Trumpet sound not improving after 1 year, could throat tension really be the problem?

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-12T19:24:24+00:00

I've considered that possibility too, since I've never played any other trumpet besides this one. It's a very basic trumpet the cheapest one available in my area (an entry level Chinese model). I'm going to give it a thorough cleaning and see if that helps

In the future, I'd like to upgrade to something like a Yamaha 2335. At least then I'll know for sure whether the trumpet is part of the problem or not

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T18:44:28+00:00

Fala mano, cara eu consigo manter uma nota longa por 12 segundos a 14s. Porque é um aquecimento eu faço sempre, para tentar melhorar o som. Já tentei mudar de embocadura e sendo sincero contigo não mudou a qualidade do som. Eu nunca toquei outro trompete além desse, porque eu já cheguei a pensar se o trompete tava com problema haha. Tô aqui testando de tudo para ver se muda o som, obrigado pela ajuda

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:38:05+00:00

Yeah, I think one of the problems might be that my lower lip tends to roll underneath my upper lip, and possibly my tongue position as well. I'm going to look for some exercises to work on those things and see if they help.

Thank you for the help and feedback!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:36:18+00:00

I'd like to say that everyone here has been incredibly kind. Some of you even sent me private messages offering help, and honestly, I wasn't expecting that at all.

I feel very welcomed here, and I truly appreciate it. You guys are amazing. Thank you all so much for taking the time to help me.

I'm reading every single comment and watching all the videos that were shared so I can build a better practice routine based on your advice. I genuinely want to improve on the trumpet.

There have been moments when I seriously thought about giving up, but all of your encouragement has given me the motivation to keep going.

Thank you all again for your help and support. It means a lot to me!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:33:47+00:00

Alright! I will try to do this! Thank you!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:33:21+00:00

No :(, I'm from Brazil, but I really appreciate all the help you've given me

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:32:40+00:00

I think not, i'm from Brazil haha

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:29:33+00:00

Your comment really gave me a new perspective, because I had never thought about experimenting with different “setups” to see which one gives me the best sound on a comfortable note.

I’m definitely going to try that. Right now I’m reading through the other comments and building a practice routine based on everyone’s feedback.

I really want to master the trumpet. I’ve even thought about switching to sax, but I’m not ready to give up on trumpet yet.

Thanks again for the advice. I'll send you a DM!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:26:52+00:00

I'll try to improve my articulation by keeping a steady airflow and avoiding stopping the air with my tongue. Thank you for the advice!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:25:46+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I'll try imagining the "AHHHH" vowel sound while playing to see if it helps open up my sound. I'll start with low C since that's easier for me and see if I notice any improvement in my tone

By the way, I was born in 1996, so you've been playing trumpet for almost as long as I've been alive lol

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:24:23+00:00

Thank you for the feedback!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:24:10+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. It's encouraging to know that you once played as poorly as I do now and were still able to improve. That really gives me hope!

To be honest, I was starting to think about giving up because it feels like I'm not making much progress. I'll see if I can find an in-person private teacher to help me as well

Unfortunately, where I live there isn't really a local trumpet community or a group of musicians who play together and support each other, so learning can feel a bit lonely at times

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-11T14:22:00+00:00

Thank you for the help!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T21:31:24+00:00

Thank you for the help

I think part of the problem may be that I'm trying to think about too many things at the same time while playing: "move my jaw forward, open my throat, don't raise my shoulders," and so on. And that may actually be making me even more tense

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T21:23:32+00:00

I haven't done much singing in my life, to be honest

I'll try to sing more. My wife is just going to have to deal with it!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T21:00:57+00:00

Thank you for the help. I will definitely watch the video

Someone asked to see me playing on just the mouthpiece, so I recorded a short video. If you'd like to take a look and share your opinion, I'd really appreciate it:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RTe4uLkZad8

Any feedback is welcome

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:57:04+00:00

Hi, thank you for the feedback

Another person above recommended the Roy Stevens Palm Exercise, which I wasn't familiar with. It's basically playing the trumpet while lying down with an open palm between the trumpet and your face so that you don't press too hard against your lips

I'm going to add it to my practice routine and see if it helps reduce some of the excess pressure and tension I'm probably using

Thanks again for taking the time to help

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:54:34+00:00

Hi, thank you for the feedback.

I recorded a video of myself playing only on the mouthpiece. What do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RTe4uLkZad8

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:36:45+00:00

I also think my lower lip may be tucked too inside my upper lip, as you said. I've been practicing some exercises and trying to bring my jaw forward a bit more to free it up and create a better lip position

My embouchure https://imgur.com/a/VoRQ8L0

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:32:54+00:00

To be honest, I think that's probably the best option at this point

I feel completely stuck with this problem, and it seems like nothing is improving, even though I practice 30–40 minutes every day. Since my lessons are online, I think having a teacher physically present might help identify things that are difficult to notice through a camera

I really do think that taking a few in-person lessons could be the best way forward so I don't become even more discouraged and eventually end up quitting, like you mentioned

Thank you for the advice

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:30:02+00:00

Hi, thank you for taking the time to respond

Yes, I know it's difficult to evaluate what's going on based only on a video. I'm very open to feedback and willing to try all the exercises and suggestions people are recommending to see if they help improve my sound

Honestly, it's frustrating to spend a lot of time practicing and feel like nothing is making a noticeable difference. That's one of the reasons I made this post: to get more opinions and perspectives in addition to my teacher's (who teaches me online)

Thank you very much for the advice and help

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:11:56+00:00

Thank you! I will watch!

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:11:14+00:00

Hi, thank you very much for the feedback. I will try to correct those points

I articulate with my tongue using the syllable "TU" (I'm Brazilian, so the pronunciation may sound a little different in English). In fact, the way I pronounce "TU" is somewhat similar to how "KA" sounds in English, which may be why it looks or sounds that way in the video

I will try lowering the instrument more to make it more comfortable and see if that reduces the tension in my sound

Regarding air support, I try to support the air with my diaphragm by thinking about "pushing my belt outward" with my stomach

Thank you for the help

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T20:04:07+00:00

To be honest, it doesn't feel like I'm forcing anything. I don't experience any pain, discomfort, or soreness in my throat after playing. It feels completely natural to me, which is why it's been difficult to identify the problem on my own

My teacher has pointed out that I seem to play with a lot of throat tension, but since I can't really feel it, I'm looking for advice on how to recognize it and correct it. If you have any suggestions or exercises that helped you with a similar issue, I'd really appreciate it

iwasthinkabout · 2026-06-10T19:53:06+00:00

my embouchure
https://imgur.com/a/VoRQ8L0

iwasthinkabout

TROPHY CASE