Feeling Lightheaded When Playing the Trumpet; What to Do When You Feel You’ll Pass Out

Playing the trumpet has been known to make some people feel quite lightheaded and dizzy. Since it takes so much breath and constant air cycling to play the trumpet, it’s a common issue for beginners. So, what can you do when you feel lightheaded when playing the trumpet?

Here’s how to avoid feeling lightheaded or passing out while playing the trumpet:

• Take a break from playing, eat a snack, and drink plenty of fluids.
• Steady and control your breathing by counting while you inhale, then again when you exhale.
• Stop overblowing while playing the trumpet.

It is common for musicians to get a few dizzy spells at some point while playing the trumpet, but there are many things that can be done to try and avoid it. Throughout this article, we will go over the steps you should take when you feel lightheaded and what causes it.

Avoiding Lightheadedness When Playing Trumpet

Those moments of dizziness and lightheadedness can be quite frightening, especially when you feel that you are definitely going to pass out. This is a common feeling among trumpet players, but it is more prevalent among beginners that have not mastered the tricks to playing.

It takes years of practice to master the breathing techniques and posture needed to keep you safe and healthy while playing. Fortunately, if you feel like you are about to pass out, there are some things you can do to make you feel better.

Listed below are some tips that can help you avoid lightheadedness and passing out while playing the trumpet.

Take a Break and Drink Plenty of Fluids

One of the most common reasons for being lightheaded is dehydration. Dehydration occurs when your body is releasing more fluids than you are taking in.

As soon as you feel you are going to pass out, the first thing you should do is take a break and stop playing the trumpet for about 30 minutes, or until you feel you are back to normal.

Then, be sure to drink plenty of fluids –preferably water—and maybe eat a little snack. This snack should be something light, and not too sugary, like crackers. The snack is not exactly necessary, though, as your body will need the fluids more than the snack to feel better.

Once you feel like yourself again, you can start playing the trumpet, but take it easy and know your limits. Trying to push yourself too hard will actually end up being counterproductive and frustrating.

Take Deep and Relaxed Breaths

Taking deep and relaxed breaths is something that you should do while you are taking your break and while you are playing the trumpet.

Since your breath is used so much while playing, learning to control and steady your breathing is very important. The best way is to count to 5 while you inhale, then count to 5 while you exhale.

Just take very slow, deep breaths to make sure you are getting enough oxygen. Obviously, you cannot count like this while playing, but you should try to regulate your breathing as much as possible.

Avoid Overblowing While You Play the Trumpet

When start to feel normal and you pick the trumpet up again to play a song, avoid overblowing. is what causes most beginner trumpet players to feel like they are going to pass out.

Overblowing is when a musician pushes a lot of air into the instrument, hard, in order to make a high note or project the sound from the instrument while they are outside playing.

Experienced trumpet players know overblowing is not necessary to make a high note, but beginner trumpet players should experiment and practice with their breaths in order to get the hang of it.

By following these steps, you should start feeling like your normal self before you know it. In the future, it is important to make sure that you are well-hydrated before playing and always focus on your breathing.

What Causes Lightheadedness While Playing the Trumpet?

Aside from being dehydrated and not getting enough oxygen to your brain, there is another reason why you may be feeling lightheaded and dizzy while playing the trumpet.

When a person plays a high note, heart valves collapse due to so much pressure in the aperture which stops blood flow. This causes blood pressure to drop, which can make you feel dizzy all by itself. But then, when the person stops playing the high note, the heart valves open back up and blood starts rushing to get back to the brain, which causes blood pressure to rise very quickly.

The sudden change in blood pressure is what makes you dizzy, and it can make many people go so far as to pass out.

If you are an experienced player who has years of experience under your belt and have already mastered a good breathing technique for playing high notes, then you may need to visit a doctor if you feel dizzy or have passed out. There could be some underlying issues that are making you feel this way all of a sudden. 

There has also been a study showing that because playing the trumpet causes your blood pressure to drop and rise very quickly.This can cause a dangerous condition like buildup of blood in the brain which can lead to stroke.

So, keep in mind the tips below to help you prevent any dizziness and other serious health problems.

How to Breathe and Play Trumpet Without Overblowing

As we said above, one of the best ways to prevent lightheadedness and dizziness while playing the trumpet is to make sure that you are fully hydrated before you begin playing. This is especially true if you will be playing outside in the heat.

Other than that, the way you use your breaths while playing the trumpet may be the main cause of dizziness, so, according to experienced trumpet players, you will want to experiment and practice your breathing technique.

One of the best tips we found to prevent overblowing while playing the trumpet is to use less air when playing a high note but increase the speed at which you blow the air out.

This is completed by using the muscles in your abdomen and diaphragm, so if you want to play the trumpet and avoid lightheadedness, then it is important to have a strong core—another unexpected tip from more experienced trumpet players.

While you may not always be able to completely prevent dizziness while playing the trumpet, these steps will definitely help you most of the time.

Feeling Lightheaded When Playing the Trumpet, Conclusion

There are many things that a trumpet player must keep in mind because there are very real risks associated with poor technique. It’s not uncommon for beginners and experienced players alike to feel lightheaded at certain times.

So, here is what to do when you feel like you are going to pass out while playing the trumpet:

• Stop playing, take a break, and drink plenty of fluids.
• Focus on your breathing by taking long, slow, and deep breaths, then slowly let them out.
• Experiment with your breaths while you are playing to avoid overblowing.

There can be several different causes for the dizziness that you feel while playing the trumpet, but mostly all of them are easy to fix by simply adjusting a few things that you are doing. If you can’t find any particular reason, then it may be time to visit a doctor to check for underlying issues.