Easy trumpet to use?

[DirtNap647]

Is there a trumpet that is easier to sound better on? I see all different price ranges do the more $ calls sound better or easier? I bought a trumpet off of here but struggle sounding good or do not feel confident I can make the same sound over and over?

[ChesterCopperpot]

I tend to judge ease of play on a yelper by the amount of air required to run it. Less air, for me, equals an easier call to play. That said, if you don't know how to run it odds are you're going to use way too much air and likely blow the sound out. What I'm getting at is that what's easier for one person to run might not be easier for another. One person might like a more open bell design on account of their fingers, or maybe they prefer the oval mouthpiece or even a notched mouthpiece. Everyone plays a little different and has a call they prefer based on that style of play. Best thing you can do is go to a call show and run a whole bunch of different calls to see what YOU prefer, what's easiest for YOU. If that's not an option get a really good mid level call, say in the $150-$200 range, from a callmaker who comes highly recommended (someone like Greg Gwaltney for instance). There are certainly crap calls out there. Lots of crap calls out there as a matter of fact. And it'd be hard to learn on a crap call. Luckily this forum provides a lot of insight on who tends to make good ones. Get a good one and spend a great deal of time with it. A GREAT DEAL OF TIME. And if you get the chance, go to a call show and run some different calls to see what you might prefer.


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[Zobo]

     I agree with what Chester is saying. I think it couldn't hurt to try a new trumpet or two if you have doubts about the one you have. One of the good things about them is they sell effortlessly on the secondary market and you probably won't take a loss if you decide to sell what you buy.
     Some people say pick one trumpet and stick with it while you learn. I don't think that holds true for everyone, it didn't for me. I learned using a handful of horns from different makers and I liked playing around with them and learning about the differences and subtleties in each. I personally have never come across a really bad one but I'm sure they're plenty out there.
     Of course there is a chance trumpets aren't for you, you may not take to them. They do require a lot of practice for most people to acquire consistency and confidence in them.

[Meleagris gallopavo]

I think whatever you get, I advise recording your practice outdoors a few yards away from the phone.  The sound, at least for me, seems distorted when I'm running a call.

You may want to practice with a cane yelper like the one's on eBay that sell for $50.  The one I have is easy to play and sounds good.  Kinda makes me wonder why I keep buying trumpets.


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[EZ]

Practice, practice, practice.
Until you learn to control your air, it won't matter which Trumpet you use, you'll just become frustrated.
Many good trumpets mentioned on these forums. They all vary, but most all play well.

Watch some good trumpet videos: Marlin Watkins and Ted Peters have some very good explanations of how to practice right.
Guys who are good on any kind of yelpers can take apart a BIC pen and make it sound very good, so while the internals of a call are important, the caller's technique is doubly so....if that makes sense.

[Zobo]

I think whatever you get, I advise recording your practice outdoors a few yards away from the phone.  The sound, at least for me, seems distorted when I'm running a call.
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This is definitely true. Just like when you hear your own voice recorded it sounds funny to you. If you haven't recorded yourself you should, you may actually sound better than you think. I remember that I was surprised that my recorded yelps sounded better than I thought but my clucks far worse!

[Zobo]

Guys who are good on any kind of yelpers can take apart a BIC pen and make it sound very good, so while the internals of a call are important, the caller's technique is doubly so....if that makes sense.

KP plays a Dixie cup with a straw pretty good, lol!

[larry9988]

I have made trumpets for several years. When selling a trumpet to a beginner I suggest a call with a little larger bore in the mouth piece, something like a 7/64" or maybe a 3/32", but between the two a 7/64". As was said earlier, it takes less air to play. I had a guy come by that had some really nice calls from top makers and he was really frustrated with how difficult they were to play. I gave him a call with a larger bore and he immediately begin to play better. After practicing with the call a couple of months, he was able to play the smaller diameter bore calls much better. It's about learning how to pull the air.

[Spitten and drummen]

Bottom line is get one trumpet and learn to run it. Every makers call runs a little different. If you practice constantly with it , you will learn it. One you get the proper air draw down , you can run any of them. Sure , some draw easier than others , but it you spend the time with ONE trumpet , you will build confidence and become better.

[outdoors]

Bottom line is get one trumpet and learn to run it. Every makers call runs a little different. If you practice constantly with it , you will learn it. One you get the proper air draw down , you can run any of them. Sure , some draw easier than others , but it you spend the time with ONE trumpet , you will build confidence and become better.

X2
Practice , practice , practice

[paboxcall]

Bottom line is get one trumpet and learn to run it. Every makers call runs a little different. If you practice constantly with it , you will learn it. One you get the proper air draw down , you can run any of them. Sure , some draw easier than others , but it you spend the time with ONE trumpet , you will build confidence and become better.

X2
Practice , practice , practice

[Bedge7767]

Ride over to my house and you can run trumpets made by about 45 different makers. Really see what you like.

[guesswho]

I have made trumpets for several years. When selling a trumpet to a beginner I suggest a call with a little larger bore in the mouth piece, something like a 7/64" or maybe a 3/32", but between the two a 7/64". As was said earlier, it takes less air to play. I had a guy come by that had some really nice calls from top makers and he was really frustrated with how difficult they were to play. I gave him a call with a larger bore and he immediately begin to play better. After practicing with the call a couple of months, he was able to play the smaller diameter bore calls much better. It's about learning how to pull the air.

Dirtnap, a lot of good advice on here, but make a copy of this gentleman's thoughts and take it to heart. This is the Gospel.

Interesting.

[Meleagris gallopavo]

I have made trumpets for several years. When selling a trumpet to a beginner I suggest a call with a little larger bore in the mouth piece, something like a 7/64" or maybe a 3/32", but between the two a 7/64". As was said earlier, it takes less air to play. I had a guy come by that had some really nice calls from top makers and he was really frustrated with how difficult they were to play. I gave him a call with a larger bore and he immediately begin to play better. After practicing with the call a couple of months, he was able to play the smaller diameter bore calls much better. It's about learning how to pull the air.

So my question is, why would anyone choose a mouthpiece with a smaller bore?  Does a smaller bore (takes more air to run) offer something a larger bore doesn't?


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[ChesterCopperpot]

So my question is, why would anyone choose a mouthpiece with a smaller bore?  Does a smaller bore (takes more air to run) offer something a larger bore doesn't?

A smaller hole in the mouthpiece tends to pitch higher (why hen radiuses are so much higher in pitch than gobbler bones). In theory the smaller hole should take LESS air to run but I don't know that I find that to be particularly true, at least not with trumpets (think other aspects weigh more heavily on ease of play with trumpets). With wingbones maybe; hen or snow goose seems to require less air to me than gobbler radiuses. But with trumpets, something like Anthony Ellis' x-trumpet will inherently require less air than some less finely tuned calls regardless of whether his mouthpiece is bored out slightly larger or not. It's just tuned and dialed to require very, very little air. If I were to guess why a beginner might find it easier to play a call with a larger mouthpiece ID I would bet my a$$ it's because they're drawing too much air. The smaller diameter hole would be less forgiving and they'd likely blow the call out, but the larger diameter, requiring MORE air to run, would prove more forgiving to them drawing too much air. They wouldn't blow the call out as easily. I've helped a lot of people try to learn to run a yelper and not once in all that time have I ever had to tell a beginner to draw MORE air. They always suck air like they're about to go free diving for clams.


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