BY: JESSE GARCIA

Trumpet
Powerlifter

How you can use Powerlifting Concepts To Increase Your Trumpet Range,
Endurance and Power!
Table of
Contents
01 The Author

02 Stop Playing so Loud!

03 The Weightlifting Belt

04 Muscle and Strength

05 Build While we Sleep

06 Get off the Couch

The Author

HELLO THERE! I'M JESSE.

Hello! My name is Jesse and I'm a trumpet player with over 21 years
of experience. I've had the opportunity to perform with Celebrity
Cruise Lines, The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, and at the
Latin Grammy Awards and Latin Billboard Awards. I was also a
freelance trumpet player on the Las Vegas strip for many years.
Currently, I serve as a Corporal in the United States Army as a
trumpet player.

JESSETPT
 [Link] Playing
so LOUD!
1. SOFT HIGH NOTES 2. MORE VOLUME DOES
Think of playing volume as
NOT EQUAL MORE
weight in the gym. The less RANGE
volume, the less the weight! You
wouldn't try to squat 300 pounds Imagine trying to get better at
if you can't squat 200 pounds, bench press by running, makes
right? Playing soft will help you no sense! Well thats similar to
develop good form. Good form trying to play higher by playing
prevents set backs, injuries, and louder! Try to whistle. Yes, right
provides the necessary now. Whistle down low and then
foundation to build true power in slowly go up higher and then
the upper register! back down. Pay attention to your
tongue! The lower the note the
lower the tongue, the higher the
note, the higher the tongue.
Trumpet works the same! Play
softly and try this out.
Remember its the speed of air
that changes the range, not the
volume!

3. FOCUSED
EMBOUCHURE
Playing your high notes softly
gives you a better opportunity to
find a stable and optimized
embouchure. Use soft long
tones in the upper register to
figure out how a firm and stable
embouchure feels like. The long
tone will give you the time to
adjust the muscles of you face in
real time so you can begin to
coordinate in a way that gives
you strength and security!
2. The
Weightlifting
Belt
[Link] SECRET POWER OF ABDOMINAL BRACING
I was deadlifting one day and started to practice my trumpet after a heavy
set. I felt so strong, stable and my range was incredible. Turns out I
forgot to take off my weightlifting belt!

THE EXTRA INTRA ABDOMINAL PRESSURE FROM USING

THE BELT UNLOCKED A POWER I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD!
2. MORE COMPRESSION= MORE RANGE
A weightlifting belt teaches you how to compress air with your
abdominals. You're probably not bracing as well as you think, play with a
belt on and find out!

3. WATER BOTTLE ANALOGY

Imagine for a moment an empty water bottle. What happens when you
take off the bottle cap? Nothing, the cap just comes off. Now imagine that
you twist the bottle over and over until the air inside is maximally
compressed. Now, if you flick the cap off it will go flying through the air
because of the increased pressure and compression. The weightlifting
belt can help you compress your air in much the same way as the bottle
to energize and stabilize your sound.

4. THE MAGIC
The magic of the belt is that it provides you with a novel and evident
kinesthetic feedback. When you brace or loosen your abdominals the
constraint of the belt provides you an immediate feedback that you can
feel more acutely than with no belt. With this increased sensation it is
much easier to identify exactly how much abdominal engagement you are
partaking in. Attune yourself to the feeling when the support is strong and
aim to maintain consistency with it and you'll notice a dramatic increase in
your ability to control your sound. Working smarter, not harder. It's all
about coordination so that trumpet feels like a swim with the current
instead of against it.
 3. Strength and
muscle
GET A GOOD PUMP

1. FULL WORKOUT, NO TRUMPET REQUIRED!

External training tools like the pencil exercise, the P.E.T.E, and the
Compression Training System can be great ways to develop embouchure
strength and muscle. This should not replace your normal practice! Use as
a supplement, not a replacement. I increased my endurance and range
many times by training my chops without having to worry about all the
muscle memory attached to my trumpet, total game changer!

2. MAKE A ROUTINE

Having a daily practice routine on the trumpet can help build strength in
your embouchure. This is because a consistent practice routine allows
you to gradually increase the amount of time you spend playing the
trumpet, which can help your embouchure muscles become stronger and
more efficient over time.

A good trumpet practice routine should include a variety of exercises and

pieces that challenge you to use different dynamics, articulations, and
range on the instrument. This can help you develop a strong, flexible
embouchure that is capable of producing a wide range of sounds.
In addition to practicing specific exercises, it's also important to warm up
your embouchure before you begin playing each day. This can help loosen
and relax the muscles, making it easier to play with good tone and
control. Some common warm-up exercises include long tones, lip slurs,
and range exercises.

It's important to remember that building strength in your embouchure

takes time and consistent practice. It's important to be patient and to
listen to your body as you practice, taking breaks when you need them
and being mindful of any muscle fatigue or discomfort. With a consistent
practice routine and a mindful approach to your playing, you can gradually
build strength and control in your embouchure and improve your overall
trumpet playing.
4. Build while
you sleep
Play-Recover...Play-Recover...Play-Recover

1. STOP PLAYING TIRED

Imagine you go to the gym and work on chest for an hour. You leave the
gym tired and sore. Would you train chest again later that day?? No!
Trumpet works the same way. If you get tired, stop playing. Wait until you
make a full recovery!

2. LISTEN TO YOUR CHOPS

I used to practice way too much and
rest way too little. My chops said to
stop but I kept going. I never got
stronger this way, in fact I usually
started to play worse. Listen to your
chops and rest! I promise you that
less can be more!

3. LEARN FROM MY FAILURE

I suffered with TMJ (a jaw disorder)
for many years because I used to
play with too much pressure and rest
way too little. You can really hurt
yourself and your playing if you're
not careful!

4. STRENGTH IS BUILT FROM SLEEP

Make sure you have a healthy sleep
cycle. Sleep is what makes you
stronger, not the actual practice. If
you neglect sleep you will not see
increases in the strength of your
embouchure!
[Link] off the
couch!
A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE IS KILLING YOUR RANGE

I went from a scrawny kid that could hardly squat 85 pounds to squatting
300 pounds! I found that all that power translated to my range. Your body
is as important as your instrument! Taking care of your health and getting
strong will lead to an increase in range! I used to weigh 120 pounds in
college. After adding 50 pounds of muscle to my frame I went from barely
hitting high C's to screaming G's above that.

HEALTH HELPS RANGE

Living an active lifestyle can have numerous benefits for your trumpet
playing. Here are a few ways in which an active lifestyle can improve your
trumpet playing:

-Improved respiratory function: Playing the trumpet requires a strong and

efficient respiratory system, as you need to be able to control your breath
and blow air through the instrument in order to produce sound. Engaging
in physical activity can help improve your lung capacity and endurance,
which can make it easier to play the trumpet for longer periods of time
and with more control.

-Enhanced cardiovascular health: A healthy cardiovascular system can

also be beneficial for trumpet playing, as it can help you maintain a
consistent air flow and sustain your breath while playing. Engaging in
regular cardiovascular exercise can help improve the health and function
of your heart and lungs, making it easier to play the trumpet with good
endurance and control.

-Improved posture and body alignment: Good posture and body alignment
are important for effective trumpet playing, as they help you produce a
clean, focused sound and prevent strain on your muscles. Engaging in
physical activity can help improve your overall body awareness and
alignment, which can in turn benefit your trumpet playing.