Common practice mistakes

If I had a penny for every time a new student has said the words “I want to play longer but I get tired really fast,” I’d have my own island in the South Pacific by now. It’s a question I also receive through email from social media followers and my students from the THQ Trumpet Lessons Online program. It’s no secret…fast fatigue is a big problem and learning how to build endurance when playing the trumpet is a must-know.

It’s so frustrating to have the will to play and no face left to do it. However, over time and with correct practice you can develop the ability to play for one, two and even three hours a day, or more!

Building endurance for advanced and professional trumpet players is a dedicated topic and deserves its own blog post. Plus, they usually play so much that endurance building is sort of “built” into the equation. However, for beginner and intermediate players the equation is a little more complicated. Without the demand of performance it’s easy to skip 3 days of practice and cause set backs.

So sure, professionals play a lot through demand, but playing a lot doesn’t equate to growth. What they would all certainly agree on is that a consistent warmup and fundamentals routine is key to chop maintenance, and it starts in the beginning stages. So, let’s start there.

You’re not doing a proper trumpet warm-up

An overwhelming majority of new students, I’d say 90% or so, tell me their warm-up consists of a C Major scale and an excerpt from an old band piece. 

I hate to break to you, but even before the day begins you’re already digging yourself a hole you will later have to climb out of. Lack of a daily warmup is the number one culprit for all kinds of issues in trumpet playing, from fatigue to tone and tonguing clarity. How you begin your day sets the tone for that day.

For a beginner, the warm-up should include long tones and light flexibility in their available range. It should also have as many major scales as possible and a warm-down to bring blood flow back into the lips and promote healing. A warm-down is usually comprised of very slow and low notes. It should feel very relaxing. I welcome you to join my newsletter to download my free and simple trumpet warm-up guide for beginners.

When I see new students who do warm-up daily but continue to experience fast-setting fatigue, its usually because they rush through the warm-up. The warm-up MUST BE SLOW! Slow enough for you to truly focus on tone and feel the feedback of the instrument. For some metronome marking suggestions check out “How To Use A Metronome.”

You will always end up tired if you push way past your endurance threshold

This is a big one and I cannot stress this enough. As a beginner and intermediate player, you should NEVER play to exhaustion. Instead, learn to set the horn down and walk away while you still feel fresh. This way, your facial muscles will heal faster and you can come back again later to play more.

I remember a student, a particularly well-toned and muscular man, said “but I thought no pain no gain applied to trumpet too.” No. It does not. You should never feel pain or extreme fatigue after a session. Ever. If you are, there is a myriad of things that could be going wrong, but most likely you are overexerting yourself past your current limits.

Learn to listen to your facial muscles and rest before you feel the need to.

Playing loudly isn’t good for you or the neighbors

This is a more difficult problem to overcome for some. If you can play softer, then do so. Playing loudly all the time will change your tone and lip response, as well as cause quick fatigue and block your development. Sometimes, it’s difficult for beginners to play softly though. So what can you do then?

If you have a difficult time playing softly, I highly recommend you consult an instructor. It’s difficult to diagnose these types of problems on your own, but I understand that sometimes there is no room in the budget for lessons. So here are some reasons why you may not be able to play softly:

1. The aperture is a little too big. You can remedy this by trying to make it smaller, but beware that over doing it will make it too small and render a very tight tone. Always make very small changes at a time.
2. Your lips are often dry, chapped, swollen or sore. Any alteration to the lip surface will cause changes to the aperture and tone. Take care of your lips with a daily routine of lip balm. If your lips are very swollen and sore I recommend an anti-inflammatory and interchanging warm/cold compresses for 15 minutes, two to three times a day. Never apply heat or cold directly on your lips or skin, and follow the manufacturer’s directions for dosage of anti-inflammatory medications.
3. You’re using too much pressure. Excessive pressure will spread the lips and keep the aperture from being flexible. Release some pressure and experiment with the results.

Patience you must have, my young padawan

I know it’s frustrating but remember that patience and consistent practice does pay off. If you apply my suggestions above you should see improvements in as little as two days and within four weeks.

I cannot stress this enough: “It’s all about quantity, not quality” said no trumpet player ever. Focus on the quality of your playing sessions and don’t time them. Time will fly when you do it right.

 

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What’s that ticking noise?

This might be the question your non-musical friends and family members ask when they hear the incessant clicking from your practice space. Knowing how to use a metronome is important, simple and very useful.

This device, nowadays purchasable as a phone app, is a musician’s most trusted tool for inner rhythm development, technique practice and more. It provides us with a consistent and never wrong (unlike foot tapping) “click” which represents the beat in any tempo or rhythm you may need.

It helps us physically hear something we would otherwise only feel; the beat.

How does it work?

The metronome works by providing a beat anywhere from 30bpm to about 252bpm, where the lower the number the slower the click. BPM stands for “beats per minute” and it has to do with time signatures.

For example in 4/4 time, there are 4 beats per measure and each beat is a quarter note. If you need to brush up on basic music theory check out this awesome little website. So, if I was playing Mary Had a Little Lamb in 4/4 time I could set my metronome at a comfortable 86bpm and play a quarter note on each click. If I wanted to play it faster, I would turn it up to say 120bpm and follow the same method.

The metronome’s job is to keep you steady in whatever you play to avoid speeding up or dragging the tempo.

But I don’t know what tempo to pick!

While some sheet music clearly states a metronome marking at the top, most fundamental exercises simply say “Slowly” or “Steady.” This is to promote self-reflection and mindful practice as opposed to playing through fundamentals for the sake of getting them out of the way. If you see the word “slowly,” play the exercise as slowly as you need to to focus your tone, notice the flow and feel the feedback from the instrument.

However, sometimes it’s good to play fundamentals with a metronome, especially if you are having a hard time playing slowly, steadily and if you feel like your inner rhythm is out of wack. Here are some go-to tempo markings, but keep in mind they’re just suggestions.

Long tones: 60bpm

Flexibilities: 60-86bpm

Tonguing/Articulation: 60-94bpm

Can I use it to play something other than fundamentals?

Yes, and please do. Use your metronome to practice anything and everything! It’s great for mastering pesky passages with quick moving notes and complicated fingering patterns. My favorite practice technique is “chaining”.

Have you ever played a piece of music that has this one part with a bunch of notes going really fast and you just can’t get it right? Yeah me too, and I’m going to tell you how I fixed it. Chaining comes from the idea of an actual metal chain, which is made of single links put together. Once the links are welded in place it is impossible to pull the chain apart. In practice, we can do the same thing. Take the measure that is causing you trouble, turn on your metronome to something slow like 60, and play the first two notes. Play those two notes three times. If, and only if, you got it right all three times, add another note. See how it works? Once you complete the measure or section you can speed it up slowly.

Another way to chain is to do the same thing but with the metronome at full tempo, an approach I recommend for intermediate and advanced players.

Get more tips on this page: “Practice Techniques”

Get started

There is a lot more you can do with metronome apps nowadays, but that is a topic for another time. I will leave you with some suggestions on my favorite metronomes.

First, the simple, free and easily accessible Google metronome. Just do a google search for “metronome” and boom…it’s right there!

The second is the awesome app “Tonal Energy”, available on android and apple devices. It is a metronome, tuner, recorder, tone generator and coffee maker. The last one is a lie…but it’s basically that great.

And finally, I would love to recommend a metronome that never failed to be loud enough, the Korg KDM-2, but it’s hard to come by these days. Instead, look for any hefty Korg metronome with a visible speaker and you should have enough volume to annoy the neighbors.

For more recommendations check out this dedicated page: “Tuners and Metronomes.”

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Playing by accident

I’m sure that at some point you have experienced an accidental success in trumpet playing. Such as suddenly hitting a high note without meaning to, or playing a perfect rhythm without even noticing.

This is what I call playing by accident. When students routinely play by accident, they move through the motions and enjoy the occasional success. They don’t go back to examine why the success happened, what they did differently, and how it can be replicated. Needless to say, these students take longer to learn new techniques.

My advice to all wishing to reach the next level is to never accept accidental success in the practice room. Always go back for more, examine, break it down and be mindful of everything that goes on when you pick up the trumpet.

Now sometimes, accidents cannot be replicated for a number of reasons:

1. The student does not have private instruction. Without a person to guide you through your development you will hit a wall that only a professional can help you break. Much like anything else you might want to learn, proper teaching is a fundamental factor. 
2. The student is in the beginning stages of learning. Notice that a beginning learner is not the same as a beginner trumpet player. I have seen many players with years under their belts, who are self-taught and have not been taught the techniques to dissect their mistakes.
3. The student is in a state of change. This would include players who are doing an embouchure change or have experienced an accident that compromises their familiarity with their own playing.

Assuming you do not fit any of these categories, lets look at two ways you can learn to leave the accidents behind.

Experimentation without fear

In all my years playing and teaching, I do not think I have ever met a player who enjoyed making mistakes. I mean, that would be crazy right? Who actually wants to make mistakes?

Just because you don’t want to make mistakes in public, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment with them in the practice room. Next time you play, dedicate some time to mistake making. Allow yourself to feel very comfortable with making mistakes, to the point where you can laugh at yourself. Only then, can you move to the next step.

Making mistakes on purpose. You read that right! 

Try missing the high note, cracking the D, flopping the trill, missing the sharp and sound awful. Now you might be asking yourself why would I want to do this?

The answer is simple. When you make the mistake, you can experience the requirements for it. I often find myself trying my best to replicate my student’s mistakes, because that is the only way that I can figure out the correction plan. 

Try doing the same thing for yourself. For example, if you are working on tone production, try pinching your lips together and notice the tight, buzzy sound you will produce. Then open up the aperture very big and try to play a scale. You will notice a very fat tone, that is difficult to control and quiet down. Reflect on what these feel and sounds like, and then find the happy middle. Now as you attempt to sound beautiful and balanced, you might notice some of your mistakes come into light. Maybe you were pinching a little all this time!

Get comfortable with mistakes and remember that we are human, not robots!

Quiet Song

Have you ever heard of the Quiet Eye?

This is a term coined by Professor Joan Vickers of Calgary University which refers to the gaze an athlete makes right before they execute a movement, like when a tennis player’s eyes lock on the ball immediately before they hit with the racket. 

I like to think of this in terms of Border Collies, you know, the highly intelligent shepherd dog. They have something Collie trainers call the “eye” or “gaze.” This is the look the dog has when their eyes are focused solely on the sheep so that they can react in less than a second when the sheep moves. 

Now for musicians, we need to focus on the sound or pitch we want to achieve, but since music cannot be touched or seen, we must create it in our mind’s ear as a “quiet song.” This is a song only you can hear in your mind; it is the model for what you wish to achieve. 

If you always have this clear in your mind, your mistakes will greatly decrease. By keeping the song alive your brain will prepare itself to execute it, refining all the small motor functions of the embouchure, tongue placement and air flow, to help you hit the bull’s eye.

Imagine your success as vividly as possible and even mimic all the movements needed, then play. Repeat many times to refine this technique.

Daily exposure is key

Now that you have a couple of tools to help you learn from your mistakes, apply them daily to maximize the results. If you need private lessons, check out the THQ Trumpet Lessons Online program. Get to work, and good luck!

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Impatience is your enemy

For me, finding ways to dissect difficult passages in music has become a habit and I will share three ways to practice a difficult lick with you. But first, let’s talk about patience.

If there is any one area I could say almost all of my students over the years have had to improve on, is dissecting sheet music. It’s not a particularly difficult task per se, but it does require a lot of patience. The world we live in today leaves little room for patience as wifi connections get faster, videos load in a couple seconds and information is literally at the palm of our hands.

I used to actually have to go to the library to find information. I would have to wait until the library was open, until I could get a ride, until I found the book and only then did I find what I was looking for. Assuming of course I already had a library card.

I grew up waiting 5 minutes for the internet to connect.

Most of my students grew up waiting less than 10 seconds.

It’s not surprise then that patience is their biggest obstacle. Is it your biggest obstacle? Do you find yourself repeating the same phrase over and over, only to continue making the same mistakes the next day? Do you ever sit and practice just those 2 difficult measures? Do you become frustrated often? Do you use a metronome most of the time?

Tell yourself that enough is enough and make a change with these three ways to practice a difficult lick:

Don’t rush!

I’m sure you know what Kung Fu is, but what about Tai Chi? Tai Chi is the practice of slowly moving through the same and similar forms used in the fast paced Kung Fu. By moving the body without hurry the martial artist gains control, smoothness and balance.

In the same way musicians can learn a lot about their playing by playing at turtle’s pace. When you play slowly your will hear the areas that need attention much more clearly.

Issues in intonation, rhythmic accuracy, articulation, tone cleanliness and dexterity will become very noticeable, which brings me to my next tip…

One click at a time

Now that the tempo is much slower we can use the metronome to break it up and work on the music. I recommend that you set your metronome at half the full tempo to start.

Play only the first beat of the passage. If the first beat has just one note, then play just that, but if it has four, then play all four. Repeat the first beat 2-3 times without making a mistake. Only then can you add the next beat and continue doing this until you have completed the passage. Once the entire passage can be played mistake-free, add 1-5 clicks to the metronome speed.

How much speed you add will depend upon the overall difficulty and your needs. Remember to be patient.

Make sure that you only play 2-3 measure at a time. This will help you to deeply examine smaller sections, as opposed to attempting too much and becoming overwhelmed.

When you finally arrive at your final tempo, or close to it, you will notice how much better everything sounds.

Take out the ties

More often than not, ties make technique more difficult for learning trumpet players. Since a tie adds the values of two or more notes, it has the potential to wreak havoc on your rhythm.

Sure, a tie connecting two quarter notes is simple. The two quarter notes become a half note. Easy peasy.

But what about when the tie connects an eight note at the top of a beat to a sixteenth note, which is followed by three 16th notes? Such is the case in the example below. 

A quick and reliable way to perfect this rhythm is to take the tie out completely. Play it a few times as if the tie wasn’t there at all. Really allow this broken-down rhythm to sink in; it’s the skeleton of the tied rhythm.

Now you add the tie, but be sure to maintain the skeleton of the rhythm in your mind’s ear.

This method is very effective and it can be used in any situation.

Applying these tips

Now that you have read about these three tips, put them to work immediately. Don’t wait until tomorrow, or else your drive and excitement to try something new will diminish or completely disappear.

Get to work as soon as possible and try at least one of the aforementioned practice techniques. If you want to learn about a few more check out this page with ten practice tips.

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Get better at sight-reading with these tips

Last week we talked about why sight-reading is an important skill to have. This week I will let you in on the simplest, yet most effective techniques to up your sight-reading game.

Sight-read a little daily

Although sight-reading should be fairly easy at the beginner/intermediate levels, the majority of young players have a hard time due to lack of exposure. If your private teacher hasn’t been doing this with you ask them to incorporate it in your lessons.

Remember, if you don’t do it, you will not get good at it. 

To start reading every day you can use my 10 simple melodies, use your music books or a friends, dig through your band’s library and ask you teacher to borrow books. 

Stuff is out there, so go get it!

Rhythm is king

When practicing sight-reading focus on the rhythm first, notes later. This will seem weird at first but in the long run this is how you become a proficient reader. You know the notes, it’s the rhythms that get you. So, if you focus on the rhythms 100% of the time they will eventually become second nature, just like notes.

When you focus on rhythms you might find yourself missing more notes. That’s okay! Miss notes for now and focus on keeping the rhythm intact. If you practice this daily you can see results in as little as one sitting. You read that right. I have seen it time and again with my students. They struggle to sight-read, but once they shift their focus to rhythmic accuracy everything falls into place. 

Use a metronome

Although you won’t normally have access to a metronome in a sight-reading situation such as an audition, it is good to use for practicing.

The metronome acts as a constant reminder to keep your rhythm steady. Turn it on to an easy going tempo like 86bpm and make sure you wait for…

The 4-click count off

I can’t tell you how often I see students turn on a metronome to sight-read, only to completely ignore it from the get go. If this is you, get in the habit of listening to the click for a full 8 beats, then do a 4-click count off in your mind before you begin, as if someone was counting you off.

All together it should look like this:

*click* *click* *click* *click*

*click* *click* *click* *click* (put your trumpet up)

One, two, three, four (breath on 4)

Play on the downbeat of 1

Waiting in this manner lets the tempo “sink in” and sets you up for success.

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That wraps it up for the best sight-reading tips. If you missed last week’s post on why sight-reading is a great skill to have check it out to complete this post’s teachings. Get to work and let me know if these tips helped you!

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Let’s Face It, Developing Sight-Reading Skills Is Tough

This is how most people feel and consequently, they ignore working on the skill. Most beginner and intermediate players see it as an “extra” skill that can be cast aside since they don’t really need it right at this moment. Since they don’t need it for the performance, it is forgotten, like sight-reading is not important. They have the sheet music that they need to work on, so why bother?

If this sounds like you, I’m about to tell you why you should bother. Maybe it sounds like your students. Or maybe you’re an advanced player and you sight-read fairly well, but you want to be better. That’s good, we never stop learning!

You’re training to learn faster

Isn’t it just exhausting to get a new solo for, say, an audition and spend hours upon hours just trying to figure out notes and rhythms? What if notes and rhythms could be done in under an hour?

An excellent sight-reader will learn new solos much faster. They will be able to have notes, rhythms, dynamics and articulation down in less than a an hour.

If you can read it through and catch all the notes and rhythms quickly, then you can spend the rest of your time working on what really matters, musicality.

You NEED to develop this skill

A lot of young players dislike sight-reading, some are scared of it and others even hate it. But you have to start doing it daily, not just at concert band assessments.

You see, sight-reading is like knowing how to read words. Actually, it’s exactly the same. People who can’t read can still speak by listening to others and mimicking the sounds. This is what you as a musician might do in band. You get new music and overtime you learn how to play it simply by osmosis. This is NOT good. It’s like saying you’re a fluent Chinese speaker because you can say words. While you can absolutely get around by just speaking, what happens when you get lost and can’t read the street signs or your traffic ticket?

You will get a confidence boost

Feeling ready to read anything gives you that extra edge against your competition. You will be able to arrive at auditions, gigs or simply the first day of concert band at school or college, feeling good, relaxed and prepared.

Also, confidence is something that not only shows in your demeanor but also comes through your tone. It’s an all-in-one music vitamin.

You will have more fun

Naturally, practicing can sometimes get boring due its monotonous nature. We play the same or similar warm-ups and routine drills on a daily basis, and this repetitive pattern can wear our musicianship down over time.

The warm-up and routine are inevitable and must be done daily, but after that’s finished we have choices. However, these choices can be severely limited by your sight-reading skills. If you are not doing so great at sight-reading, then you will probably go to the same etude or solo you’ve been working on and play it again…

Kill that habit by instead pulling out a new book, opening it to any page and just reading. You can also try my simple melodies as your sight-reading exercises.

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Now that you know why developing this skill is so important, look out for the next blog to see how you can get better at sight-reading. Keep playing and have fun!

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When I was little I listened to a bunch of trumpet music, particularly Rafael Mendez, and that was my first lesson on how to play more musically.

I loved the fun music he played, his virtuosic trumpet playing was mesmerizing. I knew all his music really well, and still to this day, can hum most of his pieces. Due to the large amount of time I spent listening to him, I started to imitate his playing. My vibrato got faster, and my articulation got a bit more “pecky.” So what does this have to do with playing musically?

Well, I also started phrasing music like Rafael. Long, long, long phrases, connecting notes and understanding the musical conversation. I do believe that being musical comes from somewhere deep inside [this is where you can picture me dramatically putting my hand on my chest and saying “it comes from here”].

Some people show a remarkable aptitude for musicality at a very early age, while others have to learn it. I don’t think there is a problem with learning it at all. You can absolutely learn to play the trumpet (or any instrument) musically, beautifully and with real heart. You just have to be open to being emotionally vulnerable in your music, and of course, you have to develop a beautiful tone through diligent practice. Start by following these 3 simple tips.

Tip #1 Listen to music…the right music

Every time I get a new trumpet student I ask “do you listen to music?” They almost always say yes. Then I clarify, “to trumpet music?” Most respond with no, others say they like Trombone Shorty.

If you want to be able to play musically then you have to listen to musicians who are experts at it. By listen I mean put on your headphones, lie down, be still and try to notice everything. You must be a proactive listener. 

Listening to singers is particularly helpful because we as instrumentalists face the challenge of singing through our instruments. I have learned a great deal from icons like Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and classical superstars like Sarah Brightman.

Once you start listening you will see how vocalists shape music in a way that it transcends beyond your ears and into your heart. Only then will you be able to begin the learning process to do it yourself. If you don’t know where to start check out my list of essential trumpet albums and get grooving.

Tip #2 Expand your lung capacity

Nothing says musicality like a nice long phrase that takes you seamlessly from one idea to the next. However, this is as hard as refusing french fries when your lungs don’t have enough gas in the tank. This could be simply because you are not taking in enough air, a very common problem, but it could also be that your lung capacity needs some attention. You can absolutely train your lungs to hold more air and learn to control it with simple exercises like slow long tones, slow flexibilities, slow playing. 

Slow playing.

More often than not, trumpet students rush through everything they play. Long tones? fast. Lip slurs? fast. Lyrical etudes? fast. Its no wonder that playing long phrases is such a challenge! If you are used to rushing through your practice, your first goal is to develop patience and play slowly. It will help you expand your lung capacity and it will bring into light other issues you might be having, like intonation.

There are also breathing exercises you can do, some of which I teach and demonstrate in my trumpet lessons online program right here at THQ. You can also find breathing aid devices you can purchase to help you expand that lung capacity.

Tip #3 Always know where you’re going

Although you may rely on your GPS to get your places, it certainly won’t do much for your music making. When it comes to music, you have to be the GPS. You have to know where the phrase begins, where its going and where it ends. 

There are 3 general types of notes in music: notes that are going, arriving or coming from. “Going” notes have a certain drive that says “here, hold my hand, I will take you where you need to go.” For the listener, this is a necessity as it will keep them engaged and interested in what you’re playing. “Arriving” notes should be played with certainty that you have arrived at the correct location, making it clear that that is exactly where you want the listener to feel at “home.” Finally, “coming from” notes sound like you are saying goodbye, which you can interpret through softer playing and a delicate touch.

The excerpt below is from the Oskar Böhme Trumpet Concerto. There is one phrase here, beginning at the first measure with the D and ending on the last note, the B. That much is pretty clear. Now let’s look at it more closely…which note is the “big” note? The climatic note? It’s actually the highest note, the G. Every note before it is going to that G and every note after it is coming from it. Nothing before or after the G should over shadow it in volume or expression, save it for the G. That’s the big picture. 

But things can get much deeper.

Within the first half alone there are many more notes that are going, arriving and coming from. The very first note for example is going to the second one, which goes to the 3rd and the 4th. Once at the C# (the note of arrival) you can begin to play the coming from notes. The C# can diminuendo into the D, and the D diminuendo again into the B flat. This push and pull keeps going and it is what makes music pleasing.

A lot of the time you will see dynamic markings and symbols that will show you where the phrases are, which is great, but when that help isn’t there it is up to you to find the phrases and carry the listener all the way to the end. 

Through proactive listening, lung expansion and attentive practice you can play beautifully and begin learning the music language. For further discussion please comment below, and have a wonderful, music-filled day.

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Playing high notes on the trumpet is one of those things that is consistently at the highest demand from beginners and intermediate players, mostly because they see others do it and they want to join in. Probably the same reason why I always buy a cupcake after watching someone else enjoy one.

First off, by high notes I mean notes around C above the staff, known by many as “high C”. This could include A, Bb and B above the staff for you, or maybe you’ve got the high C/D and are struggling to hit those E/Fs. Also, this post is not about learning how to play high and it’s also not about dismissing the high range as something unimportant. This is for those trumpet players out there stressing about high notes and making it their practice priority. If that’s you, please please read this:

ONE – Focusing on high range practice without a balance of fundamentals is just another way to achieve hurting your chops. Be sure to  play flexibilities, long tones and low notes before your high range practice. This is why marching band can be so damaging to players that do not warm-up properly and then go on the field and blast high Ds until their lips bleed…literally.

TWO – If you’re planing on auditioning for all-state, college or a competition, the judge listening to you will rather accept someone who can’t yet play above high C but CAN play rhythmically and musically, than someone who can play double high Cs but can’t for their life keep the beat or play dynamics. That’s reality. Believe it!

THREE – If you have a hard time playing with good rhythm, jumping around intervals, playing in tune and understanding musicality, there are a lot of other things you should be worrying about other than high notes. The best part is that when you really start nailing all those other things, your high range will start expanding bit by bit. Now that doesn’t mean that the high range develops on its own. It doesn’t. You actually have to play up there to be able to play up there. However, focusing on fundamentals now will help you focus your tone and air flow, consequently aiding your high range development in the future.

FOUR – The kids that can play super high in middle and high school are usually not the ones making it big. Why? Because all they care about is playing high and that doesn’t really work in the professional world. So don’t stress about what they’re doing. You do you, and focus on fundamentals. Very soon, you’ll be breezing past the competition!

So there you have it! Focus on fundamentals, tone production and technique and you will fly past your peers…even the one kid that shows off playing super high after band practice. The phrase “slow and steady wins the race” is actually true in trumpet world.

Trivia question: This famous lead trumpet player says “I never worked on high notes, I never did and I never will.” Know it? Leave your answer in the comments or come back next week for the blog post with the answer!

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Yep, I’m talking about you. I’m here to once and for all put the problem out there and help you get to the bottom of it. Do you see your private teacher every single week only to leave your lessons thinking “Well, that was embarrassing. For sure I’ll be ready next week.” Is it getting old to come up with new excuses? If this is you, welcome to the club. A lot of your friends do it. College students do it. I did it at some point between 14 and 16…and then some. The thing is, yes it is common, but there is a point where its important to buckle down and fix it. Let’s break it down.

1. Yes, you play trumpet, but you also run track, lead the student council, have a part-time job at your mom’s business and have so much homework you basically mutter algebra in your sleep, not to mention you want a social life.

 

If you fit in this group take out some paper and pencil, or your iPad, and get ready to jot down your activities. What you need to do is simply learn to prioritize your life. After having all your activities written down, take out the ones that you HAVE to do no matter what, such as homework and eating. Now what’s left should be things that you do by choice, either because you think it’s fun or because it’s going to prepare you for your future, such as band, robotics club and the National Honors Society. Next comes time management and filtering what’s most and least important. For example, if you want to be a baseball player when you grow up, then baseball practice with your dad or private coach might be the most important thing to you, so you should dedicate more time to that than other activities. If you want to be a professional trumpet player, you should take time away from playing video games and spend it on trumpet. Your future self will thank you. Now, sometimes your life will be so jam-packed that you might need to quit doing something. THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU’RE A QUITTER. It just means you’re learning how to manage your time. Talk to your parents and see what their thoughts are.

2. You like playing trumpet, but your teacher dreams of you becoming the next Louis Armstrong …and you don’t.

 

Let’s be real here, most pre-college trumpet players do not end up playing trumpet for a living. You do it because marching band, band trips and concerts are super fun. Not to mention all your friends are in band. The thing is, your private trumpet teacher bombards you with new scales, etudes and solos every single week and you can’t seem to be able to say enough is enough. But you need to. Like yesterday. Why? Because good teachers will listen to you and understand your goals. Just be honest! It could go something like this “Miss Aragon, I really like playing the trumpet and I don’t want to quit lessons, but I have other hobbies I want to get better at too. Would it be okay to lessen the amount of practice assignments each week?” Trust me, your teacher will be just fine with it.

3. You want to practice but your PS4 wins that battle every single time.

 

That PS4 could be Netflix or social media. It’s a distraction and we need to find a way to make it go away. This is where I got stuck sometime in high school and even though I still managed to achieve most of my musical goals, I knew there was so much more to be done and I regretted it later on. Let me tell you, all musicians go through this at some point. All you need to do is take it one tiny step at a time.
• First, take your trumpet home every day, even if you think you won’t play it. When you get home pull it out and leave it out in your room somewhere safe where you can see it. This may make you play it even if just for fun.
• Start by setting a timer for 15 minutes and playing your warm-up or whatever other material your teacher assigned you (although a warm-up should always come first.) You might notice that once you start playing you will want to keep playing. You actually do enjoy playing it’s just hard to get started.
• Another way to practice more is to practice with a friend, so invite your friend over and play duets or your band music. Everything is always more fun with a buddy!
• Lastly, don’t allow yourself to play video games or check your phone until you have worked out that problem area in your music or completed all your scales. Do this every day and you will be amazed and what you can accomplish.

4. You just don’t want to take lessons.

 

If lessons bring you absolutely no joy, no inspiration and you find yourself daydreaming that this torture would just end, it may be time to let it go. This reason for not practicing is probably the hardest to deal with because you may not want to disappoint your private teacher, parents or maybe even yourself. However, you really have to talk to your parents and make it clear that you REALLY do not want to take lessons. This way you can take your talents to something you enjoy more, your teacher can open up a slot for a student who truly wants it AND you can still play in the band and have fun. Let me make this very clear: it is ok to be in band for fun. However, do not confuse this with the “lazy phase”. If you do, you will end up quitting lessons and regretting it later. Quit lessons ONLY when you truly rather be eaten by the ground than take another lesson.

I know there are other reasons why some of you don’t practice but hopefully this info will help you. Feel free to leave a comment, share this with your friends and pull out that horn.

Also, check out the THQ page on practice techniques!

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