Free online ear training tools from an aspiring jazz trumpet player.
A few years ago, I had a major milestone birthday, and I decided to celebrate with the purchase of a new trumpet. Prior to this date, I had been exclusively playing the same Bach 37 Stradivarius that I've had since I was a teenager. The last time I attempted to buy a new trumpet was back in 2004. At that time, I did an in-home trial of a few horns from major brands (Conn, Getzen, Yamaha), but I…
Hello. My name is Rick. Long ago, when I graduated high school, my dream was to become a professional jazz trumpet player. I knew that I wasn't nearly as good as my jazz heroes, but I naively assumed that college music school would transform me into a "great" player. Unfortunately, after two years at two different college music schools, I was only marginally better, and I could see that neither…
This site first went online in 2003. Back then, it was hard to find information on the internet about ear training, jazz improvisation, and trumpet technique. I wasn't an expert on any of those topics, but when I learned about something that seemed useful to others, I'd share it on this site. Years later, as YouTube and today's social media sites came online, my voice become less and less…
In 2004, I started sharing my jazz improvisation recordings on this site. My objective was to document and share my progress over the years. Before you listen, keep in mind that I am just an amateur trumpet player. I don't expect that I'll ever become a "great" player, but I am always curious to hear how much better I can get with practice. In addition to a selection of older recordings, you'll…
In 2019, decided to study music full time. Since ear training had been a focus of this site for so many years, I knew that I wanted a dedicated ear training teacher. Back in 2007, I received an email asking me to add a starting cadence to my online ear trainer. The person explained that a cadence was needed in order to practice an ear training exercise that they had learned from Charlie Banacos. I…