Originally Posted by Ljazztrm

How are you with the pencil exercise? Can you hold a full length pencil out for 4 minutes as Pops suggests? If so, it's time to switch to a trumpet mouthpiece. Yes, that's right. Take the shank end of the mouthpiece and use it like the pencil. I highly recommend only doing this exercise ONCE a week for one time only (do it once, but for as long as you can...I'm close to a minute now). I do it on Mondays, as it's my lightest playing day usually. If you do this very strenous exercise more than once a week, your chops will probably 'crash and burn'...assuming you do a lot of playing everyday. Good luck man! All the best, Lex.