Seven Tips For A Kickass Trumpet Comeback (2025 Trumpet Year-in-Review)

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It’s the time of year again folks—-time to dig back through last year’s practice journals and share the best of what I’ve learned. This year, you’ll find something special.

The simple concepts that helped me get back on track after a few years’ hiatus—-and rekindled my love for daily trumpet playing.

Let’s go →

What It Was Like to Play Again After A Three-Year Break?

This past year was a big one for me as a trumpet player as it marked a successful return to playing after suffering debilitating nerve damage and three years off the horn.

I won’t get into the details here, but back around 2019/2020, I was playing a lot—-and not listening to my body. I burnt my chops out and more or less woke up one day unable to play. 

After a few years trying to rehab my embouchure, I decided playing wasn’t a positive part of my life anymore. I hung it up for three years and only this past April felt ready to bust it out of the kitchen cabinet.

Before doing so, I had a few expectations. For one, I thought I’d be rested—-that my embouchure would feel healthy and relaxed again after getting all screwed up. Second, I figured I’d be able to play a decent G in the staff with a good tone.

I was wrong.

The mouthpiece felt completely foreign on my face. For weeks, I was unable to hold a steady low C. Worse, playing hurt. I had a shooting pain in my upper lip—-just how it was when I quit. This was discouraging, to say the least.

However, I stuck it out and after three or four months of daily, easy playing, the pain issue has resolved. Nine months later, my chops are coming along pretty good, though my range is still limited. And I’m starting to believe I could play better than ever before—-as I believe you can too…

So long as we can accept the following fundamental truth of trumpet playing and keep moving forward.

Inconsistency is the Name of the Trumpet Game

All I know is this:

You cannot make your chops work. There is no exercise, routine, or warmup that will do the trick. To make the sounds you like, your chops have to figure out what they need to do on their own. And sometimes, well, you’re going to have shitty days. 

With my own comeback, I started having decent days after a few months of playing. Days when my partner would say things like, “Hey, that actually sounded sort of good!” Hell, I was even beginning to think I stood a chance at being able to play this thing again. But just then, at my highest peak of elation, I’d get shot down.

The good days were followed by days of being barely able to play a note. Sometimes, it’d take a week before the chops responded well again. And when they did, if I pushed it just a little too hard, just a touch, just a smidge, I’d pay for it in spades.

Through this process, however, I did begin to recognize one thing that encouraged me to keep going.

My bad days were getting slightly better. At the start, I’d have days where I couldn’t produce a clear low C. Then, another month or two or three later, the low C was always there—-it was the G in the staff that sucked. A few months after that, it was the C above, and then the E, and so on.

This is normal and to be expected. It can also be discouraging. So the key—-if there were such a thing—-is learning how to remain productive each on the good days and the bad.

Here’s how to do just that.

Seven Tips for Making a Kickass Trumpet Comeback

Here you go. If these tips don’t work miracles for you, give me a call or text at 979.373.8495. I’ll give you your money back and help you smelt your trumpet to make something more useful out of it.

Tip #1: Pick a Daily

Those of you familiar with the Ultimate Comeback Kit know I’m a proponent of something called a Daily.

The Daily is picking something, anything, and doing it every day. The Daily is powerful stuff. It gets you in the habit of practicing, keeps you moving forward, and works better than anything I know for making real progress.

When I started playing again, my Daily was to “connect with the sound” each day. To me, that meant playing one note—-typically a low C—-was a win. It didn’t matter how it sounded or how it felt. I just did it.

After that one note, I put an X on the calendar and wiped my hands clean. Some days, that one note was all I played. Others, I enjoyed practicing for an hour or two. Now, I’m finding the musical time each day, and (mostly) loving playing again.

Tip #2: Use a Timer

Practice everything—-everything—-with a timer. I set mine for 10 minutes max. During those 10 minutes, focus on one small part of a song you’d love to play. Then, when the timer rings, stop.

Set your horn down.

Walk away or switch to something else.

At first, you won’t feel like you’re getting much done. That’s fine. Learning to practice more effectively will cure that (see Tip #3). It can also be frustrating having to stop so soon—-especially on the good days. That’s good too. It teaches you patience.

The only real secret to amazing trumpet playing.

Tip #3: Practice Small

Running full songs over and over thinking you’ll somehow magically improve is not the way to make a great trumpet comeback.

You have to concentrate. Find the sticking point—-the few notes you’re screwing up—-and play them slowly. Listen to your sound. Set your horn down and relax your shoulders. Rest your chops more than you play during practice slots. Sing… a lot. Practice the fingerings left-handed, holding the horn upside down. Use a metronome. Record yourself and listen back. Mostly play slow, but sometimes play it way too fast and screw up on purpose and then smile about it and say that was some of your best trumpet playing yet. Because here’s the point.

Giving those few notes your whole brain for ten minutes. Then, moving on and forgetting it ever happened. Do this every day and you’ll be astounded at what you’re capable of learning.

Well, so long as you follow Tip #4…

Tip #4: Learn One Song

If you’re not keen on practicing hours and hours a day—-but still want to enjoy steady progress—-this one’s for you.

Stop bouncing around from one thing to the next. Instead, pick one song and learn it in ten-minute chunks until you can play it in its entirety, from memory, without mistakes. Once you can do that—-and only when you can do that—-do you pick another song.

Commit to this, and the amount of material you can learn in a few months is staggering. Better yet, you’ll remember it effortlessly… In as little as 10 or 20 or 30 minutes a day. 

(Side note: This isn’t easy. It took me thirty years to finally buy in. However, since April 2025, I’ve transcribed and memorized 17 improvised solos from the jazz masters in just this manner. It feels cool knowing those pieces will be a part of me forever.)

Tip #5: Prioritize Music

Fact: Your chops will feel the best—-sound the best and give you the greatest range and endurance and all that—-when you focus on playing musically.

The thing is, it’s easy for trumpet players to get caught up obsessing about their chops, different exercises, method books, and disparate suggestions from YouTubers and renegade bloggers (ahem). If that’s you, here’s the cure.

Challenge yourself to learn some new music, by memory, for 2-3 minutes a day. Over time, build up to where you’re spending at least half of your practice time working your musical mind—-playing songs, transcribing recordings, improvising—-whatever floats your boat.

… Even if that means abandoning the safety of your routines for the day.

Tip #6: Flexibility, Every Day

Focusing mainly on music is good. That said, most trumpeters benefit from some kind of embouchure-specific practice each day. But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or hellaciously boring.

Each day, I spend ten minutes on the goal of improving embouchure flexibility. To me, embouchure flexibility (and strength) just means being able to play loud and soft and across intervals of increasing width with a good tone.

On one day, I practice into the pedal range, striving to connect those notes back up into the staff and beyond. On alternating days, I practice exercises based on the following example. As the fundamental exercise becomes comfortable, either alter (adding repeats or increasing the interval width, for instance) or replace them to keep progressing.

 

Tip #7: Record Yourself

I mentioned this briefly in Tip #3, but this one deserves special attention. 

Hearing yourself back on tape does something to your brain—-it makes you better automatically. You notice the things in your sound that bug you and find yourself moving in a direction you enjoy. The sound gets a little rounder, a little smoother, a little more connected… You start to play with more character.

If you have a cellphone, you have no excuse for not doing this every. single. day—-no matter how much you dislike the sound quality of your “cellphone mic.”

So… What’s the MOST IMPORTANT Part of Making an Amazing Trumpet Comeback?

I’ll tell you what, if I could get something tattooed to the inside of my skull, it’d be a picture of my happy family. Just kidding, it’d be this bastardized quote I stole from the dregs of the internet.

“Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you sow.”

That. That right there. That’s how to get great trumpet chops—-the kind that produce a sound you love and grant you all the range and endurance you need to play the music that inspires you most.

It just takes practicing the good stuff, a little each day, and waiting. Do that, and it’ll work. It always works. Well… I guess I can’t claim it always works for everyone, every time, but I’ve never met a trumpeter it didn’t work for, and I know a lot of trumpet players. 

Trust me, you aren’t special in that way.

Good Luck On Your Ultimate Comeback!

If you’re ready to get better and have some fun with your trumpet playing, the above tips will take you there. But reading them is one thing. Seeing them demonstrated by a trumpet-playing friend who cares about your musical success is something entirely different.

That’s why the Online Trumpet Trade School exists. To help you get better at the trumpet, have fun in the practice room, and experience the joy of discovering your unique musical voice.

Inside, you’ll find four self-paced courses for taking even the greenest adult beginner to confidently practicing every day and loving the sounds they make. And getting started is simple. Check out the lessons completely risk-free (full course listing here) for two weeks. If you’re loving your progress, stick around for just $49 per month. And if the lessons aren’t your cup of tea, no sweat. Cancel your membership anytime in those first 14 days, and you aren’t charged a dime. 

So there you have it: The 2025 Trumpet Year-in-Review.

Thanks for reading, and until next time…

Happy Trumpeting.

~ James Blackwell

James Blackwell is a GRAMMY Award winning trumpet nerd. He believes playing should be fun, rewarding, and musical—-and is passionate about helping adult trumpet students worldwide.

P.S. Enroll in the Online Trumpet Trade School Today!

C’mon, you know you’re curious about what kind of goodies await you → Enroll Now and Play Better Today!

P.P.S. Why Do Some Trumpet Players Look So Relaxed When They Play?

Short answer: They practice that way. So if you’ve longed for a beautiful tone and soaring musical range—-that you can play with ease—-the free PDF Play Higher Notes—-Easily is for you.

(WARNING: By signing up, you’re also subscribed to my mailing list, meaning you’ll receive one email every two weeks with a killer recording for you to listen to—-plus a touch of friendly encouragement for keeping you pumped along your musical journey.)