Advice to Follow Before You Blow a Note!

So, you've got yourself a shiny new trumpet and you're determined to play like Dizzy Gillespie by the end of the year. Congratulations, that's stage 1 out of the way: you're going to need that determination and enthusiasm at every stage!

Now, some things to bear in mind before you blow a note:

• The trumpet merely amplifies the vibrations from your lips, so don't forget that lip vibration is key to everything that you do. The lips should be able to vibrate freely and in time you will learn to control the speed of vibration.
• Keep your chest and thoat as open as possible - don't tighten up your throat or close your oesophagus. As you breathe in, imagine saying 'Hoo' (without any sound) and as you breathe out, think 'Haa'. If you're worried about closing things up, try and take a breath as a yawn - this should keep everything nice and open.
• Don't puff out your cheeks!
• Try and keep the corners of your mouth tight and move notes by using the air rather than your lips.
• Above all, focus on producing the clearest, 'roundest' sound possible - really listen! If you get your sound right, everything else should follow.