TRUMPET ESSENTIALSGilda Turdó

Parts of the Trumpet

Holding the Trumpet It is important to hold the trumpet correctly so

that no long term damage is caused to your body Good posture is the key to healthy playing Good posture promotes good air flow and tone This is the first step to master for good trumpet

playing Fingers must stay curved, feeling natural and

relaxed Trumpet is brought to face while seated in an

upright position, NEVER lean towards the trumpet Trumpet must point downwards at about a 45˚

angle

PostureGOOD POSTURE BAD POSTURE

Placement of the HandsLEFT HAND RIGHT HAND

Making Sounds on the Trumpet It is always good to start out with

breathing exercises before playing on the trumpet, this will get your lungs warmed up and ready to play

Breath attacks and long tones are a great way to start off the day playing on the trumpet

Articulation can then be added into a warm up routine before going into repertoire

The Four P’s for Embouchure

1. PRESSURE of mouthpiece

2. PLACEMENT of tongue

3. PUSH of air

4. PUCKER of lips

These are all important to remember for a clean, crisp tone

Fixed Jaw vs. Floating JawFIXED JAW FLOATING JAW

Stays fixed in the Temporal Mandibular Joint (TMJ)

Common in people with normal-slight overbites

Most people with fixed jaw have a straight embouchure

Note: Both are okay types of embouchures according to their jaw placement and whatever feels comfortable to the player

Moves out of TMJ to a comfortable position for playing

Common in people who have large overbites or under-bites

Most people with floating jaw have an embouchure that points downward

Fixed vs. FloatingFIXED JAW EMBOUCHURE FLOATING JAW EMBOUCHURE

Breath vs. TonguingBREATH ATTACK TONGUING

This method of articulation uses no tongue, only the push of air that comes from your lungs

Embouchure must be rounded and throat relaxed for a good breath attack tone

This is a great way to make sound for beginners

Tip tonguing: articulation from the back of your top teeth (where the gums meet the teeth) and tongue goes downward and is tongued with the tip of the tongue

Anchor/Dorsal Toughing (not common): articulation caused from tongue being anchored on the back of the bottom line of teeth and is tongued with the flat part of the tongue

Examples of Breath Attack and Tonguing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbRpaf6jGc0

View at 1:26 for a breath attack example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyXhQPdGIzk

View at 1:00 to hear tonguing articulation