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Trumpet Mutes and Cases
As you advance, you’ll no doubt find yourself needing a variety of accessories for the trumpet. Here is a quick description of some of the most popular ones:
TRUMPET MUTES FOR PERFORMANCE
It won’t be long before you’ll encounter musical settings that will require the use of mutes. A trumpet mute is inserted into the bell and muffles the sound in various ways, depending on the structure of the mute.
Here are the most popular trumpet mutes used in performance:
CUP MUTE – this mute is used in many settings and provides an interesting, and at times comical sound to the trumpet. As you might guess, it gets its name because it expands at the end into a cup shape.
I recommend the Humes & Berg 102 Trumpet Cup Mute
STRAIGHT MUTE – this mute is also popular in many settings. It has a more streamlined look as it does not end in a cup shape. The straight mute provides a somewhat more buzzy sound, yet is pleasing to the ear.
I recommend the Humes & Berg 101 Trumpet Straight Mute
HARMON MUTE – this mute adds a sophisticated and even mysterious sound to the trumpet. It is particularly popular in jazz settings. A harmon mute actually has 2 parts – the main part that attaches to the bell, and a stem that is inserted into the end of the main part. The stem has a significant effect on the sound produced, as it can be fully in the mute, extended out of the mute, or completely removed from the mute. In addition, the end of the stem is open-ended, and lets you place the palm of your hand over the end to muffle the sound even further. You can also take your hand and move it away from the stem to produce a wah-wah effect.
I recommend the Harmon WOW-WOW Trumpet Mute
PLUNGER MUTE – as the name implies, this mute is bessentially a toilet plunger. Unlike the other mutes, you hold this mute in your hand and alternately place it over and remove it from the bell of the trumpet, creating a far more dramatic wah-wah effect than you get with the harmon mute. This mute is also especially popular in jazz settings and also can be used to add quite a comic effect! There are a few specially made trumpet plunger mutes available for sale, but personally I think you’ll do just fine at your local hardware store!
TRUMPET PRACTICE MUTES
As it’s name implies, this mute is used strictly for practicing, and not in performance settings. It significantly lowers the volume of the trumpet’s sound and is very useful for the player in an apartment or even in another room of a house, for the purpose of not disturbing other family members.
I recommend the Humes & Berg 132 Stonelined Sh! Sh! Practice Trumpet Mute
CASES AND GIG BAGS
The case that comes with your trumpet is a hard case, which, especially for the young student, is invaluable in terms of protecting the instrument from dents while in transit. As time goes on and the gigs and gear start adding up, it may be more convenient to purchase a lighter weight case, or ‘gig bag’. These bags come in a variety of sizes, materials and configurations.
One nice and affordable trumpet gig bag is the Gator Cases Padded Trumpet Gig Bag
Trumpet Valve Oil
Keeping your valves oiled is by far the single most important maintenance item for your trumpet. It should be done at least a couple of times per week, but more often if you’re playing a lot. Think of it as keeping up on oil changes for your car’s engine.
When deciding which valve oil to use, you’ll read many different opinions. The most common question centers around whether to use a “natural” valve oil (common brands are Holton and Al Cass) or a synthetic valve oil.
In my personal experience, I have had good luck with a natural valve oil (Al Cass) with my old trumpet (an Olds Special from around 1970). However, on my Yamaha 6335 (circa 2000), I found that no matter how often I oiled the valves with Al Cass, the casings would oxidize and the valves would not be dependable within a few months. I would thus often have to have the valves chemically cleaned at my local music shop. I then tried switching to a synthetic oil (Hetman Lightweight) and the difference was night and day! I could go for weeks without touching the horn and valves are still fine. I now also use the synthetic oil on my son’s trumpet, which is a student model horn.
Read about Hetman 1 – Light Piston Lubricant
Whichever valve oil you choose, be sure to keep in mind these tips when oiling your valves:
- Be very careful when lifting the valve out of its casing – you only need to lift it about halfway.
- Just a few drops of oil is enough – rotating the valve will spread the oil.
- Be sure to line up the valve guide (you’ll feel it click) so that the holes line up
- If you do switch to a synthetic valve oil, make sure you first completely remove the old oil off both the valves and valve casings – usually natural and synthetic oil do not mix well.
Recommended Professional Trumpets
As the student reaches high school age and is serious about becoming a professional musician, a professional level horn can be of real value. Professional level trumpets cost significantly more and there are many more worthwhile choices out there than for student level horns. The professional trumpets I recommend include:
– Schilke X Series Custom Bb Trumpet
– Getzen Eterna 900 Series Bb Trumpet
Incidentally, if you’ve decided you’re ready to make this jump, I suggest you skip the intermediate level and go right to a professional horn. With proper care, this level horn will serve you well for many years and you’ll avoid the situation of spending the money on an intermediate horn, only to decide later that you’d rather have a professional one and spend on that as well. A definite savings in the long term.
As you begin to investigate professional level trumpets, you’ll likely see mention of a few components of the instrument. Here, for your information, are the most-discussed trumpet components:
The Valves (or valve pistons) can be made from various materials. The most common (and considered most durable) material in the better horns is Monel (look for the phrase “Monel Valves” or “Monel Pistons”).
The Bore is the inside diameter of the horn’s tubing measured at the second valve slide.
The Lead Pipe (or Mouth Pipe) is the pipe that goes from the mouthpiece to the main tuning slide. It’s diameter varies as well among trumpets.
The Bell, where the sounds comes out, can also vary in size and material.
Rather than focusing too much on these elements, I’ll emphasize the importance of TRYING as many trumpets as you can get your hands on. And when you try them, have a list of passages with you that will cover how the horn sounds in all registers, intonation, and ease of moving from one range to the next. The horn to choose is the one that will feel comfortable to you in all musical settings you’ll need it for.
Recommended Intermediate Trumpets
For the student entering high school and either in need of a trumpet or looking to step up, an intermediate level trumpet may be the best choice, especially if the student is not planning on a career in music. The intermediate horns I recommend represent a solid step up from the student horns at a price that is still significantly lower than the recommended professional level trumpets.
The intermediate trumpets I recommend are from the same brands as the student and professional trumpets you’ve read about in my other posts. They are:
– Bach TR200 Series Bb Trumpet
– Getzen 590 Capri Series Bb Trumpet
In my opinion, these trumpets will ably serve the purpose of any high school student. I would personally only recommend a professional level trumpet to the student who is serious about making music a career. Whiile wonderful horns, I feel they just cost too much for someone who is not that serious.
Recommended Student Trumpets
So, you’ve perhaps rented a trumpet for awhile and now are ready to buy a new horn for your child. Great!
If your child is just starting out, then I recommend a student level trumpet. In my view will serve its purpose very well, in addition to costing far less than a professional level model.
For new student trumpets, I can recommend that you consider these models:
– Getzen 390 Series Bb Trumpet
These trumpets are all tried and true, from highly respected brands. You can expect these trumpets to last many years with proper care.
As a rule, I cannot in good conscience highly recommend any of the trumpets that sell for significantly less than the horns mentioned above. If however your budget does not allow for one of the top recommended trumpets, there is one lower priced horn that I would categorize as “worth a try if the top models are too expensive”:
– LJ HUTCHEN Bb Trumpet – This is a relatively recent entry that has received surprisingly positive reviews from a number of sources. I have very limited experience with it and so cannot personally speak about it with confidence, but it seems to be a cut above the other trumpets in this price range. If you decide on this horn, please be aware that trumpets this inexpensive are likely made of somewhat lesser materials than the top recommended horns. So, it becomes even more important to take meticulous care of them as they will likely not tolerate a lack of maintenance well.
Also remember that there are many quality USED trumpets available!
In case you’re concerned that a student model will hamper your child’s ability to advance, fear not. I personally feel most of us, given a blindfold test, would have a difficult time distinguishing between the levels. The important thing is, as always, to take whatever you’ve got and PRACTICE it. As the saying goes, an advanced player on a student trumpet will still sound like an advanced player, and a beginning player on a professional trumpet will still sound like a beginning player.
Oh, and silver vs. lacquer finish? Doesn’t really matter. The main difference is silver costs a bit more, and, in my opinion, looks cooler. So, I say whichever you think your child is more likely to practice with!