Learning the Trumpet in 30 Days 

Hey, If you have been wanting a transcription of the song I wrote at the end of this video, I finally put it on a google drive! While you're there, brows through my other pieces (or scan my venmo code if you're feeling generous!) Thanks everybody! SHEET MUSIC: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GZ7NvONcbxKhU4r5nUHhbzZ1-4LHIQbh?usp=sharing

Still sound better than some of my friends who’ve been playing for 5 years😂

Most impressive part about your playing is the tone. Very good tone for a beginner. Good job :)

Good video. I have a masters degree in Trumpet. Great work and dedication to go from 0-60 in 1 month. My advice would be to 1) keep playing or you'll lose your progress 2) Build embouchure but working on your tone core. This will ease you out of the blatty, airy sound to a sweet and mellow and supple tone. You do this by practicing long (very long) tones, and rest for as long as you play between each note. Play each note softly but with good air support, and center the tone as dead center as possible. Play a long tone on each note of the trumpet for 10-15 seconds starting out, with a 10-15 second break before doing the next one. Do these every day and go as high as possible before petering out. Don't press or use pressure, keep it soft and relaxed. 3) Start to incorporate 'lip slurs' - exercises where you shift from one partial to the next higher partial and back down. Do lip slurs very slowly and move from lower to higher notes across each partial. 4) Work on your tonguing articulation. The attack of the note is important to get right. A soft Tu with the tip of the tongue to the back of the top front teeth at the beginning of each long tone. You got very far in 30 days, and by getting the fundamentals right, you can get a very nice tone and play some cool music. Don't stop.

See kids... this is what happens when you play 40 hours a day

"Don't tell him about the French horn lol." - A horn player.

As a trumpet player of 16 years… please don’t stop playing and progressing on trumpet. This is an inspiring video

It took me 3 years to get ok at the trumpet and it took me 1 month to forget all of it

The fact you can get that kind of tone after only one month of learning the trumpet is very impressive

Low f# is the lowest natural occurring note on the trumpet, but there is a pedal register, and a double pedal register. Nice work!

You've condensed a middle schoolers first two years into about a month so that's pretty okay. Still terrible technique but middle schoolers also struggle with that; so far this is pretty great!

Ive been playing for couple of years and i still sucks. -every trumpet players

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the trumpet standing on the bell at the 10:10 mark. I just had visions of the the trumpet falling and dents appearing. Excellent progress in 30 days.

Been playing for 8 years, had to build embouchure 3 times (when I started playing, with braces, and again without braces). I think for only a month of practice you sound really great, and that high D and E sounded very open and stable to me. Great job! 👍🏻

I’ve been playing trumpet for 9 years, this was the purest form of nostalgia for me. I loved it 😂!

me, a trumpet player of 5 years, was reminiscing about when i was a beginner and it was so fun watching him go through what i went through

Incredible! You're better than I was after 2 years! I can't wait to see what you come up with in the future! I'm also majoring in music education and have been playing trumpet for over a decade. Please keep pushing yourself!

A middle school band audition piece I did was the song Allegro Spiritoso. It got me to an all state band. You are very good at trumpet for only practicing for 1 month. You probably learn faster than me too so you could probobly play things like that in a matter of 1 or 2 years at your pace. I hope you practice often and got better and wish you the best of luck in the future.

I've been playing trumpet for almost three years. I've been playing in school, so I don't get as much time to play as I would want, but I can say you're doing great. I love the sound of the trumpet and how it can resonate in peoples hearts. Ita a beautiful instrument and I always love to see people try it out!

BRO...you sound great and this video is an inspiration to me. I have my fathers trumpet. I have never learned how to play it. It just sits in the case. I will be learning from here on out.

Never knew about tuning slides! What a flexible instrument. I'm just a jazz listener, but I really enjoyed the intro to this unique instrument.

My daughter chose trumpet as her 5th grade instrument. Her uncle gifted us his high school trumpet from 30 years ago and we are going to post a video of the case restoration we just completed. We saw your vid and I was inspired to buy a trumpet for myself as well. Thanks for the pep talk!

Very impressed by your progress, but I’m more impressed by the quality of this video. It’s very finished and pleasing to watch. I would definitely watch more of your videos in similar topics.

Seeing this as a main trupetist who wants to go to college to share music with others, this is so uplifting. My main instrument is trumpet but I took percussion for a year and there is still a lot I need to learn. Sure I am in 7th grade and I have got time but I have been really stressing on learning new instruments and this was inspiring. ONFORTH TO THE NEXT MISSION OF LEARNING BASS CLEF! WISH ME LUCK AS I WISH IT TO YOU!

As a trumpet play who occasionally can't hit the high a, but have been doing it for years- you made me feel alot better, I don't suck. Thank you.

I’ve played the trumpet since 5th grade and now I’m in 8th going to high school soon and this was so cool to watch! I loved that you were able to play the trumpet for this video! You have a very good tone quality and it just needed some work! You did really good for just a month so congrats for that! And trust me it’s hard to play high notes but once you can hit notes above the staff on trumpet then you feel like you can do anything at least that’s how I felt when I started hitting notes above the staff. Great job! 💖

You really made some great progress for just 30 days!! I've been playing trumpet for about 10 years, like every instrument and musical endeavor you just never ever stop learning. Best of luck in your studies, I'll subscribe and stick around to see what's coming next :)

I'm impressed you came as far as you did in month. As a trumpet player I enjoyed watching you learn step by step. Keep up the good work!

Very impressed with the progress you made in 30 days! Are you going to keep on learning and playing it? It's a great instrument!

Very impressive! I started learning euphonium a year ago (first brass instrument) and it took me months to get to that point. Great job!!! 🎶🎺

During the course of the video, that little 3-note interlude jingle (A-G-E) has grown on me!

I've been playing for 5 years and i can tell this is really good progress. Good job!

As a trumpet player of 12 years your tone is actually incredible after only 30 days of practicing! Great video

I've been playing trumpet for 23 years so far and I love the trumpet so much. Keep playing your doing well.

Just started playing the trumpet myself. I play French horn and am expanding my instrument folio. Enjoyed this video very much.

This is splendid! I have never in my life touched a brass instrument either, but right now am very eager about learning to play the trumpet, and this video gave me a realistic insight on what to actually expect to sound like as I start learning the instrument. Thank you so much!

That was an amazing progress! Hope your still playing. It is so much fun!

Hey I love this! One quick thing in case you're still practicing and trying to get better! At 11:30 you said that pushing the tuning slide out helps to raise the note, but actually, any time you make the tubing longer, whether that's by pressing the valves or pushing out the tuning slide, you're actually lowering the pitch! You've earned yourself a new subscriber! Can't wait to see what you make in the future :)

This was a really well produced video, so I was shocked when I saw that your subs weren't in the 10,000's at least. I really liked the format, but would have liked to see more day by day progression. But all and all, if you put out more videos like this, you could go really far, good luck to you mate!

For just a month, you’ve done really well!!! I started with trumpet, but jumped to French horn after two years. I enjoyed trumpet, but LOVED the French horn!!!!

I've been playing with my trumpet for 8 years and your will to learn is amazing

Mate, very nicely done! The editing and display of this whole video was fantastic, loved following the journey - Also really liked the piece! Impressive stuff, excited to hear and maybe play the stuff you write in the future!

I recently started trumpet myself and have to say .."You did a fine job and progressing in such short amount of time ..keep up the great work!"

Brilliant! You did very well after just a few weeks. Well done, a new Satchmo in the making.

Awesome to see your journey. This instrument is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to play. (Aside from the cello). Keep it up, man!

Pulling out the third tuning slide lengthens the instrument therefore flattening the tone.

I've been playing trumpet for about 2 years now and it's great to see you do something like this. Cuz around the time I started you posted this vid. And it was so annoying how many people would come up to me and be like "you should be able to easily do this. Trumpet is a beginner instrument" but you really showed it some justice not only letting people know that trumpet isn't beginner level stuff, but showing them. Now when people come up to me in class and say "get it right. Trumpet is so easy" I just say "okay. Then you show me how easy it is" and they make up excuses how they've never buzzed before or my mouthpiece is to small but one kid actually tried and said that he thought it was hard now.

great tone quality and sound quality! i wish when i was in sixth grade i practiced like you did for those 30 days and didn’t take the lessons i got for granted. i’ve been playing for 3 years almost 4 and i keep trying to write a small song, but it keeps going on to sound like a song i play XD. but as i said before, AMAZING!

Your tone is better than some people that I know have been playing for 3-4 years, so I would definitely say you did a great job

For a month…that was really pretty good man. Makes me want to try and pick it up. Thanks for sharing your experience.

This is an excellent video! I’m so glad I stumbled upon it because it proves that I was right all along when I said learning the trumpet up to a so-so level was easy. Thank you so much!

Amazing. Im a longtime guitar player that has always wanted to be able to play basic trumpet. Inspiring, great work.

Def get a cleaning kit & use lukewarm water, dishsoap, and a snake type brush to wash the insides of your trumpet. Advice from one of the best, Reynold Schilke, of the top-level trumpets that bear hus name, advised 6 drops of oil down the pipe daily, in addition to a few drops of oil directly on each piston. That's for players practicing and playing a few hours per day. Edit: at a half hour per day of practice, maybe add that much oil twice a week. At 3 x 20 minutes per day of practice, I oil the 'valves' every other day, add the 6 drops and blow them thru twice a week, run a 'spitball' - a specially cut sponge - thru once a week, and wash the trumpet at least twice a year.

Wow so 1. The transition tag gave me so much life every time it happened 😂 2. It did sound like a middle school audition piece, but it was REALLY good considering you just started learning. 3. "It's not spit, it's condensation from the instrument" -every band director ever and 4. You're a real trumpet player now for sure bc that conclusion was the epitome: practicing endlessly and still wholeheartedly believing you suck👌🏽

hey Man, Well done for only 30 days! If you want to learn more with this instrument, don't forget that the expiration is a relaxation ! Play with your natural gifts, the trumpet is the singing. good job! congratulations (from french trumpeter)

I have been wanting to do the same thing, I already play a wind instrument and piano and was thinking that it might be easy. After seeing this video I'm starting to think otherwise. Great video and I can't wait to try myself!

Your channel is underrated! Love this vid

Good to know! I've always wanted to go to music school. I laughed when your fifth was actually a tritone.

very impressive! great vid loved seeing the progress. like many others commenting i make my money playing the trumpet so this isn’t a throwaway complement. loved your respect and curiosity for the instrument 🎉

as a trumpet player myself, im super impressed! ive been playing for a long time and when i started i was even worse, but im actually amazed how quickly alex picked it up!

As a middle school trumpet player you play like us your tone is good and you know how to time your notes 👍💃🏽

Ive been playing with on the trumpet for 2 years and you sound as good as I was when I had played for 1 year

glad the guy who was helping him on day four showed him how to use the third valve slide properly. My middle school director never taught us and I had to learn it in my first year of high school

This video has encouraged me to learn the bari sax. I’ve been playing trumpet for like 7 years, so it will be difficult but interesting to try.

I have been playing the Trumpet for 5 years and I just got to the point where I can play a high c (third octave). PSA: DO LIP SLERSE! They work wonders. I’ve found the best way the best way of doing this is start at the lowest note on the same position and moving up to the highest. C to C. Edit: don’t tongue any of those notes.

No way he progressed this much in one month, I’ve never met anyone who reached their high E in that amount of time from scratch. I am friends with a guy who made it into an LA youth orchestra one year after he started and even he could not reach a high E in his first month. But, if it is real, good job.

Hi there! 5-year plan eh? Nothing wrong with that. It took me YEARS to finish college (non-music major) and I have played music, sang my whole life in choirs and orchestras. I started on the clarinet, have always sung, and NOW, I too am learning trumpet. Your video was so inspiring and helpful...very funny too! : ) My biggest struggle is my embouchure and adjusting to different notes with the same fingerings and how to position my lips/teeth, etc. I can play really high notes, just not when I'm reading music, only when I play by ear. It was really fun to watch someone else go through the same struggles I have in the learning process. You do have a great tone! Keep up the good work. : )

This is such a dope video. Makes me feel happy about my own progress!

You do have a nice tone for a beginner! You may want to start adding vibrato - that’ll take you up a level really quickly! As a vocalist, you would understand how it warms up a tone that much more, plus the added bonus on brass instruments - it hides a lot of intonation issues! Give it a try...you’ll see!

Just another underrated video

This progress was amazing! Getting to the e2 isnt easy in a month. If your left finger hurts from holding the trumpet i would suggest to switch to the middlefinger in the hole, it helped me a lot. I hope you will continue playing this beautiful instrument, you have talent!

Glad this made my way to my recommended. Just hoping that your other videos are of this quality because you've earned my sub :)

Dude I am struggling but that's because I can't read music and I can't hear notes. 30 days for you might be 30 months for a mere mortal like me. Great job congrats

You deserve more subs

I've been playing trumpet for sixty five years and you never stop learning! Playing trumpet is very rewarding.

After I saw this video, I bought me a trumpet two weeks ago. It's arrived now, and I can't wait to start. It's my first instrument ever. So, we will see how it is going 🙈 One thing: I love your piece and have it all the day in my mind. Is it possible to get the sheet, @Alex Poole?

What I’ve been most focused on in this video is the tuning slide Lmaoo 😭

Another quick piece of advice to add to the hundreds here already - if you do end up cleaning the horn, use valve oil instead of slide grease on the third valve slide. Helps it move a lot more fluidly so kicking out for those low Ds and C#s is easier. Awesome vid! Really enjoyed seeing the improvement, loved the composition, and enjoyed the trip down memory lane to when I started around 16 years ago

Good job man I have played trumpet for 2 years going into my 3rd. I didn’t take it too seriously until my second year where I managed to get 1st trumpet and lead trumpet. You are really good for just 30 days!!!

The trumpet is the most UNFORGIVING instrument, period. It is extremely rewarding when you have a great day like a god golf swing.

How the hell do you have a better tone after 30 days than I have after 7 years!?

Super impressive progress - a really great video to show how accessible but not too easy playing a brass instrument can be. Just FYI, extending the 3rd slide for Ds etc don't raise/sharpen the note - it extends the tubing so makes it flatter/lowers it. You were right to do that as 1/3 valve notes on brass instruments tend to lay sharp.

Alex I suspect you have a great future as a musician. What an awesome effort and the end result was quite musical and endearing. I would love to hear your composition after you have completely finished it and have it presentation ready. Again, awesome effort and good results.

As am experience trumpet player and I've been playing for about 6 years, I can say that the shower method is the best for cleaning a trumpet if you want it easy. You can use normal dish soap or find special soaps for the brass specifically. It always does a good job and your tone will be much better after every bath you give it. Especially if you dont clean it often

As an adult student of the trumpet, this video makes me uncomfortable. Really quite good for one month

i’ve been playing for 8 years and that tone matches, and may even be better than mine. amazing job my guy!!!

I really like your piece. You literally have a better sound than one of my friends who has ben playing for 5 years.

It's not hard... it just takes time ;)

This video really motivated me when i started playing trumpet, Great Video!

Wonderfully produced video! I had thought that you had at least 100k subs!!! Keep up the good work!!!

I really enjoyed this. Nice work. I loved the piece

your vocal background definitely has helped you in your amazing playing!

This is beyond underrated you video quality is ridiculously good for how many subs you have.

Your improvement in such little time is truly amazing! Would love to have the sheet music to play this piece. Sounded great!

This was such a great video. You got one new subscriber!

Alex, you've done a great job, Buddy, keep it going g if you desire, and keep us updated!

Lovely video, friend! I saw little snips at the start that kind of clued me into that being UNT. Then the brick wall at 1:38---a little too specific! Your work is incredible, trumpet is brutally hard.

Wonderful vid n love the piece. I'm flute sax n guitar n thinking of trying the trumpet. This is so encouraging

That was an awesome piece and your progress is amazing

This is such a great video, I subscribed and hope to see more great content :) keep it up.