Trumpet FAQ 

My First Trumpet   Mouthpiece  Trumpet  Valves  Care  What brand trumpet do we buy ?  Yamaha Trumpet Fingering Chart Click Here to View this file (pdf)

 

My First Trumpet

The trumpet is one of those magical instruments that have long been used to signal the grand entrance of royalty, is heard on every Hollywood blockbuster soundtrack, and is irreplaceable on Melbourne Cup Race day. Essentially a brass tube close to 4 feet long with a roughly cylindrical bore doubled back on itself; the trumpet enhances and amplifies the vibrations created by the player’s lips inside the mouthpiece (sharp end) and radiates them out from the bell (blunt end). Originally built without valves, the trumpet was essentially a bugle (as heard on ANZAC day). The addition of valves allows today’s trumpeter to quickly adjust the length of the trumpet, and therefore produce the chromatic scale (all the white AND black keys on the piano). It takes much practice and determination to develop the muscles surrounding the lips which form the embouchure that is needed to play the trumpet.

 

Mouthpiece

As the mouthpiece is the first point of contact for the instrument, it is crucial that it is of a reputable brand, suitable size, and is always kept clean. Any mouthpiece can be purchased independently of the trumpet itself, which allows for an inexpensive upgrade of the instrument as a whole. Most entry level instruments come equipped with a suitable mouthpiece, but it is worth checking to make sure, particularly if buying from an unknown overseas seller.

 

Trumpet

A good student trumpet is free-blowing and is easy to play, has accurate intonation (in-tune), is light enough to be comfortable to hold, is expertly constructed from quality materials, and is appropriately priced. Although tone is important, at the earliest stages of playing the previously mentioned factors are more important. We cannot stress enough the need to purchase a reputable brand instrument for the beginning trumpet player, as time and time again we see instruments in our repair shop that cost more to repair in the first month of playing than was saved by opting for the ‘cheaper option’. A reputable brand saves you time and frustration down the track, has a stronger resale value and will generally sound better!

 

Valves

Most professional trumpets are equipped with Monel metal valves. Monel is an alloy which is very hard wearing and has a very high resistance to corrosion; perfect for the valves of a trumpet. Some manufacturers choose stainless steel or nickel plated valves, as they are cheaper than Monel valves. These are acceptable only in a quality branded trumpet as unless the construction of the instrument as a whole is of a very high quality, these valves are likely to cause trouble.

 

Care

The mouthpiece should be cleaned with a quality mouthpiece brush weekly. The mouthpiece receiver should be kept clean also with the brush. The valves of a trumpet must be oiled regularly. For a grade 5 student playing an average of 15 minutes a day, an oiling once or twice a week with quality oil should be fine. I recommend that for the young ones, only attempt to oil valves with competent adult supervision i.e. during lesson times. All musical instruments are relatively fragile and inexperienced hands can easily cross-thread the valve caps or even damage the valves themselves, also, valve oil is harmful if swallowed. A trumpet should be professionally serviced at least once every 12 months to remove those built up deposits of tuna sandwich.

All information supplied above is given as an obligation free guide only. Brass & Woodwind staff are all professional musicians and/or professional repairers with a wealth of experience and are only to happy to talk to you should you have any questions. Please call for more details.    Burke Turner

What brand  trumpet do we buy ?

Brand name quality products will offer a manufacturers or product web site every time.

To place one brand on a pedestal and say that it was the best in the world would cause many problems.  Firstly, it would discount other high quality instruments of different brands that are equally as good or have different features to the ‘best’ one.  Secondly, it would give the ‘best’ brand no reason to work on or improve their instrument design.  Instrument makers are consistently working on their product to make it better for the consumer. 

 

Music teachers will often recommend specific brands to go with.  We stock a large variety of brands and models to suit each individual’s needs.  The brands we choose are ones that our specialist team like and recommend – as teachers, players and repairers.  And we are always happy to discuss the differences between each one in a visit to our store.

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