Any trumpet players?

[JahJahBinks]

Recently I picked up a trumpet and started self learning. I heard mute is for when you practice it at night without disturbing yours neighbors. Any recommendation? I was browsing activemusician.com and saw a couple of good stuff that I might need sooner or later such as valve oil. They also sell "Play Trumpet Today! DVD", is it worth getting?

p.s. let you know other good place for trumpet accessories feel free to drop it a line too.

 

[concrete_d]

I used to be a trumpet player until I switched to bass trombone (it fit my larger lips better). I played both for about 4 years each. I have my own trumpet, but was borrowing a trombone from my high school, and when I graduated playing no longer fit into my schedule, plus I didn't have an instrument (I suck on trumpet now), so I haven't played since then. Congratulations on starting on an instrument; practicing and playing will only get more fun the better you get!

From my experience, most mutes aren't really to make the trumpet softer, but to change the characteristics of its sound. For example, a piece of music may call for a mute, but still require you to play loud; muted doesn't necessarily mean softer, as strange as that sounds. Plus, I've noticed that when I tried practicing with a mute solely for keeping the volume down, my quality of my playing would be quite a bit worse when I took the mute away because I wouldn't use the right amount of air when playing with the mute.

My suggestion for night practicing would be to just try playing softly with as good of a sound you can produce, as that will really help your breath control and tone quality. Playing softly with good sound is something that many brass players have trouble with, so if you set aside time to do just that you will really get a leg up.

That said, there are practice mutes specifically for practicing at low volumes, such as this one: http://wwbw.com/Spivak-Whispa-Mute-i77150.music. There's also the Yamaha Silent Brass system here http://wwbw.com/Yamaha-Silent-Brass-...m-i32348.music that uses the mute as a mic and feeds the sound to earbuds. The Silent Brass system might be overkill, though. If the practice mute is designed well, it should simply make your sound softer without changing it as straight, harmon, bucket, etc. mutes do, and should serve your purposes well.

For accessories and supplies, Woodwind Brasswind http://wwbw.com is a reputable site that sells most everything you would need. I won't even get into how nuts you could get with trying mutes, mouthpieces, cases, stands, cleaning supplies, and even other types of trumpets; check them out!

Good luck with your playing; I hope you find playing the trumpet enjoyable!

Edit: I'm not familiar with that DVD, so I can't say if it's worth it or not, but most professional trumpet teachers teach out of the Arban's Method book here: http://wwbw.com/Carl-Fischer-Arbans-...-i140957.music. It has exercises and pieces for all the way from beginning to highly advanced players, and is good for chop-building.

 

[JMT]

I played trumpet for about 15 years. Started playing in nightclub bands when I was around 16 or so until I "retired" at 23. My suggestions:

1. Take lessons. It is easy to pick up bad habits that will literally cause you to ruin your embouchure.
2. Practice scales and arpeggios.
3. Learn the proper way to attack a note, not with the tip of your tongue.
4. Invest in Arbans Complete Method - Trumpet. The best, in my opinion, practice and method guide available.
5. Practice, practice, practice.

Also, a mute is used to change the characteristic sound of the trumpet, not just to make it quieter. There are cup mutes, harmon mutes, straight mutes, bucket mutes, hat mutes. I found that using the harmon mute was the best to practice and keep others from being too bothered by it.

Have fun!!

Edit: Or I could have just posted "what conrete d said"

 

[ooheadsoo]

In addition to the mutes mentioned, practice mutes are designed to attenuate sound so you can practice at night without disturbing others. They also piss the hell out of me because I always end up red in the face from trying to get more sound.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Yes. I played trumpet in a brass band many years ago and it really is an instrument that requires others (ie: a band) it's not the ideal solo instrument in the same way a piano or a guitar is.

My advice, get a good trumpet don't go cheap.... even a flugel horn is a good instrument. Get good mouthpieces and practice your technique on them, it'll strengthen your lips, once you learn how to triple tongue (no that's not a sexual maneuver) you can practice on the mouthpiece alone.

A mute is a handy tool for practising where others may be offended by your horn blowing so, yes, buy one. It's also essential to maintain your trumpet so buy some valve oil and frequently clean out the moisture etc.

Remember, a warm trumpet performs better than a cold one so plenty of blowing and heating required before getting the best out of it, This is especially so with a French Horn, The beauty of the trumpet is that once you have learnt how to play it you can go over to the likes of a euphonium with no problems.... slightly bigger mouthpiece but everything else the same.

Your lips and breathing technique is the most important thing...... you don't want your lips to pack in (get tired) during a long performance so get them used to long sessions even if it only means you carry the mouthpiece about with you all day blowing evertime you have a spare minute.

Good luck and enjoy your instrument!

Mike.

 

[nabwong]

JahJah,

Where are you located?

Anyway, the best practice mute i've used and am still using is the Don Maslet practice mute. www.masletmutes.com. I bought it at Rayburn. It's about $50. The BSO trumpet section uses it. I like it a lot. I used to have the yamaha silent brass but sold it. It just felt too weird.

I would recommend you getting a good teacher so that your fundamentals are right. Developing bad habits will put you 2 steps back.

For slide oil, hetman is good. Personally for valve oil, i use blue juice, though many people like others like zaja. Don't mix and match oil though. You'll also need a cleaning kit also.

A good mouthpiece ( one that is the right size for you ) is more important than the instrument right now for you. There's no such thing as the perfect size, only the right size for you. I use a Bach 1 1/4 C. My lips are pretty fat.

Good luck,
Najib

 

[JahJahBinks]

What about a straight mute?

 

[nabwong]

For metal straight mute, consider Denis Wick, Jo Ral with copper bottom or Tom Crown. The Jo Ral one seems to have the best intonation.

For more lyrical and softer playing, you should check out the Trumcor lyric mute. This is a life saver mute.

 

[iluvcans]

hi,

i play horn-- but the same issues apply here..

i've owned a yamaha silent brass mute for about ten yrs (got it when it first came out) and highly rec this mute for any playing situations where you don't want to be heard.. i've taken it to several auditions where i would have no option of playing in my hotel rooms. used it in many public places (airports, lobbys, etc) where i couldn't get away with practicing out loud. you don't have to use the electronic component that it comes with (just use it like any other mute). might be a bit to much $ if you aren't making money playing though..

 

[a1rocketpilot]

Trumpet player here too. Been playing since 1997 (though not so much the past year due to college and the fact that I don't have my trumpet with me now). As far as accessories go, I don't have a practice mute, but a Harmon mute works wonderfully to keep the noise down. I've also had good experience with Tom Crown mutes in other areas. For valve oil, I too use Blue Juice, it works very well for me, though I suppose it is a matter of preference. Try some out and see what you like best. Try out mouthpieces and see what works best. Different mouthpieces work better in different situations, due to factors like cup depth, rim sharpness and thickness, etc. though ideally, you should be able to use any mouthpiece in any situation.

To reiterate others advice, first off, get the Arbans book. It is a must to learn how to play trumpet well. Warm up plenty, which will get your lips ready to play along with warming up the instrument itself. Spend lots of time holding notes, and just try and make it sound as good as you can. Play soft, loud, high, low, you should be able to do all of that without distortion. It's no good if you can hit a double high C if it doesn't sound good. Likewise, no one will care if you can blast your lungs out if you can't play quietly as well. Spend lots of time perfecting your sound and you will go far.

Aditya

 

[JahJahBinks]

I have a 7C mouthpiece and I heard that's what almost every beginner start with. I have a slightly smaller mouth but I haven't tried other mouthpiece so I don't know if there is one that's easier for me to play.

 

[Jahn]

Well, I couldn't find a trumpet one, but hey trombone is close enough, right?

 

[DevilDog]

I've been playing trumpet for about 37 years, you'd think I'd be getting better by now.

I'm a band director and I'm glad I read this post. I've picked up some info that I can use.
I'm not a fan of mutes for practice. I've never tried the practice mutes, but the playing mutes such as straight, cup, harmon, etc. I really wouldn't recommend since they change the way the amount of air resistance. I don't know how Miles Davis did it.
You also NEED valve oil. I used to really like Holton's regular line. To me it felt a bit thicker than other brands, but I've been told that it was the same as other basic valve oils. I guess there's placebo effect in everything. These days I'm using Blue Juice, I suppose it's okay. The only one I've found that I just couldn't stand was Al Cass, way too thin to last long.
A 7C mouthpiece is a great place to start. I generally use a 1 1/2 C to 3C. I'd stay away from the Schilke flat rims like the 13A4A and 14A4A models. The 13A4A almost ruined me. They're comfortable and easy to play, but the foster bad habits. I'm not a fan of changing mouthpieces, particularly for a beginner. I feel like the embrouchure needs to "set" around the mouthpiece, so changing can use the muscle differently. Just my philosophy. I know many players do, but I feel they'd be better off if they didn't.
Get the Arban book. Herbert Clarke's stuff is good, too. I have some old Colson stuff that's great, but I doubt it's still in print. Allen Vizutti has some stuff out I'd like to take a look at. Anybody know anything about it?

 

[seacard]

Another trumpet player here, although my job really gets in the way.

I second the Arban and the Clarke recommendation. Everybody starts with those, and if you can master those two books, you will be a tremendous trumpet player. (It will take many many years.) I also like Charlier's 36 Etudes Transcendantes. A little more melodic, but each one works on a certain technique.

Two other bits of advice. First, listen to a lot of trumpet music. Listening to Wynton or Maurice Andre or one of the many other great trumpeters out there is invaluable. Second, pick up some solo trumpet literature and begin working on that at the same time. Doing Clarke for 2 hours a day is boring and you may burn out. But playing Haydn, Hummel, Hindemith, etc. will break up a practice session and you will feel like you are getting somewhere.

And, of course, lessons and practice. Lots of it.

 

[JahJahBinks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seacard First, listen to a lot of trumpet music.

Well, I listened to carnival of venice, but I was not sure if that was inspiring or discouraging.