Learning the Trumpet

No one can actually teach you to play the trumpet.   Ultimately you must teach yourself.   Each person is different and plays differently.  You must figure out what works for you. 

A warm up - practice routine can be useful.   Start by playing long tones - single notes held for a long time. Play an easy note first like - G in the staff or bottom space F.  The note should be able to be played without tension and it should be rather easy to hold the note a long time. Clark 1 expanding chromatic exercise is a good follow up - keep the air moving easilly through the horn.  Then the Stamp major scale exercise.   The routine should not tire you out.  If it does - cut back on it. Take it easy - rest more.   Play melodies out of fake books or etude books. Playing melodies makes it real obvious if it is out of tune or has a bad sound. Play along with CDs.

Always try to make it sound better while you are practicing.  If it starts sounding worse then stop (for a minute, hours or day)   Do something that will completely take your mind off of it. Try it again later in the day. Usually you will sound better.

No long term improvement can be made unless improvement is made while practicing. That should be an obvious concept.

The rest during practice is as important as the practice itself. Do not play something wrong over and over again.   Rest, then try it again.  Rest more than you play! Piddle around, dont be in a hurry. Have something else to do while practing. Your subconscious mind is then free to work on the trumpet. Too much conscious thought about it gets in the way. Trying too hard usually fails. 

You cannot play the instrument without some mouthpiece pressure on the lips. Zero pressure is a misnomer, but less pressure works better. Less pressure and less muscle force on the air results in a better sound.  It also gives you more endurance and makes it easier to recover the next day from a difficult performance.  There will be times when you have to beat the hell out of your lips. Keep your mind in the sound not the lips.  Don't touch your lips, buzz your lips, lick your lips(except while playing), put junk on your lips.  They recover a lot quicker without your interference.
 
 

Links

Perfection - Tine Thing Helseth with Det Norske Kammerorkester, notice the complete lack of any muscle tension

The Berliner Philharmoniker perform Stravinsky's Petrushka / Trumpet tutorial

Bud Herseth Lesson Notes

Bud Herseth more info

Pencil Exercise - G Rawlin

Roy Stevens method

Audio of Roy Stevens Playing Octaves Using the Tongue Stop Position

Bill Moriarity talking about Roy Stevens and the history of the Stevens-Costello method

YouTube - Trumpet Lesson 4 - Zero Pressure technique

Lynn Nicholson - can scream without forcing it

Bill Adam - Great Teacher

Bill Adam

Jimmy Stamp - Great Teacher

Jimmy Stamp

Stamp Upper Register Etudes

Freddie Hubbard - The Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Freddie Hubbard - Straight Life

Miles Davis

Miles Davis - So What

Yamaha Schilke Clones

Bach Stradivarius Models - TrumpetMaster

Bach Mouthpiece Picture History

Bach Trumpet Mouthpiece Size Comparison Chart

Dave's Bach Trumpet Page

Besson Trumpets

Olds Special - TrumpetMaster

YAMALLOY - older yamaha trumpets may have valve problems

Guide to new trumpets

Bach - Schilke Mouthpiece comparison chart

Holton Heim Mouthpiece vs stork vacciano.url

Holton Heim Series Trumpet Mouthpiece

Kanstul Mouthpiece Comparator - superimposes trumpet mouthpiece profiles

Kanstul.com Gustat Mouthpiece

Mouthpiece throat size

Drill bit sizes

Stork Vacchiano Mouthpiece

The Mouthpiece gap

Trumpet, Cornet and Flugelhorn Mouthpieces

Brass Rot (Red Rot) Removal, Surface Treatment & Prevent

Yamaha 636