Piano Guidance
Photo by cottonbro studio Pexels Logo Photo: cottonbro studio

How do you finger a trumpet?

Place the index finger on the first valve, your middle finger on the second, and your ring finger on the third. Try to keep your fingerprint on the valve. This will help keep the hand relaxed. The pinky finger should rest in the pinky hood and the thumb should wrap around the first valve casing.

What is the best color for piano?
What is the best color for piano?

Survey results on the most popular piano colour As we can see in the chart, black is the most popular colour pick for a piano with 36 people...

Read More »
What instruments makes the highest sound?
What instruments makes the highest sound?

What Are the Highest-Pitched Instruments? The highest-pitched orchestral instrument is the piccolo, but there are some other impressive musical...

Read More »

How To Use A Fingering Chart

It can be helpful to have a fingering chart when you are beginning a new instrument. The trumpet is like most brass instruments in that you use valves to change pitch. I've always found it helpful to start to learn fingering through scales. This will help you get comfortable with fingerings in a given key. Once you have the basics, go to real music and try to play through a passage. When you encounter a note you don't know look at your fingering chart. Take a pencil and write the fingering under the note. Practice the passage slowly so your fingers can get a feel for the passage. Once you feel comfortable (usually after three times through the passage), erase the written fingering. Play through the passage a few more times slowly and see if you remember the fingering. If you forget, write the fingering back in.

How To Hold The Trumpet

Left-hand placement

Start with the ring finger of your left hand and place it inside the slide ring of the third valve. Then take your middle and index finger and wrap them around the third valve casing. These two fingers will support the trumpet's weight. Finally, take your thumb and place it in the ring of the first-valve slide. Your pinky should be relaxed and rest on the valve casing under the third valve slide. Your left hand will need to be firm to support the trumpet's weight, but be mindful not to let it become tense. Try to maintain as relaxed a posture as possible and avoid tension creeping up your left arm.

Right-hand placement

Form a backward letter "C" with your right hand. Place the index finger on the first valve, your middle finger on the second, and your ring finger on the third. Try to keep your fingerprint on the valve. This will help keep the hand relaxed. The pinky finger should rest in the pinky hood and the thumb should wrap around the first valve casing. A note on the pinky: Be careful that you don't use this to create pressure on your lips.

Using The Thumb And Third Finger Slides

The first valve and third valve on the trumpet have rings attached to them. This is so you can easily move them when playing certain fingering combinations, like 1 & 3. If you don't "kick out" the slide when playing, the note will be sharp. A sharp note is as bad as a wrong note. It will sound equally as bad to the audience, so consider adjusting the slides as part of the "fingering." To practice getting these notes in tune, play through a passage and stop and hold on the note that uses a fingering combination that requires you "kick out" the slide. Look at a tuner and see how much you need to adjust the slide position to get the note in tune. Take a mental note of where your slide needs to be. Repeat the passage, try to quickly snap to the slide position, and freeze on the note again. Repeat this process until you can get the note in tune right away. Keeping the slides well-greased will ensure that you can easily move the slides.

Trumpet Fingering Chart

Can Walmart copy a broken key?
Can Walmart copy a broken key?

Can you copy a broken key at Walmart? No. The Minute Key kiosks at Walmart are not equipped to copy or repair broken keys. Aug 10, 2022

Read More »
How many hours a day does a concert pianist practice?
How many hours a day does a concert pianist practice?

On average, a concert pianist practices at the piano about 3 to 4 hours a day. Before concert pianists get to the level and skill they are...

Read More »

Is it better to play without capo?
Is it better to play without capo?

Guitar capos can be useful, but relying on them too much will severely limit your understanding and knowledge of the fretboard. You can play any...

Read More »
What is the most important key on a piano?
What is the most important key on a piano?

C Major. If you don't learn any other piano chord, learn this one. Out of 1,300 songs, most of the songs (26%) were written in C major (following G...

Read More »
Did Elvis know music theory?
Did Elvis know music theory?

But despite his clearly musical talents, never learned music theory and also never learned how to play any instruments above an introductory level....

Read More »
How many elephants are killed for ivory?
How many elephants are killed for ivory?

An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. Nov 29, 2022

Read More »