In an effort to enjoy life more, I've been trying to get back to stuff that I really love, the sorts of things that always have made my heart sing, you know?
One such thing is playing music. I took lessons in piano and oboe when I was younger, and taught myself some basic chords on the guitar. But I also wanted to try something new. So for Christmas, Adam bought me a musical instrument and it came today. Bet you can't guess what it is 😂
I tried it out after lunch and I can (almost) play 'When the saints go marching in' all the way through!
It's SO FUN 😁😁😁
Trumpet update: I've now had three lessons, and yesterday my teacher also gave me the book he used to use for beginners, and it's super. I can play whole notes from the A below middle-C and up to the C above middle-C.
Yesterday I learnt B-flat.
Teacher: So now you know your first flat!
Me: Yes! And it's B-flat, which is my favourite flat.
Teacher: ...is it?
It then occurred to me that not everyone has favourite flats? Surely that's not the case!
It's coming up to three months of learning trumpet (about two months of lessons). The book my teacher gave me six weeks ago is supposed to last a full school year and we're nearly finished it – this sounds more impressive than it is because the book is for beginner musicians, not just beginner trumpet players. So there's lots of 'this is a minim/crotchet/rest/key signature' which I don't need to learn.
Biggest challenge continues to be lip strength. But also I find it hard to be thinking of everything at once when I'm playing something new. There's finger positions, intonation, pressure, pitch, so I find myself gripping the trumpet harder than I should, and getting a sore hand afterwards!
I spoke about that with my teacher and he reassured me that there's so much to think of, no wonder I sometimes find it hard. It will be fine with time. He is a good and patient teacher and we're doing more and more duets – this, I love, because you have to keep up and keep playing, no matter the mistakes!
I can play almost 30 minutes at a stretch now, which is making practice sessions more enjoyable. So the short version of this post should read: Trumpet. Still loving it. Music is so fun. The end (or actually still very much the beginning).
My teacher got me two new trumpet books this week! I can work through them at my leisure but we chose a few to get me started. He also told me that he's taught me all he can on an individual basis and now I need to join the band. That's a bit scary and new and exciting...? But he said he's told them all about me and they keep asking when I'm coming 🥰
Due to family stuff I won't be able to go next week but we've agreed that he'll bring the band music next time we meet and then we can go over it together. Progress!
Also, something I've noticed recently is how much music runs through my head now. I'm often thinking about motifs and melodies, either ones that I've played or ones I'd like to play. It's a cool development
Trumpet update: I've been to band twice! The first time it was very scary but everyone was kind and I could probably play about 30%.
This week I really didn't feel like going. It's quite a late finish and it's a weeknight, plus I feel as though my playing has plateaued in the last few weeks. But I went, and I'm so glad I did. I could do much more than last time and the scales and exercises I've been doing are helping a bit, I can tell.
I mentioned to my teacher that I felt flat and not as good as I wanted to be, and he said it's normal to feel a bit discouraged sometimes. Progress is not linear, right? So it's just about sticking with it...
First band performance today, and despite not having played two of the pieces before (the rest of the band had played them before; I had not), it went really well. There were definitely times when the others carried me but I held my own at times... for four rehearsals, I feel like it was a solid achievement. It did wipe me out for the rest of the afternoon though. All the stimulation and adrenaline, it's quite a lot for a body to manage.
I didn't get much time to practise this week but I'm hoping next week will be better. At the very least I'll have time tomorrow and Monday. Something else to look forward to: one of the guys is bringing me a cornet to try out next rehearsal. Exciting!
Bec