Playing Softly

[rubberchops]

What is the secret to playing softly and have each note not be "warbly?"

[stuartissimo]

To me, ‘the secret’ was not pinching off the notes to make then softer. Instead I try to keep the note resonating regardless of volume or airflow. To find the proper coördination, I practiced by regularly playing decresendo long tones to as soft as possible, whilst making sure I wasn’t straining my embouchure and the sound stayed good. Over time, it got easier.

Note that I’m not a professional player, nor a teacher, so there’s probably a better way.
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1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mouthpieces

[Tpt_Guy]

There is no secret, really. You have to do it and keep at it until you become competent.

There are exercises that can help. Two excellent books that come to mind are Clarke Technical Studies and Earl D. Irons Twenty-Seven Groups of Exercises. You absolutely must play these as instructed in the books to receive the benefits. I found that using a metronome was essential for the Irons book especially.
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-Tom Hall-

"A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence."
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[GeorgeB]

I am retired and play at 5 am in the morning so playing softly is a must. I just found it worked for me if I relaxed and blew easy but I did find it was important to maintain a firm gut.
George
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GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet

[Bethmike]

tpt_guy wrote

[irith]

I think it's important to not force yourself to play softer than you're really able to, and do weird manipulations in the process to force things out. Long tones with decrescendos, as noted, are a good way to explore your limits a little more, allowing you to zero in on where your sound quality drops off. But for stuff like Clarke, IMO you should only go as soft as is comfortable and fluid for you. Over time with diligent practice that dynamic can and should get softer and softer.

Good air support and especially a lack of tension is important to having fluency at soft dynamics. A lot of people back off their air when playing soft in a way that isn't helpful, in my experience, and get tightness in their neck/shoulders in the process, which kills the sound and flexibility. You still need to support, and there's some trial & error involved in figuring out the knack for that.

I find it helpful to prioritize keeping a focused, rich sound as I get softer - there's a Wynton Marsalis idea of seeking "the biggest sound at the softest volume" that is an interesting way of approaching it, at least for me.
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[rubberchops]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I suppose like anything else with the trumpet it will take time and practice.

[JayKosta]

Recently (last few days) I've been thinking about the need to actually 'play' each note - specifically striving for best production of each consecutive note, as opposed to focusing on the first note and then just 'moving onto' the following ones.

Yes, that can impact phrasing, and a smooth flow - but for TRAINING of sound production I think it can help develop the necessary embouchure and breath control. As a player learns how to produce good sounding consecutive notes, the player can then develop the necessary control and habits to improve their phrasing and note-flow while still producing good sound.
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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'.

[Robert P]

Besides practice and what anyone else has suggested I'd recommend recording yourself to get a better sense of what you sound like on the other end of the horn. You might not get a completely clear sense of it from behind the horn while playing.

Although it doesn't have to be studio-quality modern cell phones generally have pretty decent audio recording ability or you can get a dedicated Tascam recorder or something similar.

This was recorded using my Motorola G7 Power phone, audio taken from video. If you've got an iPhone the audio will be at least this good. Some violin, some trumpet and the ambient sound of a stereo system - just recording what the speakers are putting out.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CcrRoSMreYfLYDhXwZm9rsZVxdmNEBIi/view?usp=sharing
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[rubberchops]

[Brassnose]

I have found that for me, air flow control, position of the mouthpiece leaving the upper lip free to vibrate, and correct tongue position are key. I can play so softly that the tone almost disappears but can also push the sound to be heard through the orchestra when needed provided that air, position, and tongue are good. If I get sloppy and hold the trumpet too high, I restrict the top lip and playing softly is harder.

That said, the correct mouthpiece also helps. It is much easier to play loud with my Lotus piece and it is much easier to play softly with my AR piece. So I guess, the „choose your weapon“ is also part of it.
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2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier

[Trumpetingbynurture]

Claude Gordon used to say that playing softly doesn't take less air power/support, it's a matter of learning to 'veil the lip'.

He never publically went into detail about how one veils the lip, possibly it's different for different students.

That said, as you get softer, if you're getting tone then air, your lips are too tense, or you're separating the lips too much while playing. It's about learning to let the lips stay close enough to vibrate so you can 'chase the sound' into silence.

[kalijah]

[cheiden]

Spending time working on breath attacks could help you refine your embouchure.
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Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart

[Revans49083]

I've found that working on the efficiency of the aperture and response is what works best. Doing variations on breath attacks, such as the Hu Pu Tu method has been very helpful for me. Also quiet, deliberate articulation practice can be helpful, such as Arbans #20 or the rhythmic figure dotted eighth/sixteenth section (or about anything from the beginning of the Arbans). Hope this helps!

[kehaulani]

I just concentrate on the sound quality and keeping the air flowing.
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[shofarguy]

Kalijah,

I agree with all but one of your points. I bet you can guess which one.

I recently had to readdress my own ability to play with minimal volume of sound. In the rehearsal hall for the Mesa Community Concert Band, the director is forever trying to get the trumpet section to balance down to the woodwinds, et.al. I guess I'm the biggest offender with my Wild Thing, since it has such a large sound presence.

When I would try to play at pianissimo, my tone would decay to a raspy ripping sound. No good! What did I do?

1) I changed to a deeper cupped mouthpiece. Something like a Bach 7C instead of a 5D-like piece I started on.

2) I changed my free buzzing goal from a center only focus to a broader, full cup width buzzing of my lips. I never buzz higher than C in the staff and mostly around G and below. This made the most difference to my low-dynamic tone production.

3) I added octave intervals to my warmup. I start on G in the staff, cycle down to the G below and back up using the same fingering. I start slow on long tones to get the best secure, resonant pedal tone I can achieve. Then I cycle between octaves more quickly, like half notes and quarter notes, maintaining the best tone on the lower octave. I go down 7 fingerings to C#. Then, I start there and ascend to the third octave, making sure to get two consecutive clean arpeggios before moving to the next higher note.

These things helped dramatically in just one week between rehearsals.
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Brian A. Douglas

Flip Oakes Wild Thing Bb Trumpet in copper
Flip Oakes Wild Thing Flugelhorn in copper


There is one reason that I practice: to be ready at the downbeat when the final trumpet sounds.

[scottfsmith]

Whisper tones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jztGQW7fml8

These I find challenging but in working to "hit the target" of a good whisper tone you learn to have more fine control on your embouchure. Then, ppp is easy. Also endurance is much improved since you are not wasting as much energy on a sub-optimal embouchure.
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[kehaulani]