I would like to introduce my breathing tools. Those are tools I use daily in my routine and whenever I need a reminder for doing things more efficiently. I can really say that those tools changed my playing. I learned (and still learning) how to work right with my body and make things much easier.
Breathing bag
Every practice, I start with some exercises with the breathing bag. A 6 liters bag which helps me to train my breathing, learning to use the whole capacity of my lungs and be very active in my breathing. I start with slow breathing, in and out, in a 5-beats bars. I am trying to fill and empty it as much as possible and I keep the air in motion in every moment. Either I inhale or exhale, there is never a stop in between. Afterwards, I train my inhale by taking a full breath in a short time. First on quarter notes, then eighth notes, triplets and sixteenth. It is very important and helps a lot when I need to play some passages with very quick breath.
Breath Builder
This tube with the ping-pong ball inside is a great tool. The only thing you need to do is to keep the ball up! The first time you try it, you will probably blow much more then needed. That is an important lesson about how not to force or over-blow the trumpet. The second thing you learn is, usually, how to keep the air going in or out, without any stop in between. Very important and very easy to see it with that tool - no moving air - the ball is down. On top of that, I sometimes use it to practice some air patterns of an excerpt or a difficult phrase, to make sure I keep all my airways open the whole time.
Spirometer
One of the tools which completely changed and improved my playing. I use the spirometer everyday after the breathing bag exercises. I play some Cichowitz - Long Tones Studies with my mouthpiece attached to the spirometer. This way, I make sure I have a thick and sustained air flow without any closing. Again, as in the breath builder, it is very simple. If the air does not move - the ball will fall. Great indication and a great tool.
Breathing Bag Exercises:
* 5 in 5 out
* Quarter notes - 1 in 4 out
* Eighth notes - 1 in 7 out
* Triplets - 1 in 11 out
* Sixteenth notes - 1 in 15 out
Spirometer Demonstration - V. Cichowicz "Long Tones Study" on mouthpiece