food to eat/avoid as a trumpet player?

[Tro.sy]

hey guys,
can you give some advice on what i should eat as a trumpet player? what should i avoid?

[multiphonic]

[Turkle]

For me, salty and spicy foods are killers. Nothing like having a completely dry mouth for a 3-hour gig on a hot stage. Horrible.

Hydration is just so critically important to your success and endurance! Going out all night drinking dehydrates you so much that it can ruin you at the gig the next day.

Before demanding performances, I always take care to avoid hangovers, moderate my salt intake, and properly hydrate. I love eating lean protein like fish or eggs before the gig.

I always drink flavored seltzer on stage because it has flavor to promote salivation but doesn't have any nasty sugar or acid to mess up your horn.

And always pack a toothbrush in your case!
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Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3.

[OndraJ]

It's not about food only, but a very interesting report:

http://beforhorn.blogspot.com/2011/05/lip-swelling-embouchure-performance.html

Not every part is for everyone, but it may poke you to think about whats different on bad days.

[mm55]

[Turkle]

[abontrumpet]

-On the day of a big gig, I basically eat like an athlete would: whole foods, emphasis on easily digestible, not high in sodium. I don't like meat, for me it dries me out and it's too heavy. I like to be full about 3 or 4 hours before the concert/audition and then a light snack about 45 minutes before to not be hungry during the concert.

-If a morning audition, bananas and granola bars so I can top up as rounds can end up being around 8 hours.

-In general, Michael Pollan's advice: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. (No processed foods). When coming up to the big thing, I stick to this advice very closely. I drink nothing but water in general.

Side note:
I had a bit of OCD (the real kind) in my undergrad where I let what I ate be connected to how well I did on trumpet that day. I ended up losing a lot of weight, accidentally, in order to "control" my good days and my bad days via diet. I had a lot of rules for myself. Don't let diet become intertwined with trumpet.

[mm55]

[Turkle]

[Matthew Anklan]

Everyone is different - listen to your body!
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Matthew Anklan
www.matthewanklan.com
Patrick Mouthpieces Artist

[kehaulani]

Not to disagree with anyone, but I have been a professional wind instrument player for half a century and I never paid attention to this.

It makes sense not to blow potato chips into your horn, but I never had a problem with anything I ate as long as I could rinse my mouth before playing if I felt I needed it (potato chips, LOL).

Regarding health, though, I usually stayed away from acid producing foods just before playing.

That's it.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[Jaw04]

Just normal nutrition considerations like any other activity, if you eat a poor diet you will feel bad. But there's nothing trumpet specific. I eat very spicy food every day, I drink coffee often also, no problems with any food or drink. Just stay hydrated.

[OndraJ]

[zaferis]

I come down on the side of don't worry about it too much. Beyond avoiding things that you're allergic to or have some other aversion. i.e. "Cashews make my mouth itchy"

I've traveled and toured outside of the country, what is often available for food is definitely sketchy at times. As often as the food didn't agree with me, or wasn't what I am used to. It had no direct impact upon playing.

Cold weather, lack of sleep, elevation (above sea level), alcohol, dehydration (on and off airplanes is a killer) have MUCH more impact upon the chops. I lived in Hawaii for 4 years - had ZERO chop issues - perfect weather, constant humidity, Followed that with 3 years in Belgium, occassional chop issues returned.

Eat well, work on being generally fit, avoid salty, spicey, greasey overly processed things - common sense.. right?

HYDRATE. I'm fond of light teas (low sugar, green or white cold tea) or water with a little flavor on stage. Lemon/lime wedge in water or like a Propel type water. I find water alone rinses out the mouth and can compound any "on-stage" dryness.
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Freelance Performer/Educator
Adjunct Professor
Bach Trumpet Endorsing Artist
Retired Air Force Bandsman

[kehaulani]

[Bill_Bumps]

[deleted_user_687c31b]

Still trying to figure this out. Recently brought a spinach burger to eat before a rehersal...not a good idea. I found that dry, hard breads, optionally with a dry veggie burger, are easy to rinse from one's mouth even without brushing your teeth.

For drinks, I stick to (sparkly) water (also to rinse my mouth before playing). I'm a huge coffee fan but I've read that it's not too good on your horn. When at home, I try to brush my teeth before playing, as I play a vintage horn that I'd like to stick around a little longer so I'm a little more careful with it. On gigs, I try to stick to water.

After returning home from a rehersal/gig, now that's another story. I can usually eat a whole meal and then have room for one more. Playing the trumpet makes me hungry.

[SMrtn]

Avoid anything that gives you gas.

[Andy Del]

Personally, I avoid the foods I don’t want to eat, and eat the ones I feel like eating. But that’s just me.
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so many horns, so few good notes...

[Al Innella]