IFR blog > Instrument blogs > Trumpet blog
Visualizing the tonal map on the trumpet

"I have been practicing IFR for half a year and it's great how I am progressing! One of my obstacles is that I still imagine notes on a music staff instead of the tonal numbers. Is there any way to switch from one image to the other?"

IFR improvisation exercise with the chromatic scale on trumpet

Alvar Monfort demonstrates the IFR 'Staircase' exercise on the trumpet with jazz phrasing.

Difficulty starting from note 2

"In Exercise 2: Melody, I find it difficult to play a scale starting on note 2 or any other note besides note 1. I can sight read most things, but starting on anything other than note 1 is problematic. Please help."

IFR improvisation exercise Seven Worlds Expanded on trumpet

For IFR students practicing Exercise 3: Pure Harmony, this is a demonstration of the exercise Seven Worlds Expanded on the trumpet. Marc Mena demonstrates the exercise exploring the 2- chord in the modal range.

Q&A - Should I wait to get my chops back?

A trumpet student asks whether he can begin IFR right away, or whether he needs to first develop a certain level of technical proficiency on his instrument.