Dear fellow trumpet players. After many years of encouragement from several trumpet forums and players to re-write Cat Anderson’s Trumpet Method, I have finally finished it and it is available to purchase at www.therealcatandersonmethod.com.

I was an 8-year student of Cat’s at the time he was living in Los Angeles. My book, <b>The Real Way to Play the Cat Anderson Trumpet Method</b> is a completely rewritten and reorganized book, giving you exercise by exercise instructions, written in a clear, concise manner using his original lesson plans with my personal notes from those lessons, along with input from other former students of his. I have used the knowledge gained from my own students, as well as documenting an extremely successful written only correspondence with a student in the US Navy band who went through the entire lesson plan with me while stationed in Europe.

Please take a look at my site if you want the real deal for playing in the upper register the Cat Anderson way.

Thanks! And happy playing!

Just and update to go to The Real Way to Play the Cat Anderson Trumpet Method and check out the Comments and Endorsements page. You will see some of the best high note players in the world listed (some who have their own books) with their comments and praise for my book.

Thanks!

Geoff Winstead
http://www.therealcatandersonmethod.com

I bought this method. It is very clear and thorough (unlike the original). What I don't like is that you are supposed to play the exercises with your teeth touching, which is how Cat Anderson plays. The reason I don't like to do this is because Cat had a gap in his two front teeth, leading me to believe that this is how he was able to push a focused column of air through his horn. Even if you don't have a gap, you can still put air through your teeth when they're closed, but with would you want to change your chop set when it might not make a difference? That said, I don't know if playing the method with your teeth touching will have any benefit over playing it with your teeth open.

I've talked to many lead trumpet players, most notably Paul Stephens (lead player with the army jazz ambassadors), and Pat Hession (Maynard Ferguson lead player and a former teacher of mine). They both preached keeping your throat and teeth open through all registers of the horn to maintain a steady, focused stream of air.

Whether or not you decided to close your teeth or keep them open, this is a great method.

You only have to play teeth closed on certain of the exercises, and the book does NOT recommend that you always play with teeth closed!

The way I see it, this helps prevent undue pressure. If that was Cats original intent I don't know.

I'm not sure the gap in Cat's teeth holds any water. Notice pictures of him smiling in later years. He had that gap fixed, yet it didn't hamper his playing abilities at all. You are supposed to practice his method with teeth touching as well as other unorthodox things. You are not meant to play that way. It is meant to build chop and jaw muscles that are not normally used by most players. I highly recommend in the book that after doing Cat's routines, that you rest and go on to your Arbans, Clarke, or any other studies. I also ask people who buy the book to READ everything before they start in on the exercises, then there wouldn't be any posts like the one being replied to because what I just wrote here is in the book to a much more detailed extent.

Geoff Winstead
The Real Way to Play the Cat Anderson Trumpet Method
http://www.therealcatandersonmethod.com

I did read through the whole book. I did this because after 4 weeks I was still unable to make ANY sound with my teeth closed and at least wanted to know what I would've been doing had I been able to get past the 20 minute G. I realize that the teeth closed embouchure is not meant to replace one's normal set up, but if you look at my post it simply said that the book had you play the EXERCISES with your teeth closed (yes I realize not all of them, but the majority).

One other thing, I mentioned I haven't gotten past the 20 minute G part of the book. I sent you an email Geoff, but never got a response.

Curtis, I apologize if I didn't get back on your email. That is very unusual. I make it a point to get back to anyone having a problem. I don't know what happened, but occasionally things get deleted or go to the spam area. Contact me again if you're willing to give it another shot.

absolutely

Thank you! That was very kind!

I just want everyone on here to know that the book is on sale for the next couple of days (until Wednesday or Thursday 4/22) for $19.95 instead of $24.95 (the site still says 24, but you'll only be charged 19...). I am doing this to celebrate the relaunch of the website which has been updated and improved. http://www.therealcatandersonmethod.com