How to Extend Endurance on the Trumpet

Extending endurance on the trumpet takes practice.

Extending endurance on the trumpet helps to increase your range and tone quality. To increase endurance, you have to first build up the muscles in your embouchure. Identify the muscles in the embouchure by imagining you are sucking through a straw and feel the muscles in your face that contract. These muscles must be isolated and developed to effectively build your embouchure. Exercises that help to build your embouchure should become a part of your daily practice routine, after you have warmed up properly.

Step 1 Play middle C on the piano by pressing the white key directly to the left of the set of two black keys on the piano. If you don't have a piano, play C concert on your trumpet to hear the pitch.

Step 2 Remove the mouthpiece from your trumpet and buzz middle C. Ascend by half-step playing each chromatic note on the piano. If you don't have a piano to match pitch with, use a tuner to check each pitch as you buzz.

Step 3 Place a pencil directly in the center of your lips. Practice squeezing the pencil and attempt to make it stand out horizontally to the ground. Hold the pencil for 10 seconds and complete five sets each day to build your endurance and embouchure muscles.

Step 4 Practice playing major and minor scales as softly as possible. As strange as it may seem, playing softer actually requires more control than playing louder. This will greatly improve your endurance. When possible, play the scales two or even three octaves if you are an advanced player.

Step 5 Play long tones daily. Hold each note of a major scale out for eight beats and take a breath after every other note. You will feel the muscles in your embouchure start to burn if you do this correctly.

Step 6 Perform an endurance exercise by playing the following sequence of notes. Start on concert F and play two half notes and a whole note. Then, rest for four beats without removing your mouth from the mouthpiece and breath in through the nose. Play the next half-step above F concert and continue playing this sequence to the highest note possible on your trumpet.