Reprints from the

to promote communications among trumpet players around the world and to improve the artistic level of performance, teaching,
and literature associated with the trumpet
International Trumpet Guild

Journal
The International Trumpet Guild

(ITG) is the copyright owner of all data contained in this file. ITG
gives the individual end-user the right to:
Download and retain an electronic copy of this file on a single workstation that you own
Transmit an unaltered copy of this file to any single individual end-user, so long as no fee, whether
direct or indirect is charged
Print a single copy of pages of this file
Quote fair use passages of this file in not-for-profit research papers as long as the ITGJ, date, and page
number are cited as the source.
The International Trumpet Guild

prohibits the following without prior writ ten permission:

Duplication or distribution of this file, the data contained herein, or printed copies made from this
file for profit or for a charge, whether direct or indirect
Transmission of this file or the data contained herein to more than one individual end-user
Distribution of this file or the data contained herein in any form to more than one end user (as in
the form of a chain letter)
Printing or distribution of more than a single copy of the pages of this file
Alteration of this file or the data contained herein
Placement of this file on any web site, server, or any other database or device that allows for the
accessing or copying of this file or the data contained herein by any third party, including such a
device intended to be used wholly within an institution.
http://www.trumpetguild.org
Please retain this cover sheet with printed document.
PEDAGOGICAL TOPICS
JON BURGESS, COLUMN EDITOR
SOLIDIFYING YOUR ATTACK
BY MAX MATZEN
October 2012 Page 64
64 ITG Journal / October 2012
2012 International Trumpet Guild

tarting a sound is the most essential thing we do on the

trumpet. How we approach the beginning of a note has
been discussed ad nauseum, and with inconsistent
direction, since the dawn of pedagogy.
It was not until I began my graduate studies that I came to
the realization that my attack was an area that could use sub-
stantial improvement. I knew my attack was amiss because I
would start phrases off quite uncomfortably.
Most of my inaccuracies occurred at the very
beginnings of phrases, and because of this the
overall quality of my playing suffered. Through
practice and various forms of over-compensa-
tion I was able to coexist with my attack such
as it was, but was unable to successfully address
the issue. James Thompson at the Eastman
School of Music was able to successfully coach me through my
frustration using a combination of his methodology as well as
select exercises from Richard Shuebruk. The following con-
cepts are aimed to simplify the attack and shape it into a nat-
ural and dependable process.
A continuous challenge for brass musicians, trumpeters in
particular, is putting into practice a completely rounded breath.
A critical component of a rounded breath is not slowing the
inhalation process at the very top of the process. This is typical
among students and some professionals. If there is a slowing of
the air during the intake process, there is more of an inclina-
tion to have a slow turn around of the air. When this occurs,
the performer is more likely to have some type of undesirable
result.
Consider the following diagram:
Diagram (reading from left to right) is a visual demonstra-
tion of a breath that is perfectly connected, with the inhalation
and the exhalation process being mirror images of each other.
Momentum continues in an even fashion right to the follow-
ing beat where it is released with an identical momentum. The
middle illustration shows a breath where there is a slowing of
momentum and in turn a slow release. The illustration on the
right shows what appears to be a very rapid intake of air, fol-
lowed with a rapid or forced release.
An exercise for basic attack practice is as follows:
1. Set a metronome to quarter-note = . Then say how
directly on one beat, and then tooo on the following
beat, maintaining the same connectivity as before. Repeat.
2. Now, instead of saying how aloud, inhale instead. Make
sure you keep the syllable how
formed in the oral cavity. Be sure
you start the breath directly on the
beat. Exhale tooo on the very
next beat. Note: you do not need
to drop the jaw for this. Make an
effort to use the corners only as
you inhale.
3. Repeat this process with a mouthpiece on the lips as if you
were about to buzz a tone. Inhale how then exhale too
directly through the mouthpiece, air onlyno buzz.
4. Repeat step , but this time, try buzzing a tone. Notice
any differences with rounding the breath? Make sure
how-too is completely connected as you begin producing
sounds.
5. Repeat the same process on the trumpet, playing the same
tone you buzzed. Make sure the inhalation and the exha-
lation are completely connected.
If you can round the breath in this manner during practice
and performance, you should notice a positive change in your
playing. For me, my endurance increased, my range improved,
and my accuracy increased. The biggest challenge for me was
simply remembering to do it enough until it became a habit.
Remembering and executing this approach requires discipline.
This same concept also applies to the breath attack. Instead
of how-too, try how-whoo. Install the same concepts as
described above. Start the breath on the beat and release the air
on the following beat with whoo. If the breath attack is mas-
tered rst, the addition of the tongue to the attack is usually an
easy transition. I believe that breath attacks in this manner are
extremely benecial and worth consideration for daily practice.
Once the quarter-note breath is mastered, then eighth-note
breaths should be attempted. Keep in mind that in many
instances, different speeds of inhalation are benecial depend-
ing on register. For lower tones, a slightly slowed breath helps
a great deal with intonation and accuracy. For higher tones, a
more rapid breath (eighth-note length) could prove to be more
SOLIDIFYING YOUR ATTACK
BY MAX MATZEN
PEDAGOGICAL TOPICS
JON BURGESS, COLUMN EDITOR
Ideas and suggestions for Pedagogical Topics should be directed to: Jon Burgess, Pedagogical Topics Editor, School of Music,
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129 USA; pedagogy@trumpetguild.org
A critical component of a
rounded breath is not slow-
ing the inhalation process at
the very top of the process.
Beat
Inhale Exhale Wrong Wrong
Continued on Page 80
80 ITG Journal / October 2012
2012 International Trumpet Guild
serviceable.
For additional practice on these concepts and attacks in gen-
eral, Richard Shuebruks Lip Trainers Vol.IIBusiness Players
contains great material to aid in solidifying the attack.
About the author: Max Matzen is the assistant professor of
trumpet and brass studies at Utah State University. He has
received music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, as
well as the University of North Florida. From fall until
spring of , Matzen was assistant professor of trumpet at
Texas Tech University. Matzen is a current performer with the
Emerald Brass Quintet, a featured group in the Frankenwald
Brass Festival in Hof, Germany, in .
Pedagogical Topics continued from page 64