Ultimate Guide to Tuning on the Trumpet

First, the trumpet is naturally out of tune. As we add valve combinations, the length is incorrect, slides must be adjusted for the instrument to play in tune, and lipping notes up and down is common.

To start, set yourself up in the best possible place. Play a tuning C on the trumpet with a tuner in tune at A 440. Then, immediately remove the mouthpiece and buzz that same C on your mouthpiece. Adjust your tuning slide until the trumpet plays the same C you were buzzing. Go back and forth between buzzing first and playing second and first and buzzing second on this note until your embouchure and trumpet are aligned. You must do this with each mouthpiece you play on and each horn you play on. Please note that when doing this, you must use a properly formed embouchure with the correct embouchure posture.

One caveat is that this only works if your buzzing embouchure is the same as your trumpet embouchure and your horn is in good working order.

Continuing with tuning on the trumpet, some academic information must be memorized, which is explained below. Some other things to remember are that once you are correctly aligned with your horn, if a note is out of tune, it is because the posture of your embouchure has changed and must be fixed. This could be anything from a slightly different lip position and swelling to improper air usage, throat tension, and tongue arch height. Dialing in all of these physical things throughout the entire register of the trumpet takes many years and thousands of hours.

Each partial on the trumpet and all seven valve combinations have their specific tuning tendencies. Memorize and learn each one. Different horn manufacturers and mouthpiece combinations will have slightly different variations to these tendencies outlined below.

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When practicing tuning, use drones, tuner applications, and other devices to help you build a good pitch reference. We must train our bodies to memorize the feeling and sound of an in-tune note, which takes time and practice.

Some trumpet exercises that help with the physical side of dialing in the center of each pitch are bends on long tones, taking a note from Center to out of Center and back into Center. This tends to help build strength and also teaches the body the correct embouchure posture.

Tuning with others is a skill that we all need to develop. Recording technologies, tuners, and drone applications have made it easier for individuals to practice tuning alone.

Some ideas for working on this yourself: First, set up a drone where you practice just thirds of a chord. Do the same on other chord tones: second record, Trumpet section parts, and work on being in tune with yourself. If you have multiple trumpets, use different mouthpieces and trumpet makes to practice blending and tuning with other tendencies. Third, practice with MIDI or other software that is guaranteed to be in tune. Fourth, purchase duet books or applications with play-along where you can play with professionals. Fifth, play along with good fidelity records that sound in tune.

Some myths that must be dispelled: First, lead trumpet players or anyone playing in the high register of the trumpet plays sharp. Not anymore; there are countless examples of modern trumpet players who can play in tune with the extreme registers of the trumpet. Trumpet technology and music standards have reached a height never seen before. As professional musicians, we have to compete with pitch-perfect computer programs. To not be replaced, we have to find perfect pitch. Second, jazz is always out of tune; classical is always in tune. Also, it's no longer true. Historically, jazz bands had a more flexible definition of being in tune than symphonic scenarios. But ultimately, the best jazz bands have always been very in tune, as well as the best classical musical environments. Third, playing in tune on a specific make of trumpet or a certain key of the trumpet is impossible. This is not entirely true. Countless professionals play in tune in countless musical endeavors on just about every Bach and Yamaha trumpet in production. If you were playing on a reputable instrument in good working order, like a Yamaha or Bach, it would be perfectly possible to play completely in tune. Fourth, you have to have perfect pitch to be able to play in tune. This is not true. Good relative pitch is something that can be learned and taught. Most professional musicians do not have perfect pitch. Pursuing perfect pitch does not yield anything professionally relevant and often causes more trouble than assistance.