Hello fellow trumpeters,
My name is Ethan Chilton, and I’m the Trumpet Lead at tonebase. I’m truly honored to be sharing this resource with you! We’ve created what I believe to be the deepest, most comprehensive online trumpet learning resource, taught by some of the best in the world.
Trumpet fundamentals should be at the core of any pedagogical project. We play a notoriously difficult instrument, where making a pleasant sound can take years. Not to mention the immense technical hurdles we must overcome as we develop.
To create a system that could tame such a beast, I divided trumpet playing into fundamental concepts like breathing, tone production, embouchure development, range, flexibility, and many more. I then contacted players I believed best exemplified these skills, and asked them to prepare courses with us.
The results are stunning! Among many more, they include Brandon Ridenour’s tutorials on Flexibility, David Krauss’s course on Tone Production, Malcolm McNab’s overview of the Stamp Routine, Caleb Hudson’s deep dive into Articulation, and even Kayla Solomon’s course for absolute beginners!
Each course was rigorously crafted and refined to deliver the most concrete, actionable information. How did the greats GET so great? What did their teachers tell them that nobody has yet told the rest of us? And what should we practice to improve? You’ll find the answers to all these questions and more.
Fundamentals alone, however, are not all that we need to make music. The trumpet is one of the most diverse instruments in the world, appearing in virtually every culture. For our launch this April, we are starting with a comprehensive survey of the classical masterpieces, from Chris Coletti’s course on the Haydn Concerto, to Chris Gekker’s course on the Hindemith Sonata, and everything in between.
We’re also covering late 19th-century cornet solos — Allen Vizzutti teaches Carnival of Venice, and Charlie Porter teaches highlights from the Arban Method.
Études are a critical part of improving, and we’ve created lessons on Getchell, Charlier, and Bitsch, three critical collections of études for players at different levels of development.
Finally, drawing from my own background as a jazz musician, I’m setting out to build a comprehensive program to help trumpeters master improvisation. In the first month, we’ll release courses from legendary ECM artist and teacher Ralph Alessi, top-call New York improviser Stuart Mack, and accomplished pianist Eric Scott Reed, with many more on the horizon later this year.
This is only the tip of the iceberg.
While we will continue to grow and add courses monthly, I’m already confident the resource we’ve assembled is second to none. Whether you’re a beginner, a hobbyist, a student, or a seasoned pro, I want tonebase to be your home for learning the trumpet online and connecting with the trumpet community!
You’re about to discover a goldmine for enriching your musical pursuits and igniting your imagination. Let’s get started…
Peace, Love, and Double High Cs,
Ethan Chilton
