Quit thinking KURT THOMPSON REALLY IS AN ASS...WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS? lol, I am the world record holder of the highest note on trumpet that's who I am. Any negativity on YOUR part is purely out of jealousy, out of insecurity, out of envy, or disseminating from your lack of strength and lack of being able to be happy someone is clearly the most successful at something! ...more contaminated thinking: "If i could just spen that $200 to take that 90 minute lesson with Arturo, I KNOW he of all people, would show me the way!" I bet if i find the most expensive mouthpiece in the world, THAT will surely do the trick! The $400 I spent last year on the Monette Prana was a joke. I KNOW there is a more expensive, high quality mouthpiece somewhere out there that will fit the bill and do the trick!:
WRONG
WRONG
WRONG THINKING my friend!
Baby steps means working your ass little by little.
Will you dedicate 2 years of your life practicing 4-6 hours literally almost every day for 2 years like I did when i was 18 and 19? How about practicing 12 hours a day for years like Herbert L. Clarke did and described in his autobiography? 
NO, YOU LIKELY WON'T GET AS CRAZY AS THE KURTMEISTER, but that does not mean you can't start with BABY STEPS.
Remember the movie: "WHAT ABOUT BOB?" ....baby steps Bob, just baby steps now Bob! By the way, I have to go on vacation so please don't schedule any more therapy sessions until i get back! 
BIG LOL. gotta go watch that movie my friends if you haven't already: "WHAT ABOUT BOB"
Here is your first baby step: Decide you can buckle down and invest 30 minutes a day in building strength on your trumpet or whatever brass instrument you play. That does NOT mean a total of 30 minutes of practicing a day, it simply means 30 minutes in addition to any other practice you may be doing. 
I PROMISE IF YOU JUST START WITH BABY STEPS, 30 MINUTES OF INTENSE FOCUS ON BUILDING STRENGTH EACH DAY, YOU WILL MAKE GAINS!

WHAT DO I PRACTICE FOR BUILDING STRENGTH?
Well, that is where I come in as a teacher. You can DIY do it yourself and maybe this will be the 100th time you have DIY, but when you eventually realize THAT you are not a master teacher and teaching yourself has only RESULTED IN SQUAT, well, it's time to poney up and pay KURT THOMPSON the big bucks. All kidding aside because If i had been charging the big bucks for all this time, you would not be reading this and I would be on a tropical island somewhere playing my horn in a small combo only at sunset!
I have a variety of courses starting at $25 bucks each week, to $300 for my video course to $997 for real time help in my course each week for 4 months to ala cart lessons to help with whatever ails ya!

2 NEW PLAY ALONGS!
START BUILDING STRENGTH!

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