Playing the trumpet with a cold: Tips and tricks
Playing the trumpet with a cold can be quite challenging. A stuffy nose, congestion, and general fatigue can significantly affect your playing ability. As a trumpet player, it’s essential to know how to handle this situation. In this article, we’ve compiled some tips and tricks that will help you play the trumpet with a cold.
Stay hydrated
When you have a cold, your body gets dehydrated quickly, and as a result, your lips can get dry and cracks can appear. This can make playing the trumpet quite painful. To avoid this, drink lots of fluids to keep your body hydrated. The more hydrated you are, the less painful it will be to play the trumpet. A good option could be drinking warm tea with honey to help soothe your throat and moisturize your lips.
Take breaks
It’s impossible to play the trumpet continuously when you have a cold. It would be beneficial to take breaks in between your practice sessions to avoid straining your lungs and throat. A five-minute break every hour can effectively help to reduce fatigue and ease the pressure on your lungs.
Use a nasal spray or saline rinse
Your stuffy nose can make it challenging to play the trumpet. One trick to alleviate this is using nasal sprays or saline rinses. These help to clear your nasal passages and allow you to breathe more freely. You can use available nasal sprays from the pharmacy or even make homemade saline solutions using salt and warm water.
Adjust your playing style
When you have a cold, you need to adjust your playing style to suit you better. Playing too vigorously can cause you to run out of breath quickly, leading to fatigue and weakness. Alternatively, you can opt to play softer and avoid high notes to avoid straining your lungs and throat. Playing slowly and taking breaks between notes will significantly help to reduce fatigue and ensure you get through your practice session without causing further damage to your body.
Playing the trumpet with a cold can be quite challenging, but with the tips and tricks we’ve discussed above, you can make playing easier and more comfortable. Remember to take breaks, stay hydrated, and adjust your playing style to suit yourself better. These tips will help to keep your body healthy and ensure you don’t compromise your playing ability in the long run.
