How to Buy a Trumpet
A quality instrument is a valuable investment for the budding musician or the seasoned professional. However, your kid's first car was probably not a Maserati.
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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
Instructions
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Determine your budget limit for investment in a trumpet. Use the age and maturity of the student as a guideline.
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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.
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Bring your own mouthpiece & examine the trumpet's tone quality. This quality is the prime attribute of any instrument.
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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.
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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.
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Realize that the "flare" of bell construction varies with brand names such as Bach, Schilke and Yamaha.
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Know what the ultimate cost will be, since purchase plans can vary.
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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.
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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.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask an adult trumpeter from the city band or orchestra to have lunch and visit the music store to give his or her opinion. Church choirs have many former instrumentalists with valuable experience.
Producing an excellent tone is enhanced by a fine instrument.
Tonal brilliance and penetration are sometimes desired for high range by the lead horn in a big-band jazz ensemble. This quality can be accomplished by use of a shallow or "double-cup" mouthpiece. Taste is the determining factor.
Purchase a case with a key or combination lock-latch to discourage those eager to experiment with a friend's instrument.
All that glitters is not gold. Shine is not a guarantee of quality.
Tolerate absolutely no frozen or dented slides, loose movement or poor seals in the tubing and spit valves.
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Comments
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Aug 08, 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.
