Hello Trumpet Warmup community!

Today, we will cover perhaps the most often discussed aspect of learning the trumpet:

Fundamentals.

We at Trumpet Warmup recognize all trumpet players are different. Different methods and strategies can work for different trumpet players. It can be overwhelming to figure out how to efficiently practice all of our fundamental exercises each day—especially when we consider that resting is also an important part of what we do!

With this in mind, we hope this post serves as both a starting place for beginners and inspiration for more advanced students.

What are Fundamentals?

Fundamentals can be defined as—any exercise related to improving or maintaining fundamental skills on the trumpet. These skills are important for all styles of music and help you to play healthily and efficiently.

At its core, the trumpet is played with wind—our breath. Our breath works together with the lips/embouchure to produce sound. There are many ways to isolate and refine aspects of how we utilize our breath and embouchure. Here are some fundamental skills every player should work on:

  • Sound
  • Flexibility
  • Articulation
  • Range
  • Finger Dexterity

Practice these fundamental exercises every day (or at least 4-5 times per week!):

  • Leadpipe Buzzing
  • Mouthpiece & Free Buzzing
  • Long Tones
  • Lip Slurs
  • Articulations
  • Range exercises

As you develop your sound on the trumpet, these skills and practice methods will be essential to your progress and should be practiced as often as possible. (With proper rest! Always play healthy!)

Practicing Fundamentals: Where to Start

One of the best ways to consistently develop and improve fundamental skills are practice routines.

A practice routine is a set of exercises that you perform the same way every time you practice.

When approached correctly, a routine will form healthy playing habits that remain consistent in your playing. This will set you up for success every day you play—and continue to help you improve as you go forward in your study with the trumpet.

Ideally, your routines should cover as many fundamental skills as possible. In order to do this, you should select exercises from widely used trumpet/brass method books and utilize demonstration videos like we have at trumpetwarmup.com! There are many resources available for you to consider.

To give you an idea of what resources are available to you, here are some suggestions for both method and etude books. Many of these are used in the routines at trumpetwarmup.com.

Suggestions for Method Books

  1. Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet—J.B. Arban
  2. Warm-Ups and Studies for Trumpet—James Stamp
  3. Daily Drills and Technical Skills for Trumpet—Max Schlossberg
  4. The Buzzing Book—James Thompson
  5. Technical Studies for the Cornet—Herbert L. Clarke
  6. A Tribute to William Adam, His Teachings and His Routine—comp. & ed. by Charlie Davis
  7. (45 Minute Routine with Matthew Ernst)

Suggestions for Etude Books

  1. First (and Second) Book of Practical Studies for Cornet/Trumpet—Robert Getchell
  2. 24 Vocalises (arr. for Trumpet)—M. Bordogni
  3. 34 Orchestral Etudes for Trumpet—Vassily Brandt (various editions and editors)
  4. 36 Études Transcendantes—Theo Charlier

These suggestions for method and etude books are just touching the surface of what is available. They also vary widely in difficulty—but as you continue to study, you will likely encounter many of these at one point or another!

As you discover exercises that you enjoy and address your fundamental skills, the next step is to organize how and when you practice. Ideally, your fundamentals and warmup should occur early in the day. Practicing before you have a rehearsal, or practicing repertoire, will assist in transferring those skills to everything you play. If you play easy and healthily, this in turn will allow you more freedom in your playing and thus—more musical playing!

This is always the goal: to make beautiful music.

What Does a Practice Routine Look Like? Which Exercises Should I Play?

Trumpetwarmup.com offers several varied practice routines that cover many different fundamental skills, and each routine is facilitated by a professional trumpet player! The routines available are separated into three levels: Easy, Normal, and Advanced. There is something for everyone—the exercises are compiled and demonstrated for you.

Check them out and see how our videos work for you!

Practice Routines: How Long Should I Play?

Players with different experience levels will have different needs and abilities. Therefore, we recommend different structures for practicing based upon your experience. Practice routines should also change depending on what playing responsibilities you have in a day, such as rehearsals or performances. You don’t want to tire yourself out before a gig! Here are some suggestions.

  • Beginner: 10-20 minutes of fundamentals once a day. For an example, check out our video: “Complete Beginner Trumpet Lesson - Real Example”
  • Intermediate: 20-45 minutes of fundamentals once a day.
  • Advanced: 45 minutes to 2 hours of fundamentals once a day (1-3 sessions). Suggested Reading: ‘Wynton Marsalis practice routine & tips’
  • All Levels: Aim to complete your fundamentals with enough time to rest before you dive into your other material. This other material can include rehearsals, etudes, solo pieces, and many other things. Try not to squeeze in your warmup and fundamental practice right before you work on repertoire or other projects. As you practice repertoire and etudes, remember to apply what you worked on in your fundamental session to that music!

How Can/Should Practice Routines Change From Day to Day?

  • Light/Medium Performance Day: If you have a day with playing demands, like rehearsals or lighter performances, you can experiment with doing the amount of fundamental practice listed above earlier in the day. This should be followed by a period of rest before the next playing obligation. You might consider a warmup/session of fundamentals in the morning, followed by the rehearsal or lighter performance in the afternoon/evening. Get creative! It can be challenging to find the time to achieve this, especially if you are in school or work full time. Even if you only have 15 minutes—some fundamentals are better than none!
  • Heavy Performance Day: For all levels—we advise you to shorten the amount of time you spend on fundamentals the day of a heavy performance. If you have built the consistency over time, the skills will still be there during your performance. Practicing consistently helps you build trust in yourself and your trumpet playing. Focus on a good warmup that will set you up for success in your performance! We also recommend warming-down after a rigorous performance or strenuous rehearsal. Try our video, “Warm Down with Stuart Mack,” coming soon!

General Practice Tips

When you’re practicing fundamentals, repertoire, etudes, improvisation, and ensemble pieces, there are strategies that will allow you to improve faster. Successful practice is not necessarily playing for 4 or 5 hours—it is more often shorter durations of time spent with intention and detail. Here are some tips.

  1. Be organized. Structure your practice—know what you need to work on.
  2. Use a metronome. It is important to learn to be as precise as possible. Especially with lip slurs and articulation exercises.
  3. Record yourself and reflect. This can be difficult to do, as it is often humbling. Don’t get discouraged or judge yourself harshly! Take in the information, reflect on what you hear, and improve.
  4. Use a mirror. This can help you notice bad posture or unnatural movement.
  5. Rest as much as you play. Once you complete a repetition of an exercise or etude, rest for that same amount of time. This will help reduce the risk of injury as you continue to develop your endurance in a healthy way. (This happens automatically when you use our videos at trumpetwarmup.com!)
  6. Consider using Trumpetwarmup.com! We offer resources on practice routines and demonstration videos with amazing trumpet players to help you! Start your free trial today!

We hope these ideas help you on your journey!

As a final tip, remember to have fun! Always go with the flow and enjoy what you do. The trumpet is a challenging instrument, which makes it all the more rewarding to work on. We commend you for choosing the trumpet as your instrument. Stick with it, be consistent, and make beautiful music!

  • ‍(Interested in a free 14-day trial to trumpetwarmup.com? Tap here!)