hey,
lately i`ve been having problems- i play for about 15 minutes and my entire mouth-lips n everything become extremely sore. i think its mouthpiece pressure but it never used to happen to me earlier.
i also think endurance(?) has a part in it so if u guys can make any suggestions thatd be great!

just to help- im 14years old, hav been playing for about 1 year and 10 months. my range goes from the low f# to the first c above the staff..(high c??)

Your range is OK, so don`t get too obsessed about going too much higher, you should concentrate on tone, and breathing.

Keep the arm pressure out of the equation, and work on free blowing. At 14 the way you practice is not bad. Try 15 mins on and 20 mins off (read a book or listen to some music between practice.

Do not overdo the chops, overuse may be causing some of your problems, when it starts to hurt, or feel tired, then stop.

There`s been a lot written about Pencil Exercises to buils embrouchure, so maybe try this as well during the day. Again do not do too much, you`re still pretty young and growing.

What does your Music Teacher say?

thanks Peter,

my music teacher..she`s a bit wel iv been wanting to change for months but havent got the gut to say anything.Her "best" student who she is so proud of in senior year from what i no is popular for her range-d#, 3 semitones higher than me.
thats another thing, my music teacher choses everything for me- the grades i do and everything. she doesnt think im capable of doing third grade this year but i think i am- i can play al the solos with dynamic contrast, etc n my range is also ok but yeh

lol sorry i get ccarried away sometimes
i tried the lip strenghening thinggies n they worked heaps good so i recommend it
also lip buzzing is good and frequent brakes

THEN REBBEl!!!!!!!!!!!!
If u r not doing wat u want then leave the teacher!!
That`s what i would do!!
But have u tryied asking to play 3rd grade things?
I she doesn`t leave u do them, well it`s dead...sorry to be brutal but it`s is true if u can`t get to play wat u want then it`s as well if u stop playing an instrument...but don`t do that though
I have sort of the same prob. but i just play what i want and he(the teacher) doesn`t know (ie i play what he askes me to play and then i play what i want. easy life like that isn`t it) But he has a good reason to stop me playing difficulte pieces than his coz i have an terrible rythm prob

I would concentrate on the AMEB grade tests, and work on appegios and lip slurs, run chromatic from bottom c to High c (2 octs) and do it without thinking. Perhaps a local Youth Orchestra will also solve some of the problems with a good conductor and other groups.

Don`t get too obsessed about top notes. Concentrate on tone, free breathing, and a solid hit (accurate) hit to each note.

You still got to get through double and triple tongueing... Keep swingin` and enjoy the horn.

99% of endurance comes from correct playing, not muscle strength. You shouldn`t strive to increase what your body can do, but rather strive to decrease what your body has to do. Try to make every note as effortless and effcient as possible, this is the key to trumpet playing. For any note at any dynamic level there is a correct balance of the 4 P`s that will make the note as easy as possible. The 4 P`s being mouthpiece Placement, Pucker(an often misunderstood term, it refers to the very slight action of the corners moving towards the mouthpiece), air Push, and mouthpiece Pressure(as little as needed, but as you go higher and louder, more will be needed to retain tone. balance pressure with the air push, and the pucker).

Remember, it`s not WHAT you practice, it`s HOW you practice. Concentrate on every note, as easy as possible. Also, ensure that your posture is correct for the best usage of your air(Sitting straight up with shoulders back, not up. Deep breath, don`t let the chest collapse on the exhale.) When you are playing completely correctly, your abs and back should tire before your lips.

COOl...THANKS

oh yeh..one more thing..u no in ur trumpet u hav the spit valve right..? well mines empty but it still crackles. lasst time this happened i was told that it was the 3rd valve slide, so i held the third valve down, pushed the slide out n then tried n all the water came out (i olnly have one water key) but this time its not helping..any suggestions?

Hold all the valves down and twirl the horn in the direction of the bell (Away from you) and this should move the water along to another section (ususally the consensation runs out of the bell.

If you twirl towards you, you can get the drops on your shirt (out of the mouthpiece) - not nice experience. It usually stays clear for a long period after that.

how often do u guys practice?

1 to 2 hours a day, every day. Not including Band and group playing.

my mmsic teacher is shouting at me well..not that but
she says tat she nose that i havent been practising, thats why my sound is "off"
the truth is that i hvae been pratising. why do i still sound terrible?

hi, what are the lip strengthener thinggies? i would like to try it.

i hate my school
theres too many trumpets
i hate it
they all suc well all in the year abov me and below the seniors are good though

im fat

Yes, i want to a clinic near where i live at wester connecticut state university where a trumpet player by the name of Terrel Strafford told us he has this problem at about the age of 22, and his lips were so bad that he had to put Preperation H on his lips everyday to make his lips feel better, and he told us, when we try to hit the upper register, we constrict our muscles, but he then told us to play with a "who" sound which keeps the airflow open. And ever since he tought us (Other band members)that, my range has skyrocketed.