How long?

[DeweyDavis]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a little input. I've been playing for a week or so now and I overdid it with how much I played. Is there a good rule of thumb for how long a newbie should be playing?

Thanks.

[Crazy Finn]

I used to tell my beginners 20-30 minutes a day. Probably 15 minutes a shot, and then a decent break (more like an hour or so) and you want to do it 2x a day, if you want.
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[zaferis]

2 15-20 minute sessions per day is a great suggestion for a beginner.

Then as your chops and playing mature (months) consider training like an athlete, in the sense that not every day has the same intensity. A 3-5 day cycle working from low to high intensity.. repeat. Not every day can be a max day.
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[Dayton]

Welcome to trumpet playing! At the absolute beginner stage -- where you are at now -- no practice session is too short. You are asking your facial muscles to do things they've never had to do before, and that is tiring!

Set a daily practice goal of 20-30 minutes, and break that down into at least two practice sessions. Rest during those sessions with a loose rule of resting as much as you play.

Add 5 minutes each month to your total daily practice time until you reach a point you are comfortable with based on your goals.

If possible, get a teacher and discuss what to practice, and how and when to do so. That is particularly important at this early stage, where good playing habits can accelerate your progress and poor habits can take much of the fun out of it.

Good luck, and have fun!

[Billy B]

A wrong approach gets a bad result.

The amount of time at your stage is irrelevant.
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[DeweyDavis]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the advice.

[JayKosta]

Don't push the time of your practice session to the point that you have to strain or use high mouthpiece pressure. PRACTICE should be doing things 'right', not developing bad habit of the 'wrong way'.

It is much better to do several short 'right way' practice sessions.
And short rest breaks can be used to just read through the written sections of the books you are using. The authors include those sections because the information is important - and it's necessary to read it carefully and think about it.
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Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[rbtrumpet86]

I wanted to echo the comments in here - less is more when you are starting out. You need to find an amount you can be successful in and build from there. The point is not to max out, the point is to find balance and good playing habits.

Another way to think about how much work to do is thinking about how many exercises you want to do and how many times you'll repeat them. Maybe picking 1-2 articulation exercises, 1-2 flexibility exercises, etc, and repeating them each 1-2 times. This might add up to 20-30 minutes, but it's really easy to track. If you need less, drop an exercise or repetition. If you need more, add another exercise. Hopefully this makes sense.
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[kalijah]

There are low-effort, low-stress exercises that even a beginner can do that can be done for FAR more than 20 minutes. It can also accelerate your progress as compared to short segments of forced, high-effort playing.

Chasing sound with increasing effort, which is a real problem for beginners, will simply reinforce bad habits and require limited practice.

Repetitive practice will build skill. And longer sessions are possible IF you approaching it effectively with low effort and low stress. You can also set up for a trajectory of efficient playing for your future development.

[yinzbrass]

In addition to rest between short sessions, taking the trumpet off of your face during sessions is helpful. In between playing, practice counting the notes and rests in a passage, or finger the passage while saying the note names out loud. You are still practicing, but also giving time for the blood to fully recirculate through your chops. Welcome to the world of trumpet!
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[kehaulani]

Old saw: " Rest as much as you play"

To which I would add, don't play too long in any one playing session and stop playing when it feels forced, tired and/or burning.

Also, for me, I find it helpful to end each playing session with some gentle playing. The so-called "Flow Studies" (misnomer) works well. Play gently and keep the air in one constant flow. Play set 1.

http://www.gregwingtrumpet.com/uploads/2/1/4/0/21407028/chicowitz_flow_studies.pdf
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[JayKosta]

A few other things to consider for a beginning player -
1) there's more to the written exercises than just 'getting the right notes'.
2) you might have to play them very slowly and concentrate on each note, step by step.
3) strive to have the proper 'sound' of the next note in your head before playing it.
4) after you are able to reliably 'get each note', then play them with phrasing, volume, and articulation to produce a 'connected' feel to the entire exercise.
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[kehaulani]

"1) there's more to the written exercises than just getting the right notes", LOL Jay.

It was a real eye-opener when I discovered the ideas of Marcel Tabuteau. His work on phrasing and expression, in general, really underscores your comment.

An expansion, and perhaps more colloquial, source of Tabitheau's and others observations is worth the trip, too, in Sound In Motion (https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Motion-Performers-Greater-Expression/dp/0253219264).
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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

[DeweyDavis]

Had a busy day but I got some late evening practice in. I applied the advice you have all so kindly given. If was a successful half hour without discomfort.

Thanks again!

[kehaulani]

Have you seen this? Very user friendly.

https://thompsonmusic.com/product/100-progressive-lessons-for-trumpet-for-the-beginning-or-comeback-player/
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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

[DeweyDavis]

[kehaulani]

If you're not familiar with him, here's a quote:

"David Hickman is considered one of the world’s pre-eminent trumpet virtuosos and has performed more than 2,000 solo appearances around the world as a recitalist or guest soloist with more than 500 different orchestras. He has released 19 solo albums encompassing a wide variety of repertoire."

Check him out. https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/29892
_________________
"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

[rbtrumpet86]

[DeweyDavis]

[DeweyDavis]