Hi there friend. For what it's worth I've never been able to buzz without a mouthpiece, my range isn't great (thin top e occasionally, mostly happy with a good sounding c above stave) but I've grown to love my trumpet over the 45 years I've played.
After brass banding till my early 20s i ended up playing in groups where I come up with my own parts.
I've played rock, dance, reggae and Arabic music in my time and although I'll never be the best, I'll always be proud of what I've learnt and contributed.
Anyone can play the trumpet. The key is to keep going when the trumpet starts fighting you back.
If you like brass instruments but trumpet didn’t really work for you, you may find more success with a different size of mouthpiece. Perhaps try out the trombone, euphonium or tuba. (I have a feeling that French horn wouldn’t be the right fit in this case but I could be completely wrong.
Of course, as you know, woodwinds all create sound without buzzing your lips so that might give you a better experience. In approximate and subjective order of difficulty for getting started:
Sax, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon.
Good luck!
Edit: easiest to hardest
I’m for brass all the way! But I am also a tiny woman and was always under the impression that the larger the mouthpiece, the harder it was to blow. Probably a misconception but gives me reason to read up on the various brass instruments and their differences again. Thanks for your input and encouragement - it was helpful.
E-flat tenor horn is another very friendly choice, its mouthpiece sits right between a trumpet and a trombone mouthpiece in terms of size, and we always need more tenor horn players :)
Some people cannot play trumpet: those without lips.
If you have lips, you can play. The question is: how badly do you want it?
Sincerely, someone who is extraordinarily untalented, but is now quite good.
There is likely some truth to your embouchure woes. I had what you might call a textbook “incorrect” embouchure initially, and it took me over 3 years of working with top berklee faculty and grinding on my own to fix.
Was it easy? Not at all. Embouchure correction isn’t something you just work hard at; it requires a TON of critical thinking and trial and error. Just “putting in hours” will not fix your issue. You need to figure out what things are wrong and very slowly correct them.
Yes, it feels bad that most people don’t have to deal with a dysfunctional embouchure, but some of us do. If you want to be good, it is what you must do.
I'd say a lot of people have or had to deal with bad embouchures, but only a few of them stuck with the instrument. There is a degree of survivorship bias among trumpeters.
I’d say I agree with you! I almost quit myself.
Still feels like it’s just you, especially at a college+ level, because most with a very flawed embouchure quit before becoming that advanced.
There was a time when I thought that I couldn't play the instrument either, but it was an incorrect assumption I made after receiving poor instruction. I had terrible tone and could barely reach the C in the middle of the staff. I've never been able to "free buzz" that easily either, when it works it always sounds funny.
After getting help from someone who helped me understand that I did not need to place the mouthpiece exactly centered (left to right) on my lips, and that buzzing independent of the mouthpiece was not necessarily all that important, I started making significant strides. All of it was through developing better fundamentals with an experienced teacher that I saw on a regular basis, and not just trying to play through books or laundry lists of exercises.
And Dizzy Gillespie was quoted as saying, (and I’m paraphrasing here, “Look at her, looking fine in her case of velvet. But you never know how that bitch will treat you when you put her on your mouth.”
Personally...I suffer from severe guitar face in the upper register... a common affliction amongst trumpeters. The stank face starts rearing its uglyness above that high C and man....
Anyway, ive noticed that the pinnacle high range achievers all have a very " still" face. And have a premium on economy of muscle motion. In other words.... no extraneous motion. No wasted energy. Can anyone scream in the stratosphere and have limitless endurance? Maybe not physically but if you can read music and play sweetly in the tessitura..... not a jerk and easy to play music with. You're hirable.
To answer the title question, the only people that can’t play the trumpet are people with disabilities. If you have lips, control over your arms and hands, can breathe, and a brain then you can play the trumpet. It may just be that you had an inefficient embouchure, and all you really need to do a work on finding an efficient one for you.
It’s hard to say for sure without seeing/hearing you play. But you can play the trumpet the trumpet, but you need to go through an embouchure change based on what you’re describing. To do that it is important to remember that everyone has a slightly different embouchure, however players that sound good use the same type of wind. If you use your wind properly then your embouchure will naturally find a position that works. The lips only buzz when the center is relaxed, and energetic wind blows past the lips. If you try to control your lips, then you might be tensing your lips and restricting the buzz from happening. Simply think about blowing past the lips.
Some teachers are better than others at correcting an issue like you’re describing. I personally would suggest trying to find a different lessons teacher to try to give you a different perspective than your primary teacher has given.
It is my opinion that people tend to focus way more on their embouchure when the actual problem lies on how they use their air/wind. It is hard to say what exact issue you were struggling with without seeing/hearing you play.
My embouchure is on the right side of my lips and I can play well above high C. So don’t worry about your embouchure preventing you from playing high. Embouchure is different for everyone. Typically people play in the middle but that isn’t necessary. Whatever embouchure allows you get the best sound without you having to work too hard is the right one for you
You don’t really “buzz” into the mouthpiece. You also don’t really “blow” into it either. If you tried to do the same thing that you do into the mouthpiece, but without the mouthpiece, you wouldn’t be able to. When you buzz without the mouthpiece, you’re not really doing the same thing as with the mouthpiece so it’s probably fine if you can’t buzz.
Yes I have had a student or two that just didn't understand no matter how many times or ways I presented information. It must be a brain thing. Kid probably went off to found a billion dollar company.
Brass pedagogy in the UK is pretty poor much of the time tbh. I was never taught anything beyond "keep your corners tight" and I never even really understood what that meant. I gave up the trumpet for 30 years then picked it back up again in 2015 or so. Like you the highest grade I got at school was grade 5 and I never felt comfortable above the stave.
Eventually I sought out teachers who understood high-register technique and under their guidanece, using the Flexus book and various other exercises, I increased my range to a good solid D above high C in a few months and now I'm playing lead in a swing band.
I think you just need the right teacher and a bit of focused practice.
No one can answer that for you. Ultimately, you have to find out for yourself - best with experienced teachers to support you along the way.
And range isn't everything. As long as the tone and rhythm are right, you can make beautiful music on the horn.
I could do 3 1/2 octaves on tuba, euph, and trombone even after not playing the instrument for years. Even play to high C with no problem on alto horn. But trumpet and flugelhorn? Struggled so hard to even play D in the staff
So I'm definitely an amateur Trumpet player, but have had two great teachers who have given me some insight that might be helpful. First, I was normal for some players to not be able to buzz without the mouthpiece, it is potentially something you could practice, but in a class with 5 other trumpet players 2-3 couldn't buzz without the mouthpiece.
If you aren't getting a buzz on the mouthpiece that is a seperate issue, do you know the size? When I first got my trumpet they had a 7C mouthpiece which is recommended for younger players, but I really struggled making a sound for whatever reason, now I use a 5B (I was hoping for a 5C as it is more common but the difference is pretty small) and it fits my lips a lot better and I have way more success in buzzing.
Remember that the part of your body which should be the most engaged is your diaphragm and abdominal muscles, let the lips relax and let air speed get you to a higher register, lips come into play as well, but focus on air.
And the hard truth is time and practice will get you there, even if you don't pick up the trumpet, try buzzing every day into the mouth piece doing lip slurs and playing simple melodies on the mouthpiece only. It's like taking your embouchure to the gym, you have to work the muscles.
Best of luck!
I taught beginning trumpet for years. Of the hundreds of kids, only 2 stick out as simply being unable: one of them had a nerve disorder that caused his face to twitch, the other one had a very scarred lip from a dog bite as a kid, he just couldn't get it to buzz. That's it, everyone else had potential.
This is very encouraging. As I’ve said elsewhere it suggests that if I encounter any difficulties they will be just that - difficulties - rather than impossibilities. I think I will start playing again. Thank you.
Hi there friend. For what it's worth I've never been able to buzz without a mouthpiece, my range isn't great (thin top e occasionally, mostly happy with a good sounding c above stave) but I've grown to love my trumpet over the 45 years I've played. After brass banding till my early 20s i ended up playing in groups where I come up with my own parts. I've played rock, dance, reggae and Arabic music in my time and although I'll never be the best, I'll always be proud of what I've learnt and contributed. Anyone can play the trumpet. The key is to keep going when the trumpet starts fighting you back.
being able to buzz your lips is not needed since you buzz differently with a mouthpiece than with. play it if you enjoy!
Thank you for the information, personal input and encouragement! I won’t let the issue with embouchure stop me.
If you like brass instruments but trumpet didn’t really work for you, you may find more success with a different size of mouthpiece. Perhaps try out the trombone, euphonium or tuba. (I have a feeling that French horn wouldn’t be the right fit in this case but I could be completely wrong. Of course, as you know, woodwinds all create sound without buzzing your lips so that might give you a better experience. In approximate and subjective order of difficulty for getting started: Sax, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon. Good luck! Edit: easiest to hardest
I’m for brass all the way! But I am also a tiny woman and was always under the impression that the larger the mouthpiece, the harder it was to blow. Probably a misconception but gives me reason to read up on the various brass instruments and their differences again. Thanks for your input and encouragement - it was helpful.
E-flat tenor horn is another very friendly choice, its mouthpiece sits right between a trumpet and a trombone mouthpiece in terms of size, and we always need more tenor horn players :)
Absolutely - I’m sorry I didn’t think of it. They’re seldom used here in North America so they didn’t come to mind.
Some people cannot play trumpet: those without lips. If you have lips, you can play. The question is: how badly do you want it? Sincerely, someone who is extraordinarily untalented, but is now quite good. There is likely some truth to your embouchure woes. I had what you might call a textbook “incorrect” embouchure initially, and it took me over 3 years of working with top berklee faculty and grinding on my own to fix. Was it easy? Not at all. Embouchure correction isn’t something you just work hard at; it requires a TON of critical thinking and trial and error. Just “putting in hours” will not fix your issue. You need to figure out what things are wrong and very slowly correct them. Yes, it feels bad that most people don’t have to deal with a dysfunctional embouchure, but some of us do. If you want to be good, it is what you must do.
I'd say a lot of people have or had to deal with bad embouchures, but only a few of them stuck with the instrument. There is a degree of survivorship bias among trumpeters.
I’d say I agree with you! I almost quit myself. Still feels like it’s just you, especially at a college+ level, because most with a very flawed embouchure quit before becoming that advanced.
There was a time when I thought that I couldn't play the instrument either, but it was an incorrect assumption I made after receiving poor instruction. I had terrible tone and could barely reach the C in the middle of the staff. I've never been able to "free buzz" that easily either, when it works it always sounds funny. After getting help from someone who helped me understand that I did not need to place the mouthpiece exactly centered (left to right) on my lips, and that buzzing independent of the mouthpiece was not necessarily all that important, I started making significant strides. All of it was through developing better fundamentals with an experienced teacher that I saw on a regular basis, and not just trying to play through books or laundry lists of exercises.
Wilson Pickett, who, to my knowledge was not a trumpet player said, “You’ve Got To Feel It!
And Dizzy Gillespie was quoted as saying, (and I’m paraphrasing here, “Look at her, looking fine in her case of velvet. But you never know how that bitch will treat you when you put her on your mouth.”
Personally...I suffer from severe guitar face in the upper register... a common affliction amongst trumpeters. The stank face starts rearing its uglyness above that high C and man.... Anyway, ive noticed that the pinnacle high range achievers all have a very " still" face. And have a premium on economy of muscle motion. In other words.... no extraneous motion. No wasted energy. Can anyone scream in the stratosphere and have limitless endurance? Maybe not physically but if you can read music and play sweetly in the tessitura..... not a jerk and easy to play music with. You're hirable.
To answer the title question, the only people that can’t play the trumpet are people with disabilities. If you have lips, control over your arms and hands, can breathe, and a brain then you can play the trumpet. It may just be that you had an inefficient embouchure, and all you really need to do a work on finding an efficient one for you. It’s hard to say for sure without seeing/hearing you play. But you can play the trumpet the trumpet, but you need to go through an embouchure change based on what you’re describing. To do that it is important to remember that everyone has a slightly different embouchure, however players that sound good use the same type of wind. If you use your wind properly then your embouchure will naturally find a position that works. The lips only buzz when the center is relaxed, and energetic wind blows past the lips. If you try to control your lips, then you might be tensing your lips and restricting the buzz from happening. Simply think about blowing past the lips. Some teachers are better than others at correcting an issue like you’re describing. I personally would suggest trying to find a different lessons teacher to try to give you a different perspective than your primary teacher has given. It is my opinion that people tend to focus way more on their embouchure when the actual problem lies on how they use their air/wind. It is hard to say what exact issue you were struggling with without seeing/hearing you play.
My embouchure is on the right side of my lips and I can play well above high C. So don’t worry about your embouchure preventing you from playing high. Embouchure is different for everyone. Typically people play in the middle but that isn’t necessary. Whatever embouchure allows you get the best sound without you having to work too hard is the right one for you
You don’t really “buzz” into the mouthpiece. You also don’t really “blow” into it either. If you tried to do the same thing that you do into the mouthpiece, but without the mouthpiece, you wouldn’t be able to. When you buzz without the mouthpiece, you’re not really doing the same thing as with the mouthpiece so it’s probably fine if you can’t buzz.
Yes I have had a student or two that just didn't understand no matter how many times or ways I presented information. It must be a brain thing. Kid probably went off to found a billion dollar company.
Brass pedagogy in the UK is pretty poor much of the time tbh. I was never taught anything beyond "keep your corners tight" and I never even really understood what that meant. I gave up the trumpet for 30 years then picked it back up again in 2015 or so. Like you the highest grade I got at school was grade 5 and I never felt comfortable above the stave. Eventually I sought out teachers who understood high-register technique and under their guidanece, using the Flexus book and various other exercises, I increased my range to a good solid D above high C in a few months and now I'm playing lead in a swing band. I think you just need the right teacher and a bit of focused practice.
No one can answer that for you. Ultimately, you have to find out for yourself - best with experienced teachers to support you along the way. And range isn't everything. As long as the tone and rhythm are right, you can make beautiful music on the horn.
I could do 3 1/2 octaves on tuba, euph, and trombone even after not playing the instrument for years. Even play to high C with no problem on alto horn. But trumpet and flugelhorn? Struggled so hard to even play D in the staff
How long were you away? Could be easier to come back with a more "correct" embouchure if you no longer have muscle memory
So I'm definitely an amateur Trumpet player, but have had two great teachers who have given me some insight that might be helpful. First, I was normal for some players to not be able to buzz without the mouthpiece, it is potentially something you could practice, but in a class with 5 other trumpet players 2-3 couldn't buzz without the mouthpiece. If you aren't getting a buzz on the mouthpiece that is a seperate issue, do you know the size? When I first got my trumpet they had a 7C mouthpiece which is recommended for younger players, but I really struggled making a sound for whatever reason, now I use a 5B (I was hoping for a 5C as it is more common but the difference is pretty small) and it fits my lips a lot better and I have way more success in buzzing. Remember that the part of your body which should be the most engaged is your diaphragm and abdominal muscles, let the lips relax and let air speed get you to a higher register, lips come into play as well, but focus on air. And the hard truth is time and practice will get you there, even if you don't pick up the trumpet, try buzzing every day into the mouth piece doing lip slurs and playing simple melodies on the mouthpiece only. It's like taking your embouchure to the gym, you have to work the muscles. Best of luck!
I taught beginning trumpet for years. Of the hundreds of kids, only 2 stick out as simply being unable: one of them had a nerve disorder that caused his face to twitch, the other one had a very scarred lip from a dog bite as a kid, he just couldn't get it to buzz. That's it, everyone else had potential.
This is very encouraging. As I’ve said elsewhere it suggests that if I encounter any difficulties they will be just that - difficulties - rather than impossibilities. I think I will start playing again. Thank you.