appearances vs practice

_Mark_

I'm a newbie. Been playing trumpet for a matter of a few hours. I find that I have to make some pretty big changes in embouchure and breath as I move down into the lower notes or into the higher ones; yet, when I watch accomplished trumpeters on youtube videos, it's often hard to see that they are making any great changes in their embouchures even when running fast lines across octaves. This just mystifies me. As I am trying to teach myself, am I missing something? I'm so new to this that I have no habits, no certainty, no consistency. The likelihood of horrible or surprising and unexpected sounds as actual notes being produced is still high, although improving. Thank you!

Dr GO

Lower notes require more open embouchure. So you will need to relax the lower jaw and open the throat more to adjust to producing more airflow.

J. Jericho

@_mark_ said in appearances vs practice:
(W)hen I watch accomplished trumpeters on youtube videos, it's often hard to see that they are making any great changes in their embouchures even when running fast lines across octaves.

That's because they're not. The changes are small, focused, and subtle. You can't see much of what's going on (if anything) from the outside. Also, it takes more than an embouchure to effect playing notes, not to mention an incredible amount of time spent on proper practice. It has been said that practice makes perfect. This concept has been corrected to "Perfect practice makes perfect." You can practice a lot, but if it's not correct, you're developing and ingraining habits that will hinder you. It's a system that incorporates your entire body (including the brain) and your instrument. Nobody said it was easy. It takes time, dedication, analysis, persistence, and a way to sustain morale during this never-ending, often frustrating process.

neal085

@_mark_ I remember having the same thought when I was early in my trumpet playing, so two things to keep in mind.

That's a question that will answer itself for you as you develop proficiency and some of those same things become easier for you.
It's like anything else. Go watch video of Mike Trout hitting big league home runs, Tyreek Hill running through the secondary, Steph Curry shooting half-court 3-pointers. They make it look easy. Pros are really, really good.

Don't let that discourage you. You don't need to develop elite world-class abilities for the trumpet playing to become a lot easier for you. Good instruction and practice will do that.

Dr GO

Instead of saying Teeee or Taaaa, say Ooooooo (as in Dr. GOoooooo). That will get an easier approach to getting lower notes.

Kehaulani

If you have "to make some pretty big changes in embouchure and breath as I move down into the lower notes or into the higher ones" you don't need advice on the internet or YouTube, you need to get a teacher.

TrumpetLearner

I'm using this video to learn with at the moment:

I decided it was worth getting a visualiser, and working closely on embouchure right from the start. I am sure there are many different approaches, but this one seems good so far.

oldpete

Been playing a few hours?? Buzz the mouthpiece five minutes on the easiest pitch for you, take a break, do it again. Take a break then play a few long tones on low C and D. Stay relaxed. Add low B and Bb or Eb when you feel like it. Repeat that everyday for a few days. Do a couple of sessions per day.

GeorgeB

@_mark_
Good luck, man, but honestly, not knowing what your doing will lead to a lot of bad habits that will be hard to change even when you actually do know what you are doing.

Just know that the trumpet is one of the hardest instruments to play even when you know what you are doing.

RichardL

@_mark_ the less you move the embrouchure, the better. What we do is change the shape of the space inside the mouth to increase and decrease the pitch of the note. Hopefully you have a good teacher to help you do everything properly, because it’s difficult to describe the process accurately in a forum. Good luck!