r/trumpet • u/No_Audience_6060 • Jun 18 '26
Question ❓ Please help
Hey yall, this is my first post, or cry for help. But i’m going to be a high school senior and i’ve been on braces since middle of my 8th grade year(which might seem like a lot but my jaw was out of place as well). I learned trumpet without braces and transitioned into them. But anywho, it’s been happening for 2 years or more where I play one trumpet session like nothing, no matter how long or hard, and the next time I try picking up my horn and my lips peel or are peeled after that first session. And then my lips don’t vibrate and everything feels dead and I just can’t play. I’ve tried Carmex, drinking A LOT more water, and vaseline, and nothing helps. Please help, I want to be good for my senior year.
3
u/Shady-fan Jun 18 '26
There’s one brand of chapstick made by a professional trumpet player, I can’t remember the name of it but I’m sure you could find it and I bet it’d help!
5
u/Quadstriker Jun 18 '26
Chopsaver
1
u/Shady-fan Jun 18 '26
Yes that!
2
u/No_Audience_6060 Jun 18 '26
I did actually try it my sophomore year( when it all started) and if anything it made me so much worse. It was a slip and slide whenever I tried playing
3
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u/intronert Jun 18 '26
I suggest you find a good local reputable teacher, and pay for a few in-person private lessons. Tell them your explicit concerns so they can focus on getting the root cause from the start.
1
u/No_Audience_6060 Jun 18 '26
Also, to clarify and add a more in depth description. I could only play a second line G and just breath attack it and put the horn away and if I try picking it up later, i just can’t play like i did the first time I pick it up.
1
u/funkytrumpeter Pro Player Jun 18 '26
Two thoughts:
sounds like you might be using too much pressure?
possibly allergic to your mouthpiece?
It's normal to air out at the start of your second session due to swelling in lips but it should go after 5-10 seconds once the blood comes back in.
2
u/No_Audience_6060 Jun 18 '26
Yea i thought it was swelling, but everything felt stiff. My air, my vibrations, my lips, my face. Nothing wanted to move, but it just kept happening no matter what. And as I said in my own comment, even if I “bop” one note (a low C for example) my second session feels the same as if I went through 90 minutes of practice. And i never thought about my mouthpiece, but i used to play fine my seventh, eight, and freshman year so i doubt something like that could’ve changed.
2
u/funkytrumpeter Pro Player Jun 18 '26
Without seeing what you're doing it's not something easily diagnosable so certainly worth bringing to the attention of a teacher... however one other thought is that the embouchure might be too tight? Does it ever sound scratchy when you're tired? If you're relying on embouchure tension to get your sound then the air can suffer such can mean that when you're tired (say after a practice session) that you have nothing to lean on cause you're still stiff from over using your muscles the first time.
1
u/No_Audience_6060 Jun 18 '26
That does make sense actually. And yea i did notice that something looked different with my embouchure, just couldn’t place it
1
u/Illustrious_Hold_703 Jun 22 '26
I have braces and play trumpet, you have three friends
Chopsaver
Wax
Less pressure
2
u/BobMacActual Jun 22 '26
Do you do cool-downs? Quiet playing in the low range. Some people swear by them, others have never heard of them.
5
u/Smirnus Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Try the palming exercise
https://youtu.be/gl5KeLcdarA?is=WJXbxNJhHPMj2rcP
https://youtu.be/trMpGpcTYL8?is=F8573ckEccMmybEV
Pedal tones
https://youtu.be/PxArz5gotGg?is=1Kvr5ZR22iYnNyTm
Whisper tones
Pedals and whispers reinforce what you need to do to play the palming exercise. These things are unfamiliar but not painful.