Need some trumpet advice.

[HomeOnTheRanch]

Sorry, it is late. I'm tired. I rambled. Hope there is enough info here for someone to give some advice!

 

14yo was told by me that he HAD to choose something for music and/or art for high school. The three older boys took violin lessons for about a year 3 years ago, but 14 yo showed no real interest. After a year, his older brother was ready to move on to another teacher and we dropped lessons for the two other boys. Older brother was very eager and now quite proficient at both piano and violin. Other boys haven't done anything since. Oldest is starting to teach sister the piano and violin.

 

14yo does have mild sensory processing issues. Most people don't notice. He can't spell. He does ok on the computer because he works well with spell check. His favorite activity is reading. History is definitely his favorite subject. He can sing well (leads out for song service at church, etc.).

 

So, after much thought and internet research, and only because he was told he had to choose something, 14yo decided he wants to play the trumpet. We live in the sticks and the closest real teacher would be in the city where older brother takes violin & piano (1 1/2 hr. drive). Neither 14yo or I want to invest the extra time and effort to have lessons there, also. Seriously. My plate is full to overflowing and I don't want to do one.more.thing on our 2x/month trip up there with 6 kids. I wouldn't mind so much if I knew that this was definitely his thing, but I simply can't do it on a whim. Our trips up there are too much for him, also, and he usually ends up breaking down. When the timing is right (dad working nearby, etc.), I try to leave him at home to make a much more pleasant day for everyone else.

 

We spoke with a trumpet-playing acquaintance tonight about getting him started with lessons. He gave us a name of another local guy that he said would be great (we know of the 2nd guy, and he would probably "mesh" well with our son). After a year or so of lessons/playing, we would be willing to invest more effort in his training if he wished, otherwise I'd be satisfied him just continuing what he was doing.

 

Acquaintance also told me we could just get a decent trumpet off ebay. I am completely clueless on trumpets. ANY advice on what to get? Links? I'm not ready to buy one this week, but if you could link to one you might consider, I could get an idea of what we are looking for.

 

Thanks so much for wading through my rambling thoughts!

[OnTheBrink]

First, get a student model for a beginner. They're durable and can take being dropped or mishandled. You can rent them from band instrument rental places. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but google "band instrument rental" and you'll find places. I have friends who've gotten band instruments off ebay, but each one has needed work and the cost of repairs can be pretty $$, depending on what's wrong.

 

If your son sticks with the trumpet and wants to continue with it long-term, you can move into a better horn. My son went from a Yamaha student model to a professional silver-plated Getsen horn when he had been playing for about 3 years and the difference in the sound was amazing! Pro horns are pricey, but are worth it if your son joins any sort of ensemble/band/symphony/jazz group.

 

If you can find a local teacher, and rent a horn for the first year, that will be about the least expensive way to find if your son clicks with the trumpet without having to commit to buying a horn, then trying to resell it later.

 

Good luck! We're big trumpeting fans in my family. LOL

[livingnlearning]

I went all through junior high and high school with a Yamaha trumpet. I see them in the paper here occasionally for $200 or so.

 

The local music stores here sometimes lease instruments also.

[flyingiguana]

 

 

These are online trumpet lessons (by guys in uniform, no less). The little bit I watched actually seemed ok.

 

My daughter hated trumpet lessons and quit them after a couple months. She ended up teaching herself, and has gotten to be pretty good (good enough to be offered a music scholarship at college, anyway.) Some kids just don't handle the one on one of lessons very well. It's too stressful.

 

If you want to buy a trumpet online, you might try a place like Musician's Friend or Woodwind Brasswind. I'd tend to stay away from the brands no one has ever heard of before. Yamaha is often a good bet for a decent brass instrument.

 

If there is someone you might do lessons with, you might ask their advice before the lessons start. If you're lucky, they might even have a loaner instrument or know of someone who is selling one, but at the least they should be able to give you some advice on what would be an acceptable instrument.

 

But it sounds like your son already sings and likes that? Would he enjoy voice lessons more than trumpet?

[flyingiguana]

What is the end goal of trumpet? It does take a while to become proficient, because of the embrochure and wind development. Basically it takes about 4 serious years to get to the point of playing at the level of music a town band would play at.

 

Actually, our community band takes rank beginners, but still plays difficult music (and we sound ok, because the rank beginners usually know when to sit out the difficult passages). The beginners who practice generally get reasonably proficient within a year or so (although they still sit out a lot of the harder bits). I don't know if it's because they're adults and can learn instruments more quickly, or if it's just because they're being exposed to better players and music, but I haven't seen this sort of progress in, say, middle school bands.

 

The beginners who don't practice generally don't get any better, as one might expect.

[flyingiguana]

Are you saying you know adults who never played a brass instrument who can play G below staff to C above in tune, centered, on every note in the major scales after just one year?? If that's the case, I'm tossing my trumpet and sticking to baritone. I played trumpet for 12 years including college (too poor for private instruction then) and still couldn't get full range on trumpet, while I can on bari.

 

No, what I'm saying is that there are a few adult beginners who are very dedicated who come in and learn a lot faster than what I generally see in middle school students, and I was speculating that it might be the band experience that's making them learn faster.

 

What I meant was that an older kid might not HAVE to spend 4 years on an instrument before being able to play at the level of a reasonably good community band. And that they might even be able to join some bands early on -- which would mean they'd have more incentive to get better faster. My kids joined a community band at about the age of 12 (they only let them in because I was playing, though). My younger one joined after playing flute for only 3 months, but she knew to only play what she could play. And she got better much much faster than her age mates who were only doing middle school band. (It does seem to me that one can get to a reasonable level a lot faster on flute than trumpet, though, due to the embouchure. Although flute has it's own issues.)

 

However, I do know of an adult trumpet player who hadn't played in 40 years and an adult trombone player who'd only just started. They were both able to play ok-ish after a year. They weren't taking on solos or anything at that stage, but they were good enough to be helping rather than hindering. (The trumpet player is now taking on a few low level solos, after 3 years. A lot of her practice time, she tells me, is just on the mouthpiece as she is driving --it's purely to build up the muscles.)

 

Most of the music our band plays doesn't come with a NYSSMA grade, so I can't really tell you where most of it falls. However, a bit of a search shows me that the Holst Suite in F is a grade 6, and that's a piece that our band plays with relative ease. (However, the beginners don't play all the hard bits.)

 

Also, in regards to the original post, if her son has been singing quite a bit, he may find a lot of transfer of breath control from singing to trumpet. Also, if he's starting at 14 rather than 9, he may find that he can progress quite a bit faster than is typical for younger kids.

[livingnlearning]

I have to say-I haven't missed my trumpet since the last day of band. In fact, I donated it to the high school on my last day. I also play the piano and I still play it often now 20 years later...

 

The trumpet is difficult to learn and difficult to listen to while someone else learns! :D It's loud and it's so easy to sound terrible...it hurts when you've played for a long time. Even on a lovely song, which there aren't too many of for a trumpet, it can be overbearing. I chose it on a whim as a 6th grader and while I excelled at it, I often still even wish I had played the flute. Something easy to carry and listen to. LOL