Trumpet Player of the Week: Wyton Marsalis

Wyton Marsalis is an American trumpet player specialising in both jazz and classical.
He is not only a performer but also a composer and educator.
He has won an amazing 9 Grammy awards in both the classical and jazz genres.

Classical:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0-jDld11jhw

Jazz:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9OtZrIjQuwA

wytonmarsalis.org

Things to Think About Before Buying a Trumpet...

Buying a new instrument is not easy, with many different brands, models and prices. Here are some things that I think you should consider before buying a trumpet.

Firstly trumpets come in three different 'levels': student, intermediate and professional.
Student trumpets are a good starting point for any player. They are not as high quality, but are easy to maintain. They are usually the cheapest, and so are perfect for a 'student' who may possibly decide that they want to stop playing.

Intermediate trumpets are perfect for developing players who are moving on past the basics and onto higher level playing. I would say they are great for roughly grade 3+ (A great intermediate trumpet is the Yamaha 4335, of which I have done a review here on my blog).

Professional trumpets are for serious players, they are high quality and also the priciest!

Things to think about:

1. Set a price limit. Generally, the more you pay, the better the quality.
2. Try before you buy. Take the time to try lots of different brands and models to find something that you like. A good tip is to take your own mouthpiece. (If you don't yet play the trumpet, take someone who does - if possible).
3. Bore Size. The smaller the bore size, the easier it is to play. Generally, most trumpets seem to have a M/L bore. A large bore will produce a bigger sound, but it will be harder to control.
4. Finish. Yellow brass, gold brass or silver plated? Yellow brass gives a warmer sound, gold brass will give a darker sound and silver brass will always be more expensive. (Try out different finished before you buy).

Additional things you may want to buy if you are a beginner:

1. Teaching book. "Team Brass" is great: http://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/036824/details.html 
2. Music stand. A necessity for good posture.
3. Trumpet cleaning kit. See my trumpet cleaning guide. 
4. Tuner. Not essential, but useful.
5. Trumpet stand. If you keep your trumpet out of its' case, you are more likely to pick it up and play it.

Trumpet Player of the Week: Jens Lindemann

Jens Lindemann is a classically trained Canadian trumpet player based in LA. In 2006 he was named "Brass Personality of the Year".
My favourite album of his is "The Classic Trumpet":
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Trumpet-Baldassare-Hertel-J-S-Bach/dp/B000WW2ACW/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1353366242&sr=1-4

View his website here:
http://www.trumpetsolo.com/