Trumpets are long cylindrical piece of wind instrument. It produces sounds by lip vibration against its cup-like mouthpiece. It is truly a magnificent instrument which produces loud range sounds. However, it isn’t as famous as other wind instruments like the saxophone or the flute. But it allows you to play a wide range of music and has great benefits for your physical health as well. So, if you are fascinated by the trumpet and are leaning towards taking trumpet lessons then here is a beginner’s guide for you which can help you get started.
- Buy or rent a trumpet
The first step is to have your own trumpet. You could buy one or rent a trumpet. It is completely your choice. If you are just starting off and do not want to invest much on the instrument then renting can definitely be great option for you. Ensure that your trumpet is tuned to B flat, since it is the most common type which has a great range of music available.
Always get a trumpet which is in good shape. Make sure the valve doesn’t have any dents and move up and down without any resistance.
- Practice on the buzzing sound
A good technique to get a grip over your trumpet is to try to spell the letter ‘M’. This lip position will help you produce a loud sound. Once you get a hold of this position start practicing to play with it and producing sounds. Imagine as if you have a piece of paper on the tip of your tongue. Now protrude the top of your tongue while your lips touch each other which will create a raspberry sound.
- Time to use the valves
Once you know how to use your tongue and mouth over your trumpet it is time to take it forward and try to use the valves. Set your lips in the proper position that we learned above, inhale through your mouth and start vibrating into your trumpet with a buzzing sound. When you know that you have a strong grip on your trumpet and your lips are in proper position, push the valves gently on the count of one and two. By the end of this exercise you would have successfully played the first two notes on your trumpet.
It is hard to start with any instrument on your own. There might be a lot of questions to answer before deciding on an instrument. But if you want to experiment and explore with music and instruments then learning a trumpet can be great addition to your music repertoire. Therefore, we bought a mini trumpet lesson which can help you get started with the trumpets and you can assess whether or not you enjoy playing it. If you enjoyed it and want to continue with it then you should definitely sign up for proper trumpet lessons.