Pencil exercise for trumpet

[Apokolohypnotis]

Is it useful on trombone? :)

[Johnflugelhorn]

@Apokolohypnotis Good question,though I also play trombone and trumpet and do the pencil exercise ,then by default ..Yes,it is good for trombone.

[Apokolohypnotis]

@Johnflugelhorn Thank you for the answer :)

[Johnflugelhorn]

I am suprised that with all these comments no one has mentioned how long should you squeeze the pencil and how often each day. When you start a couple minutes twice a day is good. Even after you have done this a few days i would advise twice a day up to 3 minutes each time you squeeze the pencil.

[angloman1]

what kind of pencil would you recommend for the better sound quality?

[Johnflugelhorn]

A pencil like the wood pencil I use in the video ,which is a #6 lead pencil.You don't want a too light or too heavy pencil.

[marypercival]

ahah

[ProKzaine]

my original teacher taught me to try it with the eraser side. what kind of difference would that make?

[Johnflugelhorn]

The wood end of the pencil or the eraser should not make much difference except to make sure the eraser is clean and has no wear.

[jazztrumpet251]

I went through a 10 week program using the pencil method in Pops McLauphlin's book chop builder. I didn't really get much out of it but when I switched to Caruso, I noticed a big change. I believe that the pencil excersise primative to the Caruso method because your not on the instrument.

[Johnflugelhorn]

Interesting comment,thanks. I like the pencil exercise because it keeps the focus on the center of the embouchure where it should be.

[kamakamameleon]

A belgian trumpetplayer told me also this technique, I do it in the car and surprisingly, I get high notes very clear I never did. It's a good technique. Lips are muscles and has to be trained. How harder the lips how better and higher the notes but also the sonority. I keep study on my sonority with other techniques. Johan

[Johnflugelhorn]

Always be aware of embouchure and air control not just embouchure.

[Johnflugelhorn]

@kamakamameleon Good that you are doing well on trumpet. The comments you say are true,with trumpet it is not just one thing but a combination of several things,such as embouchure,posture,breath control,valve control and of course having a good horn helps!

[Johnflugelhorn]

This video on the pencil exercise is only one aspect of the complete sequence to bring music from the trumpet. How you control the air you breathe into your diaphragm and move that air thru the trumpet resulting in a musical tone from the bell of the trumpet requires cordination of all those aspects in a split second. Take a full breath and tongue on the low C. Go up the C scale breathe and tongue each note of the C scale. Doing that will give you the basic start .Hold each note for 4 beats.