Its important to listen to what your body is telling you. Forcing yourself to carry on at this stage in your training and development could do a great deal of damage and set you back when you start playing the more challenging peices.Ask your instructor about Pedal notes, long notes[be careful not to over do it on the long notes]and lip slurs.Playing in the upper register needs to be supported by a good breathing technique and the minimum of pressure on the lip. I have to agree that if you have damaged a muscle and you continue to use that muscle it will not heal.

If playing too much is causing pain, the real problem is too much mouthpiece pressure. These people can help: http://www.screamin.net .

Do you mean that you damaged your lip by "banging" it while marching? If so, then some time to heal should do the trick.

I still think it is simply impossible to damage your lip by simply playing if you are playing and breathing (and marching) correctly unless there is more to the story.

Playing correctly includes such things as proper wind and air support, and an embrochure that is closed enough to allow your lips to buzz. Keep in mind that playing correctly means also knowing when to stop.

However, even overplaying should heal itself with rest.

If rest is not getting your lips back to normal, then you must have done - or still be doing - something really wrong.

What has your teacher said about this problem?

Shawn Hines

Holy cow guys, practicing is not supposed to be easy. Look at it this way... In any sport you have grueling practices and they leave you feeling sore or whatever, you come back the next day and do it again and again and again... Why? because it makes you better. I practice for 2 1/2 hours a day, you dont think my lips scream at me to stop? well they do, but I tell them off. When we do a marching show 5 out of 10 times I finish with a split lip, and it heals fine and I play for 2 1/2 hours the next day. Practice makes perfect, pain is weakness leaving your body. If you are really serious about becoming a good player you will learn that practicing the trumpet is not easy, it takes work, dedication, and yes, pain. This is all my opinion, but When I graduate from college I am going to be invited back to be a trumpet professor, listen to who you want.

Ok, there are various levels of "injure" bleeding, soreness, or having a fat lip all are acceptable. However, the term "blowing out your lip" referring to actually injuring your lip (signs are continuous pain and difficulty in moving and pain to the touch) is serious. If this does happen then 1 you are not setting your embochure properly, and 2 you are using too much mouth piece pressure, and 3 you need to take a few days off. Use lip protectant (NOT CHAPSTICK OR CARMEX THEY MAKE YOUR LIPS WEAKER) Use a players lip protectant which you can find at your local music store.

Well it is not because I can not take pain I do karate so pain is the least of my worries. It is everytime I play my top lip swells and I can not pitch even the simplest of notes. When this happens it gets hard to even make a sound.

well in that case stop pressing so damn hard. This is almost certainly because you are using too much pressure and it is pinching your lip. Pressure is like the last thing you need to think about when going for high notes. Embochure, air, air speed, and "smiling" is key. Put all you have into forcing that air through and know you are going to play the notes, dont press to struggle for them.

This is in reply to the messages of "trumpetsforever." First of all, I can tell that many things are going right when it comes to your playing. It feels very empowering when you have your skills and techniques under control. However, through your messages, I sense a bit of a cocky attitude: an attitude that I absolutely dislike in a trumpet player. This gives the I-know-everything-and-you-don`t type of vibe to your messages, and is not in any way constructive to the one with the problem.

There is something you must consider; the person who blew her lip has only been playing for a year or so and you`re at a totally different level than her being in University. A blown lip after a year of playing is not the same as a blown lip after years and years of playing.

If you have any more things to post saying how good you are, then I don`t want to read it. It`s childish and it`s what thirteen-year-olds do. I expect more from someone in university who wants to be a professor.

Tara, if your teacher is good, then do what many people are saying and listen to him or her. It`s too tough to assess something as complicated as trumpet technique over the internet because we can`t see or hear the problem for ourselves. AND it`s tough for you assess whether or not the advice you`re given over the Internet is valid. However, take my word, I already have a honors bachelors degree in music education. In other words, I officially know my stuff when it comes to the trumpet. hehehe.

-Take care, have a great summer
-Roy

news flash roy, almost all trumpet players are cocky ( including me ). they all feel like they have to blast high and loud. its not mature, but then again trumpet players are not known to ever be modest .

You can`t generalize cockyness over all trumpet players. I`m confident in my playing, and I don`t need to boost my ego by letting down other trumpet players. If we let each other down, then we won`t be able to play together, let alone get along. That`s the difference between being cocky and confident. In the long-run, confidence will get you further. Do you get where I`m going?

- Keep it humble.

If you read my post I am not saying anything bad about her playing at all. I simply tell her what the problem is, why its the problem, and my personal experience because being a more skilled player ADVICE is helpful. "Cocky attitude"... are you sure you are even a trumpet player? I have not met one pro yet who doesnt think he is the hottest stuff on earth, be it a jazz, classical, or latin player- and I have met alot. Shoot, I even had the extreme pleasure of meeting Marsalis, and even though he came off as modest we were talking and I asked about his relationship with the other trumpet players and he responded "I try to teach these guys as much as I can because they all want to be like me, but sadly they never will" and he winked, freaking awesome. Ever heard of the trumpet handshake? One player shakes the other`s hand and states "Hi, my name is _, and I am better than you" Trumpeters have never been modest, confidence is key to playing.

This is great. This is the type of post that should be on the forum. We`re venturing off in another topic, but... oh well.

This is my mindset when it comes to my skills. I want to be the best player that I can be. I know that my best may be better than others, but I relate more between me and my trumpet than between me and other players. I used to think more of the latter and it put a lot of pressure on me to improve faster, and ultimately slowed me down. The way that I think now still puts pressure on me, but I can improve at my own pace.

Did you read between Marsalis` lines? I think that it has a double meaning. He has tremendous confidence in his playing, but he also knows that being a musician is an individual accomplishment. His students will never be like him because they are not Wynton Marsalis. Similarily, Trumpetsforever will never play like Roy and Roy will never play like Trumpetsforever. We are all individual players with our own individual strengths and weaknesses. That, my friend, is the beauty of being an artist.

By the way, no need to question me about being a trumpet player. I live and breathe trumpet. I love it!!

- Keep me on my feet
- lates

Holy cow I am high and I have no idea how I got to this website

I am very sorry if I offended anyone on this website. Whatever wording I have used in the past was not intended to give anyone a negative impression of myself. I answer to these forums in very little time and hardly read over what I say. I have never gotten a comment in my life of being cocky people tell me that I am too modest, but to here another person`s perspective(especially a trumpet player) can sometimes be a good thing. Please forgive any statements of mine that give the impression that I am cocky.