Do I need to have a big chest to play the trumpet well?

Question

I have never played the trumpet before, but am thinking of taking it up. I would like to get to a decent standard, am I wrong in thinking that blokes need to have big lungs/chest to play well? In brass sections of bands the players are usually well built....I am medium build, quite fit and dont smoke.

Answer 1

No, your chest size does not matter. What does matter is your lung capacity.  And this can even be worked on by getting a breathing machine to increase the size.  This is the same concept as people who get pneumonia and recover from it by using one of those machines.  

Keep in mind that trumpet is a solo type instrument, meaning you always hear them above and over other instruments because they have the melody line.  And if you are going to be successful and be heard... you want to have a good sound.  And the bigger your lung capacity, the more air you can use to make a gorgeous sound.

Thanks for reading!

Answer 2

You don't need a big chest. You need to practice. Practice will allow you to begin building your chops. You will exercise your lips and build capacity in your lungs. I was a little guy when I learned to play. I was 12 and weighed 80 pounds. I loved music and played my heart out. So what you really need is heart and dedication and you can do anything you set your mind to. Don't fixate on what other players look like.

Answer 3

Trumpet is about diaphragm and lips.  The diaphragm is a muscle and the more you use it, the bigger it will get.  Brass band players are well built because they have large diaphragms and drink a lot of beer.  You need to practise both.

Answer 4

ive played the trumpet since i was 10 and im nearly 14 now, and also im a girl. the only thing you need to play the trumpet is lips and fingers.

when you first start playing you may feel a bit tiered and fingers may ache a bit, but soon you will get used to it and be able to play for hours without even aching at all.

Answer 5

it's more a matter of how you control what you have/use diaphram to support the flow of air. Roger Bobo, famed tuba player for the chicago philharmonic spent half his career using one lung (lost the other to cancer i believe). so if he can play that massive instrument with one lung-you should manage quite well with two on a itty bitty trumpet