Tuning Your Trumpet
The easiest and most accurate way to tune your trumpet is by using an electronic tuner. An electronic tuner allows you to see whether the note you are playing is sharp (too high) or flat (too low). There are several types of electronic tuners but most are relatively inexpensive and simple to operate. Use a chromatic tuner with a built in microphone to pick up your Trumpet.
The pitch of the trumpet can be altered by either pushing the tuning slide further into the body or pulling it out a bit. Before you begin tuning make sure the tuning slide is not pushed fully onto the body, or you may have no room to move if your trumpet is out of tune.
To begin tuning, pull the tuning slide out to a distance of just under two centimeters and then play a C note. Be careful to move the slide only a small amount at a time, or you may put the instrument out of tune in the opposite direction; i.e., you may make the note sound too sharp instead of too flat. Once you have adjusted the slide, play the note again and check against the tuner. Repeat this process until your C note is in tune.
If your C note is too sharp, you will have to move the tuning slide in the opposite direction – pulling it out a small amount and then checking your note against the tuner. Once again, repeat the process if necessary until your C note is in tune.
If you have trouble hearing the differences in pitch don’t worry, this is common and tuning will become easier as your lips and facial muscles develop and you get a better sense of the sounds of notes in general. Many people have to get their teacher to help them tune their instrument for the first few months they are learning.
However, it is important to practice tuning each day, as you will often be required to tune to other instruments when playing with other musicians. Next time you go to hear a band, orchestra or any musical group, notice how the musicians spend a short time tuning their instruments carefully before they begin to play.
