These exercises typically only consume a few minutes of the warm-up, but serve a great purpose. There are many warm-up methods that can be used, such as Vincent Cichowicz’ Long Tone Studies, or James Stamp’s Warm-Ups and Studies for Trumpet. These mouthpiece exercises should be long tones, or moving long tones (utilizing the static note principle of a long tone while changing pitches). The best place is following a few short breathing exercises used to reacquaint the body with the correct amount of air needed to fuel the instrument. The first opportunity is in the morning warm-up. Once good hand position habits are established, the next step is incorporating mouthpiece practice into one’s routine. The right hand is now free to finger along, reinforcing the connection between the note being played and the valve combination associated with it.Holding the mouthpiece at the point where it enters the trumpet will make it more likely the player will be holding the mouthpiece in their normal playing position.By holding the mouthpiece at the end of the shank, there is less of an ability to apply inappropriate pressure on the embouchure.The left hand is the hand that holds the trumpet, so it should remain the “holding” hand.The most appropriate way is to hold the end of the shank between the thumb and index finger of the left hand with the remaining fingers loosely curled.

The first step in practicing the mouthpiece is how to hold it. (Find part 1 of this series – “Why Every Trumpeter Should Practice Their Mouthpiece” HERE.) The more players are able to connect with playing the mouthpiece, the more consistent their pitch and intonation will be, as well as marked improvement in overall sound. However, it is these lack of rules that make it such a valuable and effective tool. It is admittedly more difficult to play the mouthpiece than the trumpet due to its lack of acoustic “rules.” All notes are possible and players have to truly hear what they intend to play in advance. Mouthpiece practice can seem like a daunting chore to add into a practice routine.

James stamp trumpet method pdf