I want to stop using mouthpiece pressure. When I don’t use mouthpiece pressure, my playing is horrible.

You can NOT just stop using mouthpiece pressure.

You have to correct the reason that the pressure was needed first.

Then after you have a close-set embouchure, good breathing habits and good muscle strength you can work on reducing pressure.

Practice LIP Buzzing. It teaches you how to form your embouchure and makes the lips stronger.

Do the pencil exercise for 3-4 minutes at a time. (Most pressure players can barely do 20 seconds.) This builds muscle and shows you how to contract to play higher with less pressure.

Play at a whisper. This works the lip aperture to aid in pressure reduction.

Then play arpeggios using as little mouthpiece pressure as possible to get used to both the feel and to allow the lips to LEARN how to flex and contract to produce each note. The lips must be closer together with no pressure than they are with pressure.

No pressure is NOT an option. LESS pressure is.

The lips produce compression by lip against lip movement. They also can control the aperture by pulling the corners in to play high.

As a pressure player you never allowed your lips to do that so the muscles must be worked first.

Try to practice with this grip where the horn is resting on the thumb and 1 finger. Do NOT grab the valves or pinky ring.

Pops

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Can I hold a horn by 1 valve cap and play a High F or G? Yes I learned a long time ago how to Reduce Trumpet Mouthpiece Pressure.

Can I play anything real with that little pressure?

NO!

You shouldn’t feel pain or soreness when playing or after playing.

You can NOT just stop using pressure.
You have to correct the reason that the pressure was needed first.
Then after you have a close-set embouchure, good breathing habits and good muscle strength you can work to Reduce Trumpet Mouthpiece Pressure.

No pressure is NOT an option. LESS pressure is.

The lips produce compression by lip against lip movement. They also can control the aperture by pulling the corners in to play high. As a pressure player you never allowed your lips to do that AS the excessive pinned the lips in place and they couldn’t move enough to make compression. This is why the muscles must be worked first.

Play at a whisper. This works the lip aperture to aid in pressure reduction. This is one reason why the ENTIRE Clarke Technical studies book is marked pp-ppp.

You can open your left hand and stop grabbing the valves. The horn is now free to move some. Practice that way and you can reduce pressure.
Try a hand grip that I first wrote about 12 years ago. It helps you to use less pressure.

Don’t grab the horn and allow it to move slightly. Also don’t use the pinky ring with the right hand.

Pops

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