How to Play the Trumpet
Techniques for playing the trumpet
Blowing techniques
Take a deep breath. Then, with your lips lightly closed, steadily exhale.
* Take care not to puff out your cheeks, and to keep your lips in the same lightly closed position.
Example of blowing technique
How to blow into the mouthpiece
With the mouthpiece placed at the center of your lips, take a deep breath, and then steadily exhale. If your lips vibrate as the instrument emits a honking sound, you're doing well.
Example of how to blow into the mouthpiece
How to hold the trumpet
With the trumpet supported firmly in your left hand, relax your shoulders, and position your right hand on the instrument without applying force.
* Take care with the position of your thumbs.


As seen from the trumpeter's position
* Take particular care with the position of your thumbs.

As seen from the side

As seen from the front
How to blow (Toh, Tay, Tee)
When playing a trumpet you can change the sound it produces just by how your lips vibrate when blowing-no fingers required. To produce low notes, vibrate your lips slowly; the higher the note you want to play, the quicker you will need to vibrate your lips. When you are blowing be sure not to press the mouthpiece firmly to your lips.
How to blow | Pitch | Tone | Frequency of vibration |
---|---|---|---|
toh | low | ![]() |
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tay | medium | ![]() |
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tee | high | ![]() |
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Changing the sound by adjusting the shape of your mouth (Playing "Toh, Tay, Tee" in turn)
Producing sound with fingering
Once you've mastered the blowing technique, let's try producing sound with the trumpet using the fingering shown below as a reference.
When you are able to produce the full scale, why not try playing "When The Saints Go Marching In" from the musical score.


“When the Saints Go Marching in” score
Sample recording of "When The Saints Go Marching In"
Musical Instrument Guide:Trumpet Contents
Structure
How the Instrument is Made
Choosing an Instrument
Care and Maintenance
Trivia
- Trumpeters in Bach's time alternated between instruments with a variety of ranges when performing
- The keyed trumpet-the fruit of the evolutionary process
- Famous trumpet works - Concertos, part 1
- Famous trumpet works - Concertos, part 2
- Famous trumpet works - Solos
- Is a Flugelhorn a horn? Or a trumpet?
- The highest note a trumpet can produce
- Aida trumpets for the "Grand March"
- The secret of the trumpet's traditional tone: small impurities!?