How to Hold a Trumpet

Video Transcript

"How to Hold a Trumpet. This responsibility falls mainly on your left hand. The left hand grasps the trumpet around the valve casing. On most trumpets these days, there's usually a ring on the third valve slide and the first valve slide. In this case, the ring finger should be inserted inside the ring on the third valve slide, while the thumb is put inside the ring on the first valve slide. The pinkie finger is usually underneath the third valve slide around the valve casing. Now this left hand needs to be rather loose, it shouldn't grasp the valve casing too tightly, because you want to have movement in the thumb and the ring finger. And so that's primarily where all the support is, is in the left hand. However, the right hand is used for some support. The right hand, its primary business is fingering the valves, but the thumb should be placed between the first and second valve on the casing. This is right underneath the lead pipe. Now the lead pipe should rest upon the top of the thumb. Also there's a ring on top of the lead pipe for the pinkie finger. Now, many players do not use the ring, because they don't want to apply more pressure on their lips by squeezing the pinkie finger inside the ring, and also to give more flexibility in their fingerings. However, you can use that ring for more support if need be."