What Do I Have to Practice In Order to Become a Great Trumpet Player?

written by Bruce Chidester on October 28, 2026

ChatGPT said: To become a great trumpet player, you need to practice more than just playing songs. You need to build a beautiful tone, strong breath control, accurate technique, a great ear, and musical expression. The secret is consistent, focused practice every day—not simply playing for hours. Even 30–60 minutes of deliberate practice can make a big difference. The 7 things you need to practice Tone and long tones Highest priority Your sound is your identity as a trumpet player. Practice holding comfortable notes with a full, clear, steady sound. Hold notes for 8–12 seconds without squeezing. Keep the sound…

Trumpet Tips

Vibrato

written by Bruce Chidester

Download exercise sheet Trumpet Vibrato Basics I mentioned in my previous post that I feel the best vibrato for trumpet playing is the hand vibrato. Some of the reasons I feel strongly about this form of vibrato over other techniques are- 1. It does not interfere with the basic sound…

Outstanding !!!!!!!!

written by Bruce Chidester

What You Should Know Before Buying A Flugelhorn

written by Bruce Chidester

To many people, the flugelhorn is a unique and interesting instrument. It looks bigger than a trumpet and in some ways it is bigger. It is heavier and has a larger bell. But when stretched out to its full length, a Bb flugelhorn is exactly the same length as a…

Join HI-YR-BY-A-THIRD today! Lesson 4

written by Bruce Chidester

From comments being sent in, most players have seen an improvement in their range. In fact most have been able to reach or surpass the goal of one third. To those who have stuck with the program, congratulations and because of the success, you are all on your own now.…

Join HI-YR-BY-A-THIRD today! Lesson 3 Review

written by Bruce Chidester

This was the week that got me my first G in many years. To some that might not seem like much of an accomplishment but to me it was a welcome occurrence. My F and F# got much easier and after finally breaking into the G, I have been able…

Please welcome Victor Haskins

written by Bruce Chidester

When I first listened to Mr. Haskins play, I was instantly reminded of the great rock guitar player Jimi Hendrix. You might wonder what the two musicians could have in common. Both musicians impressed me as being able to instantly move from mental creation to artistic technique. Both players, even…

The Hoffman Brass Ensemble

written by Bruce Chidester

Music and the Internet are two elements which have worked well together for through the marvel of science, we are able to share performances with likeminded musicians throughout the world Such is the case here where a good friend from Australia has allowed us to attend, if only second handedly,…

Join HI-YR-BY-A-THIRD today! Lesson 2 Review

written by Bruce Chidester

This completes the first full week on Lesson #2 of the Claude Gordon book and most of you have been finding some improvement. What have we learned? Some have reported that they have gained more range than they expected in one week. Some have reported that their range has remained…

Join HI-YR-BY-A-THIRD today! Lesson 2

written by Bruce Chidester

I have included two recorded samples with this lesson for two reasons. Most players who begin these exercises, have a difficult time keeping their notes in tune when playing pedal tones and when playing in the upper register, struggle with hearing the higher notes. For those reasons I have recorded…

Join HI-YR-BY-A-THIRD today! Lesson 1 (Part #3)

written by Bruce Chidester

We have spent a large amount of time explaining some of the ideas in the Claude Gordon “Systematic Approach To Daily Practice” and now it is time to start our weekly assignments. Please note that I am still making reference to “OUR” lessons for I am on this journey as…

Join HI-YR-BY-A-THIRD today! Lesson 1 (Part #2)

written by Bruce Chidester

Those that have been with us from the beginning of this project should be able now to play down into the pedal range with ease, at least down to the notes that make your lips a little puffy after you are finished. The reason you should not start playing right…

How Much Improvement Have We Made in Our First Week?

written by Bruce Chidester

Now that we have our material, downloaded our practice sheet, marked our highest note with the date and have begun to play and improve our pedal tones, it’s time now to see if we have made any improvement. I posted a recording which took us down from C, third space…

A Little Racial History

written by Bruce Chidester

I would like to thank a fellow trumpet player (*Michael Stewart* www.stewmuse.com) for sharing this video with us. There is more truth to this computer generated video than most will realize. As a person who had witnessed the “WHITES ONLY” years, sadness fills my heart for the injustice put upon…