Trumpet: Achieving Consistency

   Consistency results from a well-developed embouchure, focus and forming the habit of practicing accurately. Yet it remains a never-ending battle for some trumpet players.  For them, consistency comes and goes.  Even the same exercise can be difficult to play the same way twice.
   Consistency is a "have to" thing.  Otherwise progress is all but impossible to measure.  And players suffering a consistency problem can feel as though they are taking one step forward and two steps backward.
   One of the root causes for inconsistency occurs when the player fails to establish sound fundamentals.  But inconsistency is only one of many problems to surface when the player fails to establish sound fundamentals.
   Each exercise in a routine serves a specific purpose.  And the purpose is met only when the player is able to play the exercise accurately and with ease.  It is what makes measuring progress possible.  Consequently there is no room for inconsistency.  So what the player performs satisfactorily on Monday, must be rendered a like performance of the same material for the rest of the week.  And only when then the exercise becomes second nature is the player ready to move on to more complex material.
     Another cause for consistency problems is impatience.  This occurs when the player is in a rush to develop ability.  But what the player fails to realize, skill development takes time.  And as to how much time depends on the individual player.  Some players develop at a rate faster than other players.  But if the slower developing player remains patient, they eventually achieve the same goal as the faster developing player.
   Lack of focus (concentration) is another enemy of consistency.  Music is more than sound.  Music is math.  Precise math.  Each note has a specific contribution to the measure in which it appears.  And each measure has a specific contribution to the piece in which it appears.
   Over-practice is another problem for consistency.  Players who are convinced they can get an exercise right  by making countless repetitions of the exercise in a single setting find they are tired and short in physical stamina.  And to continue playing when when the player is in this state results in stiff facial muscles, thick tonguing and lips that are less than cooperative.  In fact, the player starts losing feel (grip) for the mouthpiece and adds pressure trying to recover it.  Once this happens, embouchure balance is lost and performance goes from bad to worse.  It is not possible for the player to play their way out of over-practice.  And in extreme cases, permanent damage can be dealt the embouchure.
   Chronic experimentation causes consistency problems.  This comes when the player constantly searches for an easier way to do something such as increase range or by emulating the physical style of another player.  It profits the player more to develop their own "voice".
   Consistency is something a player must remain on "top of".  It is not one of those things that once the player acquires is it guaranteed to remain with them for life.  Consistency takes constant effort.  Constant vigilance.  Ever mindful of the systems on the page on the music stand and the manner in which the embouchure functions in order to meet the systems' demands.
   Remember, sound coming out a trumpet is not self-produced.  The player puts it there via lip vibrations.  And for lip vibrations to remain consistent, the player has to remain consistent in the manner in which the vibrations are produced.  This includes no shifting of the mouthpiece on the lips when changing registers or when performing in the upper register.  Simply because a certain "tactic" makes high notes easier to reach does not make the tactic correct if it interferes with other playing elements.
   Consistency comes with consistent application.  All elements of trumpet playing must be developed and coordinated to work together as a unit.