Adolph Herseth and the Chicago Sound

In Episode 19 of The Ultimate Trumpet Podcast, Adam and Bella dig into one of the most legendary figures in orchestral brass history: Adolph "Bud" Herseth, principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 53 years. Based on Michael Droste's article "Adolph Herseth and the Chicago Sound: What Made His Tone Unmistakable" from TrumpetStudio.com, this episode goes well beyond the mythology to look at what Herseth actually did, what he actually taught, and what players at every level can take from his approach.

Michael Droste was part of the Chicago brass world during the years Herseth was still actively playing and attended a Herseth master class in person. What's in this episode isn't secondhand legend — it's the real story from someone who was there.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• What the Chicago Sound Actually Was — Not just loud. Core density, cross-register evenness, and command. The distinction between a sound defined by size and a sound defined by character — and why that difference matters.
• The Physical Foundation — Why Herseth was reluctant to talk mechanics, and what we can piece together anyway: a firm but non-rigid embouchure, no high-pressure squeezing in the upper register, and air use that connected directly to Arnold Jacobs' "Song and Wind" philosophy.
• Air as the Engine — The single most important technical principle behind Herseth's playing. The embouchure doesn't produce sound — the air does. Players who reverse that priority are working against the instrument.
• The Mouthpiece Story — Herseth's famous Bach 1C / Schilke hybrid, the "1CH" screw-rim design Michael Droste owns, and the crucial lesson about why hunting for a legendary player's mouthpiece is almost always the wrong move.
• What He Said at the Master Class — Thinking in phrases, not notes. Music telling the body what to do, not the other way around. Two ideas from one afternoon that are worth writing down.
• The Tuba Mouthpiece Warmdown — The post-concert practice Herseth recommended to new CSO players. The kind of practical knowledge that lives inside professional orchestras and doesn't make it into method books.
• The Larger Legacy — What a 53-year career at the highest level actually demonstrates about technique, musicianship, and what the trumpet can sound like when everything is working.

Resources Mentioned in the podcast:

• The Ultimate Warmup for Trumpet
• The Ultimate Technical Study for Trumpet
• The Ultimate Wedding Book for Trumpet

Available at: https://TrumpetStudio.com

Trumpet Studio – Practice Hub app puts everything a serious trumpeter needs in one place: an animated fingering chart, a deep music library, Blues play-alongs, a metronome that counts out loud, and a Record Yourself studio to hear what your audience hears. Built by a Chicago-trained pro in the Jacobs and Herseth tradition of song and wind, it trains your ears instead of your eyes, so every practice session sounds more like music.

Get it on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trumpet-studio-practice-hub/id318232014