Trumpet

The trumpet is one of the world’s most popular instruments and is usedin a variety of musical settings. Along with the Bb trumpet, there aretrumpets in C, D, E, Eb, Piccolo trumpets in Bb, comets in Bb, and flugelhorns in Bb.

There are different levels of trumpets?

As with most instruments, there are three basic levels: beginner, intermediate, and performer.

• The beginner instruments are made to be easy to play and very durable to accomodate the player while he or she is learning to play and properly care for the instrument. The materials are less expensive to produce and will hold up better under the circumstances.

• The next step up is the intermediate trumpet. One of the most noticable differences between the intermediate and the beginner instrument is the finish. Beginner trumpets usually have a lacquer finish (gold colored) which is more durable and easy to clean. Intermediate trumpets usually have a silver-plated finish which gives the horn a better overall tone but is a little harder to clean than lacquer. Another difference is the bore size. This means that intermediate instruments require more air to play but will give the player a much fuller, richer tone.

• The third level is the performer trumpet. Performer trumpets are also silver-plated and have a larger bore size than beginners. Performer trumpets feature hand-hammered one piece bells which give the player exceptional tone and better response. In addition, performer trumpets feature double tuning slide braces which also improves response and gives a darker tone. In some cases, performer trumpets contain thicker brass and materials. This added mass produces a darker tone that will not break up with volume.