This site is all about practicing trumpet, and making music today better than you did yesterday. For starters, I made play-along videos of the three main trumpet study books used by teachers and students the world over – Arban’s Conservatory Method for Trumpet, Concone 32 Lyrical Studies for Trumpet, and Clarke Technical Studies for Trumpet (coming soon). I will add more over time, but for now those three seem pretty ambitious, and should serve to keep everyone busy.
I recorded each exercise with as natural an open-horn sound as I could manage. I did not add any EQ, reverb, or other effects. I want students to hear the sound as close as possible to the actual sound coming from the bell.
The videos are presented in such a way that you don’t need your own music. You can sight read along with the music, and the notation advances automatically all the way to the end. All you have to do is keep up! You play along reading on a laptop, or tablet. I do recommend using headphones as it can be difficult to hear playing trumpet against bare speakers.
I also have plans to create an online trumpet museum where I post photo galleries of popular vintage and high quality professional trumpets, including specs, histories, and comparisons.
About Jonathan Martin
I began playing trumpet in 1979, I was in the fourth grade. But, my first instrument was a harmonica I got one summer when I was six. I taught myself to play all my favorite songs by ear.
I also took lessons on Organ, and Banjo for a while. Once I began the trumpet it took over all of my time to practice.
I began studying Jazz, and Improvisation in High School. The two albums that really got me started, and have kept me going ever since were “Two Trumpets” by Art Farmer and Donald Byrd, and “The Youngbloods” by Phil Woods and Donald Byrd.
I have to say that Donald Byrd’s Hard Bop playing and sound influenced me most of all. Even more so than Clifford Brown who is also one of my all time trumpet heroes!
I got in trouble once for being late to class, and had to serve some time in detention. I spent the entire detention period writing out all the modes in all twelve keys. That is how I memorized my scales. I was late to class because I was hanging out in the Band Room during lunch listening to SuperSax. I did that a lot.
I continued my music education after high school through college. I graduated Chattanooga State Community College with a Major in Music, and finally got a Bachelor of Science in Instrumental Music Education K-12 from Tennessee Technological University.
After graduating, I took the position of Head of Music Studies at the Jo Byrns School in Cedar Hill, Tennessee for one year. Jo Byrns was a Unit School, so it contained all grades K thru 12. I was responsible for teaching High School, Middle School, and Beginning (6th Grade) Bands, High School Chorus, and Jazz Band. The students were remarkable, and teaching there was one of the best musical experiences I’ve ever had.
I spent the next ten years in the US Navy Fleet Bands. My first duty station was the Sixth Fleet Band in Naples, Italy.
During my time in Italy I performed at festivals and military functions in over twenty countries in Europe, and North Africa. I was the jazz soloist for the Sixth Fleet Showband, and was a member of the Jazz Protocol Combo. I also led several special ensembles formed for individual events.
Next, I transferred to Navy Band New Orleans where I performed in four Mardi Gras seasons including over 50 parades and related functions. I was also the soloist for the showband, and leader of the brass quintet “The Crescent City Brass”, and performed in and led the Protocol Jazz Combo.
Finally, I decided to get out of the Navy and settle down. That was more of an adventure than I have time to share here, but I became a stay home dad and part time musician.
Currently, I teach band at St George’s Episcopal School, and private lessons at my wife’s music store, Uptown Music Exchange in New Orleans. In my free time I practice trumpet, and write and record music.
I’m very excited to bring this site to you, and hope that you will find it immensely useful and helpful in your own Trumpet Studies. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. Contact Jonathan