Posture and Hand Position

Table of Contents

Introduction

Playing the trumpet is difficult enough without developing bad habits that impede progress. I have found that good posture, proper breathing, proper hand position, and a sensible embouchure (where and how the mouthpiece is placed on the lips) are important habits to form right away. The idea is to maximize bio-mechanical potential — deep, fast breaths; powerful, controlled airstream; fast, controlled fingers; maximum flexibility, range and endurance. Some players manage excellent results despite poor bio-mechanics, but my job is to help you minimize such barriers.

In an ideal world, the student would have started their musical training with singing, dancing, and rhythmic instruments. This would teach pitch, rhythm, and some degree of phrasing and breath control. Then, the student would learn to play the piano, thus learning to read music in both the treble and bass clefs, and developing agile fingers. Upon commencement of trumpet lessons, we would first teach a student proper breathing technique, then proper embouchure and how to buzz the lips, both away from the instrument. We would then introduce the mouthpiece, and finally, the instrument. We would use flash cards to teach fingerings.

Unfortunately, few teachers (much less, students) have the time, or are patient or foresighted enough, to follow this course of study. Obviously, this is not catastrophic, as most great trumpet players came to succeed despite not following the “perfect curriculum”. The only caution is that, once learned, bad habits are hard to break. It’s like going the wrong way down a road – you often have to travel back to the start before proceeding again in the right direction.

Posture

Proper posture not only looks good, but it also makes it possible to inhale quickly and fully, and deliver that wind with energy and control into your instrument. A well-supported airstream actually reduces fatigue. Since breathing is the single most important aspect of playing any wind instrument, it is best to learn and practice good posture immediately.

Seek a balanced posture that is both upright and relaxed. Following are some tips that should help:Back straight. Think of your head being on a string that is holding it up, as if you’re a puppet.

  • When sitting, sit forward in the chair with your back away from the back of the chair. Alternatively, you can put your butt against the back of the chair, but the rest of your back should be away from the chair back and free to expand.
  • Don’t arch your back too much… this constricts the breathing muscles in your back. Keep your tailbone neutral or tucked (think of pulling your pubic bone up in front) to provide a firm base for breathing and breath support.
  • Shoulders relaxed. Resist the temptation to breathe up, and focus on breathing out. Check out the Breathing section on my page about The Warm-Up  for more on that topic. 
  • Feet flat on the floor – NO crossed legs. If you are tall and this is uncomfortable because your lower legs are so long that your thighs do not rest on the chair, try using a firm pillow to raise the chair height, or bend your knees so that your feet are back, beside the front legs of your chair or under the chair. Do not stretch your legs out in front of you, which tends to cause you to lean back.

I like to practice using a stool, which has no back to lean on and is partway between the standing, soloist position and the sitting position. This takes away the crutch provided by a chair back, and seems to give me a good breathing position.

Practice while standing up at least some of the time. This is a common playing position for solo and jazz performances. Again, keep your back straight but do not arch your back too much… keep your tailbone neutral or tucked under you (or think of pulling your pubic bone up). This creates a solid base that allows free breathing and good breath support.

Left Hand Position

Your left hand has two jobs:

(1) to hold the horn up, and

(2) to operate the first and third valve slides, as needed.

Grasp the valve casings with your thumb around the first valve casing and in the first valve crook. Your left ring finger should be in the third valve slide ring. Your left index finger grips the third valve casing and supports the bell.

You may need to vary this position slightly, depending on the size of your hand. Consult with your instructor if you have any questions.

Right Hand Position

The responsibility of the right hand is operate the valves, while providing a bit of additional lateral stability to the instrument. Right hand position is vital to optimize finger agility, speed and rhythmic accuracy. Tension is the enemy of speed, so the hand position should be as natural as possible while still allowing leverage on the valves.

Drop your right hand to your side and shake it to relax it. Bring your relaxed hand up to the trumpet. Notice that your fingers are curved, and that your thumb and fingers form an oval shape.

Right Thumb

Place the tip of your right thumb under the leadpipe, either between the first and second valve casing, or just to the mouthpiece side of the first valve casing. The former gives you more leverage on the valves (you are squeezing the valves, in effect), but can cramp the action of the fingers. The latter is a more relaxed and natural position, as on a piano or keyboard, but is a bit less stable, and requires more from your left hand to counter the variable downward force of pressing the valves. 

Right Fingers

Keep your fingers curved, with the tips of your fingers on the valve pads. This maximizes the speed and strength that you can apply to the valves, while minimizing angular motion in the knuckle that connects your fingers to your hand.

Your fingers should be perpendicular to the leadpipe. Notice that your index and ring fingers are about the same length and shorter than your middle finger. The proper position will allow them to have the same curve and the same leverage on the valves, and allow you to press the valves straight down, with no side pressure. You will have to move your elbow forward, away from your ribs. This will also encourage unrestricted breathing.

Your little finger and ring finger share a common tendon. Locking your little finger down by placing it in the finger crook will impede the motion of your ring finger on the third valve. Therefore, KEEP YOUR LITTLE FINGER OUT OF THE FINGER CROOK. This crook is used ONLY for mute changes and page turns while playing with one hand. Keeping your little finger free will allow you to play faster, and will maximize your ability to apply force to the valves while minimizing extraneous motion.

Right Wrist

Your fingers are connected to tendons that run through your wrist and up your forearm to your elbow. To ensure these tendons are free to move smoothly, keep the back of your hand and wrist flat. Bending at the wrist impedes these tendons, slowing your fingers, and and can lead to strain and “tennis elbow”.

You will see a lot of players — including many good ones — that do not use the above hand position. But if you watch the best technical players (Allen Vizzutti, Doc Severinson), you will see that, especially when playing fast passages, they adopt this — or a very similar — hand position.

Horn Position

Your trumpet should be held parallel — or nearly parallel — to the floor. This will reinforce good embouchure and breathing, and reduce valve wear. Do NOT let the horn sag into a position similar to that of a clarinet! 

Do not tip your horn sideways: valves should be vertical (straight up and down), to maximize responsiveness and avoid uneven, long-term wear.

Elbows

Your elbows should be away from your ribs, in front and to the side, to allow free breathing. This should be a natural result of your hands and horn being properly positioned.