By
eHow Arts & Entertainment Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Chamois Cloth
- Mouthpiece Brushes
- Music Stands
- Small Bottle Of Valve Oil
- Trumpet Cases
- Trumpet Mouthpieces
- Trumpets
- Tuning Slide LUBRICANTS
- Trumpeters' Bible Trumpeter's Bible
- Sheet Music
- Christmas Card: Wynton Marsalis CD
Step1
Determine your budget limit for investment in a trumpet. Use the age and maturity of the student as a guideline.
Step2
Include in your calculation a well-braced trumpet case of wood or metal with plenty of internal protective padding. Avoid a leather case at this point.
Step3
Bring your own mouthpiece & examine the trumpet's tone quality. This quality is the prime attribute of any instrument.
Step4
Understand that a large-bore (the inside tube diameter) instrument requires good breath support and produces a "big," "rich," and "fat" tone or resonance. Openness, warmth and ease characterize the nature of this sound.
Step5
Understand that a small-bore trumpet may be easier to blow, but the sound produced can be "thin," "crisp" or "shallow." A good tone should be "free," "round" and "clear" with an overtone presence. Small-bore instruments have a very "sharp edge" or "focus." Evaluate both types.
Step6
Realize that the "flare" of bell construction varies with brand names such as Bach, Schilke and Yamaha.
Step7
Know what the ultimate cost will be, since purchase plans can vary.
Step8
Understand that the basic difference between a cornet and a trumpet is in the bore of the tubing. The cornet has two-thirds conical bore and one-third cylindrical bore. The trumpet is the reverse.
Step9
Cylindrical bore produces a "brilliant" tone. Conical bore allows a horn to produce a "warm" or "mellow" sound. The pitch or fingerings aren't different. Professionals usually own both instruments.
Comments
chrisbs said
on 10/11/2006 http://www.fretland.com/howtobuytrum.html
how to buy a trumpet
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 I will say this once; newer isn't always better. Simply because it shines does not mean it's a good trumpet. A good trumpet is one that has been broken in, experienced. It is more than a piece of equipment, which must be understood. I have been playing a student model trumpet (Bach TR300), and over the years, though the outer quality of the horn has diminished, the sound has, to say the least, improved.
Note to students: For serious beginning trumpet players, I suggest buying a new top-quality horn, so that as you progress in your music, you horn will follow suit.
Note to parents: Do not buy a used quality trumpet (Stradivarius, Monnet, etc.) if your child is hardly in middle school. The horn, though in its peak right now, will deteriorate in a short time from the excessive use and possible ill-care from your child. start with a Bach TR300 for young children. If damages occur, hopefully they will learn how to take better care and therefore be ready for a better trumpet.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Sometimes it's best just to rent an instrument from a music shop, especially if the student is just beginning. That way, if he or she decides that trumpet isn't the right instrument, it's easy to switch and you won't be out several hundred or even thousands of dollars. Also, be sure to have the student evaluated by his band director to see exactly what type of instrument (woodwinds, high brass, low brass, percussion) would be best for his type of mouth. This won't take long, and it can make a world of difference. I wanted to play the trumpet in the fifth grade band, but the director told me I would be much better off playing a woodwind instrument, so I chose saxophone and now I'm in one of the upper bands at my school.