Most trumpet players agree that some form of a warm up is needed to keep your trumpet playing at its highest level, but almost anyone you talk to will have a slightly different routine. This is perfectly ok, as we are all different and have different playing needs each day.
What:
This is an easy question to answer, what is the warm up? I think the sports analogy is fitting here since many athletes spend a bit of time stretching and slowly working to get their body ready for strenuous work. I’m sure it would be hard to picture a runner getting out of bed and immediately going out for a hard run, or a football player heading straight to the weight room before they have stretched. It is important to remember that trumpet playing is similar, as it is hard work for our body. We need to treat our warm up routine like we are preparing for a physical activity. The key areas I focus on each day are air, lip buzz, fingers and tongue. Each of these components need to be “woken up” before the hard work can begin.
Why:
This is another easy question to answer when we think about the hard work our muscles need to do while we play trumpet. By having a dedicated warm up routine we can slowly ensure our musicals are ready for the day. Often times we hear about playing injuries that occur when trumpet players pick up the instrument and try to do too much while they are “cold.” The biggest risk factor here is damage to our lips, as they are one of the most sensitive parts used in trumpet playing. Just like our other muscles, the lips and the surrounding muscles that are used in brass playing need time to wake up as to prevent injury.
When:
The warm up can happen in a few different “stages” and each is slightly unique. At the start of your playing day, a longer more defined warm up routine is generally needed as this is the first time we are getting the trumpet playing muscles activated. The other warm up period happens directly before a rehearsal or performance. If we have been diligent about warming up earlier in the day, we are simply returning our playing systems back to a place where they are ready to go, without the risk of injury. This may only take five minutes, and can consist of playing a few notes or a scale or two.
It is important to mention, there is often a large gap in thinking between warming up and practicing. Ideally, a warm up routine should only take ten or fifteen minutes, as this is just the “stretching” phase. After that, we cross over into practicing when we start working on developing fundamentals such as intensive lip slurs, finger or tonguing exercises or when we start working through musical applications like etudes, excerpts or other literature.
Since each person is unique, it is a good goal to develop a warm up routine that fits your needs and that helps to make you feel your best. CONSISTENCY IS KEY, so start by trying a routine for a few weeks, then make subtly changes as needed. Evaluate how these affect your playing and make decisions to see if it was a worthwhile change. Remember that a consistent approach each day will also make your playing more consistent!
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