39 years I’ve been playing the trumpet. Yes, I realize that makes me old. It’s quite possible it’s been 40 years, somewhere between the two for sure. Either way, one of the things that I think is beautiful about the trumpet which in complete honesty I know and understand at a much deeper level now than I did 10 years ago let alone 20, 30, or 40, is this:

While the trumpet is certainly a physical instrument that requires a significant amount of control and muscle work, it doesn’t need to be nearly as physically demanding as people often make it out to be.

A key word that a great trumpet teacher will use often is the word “efficiency.” Tragically, in my experience a bulk if not the majority of people that teach the trumpet disregard this or misinterpret this, or completely avoid this topic as a whole!

But one of the things that I have found encouraging and also fascinating is that somebody who just about died about a month ago and sustained fractures to my spine at the base of the neck/in the back of my head, as well as to my right hand and right/wrist (and of course to my right knee as well but that really doesn’t impact the trumpet), is this:

Even though I almost died about a month ago, and even with a fractured spine at the base of my neck, still, I can play the trumpet. Of course I was careful at first when I got back on it and I didn’t even touch the thing until I got permission from my neurosurgeon! But once I did get permission, I slowly started to get back onto it. And the good news is that the bulk of what the trumpet requires, doesn’t require this crazy brute strength that you might otherwise think was necessary. And while I haven’t necessarily tried flying into the extreme registers yet, for the most part, a month after the accident, I’m playing the trumpet pretty normally. Remember this word, seek it always on your horn, “efficiency.”

Unfortunately, while this is all true, it’s also true that if you try to learn the trumpet or you do learn the trumpet in a way that is inefficient, you’ll struggle, you’ll get frustrated, it’ll be physically extremely demanding, and possibly even painful. Don’t do that. Learn to play in a way that flows, feels good, sounds good—and is fun! I would be happy to help you on your journey too! I am on a waitlist, but drop me a line and we can certainly get you on the list.