Blowing my own Trumpet...

**Just A Girl** · 03-06-2006, 13:43

Hello.

I have recently been concidering buying a trumpet.
(i hope thats what they are called)

you know those things with 3 push down buttons on them, made from brass and you blow through them and they make a noise..

any way..
as you can probably tell i dont have a clue about these things.
and i was wondering are there diferent trumpets for diferent sounds...
are there high pitched ones and deeper ones?

and if so which ones sound the best?

Id personaly like to find one that sounds Something like a saxaphone..
I dont expect il find one that sounds like a sax...
but similar would be good.

also id like to know how long would it aproximatly take to get the basics of it under controll.
and what type of learning curve is there with these things.

I play a little guitar. but would honestly prefer to play a trumpet or something.

thanx for your time :)

**gardibolt** · 03-06-2006, 19:22

There's a good listing of trumpets at Dolmetsch Online:
http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory29.htm

about half-way down the page. The most readily available kind of trumpet is the B-flat version, also commonly called a cornet.

But you'll never get a brass instrument (which includes trumpets) to sound like a saxophone. You're dealing with a metal mouthpiece rather than a reed. If you want a sax sound, why not go directly to a sax? They're a good deal easier to start off with than a trumpet in any event, since you reach the notes with the keys rather than by shaping your mouth.

**ajaxfetish** · 03-06-2006, 19:28

I played the trumpet through Jr. High before switching to the French Horn. You won't find one that sounds like a sax, but there are some different types. The standard one is the Bb trumpet, and that'd probably be the best for you. It does take a while to learn, largely because you need much stronger lips than you do for most other activities, so unless you compete in kissing tournaments, you'll need to build them up (kind of like getting callouses for the guitar). The standard trumpet has a cylindrical bore which gives it that bright, brassy tone. There's numerous manufacturers of varying quality, so you should do a little research before buying to know how good yours is. I haven't checked it out in years so I don't know what kind of price range to expect. (you might want to rent one first to get a feel for the instrument before making the investment to buy one. Any local music store should have them available for rental)

The main two variations I can think of are the piccolo trumpet, a very small trumpet with 4 valves (the buttons you press down), and the cornet, which is actually a different instrument, but very similar. The difference there is that the cornet has a conical bore, which gives it a darker, more melodious sound (it's the same difference between the trombone and French Horn, if that gives you any idea of the tonal change).

Anyway, it's a great instrument, and I hope you have fun.

Ajax

**Sir Chauncy** · 03-06-2006, 19:29

I actually spent years of my life playing a trumpet and would have to agree absolutely with Gardibolt If you fancy something that sounds like a Sax, the obvious choice seems to be a Sax...

Still B flat trumpets are by far and wide the most common, stick with that if you fancy some hot brass action.

Enjoy, at first you will wonder how in gods name people manage to do anything with a brass instrument but for some inspiration just listen to a few military brass bands and tell me they don't amaze you :)

**Myrddraal** · 03-06-2006, 20:44

The most readily available kind of trumpet is the B-flat version, also commonly called a cornet.

As ajax said, the cornet is a different instrument.

I suggest you rent an instrument to try it out first as they aren't cheap

**Just A Girl** · 03-06-2006, 23:34

so would i prefer a cornet do you think...

I would not like a screechy high pitched one..
and would prefer the least amount of "valves" possible..
I dont want to have a sax they seem 2 much like hard work to me, with all those buttons every where.

Something that dosent shatter your ears but could be used instead of vocals for example would be good...

**gardibolt** · 03-07-2006, 00:03

There are natural horns without valves, but then you have to do all the work with your lips. Trust me, keys on a sax are MUCH easier.

**Just A Girl** · 03-07-2006, 00:11

i dont mind using my lips...
i whistle all the time if that helps...

I just dont like using saxaphones..

**ajaxfetish** · 03-07-2006, 17:09

The only significant difference between the trumpet and the cornet is a subtle difference in tone. It's usually termed a difference of bright and dark (since we don't have many good adjectives for sound, we borrow them from sight, and so they aren't always clear). You might think of the cornet being more gentle or thoughtful, I suppose, but it's not an obvious difference. Either one would be fine, depending on your preference, but trumpets are much more common.

Ajax