The Trumpet

What is the right age to start with the instrument?
Children can start learning the instrument at an age of 8 years, or earlier depending on the individual physical development.
What do I need at home?
A metronome, cleaning utensils, valve oil (available at any music retailer)
What do I need to bring to my lessons?
Sheet music, manuscript book, mouthpiece, instrument.
Does the instrument come in different sizes?
There are different types of trumpets with regard to size and tuning (e.g. C trumpet, piccolo trumpet). The most commonly used type, however, is the Bb trumpet (which is also available as small pocket version) and the flugelhorn.

What do I have to consider upon purchase?
Prices for decent beginner trumpets start with 200 €. You also may want to seek the advice of your music instructor prior to purchase. Especially when it comes to the choice of the appropriate mouthpiece some guidance is necessary, since the mouthpiece strongly influences your playing.

In General:
Could our primitive ancestor have imagined that he would become the predecessor of a Wynton Marsalis or a Louis Armstrong, when he found a wisenthorn, chopped off the tip and blew in very skillfully, making the air column vibrate inside? Probably not. As far as the vibrating air column is concerned nothing has changed ever since. Through variation of the lipping at a cup mouthpiece it is possible to create different overtones in a metal pipe. The sound of a trumpet is based on the ratio between tube length and width.