I don't even play trumpet, but here I am in the middle of the night buzzing into my wedding ring for 40 minutes.

29:48 for quick summary

Hi Charlie, I'm 56 picking up my trumpet for the first time in over 10 years. I played 4th grade - 12th grade and then did not touch it until I was 43 years old.. played for a bit and then life got back in the way. I truly wished I would have learned this when I was 9 years old in 4th grade. I studied your video, got a pair of my wife's sewing scissors, a mirror, and went to work. The next night, I easily hit high G on the staff... after 12 years of not touching my instrument. I wish I knew this growing up. I'm still in week 1 of being back at it and my wife said she is amazed at the tone quality she is hearing. Of course, I feel and hear every imperfection but wow!!! I am going to enjoy playing my trumpet in the latter half of my life. Just wonderful stuff!! I'm finishing up one of your other videos... loud low and soft high... completely makes sense to develop quality sound.

Examples 13:40 - Step 1 - Hide the red 21:04 - Step 2 & 3 - Create aperture 29:36 - Complete setup

I've just bought my first trumpet ever this week at 58 years old, and I am so pleased to have discovered your teaching, so hear I am at 4am in the morning watching your amazing teachings, I've never played an instrument before, but I feel with your help I might just get a tune. Thank you Charlie for taking your time to help people like me.

Hi! im 33 years old, im from Montevideo Uruguay, I started playing the trumpet at 18 and after more than 8 years of bad study I abandoned it, ... something inside of me pushed me to go back to studying that wonderful instrument that I could never master, ... 1 year ago I went back to practice and just when I was starting to discourage myself I SEE THIS VIDEO !!!!! MAN YOU CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER !!!!! I SEND YOU MILLIONS OF THANKS !!!! NOBODY ACHIEVED TO TRANSMIT ME THE CORRECT WAY TO PLAY THE TRUMPET, .... AND YOU DO IT !!! INFINITE THANKS CHARLIE!!! YOU CHANGE MY LIFE!

32 years old and picking up a trumpet for the first time ever. Paused the video for a bit while I 3d print an embouchure training thingy. Very excited to get started!

I am 72 years old, took private trumpet lessons from Renold O. Schilke in Chicago back in the 60's. Mr. Schilke kept telling me what a bad emboucher I had but could not articulate what I was doing wrong. He just simply formed his emboucher unconsciously but told me to "work on mine" while exhaling deeply from the diaphragm. Finally I discover what would have really helped me become a better player!

0:00 Intro 12:32 Step one 13:56 Step two 18:10 Step three 21:15 Step four

I hope u see this comment, you are the only person who has been able to show me how to properly playing in the upper register (double G and above) I’m thankful that u took time to make this bro💯u probably won’t ever understand how much I appreciate it💪🏽🤧💯

Returned to play trumpet after 50years, had to chuckle at how few notes could be formed without breaking! This instruction is amazing, thanks for sharing along with the mutes videos that are an inspiration. Just returned to trumpet after......grief time flies....50yrs!

Thank you Charlie. As a returning player at age 73, I now have some hope that I will be successful at improving my tone and flexibility on the trumpet.

Charlie, I must say that you're the one who teaches me play. This is my 4th year playing and I began with your videos, I begin the music school last year and my professor doesn't help me at all. This video really make a change in my playing and I'm so glad that you're so desinterested and generous giving this knowledge, it really helps me (and helps all of us). I'm not in my best economic stability but I really feel that I'm in debt with you, I feel that all this free lessons must be rewarded!! I'm sorry I can't do anything for you othe than be so much thankfull. Thank you so much for everything and I hope that you recieve the reward and recognition you deserve!!!!

Common mistakes 22:38 not opening 23:00 pulling to sides 23:18 puckering 38:37 lips too close

"This is a big one". I could have really used this in 1975. Back then, I was told (by my teachers) all the wrong stuff about my lips. Basically, I wasn't getting better, just burned out and wasn't enjoying playing, even after being 1st chair in 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grade. Because of Covid, I started back up and then found this video. Holy crap. Those teachers WERE wrong! You've figured out a simple program for getting it right and it works. Thanks. Now on to re-learning the horn.

Charlie, I'm going to be honest with you: THESE LESSONS OF YOU ARE PURE GOLD! Since one month I started to study trumpet by myself and on other instruments I play (guitar, bass and piano) I never had to struggle with the embouchure. Without your videos I would be completely lost and what I appreciate most is the fact that you are very scientific and objective. After all, the trumpet is an instrument where the player has to rule the physics very well :) thanks again and I wish you all the very best!

Well, I'm partially encouraged to try some of these things, and yet discouraged that I didn't know this 30 years ago. I've been under so many teachers. Why was this never discussed? I've always wanted to be so good but have always hit a wall. I can't wait to try some of this. Blessings to you!

This guy knows his stuff and is good teacher. Actually , a great teacher.

i played trumpet in grade school, and now trying to play again 53 years later, for something special. i'll be watching you many times to get a simple tone. thanks for being there to help.

Omg i think this is the best tutorial for getting the embouchure. I’m finally able to buzz without blowing too much air to the point that I feel like I’m about to faint. I thought there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t do the spitting buzz noise. Thank you so much. 😭

This video is a master class. Thank you

Was lowkey using a pair of scissors while sewing last night and you pulled out a pair and I said thank god😂😂

I just sulked away from from a video about warming up with the mouthpiece, annoyed that I couldn't get a tone without the trumpet attached, just sputtering. Sure enough, I went through the four-step setup here just on a mouthpiece, and surprised myself with a nice clear tone. Thank you, great video!

Charlie, I hardly know what to say to you. I was a good trumpet player in High school and I loved it. In 9th grade one of the highlights of my life happened when Armando Ghittala, the principle trumpet of the Boston Symphony, came to my High School and did a concert with us. He was absolutely world class and I knew he was special when he played the first note. I went on to minor in music in college, but never felt that I was good enough on trumpet and started studying vocal and choral music. Now at 63 years old, I have not played regularly in decades. But I still love the trumpet and listen to the best in the world on KZfaq. In High School I knew of Ghitala and Maurice Andre, of course. Today I listen to Philip Smith the now retired principle soloist of the New York Philharmonic, Sergie Nakariakov, Tine Helseth , Alison Balsom, Mathias Hoffs from Germany, Arturo Sanduval from Cuba, James Morrison from Australia, and of course Winton Marsalis. In my opinion this list is a virutal whos who list of world class trumpet players. In Sept of 2021, I acquired an old broken down cornet that I know was manufactured between 1900 and 1925. This cornet is not as good as the Benge Trumpet I played in High School but it is better than having no instrument at all. I am up to 45 minutes of daily practice and this video on embouchure was so helpful for me. I discovered using your four step method that I used to play with 75% of my upper lip inside the cup of the mouth piece and only 30% of my lower lip inside the mouthpiece. Now, it is easy to play at 50 - 50. Thank you so much for your inspiration and instructional videos.

Charlie thank you. I played through grade school and some in college. I managed to find my way to 1st chairs, but the entire time I had a problem hitting higher notes and would jam the trumpet into my lips among other things. It caused endurance problems and made me feel limited. Ultimately I put the trumpet down and pick up the guitar until I saw your video. We have a cheap trumpet that my daughter used in her 5th grade band. I followed your lesson step by step. I never thought that a couple of decades later I would find a solution to a problem that pained me so much. I loved playing the trumpet. I'm playing the trumpet again with a much better embouchure and I can feel/hear the difference. Hey really...thank you.

Whenever I'm having trouble with my embroidery I always come back to this video. You just made my practice a whole lot easier.

This is HANDS DOWN the very best primer on getting a brass sound, by far. After struggling, mainly through having a flute embouchure (which is just about the opposite to a trumpet embouchure) I now realise I do not have to grip at all tightly and the "red" part of the lips should not be exposed (the exact opposite to the flute technique). It has taken many hours of frustration and despair until I found this video which frankly makes nearly all other videos on this subject quite useless, because they do not go to the detail you show so clearly. A thousand thanks for a brilliantly clear demonstration. In less than ten minutes I got the right kind of buzz after previously spending days and days with complete failure.

Teaching a beginner with larger lips who is struggling to set a proper embouchure. This is exactly what I needed

I'm so glad you're back.

New to the trumpet! this video was killer thank you!

Hi Charlie, here I am on Trumpet at age 65 learning how to get the first few notes above the stave up to C. Previously used the brute force method on my trombone. But brute force on trumpet only got me as far as D or E. Thanks to you even on attempt n#1 worked my way up to Bb just below the C I wanted to get to. So the future is now in sight. Just having fun working out how to get my low range again. So impressed I purchased the ebook as a way of saying thanks.

My wife just bought me a trumpet, it’s been 21 years since I played in middle school. Was able to remember the notes but sound was terrible, couldn’t get a consistent buzz and then watched this video. The visualization helped tremendously! Thanks for the clear explanation. Now to practice!

So yeah, I’ve been playing the trumpet wrong for 10 years now. If you’ll excuse me I’ll be in the corner having an existential crisis 😎

Started playing again this week after a 20+ year break. Had a mild amount of anxiety before watching this video, remembering the two years it took me to transition from my horrible pre-braces embouchure to something a bit better. Thankfully my lessons instructor steered me the right way and the corrections I need to make seem minor. Thanks for this video!

You are good...after 60 years, I am returning to music. My main interest was the Tuba. I was learning the baritone and trumpet but I had to change my minor in 1957 from Music to English. Now, I have purchased mouthpieces for the tuba and trombone. I understand the embouchure better than my experience in college....even though I completed 18 college music hours. I have even studied music theory from KZfaq. Videos were not available in the 50's, 60's, until watching your video. Thank You and I will return to watch this video at least 100 and more times

At 33yrs old I've just bought a trumpet, and I'm doing this thing. This video/channel is the best resource I've found, and I think (only two days in) I'm already progressing thanks to the information here. Buying the e-book FOR SURE. Thank you for putting this info out there for folks like me to find!

Excellent. I am new to the trumpet. This is by far the most clear and descriptive embouchure set up I have viewed.

This is the most useful and also motivating video I ever watched regarding trumpet tutorials!

Thank you Charlie. I almost quit playing trumpet because of this video i continue to play.getting better and better.thank you so much. God bless you Charlie

God Bless Internet. Thanks So Much For Sharing This Powerfull MasterClass. Big Hugs From México City!!!

I'm just starting out (frustrated sax player with left arm in plaster), and found this really helpful, thank you. I am using a 17mm ring spanner instead of scissors. Does the job!

Mr. Porter you have changed my life

If KZfaq handed out Emmy's, this video would be the first winner. And if every beginner trumpeter learned this, the world would have 10 times more horn players. Good ones, too.

This is the only video that I have found that explains IN DETAIL, how to properly form an embouchure. Thanks for the instruction

you're a hero!

I wish I'd been taught this day one instead of my 7th year into the instrument. Thank you so much for the amazing lessons

Hey. This was the absolute best explanation I’ve ever seen. I wish you were around 15 years ago to help me. I had so much air but I didn’t realize I was closing off my lips. I haven’t played since high school because I thought I was not meant to be good and play high. Now I’m 33 and want to play again. Thank you

I am coming back to the trumpet after not playing for 15 years. Glad to find this so I can start setting up right at the start of my comeback!

Thanks a lot! You have helped me so much. It's my 3rd day of learning playing trumpet. My lips hurts a lot. But this video will develop my hard way to this beautifull instrument. This video is almost the best in all YT. Best Regards.

THANK YOU for this video and YOUR TEACHINGS! EXCELLENT presentation! THANK YOU!!

I'm a sax player trying to learn trumpet after many years of thinking it's too late. This helped me out to no end... You are awesome.

Man, you are da best. When i were trying with mouthpiece, i were sure that i were good, but when i took trumpet for 1st time... i were making dying cow's noises, and were scaring strangers around. I were having troubles with 2nd note with open valves. But after watching rhis video of yours for several times, practicing with scissors and mouthpiece for 3 days, i noticed that everything have changed for better. Thank you very much!

Charlie I gotta thank you so much my man, I just had a huge revelation and breakthrough as a direct result of the concepts in this video. Lately I've been having a bit of trouble playing long tones around high C, you made me realize that I was doing everything right embouchure wise EXCEPT I was keeping my lips too close together during steps 3 & 4 which was cutting off my aperture in the upper register. As you said, the sound was cutting off and I was sometimes even getting a faint double buzz at high C and above. I simply opened up my aperture during steps 3 and 4 and the difference was night and day!!!!!!!

Awesome, Charlie!!

This video is brilliant. It took me many many mouths to get my embouchure right. Now love my trumpet 🎺

A beginner since April 2020 here. Though well meant, when the sound didn't come out and I was told I was thinking too much and was becoming uptight, I really wanted to understand what I was doing that was hindering a clean sound from coming out. This video helped me understand all the wrong things I was doing. Seeing what was actually happening on the lips will help me have the right picture in my mind. I don't have to be confused when I'm told I don't have enough air or I'm too uptight. Thank you so much!

Thank you Charlie, I am a beginner, year one, and you just described every bad habit I do and it explains why I can sound Ok sometimes and terrible the next, that video was a revelation, so much great information, e book downloaded, I will follow the four steps, thanks!

I am only three quarters of the way through but I find this awesome and have already got a range of pitches coming out of the mouthpiece. It’s my first day of the trumpet so I’m really pleased. Thanks a million, you’re a ledge.

Thank you. This have changed my life. Only 1 day and i see much improve. Stable notes (less wrong notes), much better flexibility (high, low range). Better tone overall also. I think this is the answer for the best embouchure.!

I don't know who downvoted this info given freely. I've been having issues clamming notes like many other commentors and this video helped me understand how to set my embouchure consistently. Thanks Charlie!

52 minutes in and Charlie's all "I'm going to cut this video short at this point..."

AWESOME VIDEO!!! Glad that I 'bumped' into your video just this week. I have stopped trumpet for like 20 years and just pick it up on Oct 2019. I am not a good player to begin with, played for 3 years during my younger days. Since picking it up (last year), I took my time to refresh myself with the new trumpet I bought. With some teaching experiences myself (in other field), I understand the importance of systematic approach to teaching and learning. I knew it is important to get a good embouchure from the start, especially when not having a teacher, otherwise down the road I will be in more 'trouble' having to rectify it which will be disastrous and de-motivating. For the past few months, I only manage to squeeze to a D on the staff with quite a lot of effort and stopped attempting high notes so I won't 'spoil' my embouchure. My C wasn't stable as well. After understanding and practicing what you taught in the video, today I hit a E on the staff effortlessly. It only took me a few days of practice. Thanks from Singapore!!! PS: I gotta edit this a little... I hit a F on the staff effortlessly

Okay Charlie, maybe, just maybe, if I had this information or trumpet teachers in my youth, or as an adult that knew this, I wouldn’t have “lost my lip” in my early thirties. This caused me to stop playing. At 64 years old I picked the trumpet again. I’m glad I found this video. Thanks.

This guy is a world-class performer AND a world-class instructor. That's a rare combination.

Thanks for all these videos, Charlie. I occasionally do routine while watching your videos and it helps make playing easier and gives me new goals for ease of playing over the entire horn.

Hey Charlie! i'm not used to write below the videos, but you realy deserve it. Thanks man, you are a really awsome teacher and a generous being delivering us all that really usefull information for free. Thanks again!

I just wanted to say thank you. I feel like you are a savior. I want to re watch and practice these techniques. I’m done struggling and looking foolish. I’ve basically gone my whole life thinking there were no embouchure experts to help me. Now it seems at least I have hope.

Wow. This changed my life.

Wow thank you. This is fabulous stuff. I was taught using the smile method and have so much to unlearn. This gives me the framework to get it right every time. Awesome.

Thanks so much, Charlie! This is the best trumpet playing advise I've had in all my 25 years of playing the trumpet. I can't believe you just shared this with the World because it is priceless. I feel kind of confident your advise will finally set me on a track that doesn't leave me clueless and frustrated every time. I've had two trumpet teachers and played in a big band and no one ever told me about technique so plainly. Now I'm looking forward to turning these four steps and open air flow fffas into a more relaxed second nature and not exhaust myself with all those shortcomings I could never even comprehend, untill now :D Thanks so much again, I just subscribed and am now a great admirer of your personality and your work. Keep it up man! Peace✌️

Got my first ever trumpet yesterday, ytr 2330, I'm a clarinetist in the past. Was able to produce a relatively clean buzz, with low C, middle G and Middle C, but anything higher just didnt come out. Watched this video, applied the same exact steps and was able to hit high C today. Thanks ahah

VERY ENLIGHTENING VIDEO. A couple years a ago I RENTED a trumpet and spent weeks blowing every which way I could imagine and no sound-just jumbled noise. I PURCHASED a trumpet this time-determined to learn. The past few weeks viewed a number of beginning trumpet "instructional" videos. MOST say little or NOTHING about embouchure. These young trumpet "instructors" have played for years and take for granted what they are doing but haven't considered the beginner issues. They do not qualify to be instructors. It is amazing Charlie Porter can spend 52 minutes on a boring subject to many trumpet instructors but it is CRITICAL for beginning students to continue or give up. Nice job! I'm curious about his teaching style on subsequent topics and techniques.

This was soooooo helpful. I recently started learning the trumpet (and by recently I mean 3 days ago) and I was struggling with how to change pitch into the higher notes. Now I can get those notes easily! Thank you!

You're an amazing teacher ! It reminds me that my teacher was every time talking about my breathing, but I realise that most of the problems came from my embouchure. It is so much easy to get a clean sound without getting tired to quickly. Thank you so much for the sharing !

For god sick man! Thank you so much!!! I was searching all of this anwsers for 18 years. Thanks again for you, this has changed my life.

I learned to play the Yidaki and just purchased a trumpet to try and transition to. Thank you for the content.

Good information, wish I had know all this when I first started years ago.

I've been struggling a month to find a good sound and hit the high notes and it just came all at once thanks to you !! Thank you so much !!!

Sax veteran, trumpet beginner. Glad to see this just starting out. Kudos.

I'm 41, and a brand new trumpet player. This has to be the best information that I have come across, and so helpful time someone who is trying to figure the whole embouchre technique out! Thank you so much!

That was comprehensive, but it was exactly what I needed at the start of my trumpet learning journey. I really hope it is an instrument I get to grips with and this should set me off in the right direction. Thank you for taking the time to put it together. Very much appreciated 👍

Great video Charlie thanks so much for the explanation! Could you provide some tips on lead trumpet playing? Thanks!!

Thanks for posting this! I'm 32 and just started learning to play the trumpet about 5 months ago. It's so frustrating because some days I sound great and other times like garbage so I definitely related to the Russian Roulette comment you made in the video. I know forming my embouchure will come eventually but it helps to have the steps that are needed. $10 is a small price to pay for this information including all the free content you provide on KZfaq. Thanks again!

this is the best tutorial ever. You are god for saving me so much of time and helping me enjoy and see results so fast

OK. This makes sense physiologically and mechanically. On lining up the teeth: what if the teeth are crooked?

Great content brother! I've been playing since I was 8...I'm 38 now and can honestly say I've NEVER heard of or done step 1, the hiding of the red! I've only ever focused on making sure my corners are set, etc. I'm excited to get in the shed tomorrow with this new found info. Also, I've struggled at times with that Russian roulette you spoke about because I never considered the 'set'...that seal. Also, I was born with my lower jaw unaligned with my top jaw...meaning that when I close my back teeth, my front teeth NEVER meet or touch...so naturally, I normally don't keep my back teeth touching, unless I'm forcing it. My natural position is my back teeth apart about 1/8 of an inch. When they are touching, the space between my front teeth remain about 1/4 inch apart. I'm wondering how this approach you've discussed needs to be adjusted for that deficiency. Honestly, in my years of playing, I've found that I have a naturally huge and warm sound but transitioning from that natural opening to a smaller aperture to increase in range (with good articulation) has been a struggle. I appreciate your feedback.

I'm picking back up the trumpet after 38 years. Didn't have KZfaq or any of this stuff back there. I was first chair but I had issues and my parents couldn't afford lessons. I cannot believe that I solve my issues from back then today after 38 years. This is absolutely the best instruction I have ever seen or heard on setting up your embouchure. And now for the first time it's a lot easier playing high notes and I'm having problems playing low notes. But if I switch back to my old embouchure during play I have the old notes just fine. I need to work on this this is going to be fun. Cuz at the end I know I'm funny got this thing licked. Thank you sir

I'm an amateur trombone player, looking to cross-train to trumpet. Long absence in almost a decade since university. Watching this video made me realise that I've always had a bad embouchure and technique. This is probably the best and most clear resource I've ever seen about proper embouchure technique. It'll be a longer road, but I'm going to go back to basics and re-learn based on this video!

Awesome information in this video Mr. Porter! I am a sophomore in high school and I have been playing trumpet for 4 years and I noticed that I have been playing with my bottom lip sticking out with my mouthpiece resting on my bottom lip and it negatively affects my tone. I know I'm going to need to do a complete embouchure change and all, but do you think it is a good idea to do this during marching season? I heard it takes like 6 months to change an embouchure and hearing that kinda scares me out of doing it because I'm going to have to start from square one during school and I'm already playing for wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, and marching band. I want to take the steps to improve my sound as early as possible, but I don't know if it is worth messing up everyone else's ensemble experience in the process.

watched this video twice, practicing with you and still no buzz, my face hurts haha Edit: So I got the buzz, what I was doing wrong is I was tryring to mimic what he was doing exactly, but that won't always work because everyone has different shape lips and teeth etc. It only works for me if I push my lips forward slightly

Thanks so much for this video 🙏🙏. As a high school trumpet player that has a low range, this has helped me lots. This video needs more attention!

Wow. Watched you and John Ruff (RIP) and James Morrison. So much info for me, another person who never knew what they were doing and came to trouble. I remember the Farkas book but so much was then unknown by so many band teachers. Maybe severing my lips 50 years ago was the best thing for me; now I HAVE to do it right if I want to come back. thankyou.

is it a big deal if i play my trumpet off center. Like will it effect my playing.

“I’m gonna cut this video short” 52 minute video - am I a joke to you?

Holy Cow! I started playing in 1991 and nobody ever told me this stuff. After putting down my horn since 1997, I picked it up a few months ago, and just stumbled on this. Charlie, for the first time ever, I have a double G and can do a lip trill with ease. Where were you 20 years ago?!? THANK YOU!

oh wow such a video. the most fundamental basics explained step by step, thats all very very clear

Charlie, How important is the alignment of the teeth (jaw) in step one? And does that alignment need to be carried over to the blow? I'm thinking under and over bytes are natural jaw positions that effect the teeth alignment. Thanks for sharing this un-taught critical part of playing a brass instrument.

Should my teeth continued to be aligned when playing?

Thank you so very much for this. I'm a professional pianist and organist that, in a moment of temporary insanity, decided to take up cornet a couple of years ago. 6 months ago, I hit a wall with my development, and decided my haphazard embouchure was probably the issue. I found this video, hung in there, bought the ebook, and really worked on implementing your ideas. It's changed everything for me! While I'm still really learning how to get around on the horn, it's far less of a struggle. I really can't thank you enough for putting this up!

Thank you so much! ! ! Finally blew the trumpet