If you have hung around Denis Wick for even a short time, you have probably seen some content on the extreme functional versatility of this mute. The adjustable cup not only allows you ultimate tone color versatility for your cup mute performance, but can be pulled apart and used in multiple different ways. How many you ask? find out in this quick video with Denis Wick artist Estela Aragon.

When getting ready for a significant performance, it's common to divide your preparation into two categories: musical preparation and physical preparation. Incorporate these four principles of preparation from Denis Wick Artist Victor Haskins to ensure that your preparation is effective and promotes your overall well-being for your upcoming big performance.

Every single musician in the world has to practice. It’s just, something you have to do if you want to get better, and like practicing for anything else there are good and bad ways to do it. If you practice daily and don’t see results there could be a fundamental issue with your embouchure, but it could just be that the way you practice is not productive and you’re wasting time.

In part 1, we established two major things about tuning; that it is by definition a comparison, and that having a consistent quality of tone is important before tuning.  Now we can use those ideas to clarify some other areas of tuning and provide a guide to address some common problems.

Tuning is one of the few areas of music that is binary; something is in tune or it is not.  However, even though most everyone would agree with this statement, the subject of tuning and its pedagogy get surprisingly muddled especially within the world of marching band.  While there are still many ways to address tuning, keeping in mind the following concepts will help guide you to success and diagnose problems you may encounter.

In the last 10 years the quantity of mute options has exploded in a way few brass accessories have. This makes a simple Amazon or online search a little more interesting than it used to! Your next step might have been to read a couple product descriptions, but that is where it gets really strange! "Where did all these mutes come from, and what does it all mean?" We can help. Use these product description red flags to separate out the quality from the imposters.

You have your aluminum straight with 3 different bottom options (brass, copper, and aluminum), your synthetic mute... why do you need a wooden mute? Like a painter with a palette of glorious colors, as brass players we need an arsenal of options that bring us glorious sound in all different colors. Enter the wooden mute.

Founding member of Bella Tromba and Denis Wick artist Jo Harris has a wide and varied career as a professional trumpet performer in the UK. Use these tips to enjoy effortless mute performance and always be prepared for your next gig.