Personal Narrative: A Personal Style Of A Trumpet Player

There are hundreds of thousands of trumpet players in the world, perhaps even millions. I really have no clue as to the real number of players there are, and the exact number isn't important. The thing I would like you to think about is how many of those players could you distinguish by name from their sound alone? My guess is you probably couldn't name too many. Why are some players instantly recognizable while others may be good players, but sound too similar to other good players to recognize individually? The answer is that the players who are easily identifiable have developed a personal style that sets them apart. And for this reason, most of those players are the ones that have become more well-known such as: Louis Armstrong, Wynton
Marsalis, and Miles Davis.

Personal style is perhaps the last thing that a trumpet player, or any artist for that matter, develops.
The reason is simple. Style cannot be contrived. It is a natural outgrowth of a player's experiences and practice over a long period of time. In other words, you can't just say, "I'm gonna sit down and practice my personal playing style today." You just practice, and practice, and practice, and one day it begins to come out the end of your
horn.

As an aside, I would like to clarify that I am referring to personal style only. Of course, musical styles can be practiced and developed very effectively in a straight-forward manner. For example, a trumpeter can be equally good at playing jazz and classical. These are two distinct musical styles. That is not what I am talking about here.

So, how does one develop style then, if it cannot be practiced directly? First, you "plant the seeds." By this I mean, listen to different players you like a lot. Just let their sound enter your subconscious mind. You don't really have to analyze anything, although many players do. The only problem with becoming too analytical is that you might tend to try to copy the style of another player. That's exactly what you don't want. You want a style that may include small elements taken here and there from other players, but not a copy and paste style that mimics theirs. Just by listening to players you like you will pick up on things you like. They will eventually show up in your own playing naturally. When it's done naturally those elements will mix with other aspects of your playing that will eventually develop into your own style.

Second, you "water the seeds." After several years you will begin to pick up on your own little quirks and stylistic trademarks.
If you have trouble hearing them, record yourself often. Then, listen to the playbacks. What do you hear? How would you describe your playing? What other players would you compare it to? Ask others to listen to you as well. Ask them the same questions. You should begin to hear some of the same things. Those words that are often used to describe your playing are really words describing your style. Once you have an idea of what some of the elements that stand out in your playing are you can begin to capitalize on them. Maybe you can emphasize those aspects just a little more in your playing and really begin to distinguish yourself.

Finally, style has a lot to do with interpretation of the music. That comes from really connecting to what you are playing. Don't just play the notes. Feel the notes. Feel the rhythms. Don't be afraid to let the music take you to some place in your mind. All of that will come out in your playing.

When it comes to style, there is no set period of time that it takes to develop, but I can tell you it is measured in years, not months or weeks. Keep playing a lot. Keep listening a lot. And enjoy the
journey!

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