Random Tip #2

Instantaneous change is important for success on trumpet. A piano player told many a while ago about a piano technique, which I believed he called bel canto. It is a melodic technique that involves not lifting up your finger in a melody until you have actually started to play the next note. Every note extends into the next note. This is an exageration of vocal bel canto technique which involves singing a syllable all the way to the next syllable (I believe there is more involved in the technique, but we will just concern ourselves with this). Try to approach playing trumpet like the piano player who lets each note go into the next. You will find that if you are like most trumpet players you have a tendency to either back off slightly between notes or make muscular adjustments in anticipation of the next note while you are still sustaining a note (or both). You need to focus on the note that you are playing up through the very end, and do nothing for the next note until it is actually time for it to start. If you listen to your sound and concentrate on keeping it the same through the whole note this should be much easier. A metronome will also be a huge help.