How do you clean a trumpet?

How Do I Increase the Range On My Trumpet?

• Hey guys. I play the trumpet and I have been playing for 4 years now. I am a freshman and I can already hit up to a High B. But here lately I have been getting bad headaches (from playing really loud). The first chair trumpet and second chair trumpet and also the Assistant Director have been watching me. The first and second chair trumpets have said I'm the best freshmen trumpet player. But like I have said about the headache, my lips have also started wearing out. We have a song that we have to play a regular high G and It is a struggle for me to get it now, when i used to could hit it really easy Please give me some exercises and pointers on how to increase my resistance and strengthen the muscles in my lips. Thanks Guys!!!

• Answer:

  First, why are you playing really loud? Is it demanded by the music or just something you're doing? Playing louder than required is a quick route to all sorts of problems for trumpet players. So it starts with dynamic levels when you are practicing. If it's marked fortissimo play it mezzo forte--marked forte play mezzo piano--etc. This does a few really good things--it tends to improve you tone and control; it typically reduces mouthpiece pressure; it helps develop less restrictive airflow; and it allows you to practice longer. Your symptoms--headaches and "lips...wearing out" are typical of restricted airflow, and excessive mouthpiece pressure. It already sounds like damage has been done--so you need to minimize further damage and undo any damage that has already been done. Take it easy during rehearsal--don't push anything. Keep the dynamics down and back off on the high notes. Above all, resist the urge to use mouthpiece pressure to compensate for a lack of embouchure strength--it is counter-productive as you have already discovered. In practice take it really easy. Do not continue to play after you begin feeling fatigue. Limit your practice session to no more than 15 minutes, even if you're not feeling fatigued. You should probably shoot for four 15 minute practice sessions a day--and one of them should be before you go to school. The key to that first practice session is low, slow and soft. I'd suggest starting on your low "C", use a good attack and hold the note 8 counts (60 bpm) at piano. Continue down the scale chromatically until you get to your low "F#". Go back up to your second line "G". Continue up and down the chromatic scale between second line "G" and low "F#" until your lips feel nice and loose. Work your major scales tongued and slurred not getting above 3nd space "C". The idea here is to warm up and prepare yourself for the day. Once you get home it's three 15 minute practice session separated by at least an hour. You don't need to play high to build embouchure strength, you build embouchure strength by lots of repetitions of exercises designed to increase strength and flexibility. Eventually you will need to do some high note work, but that comes once the rebuilding process is accomplished. So, play lip slurs--2, 3, even 4 note lip slurs--but nothing higher than you can comfortably play--I still like that 3rd space "C" as your upper limit. Your lip slurs should be no more rapidly than you can perform them cleanly--don't worry, they will get quicker and cleaner over time. Also do interval work--5ths and Octaves, both slurred and tongued. Gradually your embouchure strength, range and endurance will begin to increase. Just a couple of things about range. Playing high requires you push more air through your horn faster. Mouthpiece pressure limits your ability to do that. Playing with excessive tongue arch can do that too--it creates increased air pressure and the increased pressure is what is giving you the headaches--it's called a "Valsalva Maneuver", you can look it up on-line--but it's not good for you. You have to learn how to control your breath with your diaphragm--not your throat, your tongue or even your lips. The lips are pressed more tightly to play higher, but there should always be an open feeling. The playing too loudly can also cause this to happen because your trying to blow more air through the horn than it is capable of accepting. That causes a pressure increase and instant Valsalva. Having said this, a couple of lessons with a good trumpet teacher would probably be the best thing for you to do. I'm really just guessing what your problem or problems are. Nothing I've told you to do will hurt you, but watching and listening to you play is much better than trying to figure out what is going on over the internet. Anyway--goo luck--and remember to take things easy until your lip recovers.