Penny Lane Piccolo Trumpeter

[oxPolinaBluexo13]

Why does everything sound so much cooler in a british accent?

[waislandres]

Always was trying to play this on my large bore C ambassador trumpet and, just couldn't figure out how to hit those high notes. Tried and tried even have several different mouth pieces nothing worked, glad to solve the mystery. Oh BTW the fellow in this video makes playing high notes look easy, well I know they are not.

[Shibapyrenese]

@waislandres the reason you are incapable of playing this on your c trumpet is simple, its the wrong kind of trumpet. the trumpet that is being used in the song is a piccolo trumpet, a very small horn that is capable of hitting high notes with much ease. trying to plays this in the original key on a c trumpet is Impossible, but you could transpose the piece down to a more playable range, i say this from experience because i play both the c b flat and piccolo trumpet in university and dothis lots

[whelljack]

the son in the beginnig of this video takes me to london

[nymte]

David Mason was my dads trumpet teacher

he is now in the BBC Symphony Orchestra and has been for 25 years :)

love this btw !!

[PeasGraveny]

You can see David on the Day In The Life clip too.

[atworkstation]

@PeasGraveny Really?



[PeasGraveny]

@atworkstation Actually,it's the 'All You Need Is Love' clip,but yeah,he's there.

[plangentmusic]

Thank you David for your piece of history. 

[piccolomaster]

I did not know he passed on. RIP Mr. Mason. You are amazing musician!!!

[siroptimistic]

David Mason died April 29, 2011 of leukemia, aged 85, following a long and distinguished career playing trumpet with some of the leading orchestras in England and, for 30 years, he taught the instrument at the Royal College of Music, mentoring some of Britain's finest contemporary players. Yet despite these achievements, he is best known as the person who played the trumpet solo in the Beatles hit song "Penny Lane".

[g1rag]

sympathy for the passing of David Mason, at age 85!

[whelljack]

London, 1926; died late April or early May 2011 rip 

[Calaitafan]

@whelljack April 30

[julieanneryan]

R.I.P. wonderful David.

[Glinkaism1]

Fabulous insight in the the song. Thanks!

[Jahmo88]

WOW!

[myantman101]

go to the top type in trumpet shout out

[Alexmcgruer3]

Thank you.

Informatine , fascinating.

[xpsucre]

Ayyyyy Weeeeeyyy!!!

[EllipticalSound]

How great is that solo...certainly the best know Piccolo Trumpet ever! So Awesome...

[MrRittmuller]

does anyone notice four valves ?

[ChristopherBordelon1]

Ive actually seen this program and heard the entire solo without the backing music. Wonderful piece of work

[whelljack]

This video takes me to London

[thka11]

In measure 36, it's indeed a written F#, but this is wrong. A barely visible correction has been made though (on the left of the "#"). It should be a natural F (if played with a picc trumpet in A, i.e. a concert D). Of course, David Mason plays it correctly as you can hear (and see: he uses the first valve for this note, not the second).

For those who are wondering: In the first part of the clip (Brandenburg concerto #2), his trumpet is tuned in B, he switches to A for Penny Lane.

[thebskinner]

Flamingdingle... Not true. MOST good players choose mouthpieces for sound and range reasons, not lip size. A person with thin lips can get a huge sound with a Bach 1C or bigger (Yamaha or Schilke, etc.) Conversely, a person with thicker lips can use a smaller mouthpiece (usually for extreme upper register stuff) just fine. It depends on the player. Also, some players get huge sounds on the very "standard" Bach 7C.

[PZK12]

The clip comes from a UK Arts programme, The South Bank Show.

[hichaelmemory]

Where is this video from? I would like to watch the whole doco!

[PianoManTyler]

what is the piece he plays before penny lane when the video is starting?

[TrueTopDog321]

@PianoManTyler brandenburg concerto No. 3 allegro assai lol i have it on my my ipod

[trumpetpete]

@TrueTopDog321 Its Brandenburg  Concerto No 2 not No 3

[TrueTopDog321]

@trumpetpete true that

[trumpetpete]

@PianoManTyler The piece before the Penny Lane Solo is Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No 2 ( Third Movement)

[imuawarriors]

to my knowledge, Ollie Mitchell did the trumpet part...

[fazeka]

Ollie Mitchell WISHES he played on a Beatles track. He DID play with George and Ringo, but that was after the Beatles disbanded (Concert For Bangladesh).

Oh, and he claims to have played trumpet on Revolver: "The pop stars didn’t necessarily stick around while the studio musicians did their thing, and sometimes they weren’t even on the same continent - which is how Ollie ended up on the Beatles’ Revolver album without actually meeting the Beatles."

[fazeka]

Wikipedia Revolver for more info.

EMI Abbey Road NEVER sent Beatles masters to America to be overdubbed. This is fact, read Lewisohn's Beatles Recording Sessions or the new Recording The Beatles book.

[mpotrumpet1]

.... and principal trumpet players in symphony orchestras throughout the world have had nightmares about ever having to play it ever since!! :)

[Trapper855]

The piccolo trumpet AND sheet music see n in this video clip are alive and living in the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, FL. Was on vacation there recently and saw them in a show case there...almost blew my mind to see them!

[trumpetpete]

The trumpet on display at the Hard Rock Cafe is NOT the piccolo trumpet that David Mason used. I had trumpey lessons with Mr Mason in the 1980's and he showed me the Selmer piccolo trumpet that he used and it looked nothing like the trumpet at the HRC.

[geekthinker]

@trumpetpete

I have a hard tome believing that he taught you in the 80s

[trumpetpete]

@geekthinker. What makes you say that ? He was Professor of Trumpet at the Royal College of Music at the time and still playing in the Philharmonia Orchestra.

[geekthinker]

@trumpetpete

I have a hard time believing that he taught you in the 80s

[trumpetpete]

@geekthinker - What maks you say that ?

[ejlarsonstratford]

my father just recently went to england and met david mason! paul mccartney actually wrote him a hand written letter for his retirement party. apparently its worth 10000lbs!!!

[cherae16]

Someone please check this out for me...is that an F# written on the 1st eighth note of beat 3 in me. 36? If so it is written wrong. It sure does look like a sharp.

[trumpetpete]

@cherae16 - Its F natural at bar 36 - there are 2 sharps in the key signature

[OboegirlAYBS]

I LOOOVE the Brandenburg concertos!!!! Oboes and trumpets go so well together :)

[selmansax]

I just saw a clip of McCartney doing Penny Lane with two guys playing samplers. While they did a good job, I have to say that generally synth horns suck and this clip proves it. Live horns rule.

[dcouncill]

The second comment on the use of the fourth valve is closer but not entirely accurate... The fourth valve is used instead of Amy fingering combination that involves the first and third valve... So for a low d on a picc u would generally use fourth and for low c# u would use second and fourth... It puts the note more in tune so u don't have to kick out because most piccs don't have much room on the tuning slides to kick out...

[ilpleutdansmoncoeur]

Of course they could compose music. They had a pact that all four members were to contrubute musically to the band every single one of them could stand on their own by todays standards. Back then they made music for music's sake instead of just being famous for acts done outiside stage i.e. lady gaga, and the rest of the contemporay clowns. Real music for real people. Even if their initial music was very ideologicaly shallow they were on their way to great art.

[garethb1961]

@ilpleutdansmoncoeur Although - Paul couldn't read or write music, so he had to play it to Dave Mason on the piano until they worked it out together. I suspect Dave Mason and George Martin were co-composers in reality.

The Beatles best ever single, the double A-sided Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane was the first single by them NOT to go Number 1 since Please, Please Me in 1963. Such is the fickle public, and ironical nature of the Universe.

[venskus2009]

@ilpleutdansmoncoeur lady gaga is the biggest piece f shit eve. she has no idea how embarassing she is to herself, but more importantly, the American people.

[Killereyefive]

@venskus2009

Holy shit dude, I can't tell you how much I agree with you!

[venskus2009]

@Killereyefive its just absurd. shes the new brittany spears. fuckin shaving her head. but she doesnt stop there. SHE HAS TO MAKE A FUCKING PIANO OUT OF IT!!! WHAT THE FUCK???!!!

[webber2020]

yes the worlds geatest piccolo trumpet part for the worlds best band. the piccolo trumpet is extreamly harder to play cause you have to be able to play notes above the staff with the same size mouthpeice so bassically you have to be able play the trumpet very good

[young5ever]

Paul literally wrote the trumpet part? Could he read/write music?

[popingo2]

Obviously he could! him and lennon wrote most of the beatles songs!

[okltsply]

No he can not, he would hum what he wanted the studio musicians to play, or George Martin would do notation for him. Yes he "wrote" the trumpet solo to Penny Lane.

[syleriam]

Maybe he came from the George Martin.

[monteleone1010]

What about the mouthpiece? Is the mouthpiece of a pic trumpet smaller than the one used on a Bb trumpet?

[JulianBVV]

of course its mouthpiece is smaller than a b flat trumpet!!!!

[ProjectmixBros]

depends on what kind of shank you are using. Most of the time u have to use a cornet mouthpiece but sometimes u will have horns that accept trumpet mouthpieces. However, you will want almost a LEAD mouthpiece for a piccolo if u are using a trumpet mp.

[JazzyJonas]

@ProjectmixBros

You are correct about trumpet mouthpieces.

JulianBVV is not.

I am a trumpeter.

[ProjectmixBros]

I don't know why I have a thumbs down on my comment, but i do. xD You do not use a 1C on a piccolo trumpet. xD

[flamingdingleberry]

Well...you CAN use a 1C...but it's kind of pointless, so you're right on. A person with lips that size could use a 1E though.

Of course if you're of average lip just huffing and puffing into a 1C in the hopes of a big sound, then you're just a fool with a swollen lip. :P

[rollercoasterrob2]

That was so nostalgic... It gave me the shivers

[SotR59]

I'd like to try a pic. Have only played regular trumpets and cornets. Never even seen one in person.

[Vpmatt]

And he played it perfectly first time too, on the recording. Legend!

[bass0111]

Excellent.

[JimboJohnsy]

can i ask, what does the 4th valve do on a Pic

[trum7pet]

it lowers the pitch of the instrument, allowing for the horn to have a larger range.

[InterestingFlavour]

Trum7pet is right, but it can also be used by itself to play notes that use all of the first 3 valves (ie: low C Sharp)

[Elboy522]

on a "pic" the 4th valve drops the pitch down one perfect fourth so you can hit as low as a concert b

[lion82292]

what is the song at the beginning

[genuzzu]

2th branderburghese concerto, allegro assai

[jaime52]

Amazing!

[HeyMisterPostman1]

I would love to have that sheet music. I have wanted to play that trumpet part for a long time

[Froonly]

Canadian Brass did this piece a few years back. Album is "All You Need is Love." You can buy the sheet music for this album online, one book at a time.

[rockologo]

se equivoco en una nota el guey :D hasta al mejor cazador se le va la liebre.

[Laanen]

Brilliant

[ChrisBoylan]

I'm a keyboard player, hence not really in the know. My bro-in-law tells me that the piccolo trumpet is for most a novelty item because its usage is somewhat limited. Do you trumpet players agree?

[kibadanghi]

certainly not, piccolo trumpet is less seen on mainstream music but it's widely used in baroque music and others, many popular trumpet players play the piccolo only not in their area. for instance wynton marsalis is a wonderful piccolo trumpeter but you won`t see him jazzing it.

[penpiss]

Yup, as kibadanghi said, it's used a lot in Baroque music and is pitched an octave above the usual trumpet.

[trainguy111]

I aplan to make a piccolo trumpet robot which I'll call Pump

[Thohomahawk]

"Beatles"? Whats that?

[kicku24]

One of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music, with over one billion records sold internationally. And I guess you have been living all of your life under a rock.

[Curlyfunksta]

Brilliant playing! =D

[CUNfTucker]

f major 12/8 yes..

[deathlykittens]

I am a trumpet player in the 6th grade. I did some reseach on my buescher trumpet and it turns out that it is a "Buescher Elkheart True Tone trumpet"! It is in pristine condition and it plays excellent. It sounds like the real thing when i play "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".

Please do not ask to buy it off of me because i will never sell it. I am going to buy a piccolo trumpet soon.

[deathlykittens]

I forgot to say that the serial number is from 1917!

[Fishburn]

Exactly, I agree with nicky and theguitarstrumpet, in saying that, seeing that you are in sixth grade, unless you are a virtuoso, and I'm not saying you are or are not a virtuoso, but you really don't need a piccolo trumpet, nor do you need a fancy trumpet, the mark of a true virtuoso is his/her's ability to sound good on any trumpet, or mouthpiece.

[nickysaxpiccolo]

your point is?

[theguitarstrumpet]

wow you're in 6th grade you're going to buy a piccolo trumpet.

bad idea for you, have you even ever played one?

[monicatarango14]

is the piccolo trumpet a lot harder and different from a regular trumpet

[ThatCubeGuy]

well for beginners it is. a b flat piccolo trumpet plays an octave higher than a normal b flat trumpet so if u hav trouble hitting those higher notes, then yes the piccolo trumpet is a lot harder

[monicatarango14]

oh no i'm not a beginner and high notes aren't a big problem for me luckily. thanks

[stengl1021]

@monicatarango14 i was also wondering that being a regular trumpet player myself i have wanted to play this have u found out?

[atworkstation]

@monicatarango14 It's harder because you have the 4th valve.

[chaosstrike1000]

@atworkstation the fourth valve is used for low notes and tuning in the upper register

[FireMedic0703]

@monicatarango14 Yes, the piccolo trumpet has a smaller bore so the pressure that it takes to play it, is immense.

[gsmonks]

@monicatarango14 That's not a simple question to answer. Yes, it's hard work to play a piccolo trumpet, but you're given longer spells to rest. So you're working harder but playing less. So it's a different approach to playing. 

[isisisai]

@monicatarango14 the fingerings look the same as what's written on the score as for trumpet. so im guessing its the same? haha im dying to try a piccolo trumpet!

[chaosstrike1000]

@monicatarango14 The fingerings are the same you just use the 4th valve to keep really high notes and lower notes in tune like you would on a tuba.

[SecretAgentHunt]

amazing! I have been contemplating buying a pic trumpet for years. I play a standard Bb right now in college.

[322131231312312]

Just a really nice clip.

[JoshSitar]

I absolutely HATE how the producers of that original program decided to only let us hear a couple seconds of David Mason's playing instead of letting us listen to him play the ENTIRE SOLO like they should have.

Instead, the morons edit in the original song, which we've already heard thousands of times, just to be cute. Seriously, why would they have done that? Just to aggravate people?! Certainly I'm not the only one irritated by that.

[bigcherry99]

@JoshSitar i'm very angry at these producers. does anyone know who they are?

[flimbambo]

@JoshSitar I agree- very rude that. I wonder if they thought that he wasn't up to doing it justice.

[kenfig]

@JoshSitar My feelings exactly ! (and many others' i suspect)

[unwindzen]

@JoshSitar Yes, that was aggravating.

[zoneoff999]

Wow, fantastic! I wish there were more to hear...

thanks for shareing!

[DICKdeNORMATITY]

SUPERB. ITS HARD TO DT THAT HIGH.

[arielsin]

wow, amazing, gracias por compartir

[Maren45]

My dirigent ownes that trumpet now. He bought it in 1970 for 80 pounds. : )

Yesterday my corps ( including me ) had a consert with beatles music.

My friend, Henrik, played on that trumpet.

not a copy or something, but exactly the same as david mason are using in this video :)

[rdangelo]

What is a dirigent?

[trumpetpete]

The Selmer trumpet that Mr Mason used in Penny Lane was auctioned, and fetched far more than £80.00

[Maren45]

No.

My friend, Henrik, used it in a concert.

my corps had a beatles-concert. and

my dirigent bought it for £80.00

he told us the whole story before the concert..

the story also was in the newspaper! and i promise, Michael don't lie ;)

sorry for my bad english, I'm a norwegian :p

[trumpetpete]

The Piccolo trumpet used in Penny Lane was sold at Auction for over £15,000.00 -not £80.00. Please see other users comments too to back up this fact.

[DancingSpiderman]

Sorry for MY bad english...

... I am American.

[mcnarybandmarcher]

yeah he came to my high school and gave us a hour long trumpet sectional for free!

he is amazing

[mistaohareeoh]

disregard that wtf lol was messing with audio preview

[mistaohareeoh]

what is he playing at the beginning? wtf

[dtingleff]

2nd brandenberg concerto, as he states right afterwards, lol.

i'm not sure whether i got the spelling though.

[MIGUEL2005LIMA]

THIRD MOVEMENT, YOUR RIGHT.

[AzBboy]

amazing

[RodCornholio]

WOW! Never in a million years would I have guessed I'd be watching the guy that performed the emotional crescendo of Penny Lane (perhaps my favorite Beatles song) not to mention hearing the story behind it.

Thanks. And thanks to youtube and the internet gods.

[bthrun90]

i totally agree with that

[raffirocks]

Does this trumpet ending can be heard on CDS?

[adriantptlugo]

muuuy muy bueno!!

hacía tiempo que quería ver al trompetista de penny lane!

[zenlib]

Rare and very interesting video. Thanks for posting. Mr. Mason you are a true gentleman and a scholar.

[FritziRitz]

ive heard two versions of the song..one with the trumpet ending and one with a stranger sound..anyone know why???

[dippey]

I think you may of heard the version of 'Penny Lane' that was distributed to radio stations in the US & Canada at the end of January 1967,this version has seven extra notes on the very end of the recording but they were later removed from the commercial release.

[z1093]

or the ending on beatles anthology, which was different. paul didn't like it, and eventually brought in the piccolo trumpet.

[thomasraffiwiggles1]

I guess Paul McCartney was the one who deleted the trumpet ending on January 25 1967.

[beatlesmack9]

and What a suitable ending I thought. =j

[Karmatron2]

That is called an Oboe... sounds cool to me 2

[nickmusic12]

lol you retard

[Karmatron2]

ass

[RaininRhythm]

*drool* mad skillz

[DancingSpiderman]

It's nice to be able to place a name and a face to the famous musical line in this song! I salute you, David Mason.

[Karmatron2]

i totally agree... history in the making

[ASSSTUD]

well done dave, i hope you are getting royalties dude if not there is no justice PM

[bobilleg74]

Really nice clip!

[trumpetrecital]

One of the greats - thanks for sharing this clip!

[trump3teer]

Bravo David Mason. As a trumpet player who was old enough to appreciate Penny Lane when it was released, I found the pic track inspiring and totally intimidating. Spot on articulation, impeccably in tune. Mr. Mason we salute you. And bow down.

[HoustonTrumpet]

This video is a real treat, especially for those of us who are both trumpeters and Beatles fans. Thank you for posting it!

[rdangelo]

I have known about Mr. Mason for some time. It's the ultimate trumpet trivia question with tons of false answers, including Derek Watkins, Phillip Jones, Lew Soloff, etc.

[bonejobber]

Bloody good! So many of my musician friends, many who were not even born when Penny Lane was first released, have insisted that the track was faked with a Bb trumpet played down an octave at half-speed. They claim that the playing was just "too good" to have been played on a piccolo trumpet by anyone from that era, implying that 1960's brass playing was at the level of hirsute, slope-browed Australopithecines blowing on antelope horns. This should put that rubbish to rest once and for all!

[trumpetpete]

The original trumpet part on Penny Lane was played on a Selmer piccolo trumpet, however in the documentary it is indeed a Schilke

[65strad]

Regarding the brand of this piccolo trumpet, I believe that it is a Schilke and not a Selmer. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believ that I am.

[trumpetpete]

I found this on wikipedia:- In August 1987, the piccolo trumpet played by David Mason on "Penny Lane" and two other Beatles tracks ("All You Need Is Love" and "Magical Mystery Tour") was sold in an auction at Sotheby's for $10,846.

[dippey]

You can see a picture of it by doing a image search on google, try entering "penny lane trumpet" Not sure were it lives though, (hard Rock cafe maybe ?) I know there is a Besson & Co. cornet played by Derek Watkins on several Beatle's recordings including "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", "Hey Jude", and "Revolution 1" at the New Orleans Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia site.

[trumpetpete]

Dippey - sorry you are wrong.

[dippey]

Not sure which part I have wrong but the image search does (at least it did a few moments ago)link to a trumpet in a display case supposedly played on 'Penny Lane' & 'All You Need Is Love' with what looks like all four Beatle signatures on the music part, Is it genuine ?

As for the Derek Watkins cornet info this again came from a search on the Hard Rock Cafe (New Orleans)site under memorabilia. Is It wrong?

[tjtrumpet]

A Selmer? I read in a book detailing all the Beatles' recording sessions that he played it on a Couesnon. At least I think it was a Couesnon. It was a long time ago when I read the book.

[trumpetpete]

It was a Selmer B flat/A Piccolo Trumpet. I was fortunate enough to have several lessons (many years ago) from David. I even saw the original trumpet part that he scribed.

[crispiansp]

It is really good to see this marvellous trumpeter being appreciated. He was 1st trumpet of the Philharmonia Orchestra for many years. What people do not know is that throughout his 50 year career he has voluntarily worked for causes which support less fortunate musicians. For example he donated the Selmer trumpet used on the famous Beatles recording to be auctioned for charity.

[bonejobber]

From your username, I think I know who you are. I am a Yank bass trombonist who has been a bonkers fan of your playing and your musicianship for decades. In my opinion, you are without peer on the natural trumpets.

[tjtrumpet]

The high note on the Penny Lane solo is a concert E above high C. The reason Dave plays it open is because he's playing piccolo trumpet pitched in A. Concert E on an A piccolo trumpet = G.

[jack07981]

do u have a fingering chart for piccolo trumpets??? (using the 4th valve)???

[tjtrumpet]

Low C# & F# are 2 & 4, low D and G are 4th, and the money note is low F, which is 1 & 4. The reason I say money note is it's probably the most used 4th valve note. When your picc is pitched in A, the low F is a concert D, allowing you to play the majority of Baroque literature, which is usually pitched in D concert. The 4th valve will extend the low range of the picc, altho notes below low F or E often don't have the best sound.

[jack07981]

wats the range for a piccolo trumpet?

[skiierman07]

...whatever you want it to be! In all seriousness, however, the range for pic is quite similar to that of a big Bb. Written parts generally don't go higher than High A, although there are a few exceptions. I believe the highest note in Penny Lane is a High G

[jack07981]

tah!! still waitin 4 mine 2 come :<

[jack07981]

if i can get top d on a normal trumpet would i be able to get it on piccolo trumpet? (the d above the stave)

[HoustonTrumpet]

The range of a 4-valve piccolo trumpet is generally as follows: Lowest note = D below the staff (although C# below this is a possibility if you must.)  Highest note: It is generally a good idea not to play higher than a high F concert (G on Bb picc., Ab on A picc.) Notes above the staff up to this point sound great, but if you go higher than this, you starts to sound like a lead trumpet = bad in this case. EXCEPTION: Bach Brandenburg Concerto #2.

[Drag0ncl0ud]

which f concert? the high f or the double high f?

[HoustonTrumpet]

Double high F concert is generally the highest note used on piccolo trumpet. On Bb piccolo, this is G on the 4th leger line above the staff, and on A piccolo, this is Ab above this 4th leger line. However, most piccolo repertoire generally goes up to only D or Eb concert below this. When playing off of parts written for Bb soprano trumpet, you must sometimes shift some phrases an octave lower or higher to get the best effect.

[all4trance]

wow thank you!

[Crisstti]

Thanks for uploading!.