Hey all! ... I've been playing the trumpet for 2 years now, I am in the music program at Canterbury High School in Ottawa ON. I have gotten used to playing my trumpet holding my bell down. My private teacher doesn't seem to have a problem with it but my band teacher is 'encouraging' me...meaning yelling at me every spare second... to hold my bell up. THIS IS SO HARD. I keep trying but when i do play with my bell up, I sound horrible and can't hit anything above a C or D.

Opinions?...

Do you have an overbite? This would result in a habit of pulling the bell down and it would result in your not being to get higher than a C or D. Unfortuanately I do not have any cure for this, merely stating a possible reason.

I think the reason why you can't hit the
notes is because your embouchure is not
strong enough to play it the right way.
You probably aren't playing with enough
air, or fast enough air. Keep practicing
the right way, evenually you will be able
to hit them. Good Luck!!!

Hey yes i have a slight overbite but when you play the trumpet, does the bottom of the mouthpiece rest on your bottom teeth? I can hit up to an A above the staff when holding my trumpet down, but it's just when i try and hold it up that i lose my range. Others say that I will get used to it and I'll get my range back afterwords. But it's just so ****ing hard to do...

Hey yes i have a slight overbite but when you play the trumpet, does the bottom of the mouthpiece rest on your bottom teeth? I can hit up to an A above the staff when holding my trumpet down, but it's just when i try and hold it up that i lose my range. Others say that I will get used to it and I'll get my range back afterwords. But it's just so ****ing hard to do...

The mouthpiece does rest a little on my bottom lip, but not significantly. There is just a little more pressure on the bottom lip then on the top lip. When people tell me to bring the bell up I usually just tilt my head back. I can play a little with the bell up but it's just easier for me the other way. I think whatever way you're comfortable should be the way you play. If you have any other questions u can drop me an email at bengewarmer@gmail.com or IM me on bengewarmer. If I don't have the answer I have a whole bunch of resources that do. Good luck.

It may be the way you're holding it with your left hand. Hold the trumpet with your middle finger, not your ring, through the ring on the slide, with your index finger gripping the valve body above the slide, and your ring and pinky gripping the valves under it. It's like a half and half. Half your hand above the slides, half under it. It helps a lot with stabalizing the trumpet. Since you've only been playing for 2 years you're probably holding it the way you shouldn't be.

Try that. As for your range, stick out your bottom jaw so your teeth are even with eachother. It makes for easier air flow, and compensates for your over bite. I too have a slight over bite (I think ...) and I jut out my lower jaw. Makes playing a lot easier...

That is a common misconception : that it is bad to play with the bell tilted down. But it all depends on your mouth setting, you can't really generalize, "this works and this doesn't", because different methods work for different players. It is actually far better to play with a downward slope than anything else. As you raise the bell, you are putting more pressure on your top lip, which kills tone. If having your bell lower works efficiently for you, don't worry about it. If anything, make sure you don't bring the bell up too much or you will be dealing with pressure problems. I am having the opposite issue: my bell is too high, so, again, I wouldn't worry about it.

It sounds absolutely horrible when I try and fix the 'problem' I have a great tone and sound quality when I play normally, but it just doesn't look right, the way I am playing. When I see the pros do it, they all have their bells perfectly straight, like the Canadian Brass, which I saw two days ago. They were amazing btw. They always held their trumpet right. Now my music teacher is saying that she will start docking points if I don't fix it. and my private teacher says not to worry about it. I'm so confused.

-- Jaмεн

how much below center do you hold your trumpet? it isn't pointing almost at the ground is it?

I have to aggree with some of the other players about it, maybe the its best way you can play. I have to read music with the music stand on my left cause I play my trumpet at an angle going to my right side of my mouth and thats because I have a porslin tooth in front on the top. So the tooth is centered in the cup of the mouth piece and I have played that way for the last 18 years. So I have to aggree if you play the best that way then continue to play that way.

seperate your teeth when you drop your bell the sound goes right to the floor and stops

who doesn't play pointing down towards the ground? Besides the marching bands, if you're sitting in your chair playing ...most of the time the trumpet is pointing towards the ground. I mean, look at the boston pops and what not. If your director wants you to bring your horn up, just lift it higher WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR EMBOUCHURE. take it easy.