trumpet

Mastering the Trumpet: A Guide to Playing Frank Sinatra Classics

Musicnotes

• 4 min read
Image: Trumpet; Article: Mastering the Trumpet: A Guide to Playing Frank Sinatra Classics

You don’t have to know how to play an instrument in order to be a music fan, but learning to play an instrument often deepens your appreciation of music. Whether you’re learning how to hold a bow or learning how to read music, you gain an appreciation for what it takes to produce great music, especially songs from a musical legend and icon such as Frank Sinatra.

While there are many instruments used to produce the music we know and love, few are as instantly recognizable visually and aurally as the trumpet. A brass instrument, the trumpet’s bright sound can be heard in music from various genres, particularly classical and jazz music. Much of Sinatra’s music could be defined as jazz, but many of his well-known songs have become pop standards. While scales and etudes are important for mastering any instrument, Frank Sinatra trumpet music can make learning more exciting.

Making the Sound

The first step in producing a pleasant sound on the trumpet is working on your embouchure. This French term describes how you use your lips, teeth, tongue, and facial muscles on an instrument’s mouthpiece to produce its characteristic sound. For brass instruments like the trumpet, you buzz your lips into the mouthpiece. The sound of your horn will be affected by the pressure exerted by your lips, manipulation of the air within, and pressing the valves that change the length of air in your trumpet.

Because each person’s body is different, the proper embouchure will vary from player to player. As you learn Frank Sinatra trumpet tunes, think about how your tone would change based on the song you’re playing. Something brighter and upbeat like “Come Fly With Me” might require different adjustments to your embouchure than something slower and moodier like “All or Nothing At All.”

Finding the Key

Any Frank Sinatra sheet music that features the treble clef can serve as Frank Sinatra trumpet music. A leadsheet will show a single staff with the melody and lyrics under the appropriate notes. When you’re playing alone or solo, you can use almost any sheet music with a treble clef to learn your favorite songs by the “Chairman of the Board.” If you’re going to play with others, you’ll need to make a few adjustments.

The trumpet is what is known as a transposing instrument. When you play a C on a trumpet, it sounds like a B-flat on a piano or guitar. Most trumpets heard in popular music, including songs by Frank Sinatra, are B-flat trumpets. If you were going to attempt a Frank Sinatra trumpet performance with an accompanying piano or guitar, you would need to transpose your music one whole tone up to be in the same key as your accompaniment. As a solo player, you’ll find it’s okay to do things “My Way,” but playing in the right key is “key” for a group performance.

Iconic Sounds

Frank Sinatra’s career has pumped out one hit after the next, so there is no lack of great Frank Sinatra songs for trumpets. In fact, most every Sinatra song owes a large part of its success to his distinctive jazzy, big band sound. Here are just a few of the classics you’re sure to enjoy learning:

Whether you’re a beginner warming up to play in an ensemble, or ready to rock out on your own, Frank Sinatra songs are great for trumpet players at any level of experience.

Doing Your Own Thing

Improvisation is a major element in most forms of music, but especially in jazz. Musical improvisation is when a musician comes up with a “composition” of their own at the moment.  As you master the trumpet, you’ll gain the confidence and the knowledge to deviate from the melody or the notes as written on a piece of sheet music. Whether you’re reading music arranged for your horn or for a specific set of instruments, look for chord symbols above the staff you’re reading. These chords support a song’s specific melody. An advanced musician can look at a series of chord symbols and use them as a guide for improvising.

Perfecting Your Style

Just as a singer like Frank Sinatra has a distinct vocal style, trumpet players also have a distinct sound that emerges as they get better at playing their horn. Your style as a musician will be impacted by the type of songs you play. Perhaps you prefer faster, more uptempo songs. Maybe you prefer slower tunes with extended and drawn-out notes. Adding Frank Sinatra trumpet tunes to your repertoire exposes you to different types of songs and the opportunity to experiment with your style.

When you listen to the original renditions of Sinatra’s music, you can often hear trumpets in the background, providing various tones and textures. Some of these different sounds are achieved by playing the horn with a mute inserted into the flared part, also known as the bell. Various mutes exist for trumpets and other brass instruments. They come in different shapes and configurations, altering the characteristic sound of the horn.

Mastering an instrument requires regular practice, but incorporating sheet music of your favorite Frank Sinatra songs makes practice fun. Musicnotes brings you various arrangements of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ most popular tunes as easy-to-read, transposable digital sheet music. Find Frank Sinatra trumpet music as well as charts for piano, guitar, and vocalists at every skill level. Visit our website for sheet music from your favorite artists, composers, and more.