Brad Goode
THE DARK AGES OF TRUMPET PEDAGOGY
22 minutes ago · Public
THE DARK AGES OF TRUMPET PEDAGOGY
Brad Goode
In the early days of the twentieth century, trumpets were built with high impedance. The idea behind the design of a fine instrument was that it should produce the greatest resonance with the least physical effort.
Merri Franquin was the first Professor of Trumpet at the Paris Conservatory. He was instrumental in the design of the original valved high trumpets, and many of the early virtuoso solos were composed for him. In his method book, Complete Method for Modern Trumpet, he advocates for the development of control and efficiency. He even suggests that the trumpet requires so little air that the player should not inhale before producing a note; the air already present in the lungs being sufficient.
Many of the great American classical performers of the early twentieth century studied and employed Franquins method, including George Mager, Roger Voisin and Adolph Herseth. Of course, the great French virtuosi, such as Maurice Andre and Guy Touvron acknowledge the Franquin method as the best.
American trumpet pedagogy first arose from the great cornet soloists of the Band Era, such as Jules Levy…
