The following outlines the first steps to attaining a good mouth shape for trumpet playing.
Keep your teeth slighly apart. Your lips should be only lightly touching.
Hold the lips as if about to say the 'M' in 'mother'.
Blow to make your lips buzz.
Now put the trumpet mouthpiece on your lips and make the same buzz into the center of the mouthpiece.
To make a clear start to the sound you use your tongue. Start the next buzz with a 'T'. Do not put your tongue outside your lips -
it stays inside your mouth.
Now try putting the mouthpiece into the instrument and try the same thing- you should be able to produce a note.
Things to watch out for:
Do not stick your lips out as if blowing a kiss!
Do not puff your cheeks out when blowing
Do try to breathe from your stomach - when you take a deep breath don't raise your shoulders.
Do practise blowing long notes into your instrument and holding them. Learning to control your breath is
crucial to good trumpet playing.
Things to watch out for: