TRUMPET PLAYING RESEARCH:

The following questionnaire may be completed by Brass Players of any standard. It was first answered in a successful trial with music students at the University of Western Australia in October 1997. At present over 1700 trumpet players worldwide have answered this questionnaire. Data continues to be collected. Accurately completed replies will be very much appreciated. Please click the send button after completion. This will post the answers to my Email address. Thank you, I am most grateful...

Section 1 Personal Details

1:    What Nationality are you? 

2:    How many years have you played the trumpet? 

3:    Was this the first instrument you played? Yes   No 

4a:   On a scale of 1 - 10 (1 being a beginner, 10 an employed professional player)
       what standard have you reached? 

        4b:    Do you play any other instruments? Please name them 

5a:  Please state your age in years:  years

       5b:    Please state whether you are  Male  Female

Section 2 Musical Memory

6:    Are  you able to memorize music visually?  Yes  No

7:    After hearing an 8 bar tonal melody, are you be able to repeat it
                                                       using your voice, whistling or humming?  Yes  No

8:    Can you analyse and name intervals after hearing them played?  Yes  No

9:    Are you able to memorize a rhythmical pattern?  Yes  No

10:  Can you analyse chords or hear changing chords easily?  Yes  No

11:  Do you remember faces easier than namesYes  No

12:  Do you often 'hear' music in your mind?  Yes  No

13:  Do you find difficulty in memorizing scales?  Yes  No

14:  Do you memorize scales by 'ear'?  Yes  No

15:  Do you prefer to memorize scales visually?  Yes  No

16:  Do you have the ability to remember pitch without using your instrument?  Yes  No

Section 3  Reading Notation

17:  Are you able to 'sight-sing'?  Yes  No

18:  Are you able to sight-read well on your main instrument?  Yes  No

19:  Do you 'hear' the music as you read it?  Yes  No

20:  Do you have to play music many times before making sense ofit?  Yes  No

21:  Are you able to read 'jazz' phrases easily?  Yes  No

Section 4 Improvisation

22:  Are you able to improvise music?  Yes  No

23:  Are you able to improvise to a given chord sequence?  Yes  No

24:  Do you improvise using scales mostly?  Yes  No

25:  Do you enjoy playing 'traditional' jazz?  Yes  No

26:  Do you mostly enjoy playing 'be-bop' jazz?  Yes  No

27:  Do you prefer to read your jazz because you do not improvise easily?  Yes  No

Section 5 Handedness or Sidedness

28:  Which hand do you prefer to write with?  Right  Left

29:  Which is your dominant foot or your best kicking foot?  Right Left

30:  Which eye is your best 'reading' eye?  Right  Left

            Apply the following test:

               With both eyes open and focused at an object on your VDU screen, align
               a finger between you and the object. Close your left eye. If the finger image
               moves to the left, you are reading with your left eye. If the finger image
               remains constant then you read with your right eye.

31:  Which eye is your better 'distance' eye?  Right  Left

            Apply the following test:

               With both eyes open and focused at an object across the room, align
               a finger between you and the object. Close your left eye. If the finger image
               moves to the left, you are seeing the object with your left eye. If the finger
               image remains constant then your are using your right eye.

32:  With which ear do you listen to the telephone receiver?  Right  Left

33:  Do you hold the telephone receiver to your right ear with your right hand?  Yes  No

34:  Do you hold the telephone receiver to your right ear with your left hand?  Yes  No

35:  If you placed an ear to a door, which ear would feel most comfortable?  Right  Left

Section 6 Listening to Music

36:  Do you enjoy listening to unfamiliar music?  Yes  No

37:  Do you like listening to contemporary orchestral music?  Yes  No

38:  Do you have a preference for Baroque music?  Yes  No

39:  Do you listen to the same type of music often?  Yes  No

40:  Do you get bored listening  to the same type of music?  Yes  No

41:  Do you often listen to concertos played on your main instrument?  Yes  No

42:  Do you listen to concertos played on instruments you do not play?  Yes  No

43:  Do you often listen to 'rock' music?  Yes  No

44:  Do you often listen to 'jazz' music?  Yes  No

Section 7 Performance

45:  Do you enjoy solo performing to an audience?  Yes  No

46:  Do you think that you are a 'natural' performer?  Yes  No

47:  Do you get nervous before your performance?  Yes  No

48:  Are you able to control your nerves during your performance?  Yes  No

49:  Are you able to perform without getting anxious?  Yes  No

50:  Do you prefer playing in an ensemble?  Yes  No

Section 8 Technique.

51:  Are you satisfied with your embouchure position?  Yes  No

52:  Is your embouchure placed exactly in the centre of your lips?  Yes  No

53:  Is your embouchure placed slightly to the right of centre?  Yes  No

54:  Is your embouchure placed further to the right of centre?  Yes  No

55:  Is your embouchure placed slightly to the left of centre?  Yes  No

56:  Is your embouchure placed further to the left of centre?  Yes  No

57:  Do you 'buzz' your lips before forming the embouchure?  Yes  No

58:  Do you use a mirror when you initially form your embouchure?  Yes  No

59:  Do you use a systematic 'warm-up' routine?  Yes  No

60:  Do you find that if you 'warm-up' longer, you can play longer?  Yes  No

61:  Do you use a little pressure on the mouthpiece?  Yes  No

62:  Do you use moderate pressure on the mouthpiece? Yes  No

63:  Do you use heavy pressure on the mouthpiece?  Yes  No

64:  Do you find it easy to play the top register of your instrument?  Yes No

65:  Did you have difficulty in developing  your high register playing?  Yes  No

66:  Do you ever use the 'pedal' tones or ' fundamental' harmonics
                          on your instrument?  Yes  No

Section 9 Submission.

67: Please enter your Email address: 

68: Would an Email address such as yourname(at)trumpetplayers.net  or  yourname(at)brassplayers.net  appeal to you?
If yes, check the following appropriate box and make sure your email address is filled in at (67) 

I would like a my.name(at)trumpetplayers.net email forwarding address  Yes  No

I would like a my.name(at)brassplayers.net email forwarding address    Yes  No

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.
Please return the questionnaire to me by clicking on this link   

Click here if you would like to Email me - hylton(at)trumpetplayers.net