How much should I practice?

Developing the Right Mindset for Efficient, Effortless Trumpet Playing

The word practice is an interesting one. In one sense, it’s time spent working out kinks and uncovering inefficiencies — what we do to improve the many skills required to play the trumpet well. In another sense, trumpet is our practice — a daily ritual, almost like yoga or meditation.

While I may not always be a “perfect practicer,” I do sound my best when I combine a consistent, focused, and peaceful daily trumpet routine with a major performance or project that naturally pulls me toward my best playing.

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Build a Consistent Trumpet Practice Routine

Ideally, your daily routine should touch on every technical aspect of trumpet playing: tone, flexibility, articulation, range, and endurance. Each week, make small adjustments — either by swapping out certain materials or changing how much time you spend on each element.

These tweaks keep your practice efficient and ensure you’re constantly addressing your weakest areas instead of just reinforcing habits. [I go into more detail about this here.]

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Why You Always Need a Musical Goal

Musically, there should always be a project coming up — a concert, a recording session, a collaboration, or even a performance goal you set for yourself.

Without meaningful and challenging experiences on the horizon, long hours in the practice room can simply solidify what you already do — which is not ideal.

Performing and collaborating with inspiring musicians, however, makes you ask better questions:

• What kind of sound do I want to create?
• What’s missing from my playing?
• How do I close that gap efficiently?

Even during times when live performances aren’t possible, recording projects can serve this purpose beautifully. I always keep several projects going at once, and each one forces me to refine my concept of sound and figure out exactly what I need to do to achieve it.

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The Secret to Effortless Trumpet Playing

If your goal is to play the trumpet effortlessly, two areas matter most: sound production and flexibility.

Developing flexibility improves your air use and connects the notes more fluidly, bringing the trumpet’s full range within easy reach. A great benchmark is the ability to do lip trills — once you can, it’s like upgrading from a toy piano to a concert grand. Everything feels more natural and expressive.

A beautiful sound is also an effortless one — though achieving it takes time, patience, and mindful repetition.

A forced sound, on the other hand, often happens when you play past the point of diminishing returns. It might seem powerful, but it will never be pure, resonant, or truly free.

Conversely, playing too lightly or with too little air is equally inefficient. The physics of the trumpet depend on both air speed and air volume (the amount of air you move, not necessarily loudness).

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A Balanced, Mindful Approach

Trumpet practice is a balance between discipline and awareness. Efficiency comes from knowing what to change, when to rest, and how to listen deeply. Each day, aim for improvement — not perfection — and treat your routine as both a craft and a meditation.

This post is a work in progress — I’d love to hear your thoughts. What helps you stay consistent or find flow in your trumpet practice? Leave a comment below or send me an email.

Happy trumpeteering!
— Chris

-Chris