How to form an embouchure
To form a trumpet embouchure, you want to form the mouth like you are going to say the letter “B”. This will firm the corners appropriately and bring their lips together without too much pursing or pucker happening. Make sure that your lips are moist, you have the mouthpiece covering 2/3 upper lip 1/3 lower lip or centered, and that you are not pressing the mouthpiece too hard against the lips.
Trumpet is a brass instrument that is used in the extreme upper range, specifically in jazz bands. Often musicians make up for a good embouchure by pressing the mouthpiece very hard against the lips. You want to avoid pressing as much as possible. The secret is take your time with building your range up and make sure you consult a private instructor when trying to hit those extremely high notes.
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Special Considerations
Brass players can bend the pitch on any note relatively easy with their embouchure but they need to anticipate the intonation problem before it happens. Those who play valved brass instruments should know that valve combinations have tuning tendencies also. 0=Good, 2=Good, 1=Good, 1,2=Sharp, 2,3=Flat, 1,3=Sharp, 1,2,3=Sharp, & any Standard 4th valve combination is in tune (4 or 2,4). These tendencies can change based on where in the overtone series you are playing.
Tuning Procedures
Once you have properly warm up yourself and the instrument then it is time to tune. Tuning before this will result in changing intonation. You will use the 1st and 3rd valve slides when possible to change pitch up or down.
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Bending the pitch
Bending the pitch happens from making faster or slower vibrations from your lips. To be better at bending the pitch you should practice lip slurs.
To Correct sharpness: -Gradually bring the lips closer to your teeth to make them vibrate faster. To Correct Flatness: -Gradually bring the lips away from the teeth to make them vibrate slower. |
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5 most out of tune notes
These are a combination of the most out of tune notes and out of tune notes that are most often played.
Using these fingerings go to the practice page