h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

... well, cornet, actually! I've been learning the cornet for about three weeks now, and today I got my first regularly sustained good notes (with good tones instead of some with squeaks) from C up to G and back again. I've made a lot of progress today and I'm really happy about it.

It's Roy's cornet, and he plays very nicely. It's interesting to see how difficult it actually is to get good notes.

1. Get the little some earplugs
2. Are you using Roy's mouthpiece?

Hi LSF - you're in my thoughta about your good news!

Tonsil - we have separate mouthpieces. He has another trumpet at home and brings the mouthpiece for this. I'm fortunate in that he leaves his older trumpet with me. Earplugs? The neighbours probably need those! heeheehee Little wants to learn too, although he hasn't got the patience at the moment.

Hi ZSF! Well done. I've played the trumpet (not the cornet) and found it very difficult - I gave up in the end. I could get an octave out of it but not consistently. The cornet has a nicer tone than the trumpet, more lyrical. I hope you continue and learn to make proper music.

Thank you Gnomon! I think I'm very fortunate to have Roy to encourage me - he's very pleased that I'm interested and he's amused by how frustrated I've been at what I think is slow progress. He says it takes around 3 months to get a consistently good set of notes. We'll see. I made bid progress yesterday and I think it was because I kept coming back to it and had a really good longish practice at the end. I've noticed that if I try to play when I've eaten, my notes are more difficult, as they are when I try to read music - I think it's because I bow my head a little to read the notes and it constricts my neck, and therefore my airway.

Well done! Where do you actually practise? Do the neighbours mind?

*wondering what Gnomon feel the need to explain*

TC, my "explain everything" is a reaction to the group who are trying to expand the Edited Guide into a place where people reading it will go on a poetical voyage of discovery. My view is that the Guide is there to explain things, and I'm good at that.

'Where do you actually practise?' In the quiet room downstairs. 'Do the neighbours mind?' Not so far, however, one set of neighbours had *very* loud music coming from their house when their children were smaller, so I don't mind paying them back a bit. I'm not very loud, however the noises I make do sometimes sound like a dying bull in a thunderstorm! I can't yet get a really consistent nice tone.

Don't underestimate the value of a good mouthpiece. A quality mouthpiece can make the job of learning the instrument far easier.

I imagine that Roy's mouthpiece is going to be much better than the one I use. As I remember it was expensive (I've no idea what constitutes really expensive, but I think it was over £50).

Zarq, is it a trumpet or a cornet? If it's a trumpet, I can lend you a good mouthpiece.

It's a cornet, Gnomon. Thanks for the offer, though - I appreciate it.

I can go up and down with not much difficulty at the moment, however, simple tunes are a bit beyond me. It won't be long, though!

o/±