Ignoring the Hurt
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My friend Andy Hagan used to say “he really puts the hurt on me.” He was talking about the slightly out of tune, out of time, never matching the phrasing players around you.

A Lead player worth anything plays it the same way every time. After the first time through a chart he has figured out the tricky things and from then on it stays the same! He never over blows the notes, and always tunes to the correct pitch.

If you want to keep your chops you must let the notes stay where they play. Because the only good sound is a free vibration, you can’t be moving every note longer than an eight note, all around the pitch, to match the guy next to you. Once you know you are in tune with the core pitch – leave it there.

You have got to know what a pianissimo to a double forte really is on your horn. There are so many gigs these days that are so loud on the band stand it is damaging to your ears. You cannot overcome an electronic instrument or sound system. If you have a mike – “relax” you know how to play with dynamics, never adjust your piano up to a forte because you can’t hear yourself. The mike hears just fine.

In my case I focus on the written note or the valve or the scale, but never the sound of my horn. When you put yourself in a catch 22 of blowing fatter to hear yourself, you also wear out quickly, sound lousy, and set no standard for the rest of the section. When you focus on the chart and the music you let your big fat ego sit it out - it only wants to hear itself above the whole band, and that ain't gona happen in most cases. TRUST YOUR CHOPS.

When you play under control, in tune, and at correct volumes, the players around you know you are a secure lead. They feel comfortable because they know how the articulation is going to be played, and all the other nuances that make us musicians and not noisemakers.


There have been a lot of jobs I’ve played when I knew I was setting the pace. The section got tight, and maintained a balance. When you are surrounded by amateurs and jerks, heroes, and “lead” third trumpet players, you will appreciated the ability to turn off the trash and live in your world of focus, economy, and sanity.

When I first began doing a lot of studio work I realized I was lasting the whole session. Not getting blown out, and my sound remained consistent through the charts. With the phones on, and a decent mix you don’t over blow. You stay centered.

Remember a good tone is a free vibration. To play with a free vibration the notes cannot be forced, pinched, squeezed up or down. Relax. I spent almost 7 years – that was 3500 gigs plus – on the road. Every year we had new players on the band and it always took a good month before everyone settled down. After the trust was there you could have shot bowling balls between the 16th notes – it was that clean.

If you are not playing LEAD let your unconscious ear hear the lead player. Match his phrasing, timing, and dynamics; let the notes sit where they are on the horn. This is difficult for young players to handle. They are so concerned about being in tune; they “lip” the notes to match. It’s a whole lot better to let the notes come out where they are on the horn. Then you know for sure you have to push in or pull out just so much. When you are chasing the pitch all over with your chops you’ll never find it. It’s a whole lot better to play the first couple phrases out of tune, but in the slot, then make one adjustment to the slide and be set for the night, than it is to chase the pitch forever, all the time getting louder and louder, more spread, and blown out.