A trombone is for life- not just for Christmas (My Experience of Learning a Musical Instrument)

Name: tuftyclub

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	My Experience of Learning a Musical Instrument
Date:	31/01/02 (550 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: camaraderie

Disadvantages: lot of time spent practising

Hmm, the title implies that it is something that can be mastered. Like anything else you learn throughout your life, some parts you slip on, some parts you are constantly improving.

I started to learn to play the trombone when I was about 15, this was late to take up a musical instrument ,and had I wished to take my studies further, I really would have had to start a good few years earlier. I had an advantage though, I had sung in a professional type children's choir. That sounds pretentious I think, but effectively I was a member of the children's chorus associated to the Scottish National Orchestra (now the Royal Scottish National Orchestra )and we sang at quite important events. The standard of the chorus was high in that you had to follow a part and sing in tune but it wasn't purely for those who had vocal training. I just went along and sang. We did two records (actual vinyl, this was 1983) and performed whenever the main chorus needed a junior choir. I remember singing Mahler, Orff and ?.lots of varied music. I also remember sitting behind the brass and finding the instruments fascinating. So when the choice came round at school for who wanted to play brass instruments, My hand was in the air and, I knew what I was letting myself in for.

In Glasgow, lessons were free for interested pupils. They were individual in that there was only one pupil in a 40 minute lesson. I believe that now students share lessons. We were also supplied with an instrument. I had wanted a trombone and had been sent home with a shiny blessing scholastic, a good basic make. It's positive that they supplied the instrument as, firstly even beginner models are expensive and secondly, different personal characteristics affect your skill level on an instrument. Now I always think that anybody has the right to play the instrument of their choice. If you live to play the violin, but are not blessed with good hand eye co-ordination, you will not make
a particularly good violinist. But, if you enjoy it that is more important. You may constantly scratch away in the second violin section and love every moment of it. However it is best to take into account personal characteristics when you choose an instrument. So many people are put off music by enforced piano and violin lessons.,' Oh yes, and a flute for my daughter!' She'll like that. Well she might not!

Sometimes it's a class thing, I am middle class therefore my child will be musical, and the clarinet is a nice quiet instrument. Or, we have a piano, you must learn it. There was a good book about by a woman called Atatrah Ben Tovin(sp?) called something along the lines of 'Choosing the right instrument for your child' For anybody considering music lessons it's worth a look. It's not an exact science, but is helpful. So, Shy delicate children are not likely to take to the trumpet, and a child with poor co-ordination might struggle with the piano. French horns requite an excellent sense of pitch, while the clarinet makes the sound for you so doesn't require that ability so strongly.

Also where you want to play affects the choice, you can't play the tenor horn in a symphony orchestra,, it is a brass band only instrument, and up until recently some colleges wouldn't accept musicians on purely brass band instruments. So if you were a star euphonium player- you couldn't do single study on that at music college level.

So, I was tall and relatively strong (to carry it) and had a good sense of pitch which you need to stop the slide in the right place, so I was a natural trmbone player.

The first hurdle was reading music, most people at that time started with a book called 'a tune a day', which taught you the basic slide positions with the carrot of a recognisable tune to play at the end of each lesson. I regaled the neighbours with endless renditions of 'On top of Old
Smokey', 'Michael Row the boat ashore' and' Silent night'. Unfortunately the book was designed for people taking up the instrument in first term, and as I had taken it up in April the seasonal tunes were not appropriate. I played jingle bells in May and Autumn Leaves in December. The book was American, so not all of the tunes were instantly recognisable. I also had to supplement it by learning scales, practising lip flexibility's and learning some theory . A lot goes into learning an instrument.

I honked away after school, my enthusiasm indeterminately waning and waxing as I progressed. Some weeks I loved it, some times I hated it. Then, I was put in for an exam. My first one was a grade three. I had to play two pieces, a study and some scales and ear tests. Now there are at least 3 exams boards (guildhall, trinity and the associated board) and although they are all the same in theory, looking at the syllabus later, I think that the guildhall demands the most advanced music. So I was assigned my pieces to play and practice. And,practice I did, until the fated day appeared. It was up about 6 flights of stairs in a tiny attic room. I had the advantage of knowing my the accompanist, my teachers' husband had offered to play for me, a great advantage as, generally you have to hire someone to play the piano parts. I played my best, and after a few weeks got a phone call from my music teacher telling me I was a qualified musician.

Regrettably, that was the only grade exam that I sat although I did do the Scottish Ordinary and Higher grade exams , passing the exam did me a lot of good, and I went on from strength to strength, much more enthusiastic than I was before, However, it was a lonely life, after all, I was the only trombonist in the school- actually I was the only Brass player, all the others had given up and the teacher came in for me only. We had no school band, and I had no peers that played anything. So, altho
ugh I was of <I> strong character </I> it was hard to continue doing something that nobody else understood. I really wanted to give up, but was too scared to tell my music teacher. I think she must have noticed this, and she made a suggestion that turned everything around. I was to audition for the local schools band. If accepted I would spend a fortnight in the summer playing wind band music. I would meet other people with similar interests, and improve my playing. I was naturally apprehensive, I had never played in a band before and had to audition. I would have to play a part instead of the tune, and would have to learn to follow a conductor. There was also the slight embarrassment of being a late starter, I was 17 by this age, and had only been playing for two years. Most of the other pupils of this age had 5 years of experience under their belts.

I went to the audition in fear and trepidation, and left in jubilation after I was awarded the post of third trombone.

I loved it, the camaraderie amongst the brass, the sound of the instruments, I discovered playing loud, really loud, I heard of this thing called 'piano' and 'pianissimo', but our trombone section leader told us that these marking did not exist for trombones and should be ignored. This was really the making of me, I returned to school and asked my music teacher to get me in a band, which she did with pleasure. Music is about working with others- but it isn't easy if there is no school band to induct you. After that I was in many bands, jazz , military, orchestras, and I loved it all, I was out three nights a week for years, I was in Germany and Russia through music and met many lifelong friends. It was only then that I felt that I could actually play the instrument instead of 'learning' it. It's a mental switch that happens just after the first secure top Bb. You can play it proficiently , some are better, some are worse, but the instrument
is (just about) in my control.

I continue on to this day, not a easy to practise when you have a full time job and a house to run but I enjoy it, I can move job and city and know that I can makes friends through my music. It's a great leveller.

Most give up when they leave school, either thinking it's a kids hobby. That's a pity as it really is a worthwhile thing to do, the hours you spend in practice are repaid in pleasure. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't play anymore. For me, not being able to participate in music would be a tragedy.

Summary: