Plays the trumpet

Appropriate predisposition to play the trumpet

Unfortunately, the trumpet is not one of the easy instruments, on the contrary, it is one of the most difficult to master when it comes to brass. It not only requires a lot of effort on our lungs, but above all, spending many hours on technical exercises. It is not even about being able to make a huge number of sounds within one blow, although this is also the responsibility of technical skills, but above all that it sounds really good. Therefore, it is worth going to the teacher for a trial lesson in order to verify your abilities before the final purchase of the instrument. Of course, when going to the trial lesson, do not expect someone to lend us their instrument. It is dictated primarily by hygienic reasons and for this reason we should buy a mouthpiece so that we can have our own. The instrument itself can be borrowed from the instrument rental shop.

The beginnings of learning to play the trumpet. How to make a trumpet sound?

And here it is important not to give up too quickly because, as we wrote in the introduction, the trumpet is quite a demanding instrument and, especially at the beginning, we can have great difficulties with producing any clear sound. Although it may surprise us, the first trumpet lesson often takes place without an instrument. Many educators use the method where we work dry first. At the beginning, we focus on the correct positioning of the mouth, which we arrange in such a way as if we want to pronounce the consonant “m” by stretching it in time. Then we work sensitively on the tongue as if we were holding a piece of paper at its end, and then we try to draw the tongue in as if we wanted to spit it out. Only after we have mastered these basic elements of the mouth and language work, we should reach for the instrument.

During our first struggles with the instrument, we do not press any valves, but focus on trying to extract a clear sound. Only when we manage to do this, we can check what sounds will be produced after pressing each of the individual valves. The valves are numbered, starting with number 1, the one closest to you. By pressing the valves 1,2,3 in turn, you will notice that the further and the higher the valve number, the higher the sound will be made by our instrument. At the beginning, before you warm up well, I suggest you start playing on the lower tones. During exercise, we must remember about proper breathing. Always take a full breath in and do not raise your arms while drawing in air. Try to inhale at a pace and have a relaxing effect on you, while exhaling should be even. As for the blast, it depends on certain physical conditions. Each of us has a slightly different body structure, mouth and teeth shaped differently, which is why the blast is a very individual matter. What works well for one trumpeter, does not necessarily work for the other. However, there are some basic rules that you should stick to. Try to arrange your lips so that the corners of your mouth are steady. In addition, the mouth and the whole face have to get used to the vibration and the position in which you will get the best sound quality. Avoid putting excessive pressure on the mouthpiece by maintaining contact only just enough so that air does not escape between the mouthpiece and the mouth. The playing posture is also important – try not to point the sound spell towards the floor. It will naturally go down, but let’s do it in such a way that this deviation is not very significant. On the other hand, try to press the pistons firmly with your fingertips.

When to start learning to play the trumpet?

Most instruments are similar to sports and the sooner we start learning, the better. Wind instruments, however, require direct involvement of the lungs, therefore it is worth starting learning only when the child’s lungs are properly formed. In the case of young children, learning should take place under the professional supervision of a professional teacher, where the time and type of exercises will be strictly observed.

Summation

Undoubtedly, the trumpet belongs to one of the most popular brass pieces. It is very popular due to its amazing sound qualities and the fact that it is small itself, which makes it very handy. All fans of this sound who want to learn to play this instrument, I strongly encourage you to try your hand. It is an amazing instrument that can repay you with an amazing effect. The trumpet is widely used in every musical genre and every musical formation, ranging from small chamber ensembles to the largest orchestras. We can perform amazing solo runs on it as well as it is an indispensable element of the entire brass section.