Q&A for How to Play High Notes on the Trumpet

One method is to hold out the highest note you can play well and hold it out. When you become consistent with it, go one step or a half a step higher until you can hold that note consistently and continue until you reach your goal.

First try to play notes below high D. Hold high B for at least twenty seconds, and keep repeating it until you feel like you can get a strong and good sound. Then move on to high C and do the same thing. Don't stop practicing. If a problem occurs or if it breaks down, get it to the repair shop immediately. Get private lessons if you can.

Use a fast airstream and buzz really fast; make sure you warm up first.

Take a break if you start getting raspy. Purse lips and blow steady, fast air. Make a crisp buzzing sound. You can also try some of the exercises listed above to strengthen the control of your lips and tongue. Also, make sure that you are sending air up from deep in your lungs, not just your throat.

Try to control the speed of your air. If you already have a strong air stream, control it by keeping the same volume but at a slower speed. Also, the trumpet you are playing may not be adequate for the current level you are at. Although a professional trumpet can be very expensive, it is worth it if you are serious about trumpet playing.

You need to warm up, and start with a gentle airflow, then gradually get louder.

Use different amounts of air for different loudness levels (more air=more volume), but use your tongue to articulate the rhythm. Don't start a note with your lungs, start it by mouthing a 'tu' sound.

Don't worry! When I first started to play, my lips and cheeks felt like jelly. The numbness will go away with consistent practice, and lots of long tones to strengthen your muscles. It's actually your muscles that get tired in your lips and cheeks. Just take a rest for a minute or two after they feel numb, and after 2 minutes, start playing again. It works every time for me. I have been playing for almost 4 years, and I very rarely feel much numbness anymore.

You have to make your stream of air more consistent. Also try emptying the slides; sometimes condensation builds up and it makes that sound.

B and D are often the hardest notes for many players. It is usually sharp, so you are just going to have to open your ambusher a little bit more than usual. But if you want a better tone, play a concert f (G) for 5 minutes one day, then 10 minutes the next day, and 20 minutes the day after. Keep playing Gs for 20 minutes a day and you'll find it gets easier in no time.

Start with lip slurs. You need to keep slipping up higher and higher with good breath support. Eventually, you will slip up high enough to reach high C.

Just keep practicing reaching up to that note. A useful tip I learned was to hold long tones and work your way up until you are not comfortable anymore. Then work on hitting and holding that note. When that note is comfortable to play, move up a half step. Eventually you will expand your range so that you can easily hit and hold a high C.

Practice. Practice. Practice. A good environment helps, too. I personally find it easier to play after about 5-10 minutes of playing, when the trumpet is warm, and my lips are not tired yet. The big thing is to always try to hit it if you run across it in your music. If you always just don't play or always go an octave lower, you won't grow.

You'll likely need to spend some extra time slowly building up your endurance. Remember that playing a high note is not about the amount of air that you push through the mouthpiece. It is the result of controlling the air and releasing it in a fast spurt.

All you have to do is adjust your lips in to a comfortable place on your mouth piece then buzz.

That all depends on how much you practice and what you do during practice. If you spend roughly an hour a day doing quality practicing (i.e., following the steps shown in this wikiHow article), you should be able to achieve your goal in about a week.

Lift the corners of your lips, as if you're smiling. It will feel funny at first, but you'll get used to it.

Try to blow downwards and practice going higher at home. Check if your embouchure is correct, because your mouth should ache. Your head should not hurt.

It is an open fingering, so don't push any valves. Practice slurring across "shelves" from G, to C, to E. Pause for a minute If your lips get numb. Once you feel confident, tighten your cheeks and slur from C, to E, to G!

The best thing to do is to take breaks when your lips start to hurt and to play low notes, as well.

It sounds like your trumpet is broken. You can either go to a professional center to get help, or get a replacement valve.

Fix your embouchure, that happens sometimes. It is inevitable. Try closing your mouth a bit more.

Yes. The baritone uses a similar embouchure to the trumpet. However, since it's a bigger and lower instrument, you probably won't achieve notes as high as is possible on the trumpet.

Do not try to remove it with pliers, as this could damage your instrument.Instead, take it into a music shop where they will use a special tool to remove it for free. This is actually a quite common occurrence. You can also try applying ice to the mouthpiece before gently tugging on it.

The harmonic intervals between the notes after high C are closer together than lower down, which means that you end up playing up in a scale from there.

The trumpet and cornet play the same, so it really doesn't matter. The cornet is just smaller, it doesn't affect the playing.

It depends. If you have just started playing the trumpet, then playing for that long isn't necessary. However, as you progress, it seems reasonable to play for an hour a day most days.

You need lots and lots of practice. If you've only been playing for a year, you don't need to be able to play a high G yet. I couldn't do it still after my first year playing. You just have to keep practicing. Long tones with the highest note you can play are also very helpful. Try holding your highest note for one or two measures, or just as long as you can. You will eventually get used to high notes as you gain more experience with the trumpet.

It is possible to play without your mouth being centered, but it gets really hard to play high notes if you're playing on the side of your mouth. It's just much easier to center your mouth on the mouthpiece.

Just practice. You will get it eventually. Try holding your breath for as long as you can every day. Don’t hold it for too long though.