My problem is this. My lips are normally callused, well, they're just not all soft and smooth, and when I play, they get softer and softer until I just can't play anymore. My lips get like this after about 90 minutes of moderate playing, and when they're like that my tone sounds terrible, I can't play notes in the 3rd register, and well, this is a big problem, because some days I'm required to be playing constantly. I really try to keep practicing even when I'm tired, to build up resistance, but it only gets worse. I need a way to keep my lips 'stiff', or some miracle cure!!!! this problem cannot be ignored any longer, it has caused me much embarrasment and difficulties. Please help any way you can. thank you!

Hey,

Are you sure your problem is actually caluses? Because I can't say ive ever heard of that being an issue for trumpet players. It sounds to me like its just muscle fatigue. After playing for a while you just get tired, it happens to everyone. You can work on this problem by practicing breathing and using more of your air and less of your lip muscles. Let the air do the work for you. It would be a good idea to ask your instructor to help you more with breathing even though im sure he does. Just have him reccomend some extra excercizes you can do. YOu could try breathing gym or some other breathing routines. Also another problem might be that your embouchure is just getting too spread after such a long time playing which is also a common problem for trumpet players. Some good excercises for bringing them back together are> low range clark studies at a low volume like starting on low g , or you can do some quiet breath attacks, my instructor who is a professional really likes to do what he calls the magic notes which is starting on g and working your way up chromatically slowly using a half, half, whole note pattern with a whole rest in between each use pu tu tu tounging softly and long dont take the horn off your face and dont change your embouchure just breath through your nose. I really think these ways will help you with your problem if its what i think it is. I do these things and i can play trumpet for really long amounts of time without getting tired. Out of curiosity what kind of playing do you do daily? Try these out and tell me how they work. Good luck.
-nick

Thanks for the advice nick, I think I understand what you're trying to say, and I'll take your advice and tell you how it goes. I play concert band music daily, things like 'Lord of the Dance', but in my private lessons I do mainly classical and I'm doing 5th grade. Thanks again for the advice, I can't wait to start using these new techniques.