Trumpet Basics
How to build a good fundament for your play
This chapter presents exercises designed to help improve sound, endurance, flexibility, and pitch.
As trumpet players, it is essential to repeatedly address certain aspects of our playing, as we often do not have time to focus on individual aspects while practicing and playing pieces.
Therefore, find a quiet place, relax, and practice the Basics.
Inhalt
If not, take a look at the fingering chart! There you will find all the notes with the corresponding valve combinations and sound samples:
Long Tones
Practicing long notes is very important for improving sound and control over the notes.
The idea of these exercises comes from a very famous trumpet pedagogue and player named Arnold Jacobs.
He developed the system "song and wind". It says that trumpeters should think like singers. He emphasized mental imagery: imagining the ideal sound or tone before playing. What you imagine in your head guides your playing.
This exercise is specifically designed to practice and establish your imagination of the notes.
play slowly with a warm sound
play in one phrase and breath
Think like a singer!
- play only as high as you can easily play
- breathe in the notes you want to play
- try to learn this exercise by heart
- use a metronome
- play in one breath
- always play slowly
- be aware of your sound - think of blowing warm air against a window
Airflow
These exercises by Herbert L. Clarke help players develop fast fingers, smooth airflow, and clear tone.
Even though the studies can be challenging, they are designed to be played slowly and carefully, making them useful for players of all levels.
Practicing these studies regularly helps trumpet players improve their control, accuracy, and smoothness in playing.
- play slowly but press down the valves fast
The accidentals at the beginning of each line apply to each note of the line.
- play in a range you can play easily
- choose each time you practice only one or two lines - stay with them until you know them by heart
- use a metronome - start very slow and slowly get faster
- change articulation: bend all the notes, bend only two notes, play all notes short, long, hard, soft, .... you can be very creative with this exercise
- change dynamics! (but play this exercise soft in general)
- change tempo
Use only one valve combination per line (the one given at the beginning of each line).
Do you remember the harmonic series? Here you can learn how to play it.
Remember to take a big breath before playing
- play in a range you can play easily
- do not think "up and down", think more like forward and backward
- think of an "A" or "O" for the low notes and an "E" for the higher notes
- the corners of your lips should be stable while playing (thinking of biting in a citron when going higher can help with that)
- Take breaks! This exercise could be really challenging
- Be aware of smooth transitions between the notes
- don't be hard to yourself, this is a never ending exercise for every trumpet player of the world... if you can't play it right now, it doesn't matter, try out another time
Practice slowly and accurate.
- play in the notated rhythm! that will help you to get a good flow and musicality while practicing
- only practice one scale each time you practice
- learn them by heart! Scales are a key element to improvisation
- use a metronome
Exercises:
- sing with tone names
- sing and press your valves at the same time
- you don't need to practice the whole scale! E.g. practice only the first three notes and then the other four... small steps are the fastest way to reach your goal!
- improvise with the notes of the scale
- invent your own little exercises with the notes of the scale
When practicing, try to let the air flow as well as if you were bending all notes.