Q What are some of the things that trumpeters should do in order to be able to improvise?

A The most important thing that trumpeters as well as all other musicians regardless of instrument should do is a two-part answer. One should master their instrument through various types of classical solos and etude books such as those methods by J.B. Arban, Theo Charlier, H. L. Clark, Claude Gordon, and Bitch to name a few. Study with a private teacher and listen to hours upon hours upon hours of recordings of the best Jazz musicians all of the time. Having your instrument covered will allow you to execute whatever ideas you may have without having to fight the horn.

Next, listen to those doing what you would like to be able to do. As an example, if you want to master the plunger, listen to and learn the solos of Cootie Williams and Ray Nance with Duke Ellington, Snooky Young and Joe Newman with Count Basie, and Clark Terry. If you want to be able to play smoothly and swing easily, listen to “Sweets” Edison, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and a host of others. Also, seek out help from those who make a living on your instrument. As the great Jazz trumpeter Clark Terry once said, ‘you must imitate, assimilate, then you may be in a position to innovate”.

Finally, I cannot stress enough the importance of the listening aspect of being a Jazz musician. Now is a good time to start collecting Jazz recordings by the over 1,000 musicians who created this music. Listen, listen, and listen. There are no books on this planet that can teach you how to listen and gather those essential elements needed to be successful. The more you listen, the more one will naturally absorb the feelings inherent within the music. They will eventually flow through your horn along with whatever emotions are within you.