Alrighty, so I've been playing clarinet for 7 years now and the big switch to a brass instrument is a tedious task. I'm now on my fourth month on the trumpet and I'm getting somewhat good at it. I can play in good tone and high...if I start off good. I have this problem with trumpet that REALLY bothers me. It's either I have a trumpet day or I don't and I know it all because of how I warm up. I change the way I warm up which makes it hard for me to even get the notes out. I tried playing right now and utterly failed, today is not a trumpet day for me. But HOW can I warm up so that every time I play it'll be a "trumpet day" for me? I need some type of coaching.

Spend $3.00 and get the Walter Moeck Trumpet Warm-ups.

It is the least expensive, most beneficial bang for the buck warm up routine you can get. Most online merchants will have it.

A switch to a brass instrument is a big thing, I must agree with you. The embouchure technique you had with the clarinet will change drastically (as you might've already known...). You need to develop a daily routine so you can play other music (beware of practicing just exercises. Remember: nobody comes to a concert to hear somebody play exercises, but music). In other words, you need to develop a playing routine that you can use every day in your warm-ups. I highly (rather extremely) recommend getting the Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet. Read it from cover-to-cover. Experiment. Play the heck out of that book and satisfying results will come with time, patience, and of course, practice. But most importantly, don't be afraid to make a mistake. In fact, multiple. The human body self-corrects itself when it creates a mistake. So take your time, as the trumpet is a new instrument for you (even if you have been playing for only 4 months; you still have a long way to go).

Best of luck in your trumpet-playing career!

Best regards, belltrumpetplayer19

...P.S: don't EVER get down on yourself for making a mistake. Saying that you "failed" is negativity that is so hurtful to yourself, that eventually you'll lose interest. Remember: pessimists see difficulties in opportunities. Optimists see opportunities in difficulties.

Switching to a trumpet is a huge difference. I'm already used to it, but still have some hard times with it. I could say I'm learning at a very fast rate and could play good if I really work on it. Jazz has made the trumpet fun only when I have a good day with it. These past three days have been good, except today I lost my embouchure pretty fast and we weren't even playing high. I'm going to look up these two books and hopefully be able to buy them; I need the best help I can get if I want to get good at it. I'll post video performances when the concert/jazz ensemble passes.

If you really want good instruction, go talk to a private trumpet teacher and figure out a time when you can go in for a lesson. What I wrote is just a tiny, tiny piece of the whole picture (which is what you want in the first place, right?...), and just a suggestion. It helped me going to braces, then back from braces, then again to braces, and now I'm off braces permanently. However, practice is an indispensable habit that you should have. That's all I can tell you. Now you work your butt off

Best regards, belltrumpetplayer19

Here is a link to an article by Mike Herriott on how to warm up.Mike is one of the top lead players in Canada. He just recorded a CD with the Canadian Brass, and was the lead trumpet for all the recorded and most of the live music you heard for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

http://www.mikeherriott.com/warmup.htm

Cheers,
Dave

No need to warmup, just go for it :P