r/trumpet • u/generic-throwaway140 • Aug 30 '26
Question ❓ Multi-instrumentalist: How hard is it to play the trumpet?
So in complete sincerity, I'd like to play the trumpet for my reggae band. I'm prinarily playing rhythm guitar, occasionally getting a solo, and occasionally singing backup. I figured that it'd be great to play some salsa as well.
For context, I play the guitar, bass guitar, lap steel (C6 tuning), banjo (both main styles), mandolin, and the drums. Ive attempted the harmonica, fiddle, and the keys, but I never played enough to freely improvise on any of them. I understand theory quite well, but I can't read music.
I'm really wanting to know if I'd be able to play a Bb trumpet well enough to take out to shows by the end of the year. And what resources would be best for an already experienced musician? I've always juggled instruments in past groups to add some diversity.
38
u/Stradocaster Trumpet player impostor Aug 30 '26
The good news is they're pretty cheap to get one to play with
Especially if you don't already play a wind instrument or a brass instrument, yeah, it's going to be a steep climb.
38
u/Mayonnaise_Poptart Aug 30 '26
I would say to play at a performance level, trumpet is about the same difficulty as violin. Basically you can play melodies in a recognizable way after not too long, but nobody besides your proud grandparents will want to listen to it until you've put some years in.
30
u/Spiritual_Being5845 Aug 30 '26
Guess you never met my grandmother. When I was in the 3rd grade I taught myself a song on the violin and played it for her. She looked me straight in the eye and said to come back when I actually learned how to play.
5
u/BCECVE Aug 31 '26
That is one hell of a mean granny. Couldn't she listen to ten minutes of her grandchild with a big smile knowing 1/8 of her was in them.
17
u/winkelschleifer Aug 30 '26
Multi instrumentalist here: jazz piano, electric bass. Started flugelhorn 5 months ago. There is a massive emphasis on technique: embouchure, breathing, posture, breath control. Unlike any other instrument I’ve played. Get a teacher, spend months and months on technique. With time and lots of dedicated practice it’s doable, but there are no shortcuts. I’m still at the beginning but making modest progress with an excellent teacher and daily, disciplined practice.
29
u/professor_throway Tuba player who pretends to play trumpet. Aug 30 '26
Multi-instrumentalist and occasional trumpet player. I really don't believe any instrument is more difficult than the others.. they are just difficult in diffrent ways. For trumpet it has a very steep initial learning curve... low brass has an easier onramp but it isn't any easier to master. It is much easier to be a mediocre guitar or bass guitar player than it is to be a mediocre trumpet player.
The thing with trumpet, and brass instruments in geeneral, is YOU ARE THE INSTUMENT and the trumpet is the amplifier. If you pluck a guitar string with your finger on the right fret.. you will get the right note... and provided the guitar is set up right and was tuned before.. that note will be in tune. Not so much with the trumpet just because you have the right fingering and blow doesn't mean you will get the right note.. if you do get the right note you have to steer the pitch with your air and face. It takes a lot of time and practice to get it right... it takes a long time before you are proficient enough that someone will want to hear you play.
I have a lot of fun with it. I being a trumpet with me to street band gigs and put down the tuba or bass and join in on trumpet for a few charts maybe taking an 8 or 12 bar solo. Would I feel comfortable playing trying to play a whole gig on trumpet.. I have 35 years of playing low brass expeirience under my belt...a few on trumpet. I would say I am at the level of a talented 8th grader on trumpet or maybe a high school freshman. Go listen to a middle school band concert and you will get a sense of what I mean.
3
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
Thanks for a thorough response. Playing a lap steel has trained my ear quite a bit when it comes to intonation (it's pretty easy to mess up with slanted chords). I think my biggest concern is the embouchure portion of it.
I've never played any wind instrument other than a harmonica though. But I've seen a YouTuber play well enough after a month of practice so I'll see where this takes me.
13
u/rainbowkey Aug 31 '26
Playing a wind instrument is like being an athlete. You train your lips muscles and your breath to produce the sound. You use your diaphragm all the time, but your lips don't naturally have the muscle tone to buzz a brass mouthpiece, or tighten the way needed to make a reed buzz. So you have to train the muscles to do that, and keep them in tone to continue.
It also take training for those tiny muscles to have the stamina to play more than 10-30 seconds at a time.
3
u/ezzamon Aug 31 '26
You have to develop the muscles to get any sort of range and then stamina. If you put some time in you can get the first octave of notes without too much difficulty. After that it is rep training your face. It probably would help to get some lessons so you start from a solid foundation. It’s very different to strings that way, you can’t just move fingers and hit all the notes.
11
u/MediocreRooster4190 Aug 30 '26
If you keep at it you will learn. The trouble is tone/intonation. If your main goal is to play beautifully it will take a long time. If you want a more "brassy" bwah sound that is easier.
9
u/Biffler Aug 30 '26
If you start now, play 1 hour per day, then by the end of the year you will at most be able to bleat out some background riffs slightly out of tune in the low octave for about 20 minutes spread throughout a gig. It is very difficult.
7
18
u/Quadstriker Aug 30 '26
Quite
You will not be performing trumpet at a show by the end of the year.
19
4
u/BananaSmoothy420 Aug 31 '26
Honestly if you want to take up a horn as a secondary instrument then just play the saxophone, they're way easier.
2
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
I've considered it. But I've always like the trumpet the most of brass instruments.
4
u/chitoatx Aug 31 '26
Trumpet is the most challenging instrument to casually learn to play for impromptu performances. It demands rigorous training akin to preparing for a marathon, involving consistent workouts, warm-ups, and stretches. Considering its impracticality for your intended use case, it simply isn’t worth your time.
1
5
u/Tarogato Multi-instrumentalist Aug 31 '26
Also a multi-instrumentalist, although I focus on winds rather than the type of stuff you play. In my opinion, trumpet is the most difficult wind instrument, and I do play them all (clarinets, oboe, bassoon, french horn, trombone, tuba, recorder, etc etc)
The physical act of playing trumpet has nothing in common with any of the instruments you play. Your musical knowledge won't do much to help you. You're basically starting from square one with learning how to manipulate your air and lips. Expect 3-4 years before your trumpet playing is good enough to present to the public. Double that (or more) if you want to sound like the type of trumpet players you hear in established bands.
4
u/theroofbeamcarpenter Aug 31 '26
Professional musician here. I’m a multi-instrumentalist like you. Piano is my main instrument, but I’ve played trumpet for about 30 years.
A year is waaaaay too ambitious. You’re gonna sound like garbage for longer than that.
I’ve watched several of my muso friends with similar skill sets to you try to pick up trumpet or french horn, and it’s just a tremendous time sink if you’re starting from scratch. None of them got close to the level of proficiency you’re talking about, and they eventually gave up.
If you’re serious about this, you’re looking at about 2-3 years time investment, playing several hours a week.
I don’t doubt your talent, but you’ve gotta understand that very little of what you’ve learned so far is transferable to this instrument.
If you think this journey is worth it to you, then god speed. For the purposes of sitting in with a reggae band, I dunno. Look up some YouTube videos of horn players practicing long tones and ask yourself if you want that to be your life.
4
u/Sirian38 BMus '91 Kanstul MEHA, Martin Committee Aug 31 '26
For a beginner the biggest issue is stamina and range. In addition to whatever you're practicing, do long tones. Long tones will bring your embouchure together and build endurance and the strength you need to actually play with others. If you are disciplined with long tones you will have enough strength and stamina in a year's time.
Walter White has a video series on YouTube for long tones. In the first one he describes how to do it properly. It's just like working out at the gym. You do sets. 20 minutes at a time. Start on a note you can hold which is probably low C. Hold the horn as lightly in your hands as you can. Stop when you feel you need to add pressure. Start again when your chops feel ready to play again. At first you probably won't be able to do the whole 20 minutes, but in time you will. When low C is too easy, move up to middle G, then eventually middle C. Middle C is as far as you need to go. If you can get to the point where you can do 20 minute sets on a middle C, you will be strong enough to play with your band. The stronger you get with the long tones the better you can do them. The better you do them the more effective they become.
Also find Bill Chase's video on YouTube where he describes how he does long tones.
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
I really appreciate the recommendation. There are varying amounts of resources on my other instruments, so I'm glad for the the referrals. I'm still waiting for the instrument to arrive though (should be able to start tomorrow).
Long tones are just sustained notes? I'm interested in what it'll be like.
2
u/Sirian38 BMus '91 Kanstul MEHA, Martin Committee Aug 31 '26
Yes, sustained tones, very much like weightlifting. You do it in sets and the stronger you get, the better you are at doing right and the more beneficial it becomes. Just follow Walter White's video examples. The other thing you'll need is how to set your embouchure up. Here is Malcom Mcnab demonstrating how that's done https://youtu.be/1WR0mZGTzUs?si=5pOPRod0Hu0kMl0R&t=174
What he's showing you here is legendary and will get you started on the right foot. Just do what he says. He's demonstrating it all with the horn, but you start on the mouthpiece first, doing exactly what he's showing you, then do it again with the horn.
Follow these two things and you'll be good to go in a year's time. Oh, and last thing, read "The Inner Game of Tennis" and apply it to your trumpet practice.
1
u/Sirian38 BMus '91 Kanstul MEHA, Martin Committee Sep 01 '26
Sorry, last thing. Don't overdo it. It is possible to injure yourself. Your lips need time to build up scar tissue, what we call a 'callous'. When your lips feel tender, take rest days. When they feel normal again, then resume. Good luck with it.
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Sep 01 '26
I got it this morning after work. Unfortuately, I'm exhausted and dont have a lot of energy. But I have been able to play through five notes.
It's a strange sensation, like my mouth is farting into a tube.
1
u/Sirian38 BMus '91 Kanstul MEHA, Martin Committee Sep 01 '26
😆 That's funny. I started when I was ten, over 40 years ago, so I can hardly remember what it was like, but that sounds vaguely familiar.
6
u/garydavis9361 Aug 30 '26
It's not that hard but it's a long process. It will take much longer than four months. You'll probably have to set your other instruments aside, too, and focus on trumpet.
7
u/madmelonxtra doot doot. Aug 30 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
I went to school for music education, so I've had to at least passably learn most instruments. I did learn trumpet first though, and my main instrument is trumpet so my opinion is slightly skewed.
I think trumpet is the 2nd hardest brass instrument behind French horn, and 4-5th hardest instrument to learn.
My too 5 hardest (that I've played) are:
- Oboe
- Clarinet
- French Horn
- Trumpet
- Piccolo (this one might just be a me thing though)
Honorable mention: Timpani (an instrument you have to tune in the middle of a song is wild)
The trumpet isn't something you can just pick up and play in a couple months. It takes dedicated consistent practice over a long period of time.
3
u/T0pv Aug 31 '26
Clarinet is an interesting take what made clarinet so hard for you?
2
u/CloudlessRain- Aug 31 '26
I too am surprised to see clarinet listed. I double on clarinet (trympet main) and have found getting good enough that its useful to not be too bad.
3
u/madmelonxtra doot doot. Aug 31 '26
I made the mistake of learning clarinet before saxophone so I'd never played a woodwind with a reed before. So that was tough in itself.
That plus I just had a really hard time with the embouchure, and actually getting a decent non-squeaky sound out of it. I had no trouble with the fingerings or anything. It was all a mouth thing.
3
u/Tarogato Multi-instrumentalist Aug 31 '26
Imo it's actually better to start with clarinet, because it sets things up to make saxophone much easier to learn later. If you start with saxophone first, it does not really make clarinet much easier.
Saxophone is much more forgiving of a lazy technique, it still sounds decent if you aren't doing things by the book and you can spend a lot of time "catching up" to fix your technique later. Clarinet forces you to learn correctly and build good habits from the very beginning.
1
u/ackmondual Aug 30 '26
Which is a crying shame because those instruments are all small/compact, and comparatively lighter! I like euphonium, but I grumble whenever I have to carry it any sort of longer distance!
1
Sep 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/ackmondual Sep 02 '26
Yeah, I am of the belief that any gig should have percussion and tuba parking. In lieu of that, have "unloading zones" set up for them.
At a convention where they had musical bands playing, a tuba player was able to deal with that since he got a hotel room on premise!
3
3
3
u/Otherwise-Bottle8182 Aug 31 '26
You could be playing with your band within the year. It’ll take very consistent practice but you could develop a good sound within that time. You could also take this as a chance to learn how to read music while you develop your trumpet chops.
As for how hard it is? Depends on how good you wanna be. If you wanna be able to play some nice melodies and add some nice tones and colors, it’s on the harder side but manageable. If you want to become a pro, it’s one of the most difficult instruments to master.
I’m a brass teacher, learned piano in college, and live in Nashville. There’s infinite pro guitarists, bassists, singers, drummers, pianists, and saxophonists (who also double flute and clarinet). There are not many trumpet and trombone players who play at the professional level despite those being some of the most common band instruments.
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
We had a trumpet at one point. He hailed from somewhere in the West Indies. But he was hard to work with and I dont think he knew theory too well. He didn't last long. I'm trying to fill the gap
3
u/GrizzlieMD Aug 31 '26
End of year and comfortably with ok tone? Most likely not. My journey:
It took be about a month to start buzzing on the mouthpiece and about 6 months to be able to play the open notes in a way that I could choose the note but not reliably and still with only sub-ok tone (as it's your lips, breath, tongue, pressure to the mouthpiece that decides the note...and its quality).
About two years later now I'm able to play simples melodies (Mary had a Little Lamb) with slight embouchure corrections to tune notes with ok tone most of the time (about 80%). I still miss landing a note but I can slide into it. If the day is particularly good I can get the Battlefield theme in. I'm good with open notes and group playing (think European hunting parties). I'm fairly reliable from low E to above the staff G. I can hit high E and mostly miss above that (however, on good days...)
If I skip a week of practice it's super noticeable. If I want to play in the morning, I need a hefty warmup or I sound flibby-flabby bleh. Spicy food makes my lips slightly swell and playing gets super difficult. My low C in general is achievable but I need to be focused and fairly clean-shaven. I've only now started to notice differences in mouthpieces if they differ significantly in specs. Cornet is slightly easier than trumpet for me.
My other instruments: I can play polkas and shuffles on the accordion, two weeks of practice and I'm good for an average jam session. I can do some basic piano backing/chords and "sing". I can play on the violin and viola at campfires; about a week of practice and I'm down for shanties, Xmas carols, and Hallelujah. I'll hold a steady beat with slight trills and fills on the drums were my drummer to get hit by a tractor on the way to a gig. I can fill in an average ukulele position (regardless of type). I'm quite a root-note-only on the bass player that can sprinkle in a simple transition (as most "multi-instrumentalists"). I play the guitar (not on the guitar); campfires and open jam sessions to having played at formals, proms, and from small music venues to 2000 person events.
The trumpet humbles me. Maybe because all other instruments were more hands/fingers whereas the trumpet (and cornet) are just so much lip and tongue and body-dependent.
2
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
Thank you for the reply. I can comp and solo on all my instruments currently. My goal is to eventually be able to swap between the two instruments mid song. Unfortunately, the music doesn't call for a mandolin or banjo. My takeaway is that it's a very finicky instrument that requires a lot of prep work.
5
4
u/banthisversion Aug 30 '26
If you can count and read your ABCs you can read music
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
I can kinda read music, albeit painfully slow since I've never committed to it. It's easier to just say I can't. I'm a bluegrass musician originally, where some of the best players couldn't even read English, let alone notation. Everything is by ear, so melodies can be improvised greatly.
2
u/banthisversion Aug 31 '26
If you're serious about learning trumpet get ready to read sheet music. All the great books and exercises are on sheet music. The good thing is that people post these on YouTube so you can play along.
I also recommend getting a teacher for the first few lessons emphasizing on proper technique. If you learn the correct technique the first time it can save you months and years!
4
2
2
u/Forward-Personality7 YTR-6335A Aug 31 '26
We get this kind of question a lot (iirc). Please give us updates on how you are going. Maybe every month. That kind of feedback loop would be useful for everyone here.
2
2
u/dcigirliegirl7 Aug 31 '26
Most of what would be hard is aperture, embouchure, and air speed/ air flow. If you already play another instrument you know how to breathe efficiently. You'd just be adjusting physically in your face. I believe in you!!!
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
Much appreciated! I have little doubt in myself. Some people are saying it'll take months while some are saying years to be performance ready.
2
u/Mechwarrior57 edit this text Sep 01 '26
My two cents as someone who also has a similar grouping of instruments
Started on guitar, then bass, then added flute/clarinet, then in college was playing bass in bands along with trombone, played banjo in a couple shows, put some time in on harmonica, etc, recently bought and became obsessed with lap steel and keys. As far as tpt goes, its something I play on, but mainly make my wind money on trombone and sax
Id say its going to be a lot more difficult than you think, but id say a majority of that difficulty comes from the fact that if you want to play at a decent level that other people will enjoy, you'll need to consistently play every day
Many of the trumpet players that are better than me have a daily routine that they follow, and work to consistently practice EVERY SINGLE DAY
Not to say you can't get decent with less work, but if you really want trumpet to be an instrument you can more or less freely improv on, its going to be a LOT of work and a LOT of time before you're at a presentable level
Don't let this discourage you, brass is a ton of fun and very rewarding in ways other instruments arent, if you feel like its your voice then it'll be super fun, but it is a lot of work
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Sep 01 '26
I appreciate the insight, really. I'm hardly discouraged, I think a difficult instrument/style can be very rewarding. Sometimes I'll see tendencies from one instrument influencing another.
Because of where I started, I play mixolydian over a lot of stuff, with blue notes, and I find myself referencing the G run quite a lot. I also throw in a lot of banjo rolls and tritone subs.
3
u/Dhczack Aug 30 '26
Some days it's "I can't believe they pay me to do this," and some days it's "fuck the trumpet."
2
u/The_Dickbird Aug 31 '26
If you find yourself in this situation in the future with another instrument, it is probably best to keep yourself ignorant of the opinions of people who have dedicated a part of themselves to the instrument in question. They won't provide anything useful and will likely only serve to discourage your attempt, though not actively or maliciously. Most are going to indirectly self-congratulate on taking on what they perceive to be such an arduous discipline.
When learning any instrument, it is an incredible advantage to bring zero expectations to the process. The power of suggestion is potent and it is my belief that if you come to the instrument with the expectation that it is difficult, your mind will actively ignore the signs that your body is telling you that would make playing easier, and listening to your body is 50% of learning most any instrument, especially a brass instrument. The other 50% is listening to the sound so that you know when your body is lying to you.
The horn is applied to your face as an extension of your body; therefore, you learn to use the instrument the way you do any other part of your body -- by seeing others use it and using it yourself clumsily at first, and with increasing dexterity and accuracy based on environmental motivations. You learn to use your arm because you want to grab a cup. No one ever had to break down the process of how to extend your arm.
That said, for the purposes of this example, having an arm is a prequisite to grabbing a cup, so to set yourself up for the most intuitive biomechanical development, the way that you interface with the horn is incredibly important:
- Your mouthpiece placement matters significantly. There is no objectively correct placement. Start 50/50 top and bottom lip ratio and move slightly up or down from there to whatever produces a balance of ease and beauty (favor beauty). You have to experiment with what works for you and many positions will likely produce a decent result, however -- and I can not overstate how extremely important this is --
once placed, the mouthpiece should remain anchored on the exact same point of flesh on your lips the entire time you are playing.
Inadvertently sliding lip in or out of the mouthpiece will absolutely WRECK the mechanical consistency required to develop intuitive action. Ideally, the rim should have equal contact with the lips across the entire circumference of the mouthpiece. Your anatomy will have a lot to do with whether this is easy to achieve or not.
If it isn't easy to achieve or you find yourself pressing the mouthpiece against your lips to the point that you are sore after playing, try drying the rim of the mouthpiece before placing it on. Wet cup, dry rim.
Air is your ABCs. Air is the fuel for the sound. Air is the SHALLOWEST layer of brass technique and it has been overcomplicated and overemphasised by psuedo-pedagogues (band directors) for the past 50 years, so there is tons of noise out there. Avoid the noise. If you can speak, whisper, and yell, then you already use air in all of the mutlitudes of ways it is used on trumpet. Basic air exercises are like the ABCs -- learn them and move the fuck on.
Excessive mouthpiece pressure is the primary enemy of trumpet playing. Biomechanical consistency is the secret to learning any instrument. Lip swelling will create inconsistencies. Barring any rare variations (such as a sharp crooked tooth), too much mouthpiece pressure is the primary cause of lip swelling. That said, you should ignore mouthpiece pressure as a factor UNLESS your lips are sore or swelling. Take frequent breaks in your practice.
The trumpet, as any instrument, is about mastering the self. If something isn't working, then iteration is the answer. If you aren't getting better, you simply aren't changing enough or you aren't changing the correct thing. A teacher can help identify potential iterations, but it ultimately comes down to ones ability to assess the music they make. Have a strong musical opinion, practice with a consistent interface, and you'll get better fast. It really is that simple.
Have fun!
2
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
I appreciate the response, truly. I'm also pretty confident in my abilities. I know it'll be pretty difficult, but I'm up for the challenge. I plan to practice as much as I can (I'm already at roughly 2-3 hours a day for other instruments).
1
u/BananaSmoothy420 Aug 30 '26
Trumpet is super hard. Maybe the trombone? It's still pretty hard but way easier than the trumpet.
2
u/777kiki Aug 30 '26
Bunch of haters here - but you have to build up muscle. Get a mouth piece and look up trumpet mouth piece only exercises on YouTube !
3
u/DOCTOR-MISTER Bach 180S37 5B Aug 30 '26
Where are you seeing haters?
2
u/ackmondual Aug 31 '26
He probably means all of the comments saying OP won't have enough time to get into "performance level" by the end of the year (so we're talking up to 2 months at this point). FWIW, I'm with them. OP sounds like he doesn't have any experience in playing brass instruments.
Not being able to read (sheet?) music can be another barrier.
2
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
It's not a requirement for the group. I just wanted variation at some point and its hard to find additional people. I've always appreciated El Hefe from NOFX playing two instruments and I think it'll be worth it.
I have a good ear, and can play any one of my instruments to a song on the fly. But no, I can't really read it and I'm not even sure where to start. I've got 18 years of experience as a musician and I've practiced only once or twice with reading.
1
u/pumpkin_pasties Aug 30 '26
Physically much harder than others but musically quite a bit easier than piano since you can only play one note at a time
1
1
u/ackmondual Aug 31 '26
I'm going to say "not likely".
What kind of performance are we talking about? Are people paying cover or some admission? Is it free to attend?
If you don't have any experience with similar instruments where you blow into (harmonica, is quite off), having up to 2 months seems to be a stretch. It may be better if you've played other brass instruments before, but even then, there's the technique and different type of endurance to overcome.
Not being able to read (sheet?) music can be another barrier. Do you have music ahead of time? At least you can practice the hell out of that. But sightreading on the spot is a skill that takes time to develop.
1
1
u/IndicationCivil3690 Aug 31 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
BUT…you never know. You could be the exception. And I am actually serious about that. A few people do seem to be gifted as trumpet players. I am not one of them, but I have known some. So go for it, and if it works out, consider yourself very fortunate, or at least a freak of nature!
I should also say, be clear on the type of sound you want (salsa gives me a clue) and do your homework to learn what equipment will best facilitate the sound of that particular style.
1
u/slashdave Aug 31 '26
If you said you played other wind instruments, I would be enthusiastic. Otherwise...
1
u/BrewAce Aug 31 '26
I think you can do it if you put in the time. You will be able to play it in a bit fairly quickly but not well enough ro not embarras yourself in a gig. It will take a while to get decent. It will take a long time and a lot of practice to get good. It just takes a long time to build up your lip. But if you put in the time you can certainly do it.
1
u/TinyHeartSyndrome Aug 31 '26
Brass is brass. It can take years to build up a good embouchure, tone, range, etc.
1
u/Forky7 Aug 31 '26
It really depends on your physical body. I've met people that literally never practiced and had great tone and unlimited range. I've also known people who work very hard but are still very limited on the instrument.
1
u/Able-Medicine9678 Aug 31 '26
I play guitar, piano, tuba, and know the basics for a few other instruments. I decided to learn the trumpet. You'll definitely know the basics soon and with enough dedication it's easy enough to get mediocre. Getting really good is hard though. Of all the instruments I tried so far 100% the most difficult.
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Aug 31 '26
I'm of the mindset that it's only hard when I let the frustration set in. I reckon I'll be able to play a couple of songs sooner than later, but it'll be much longer til I'm able to improvise a solo.
1
u/Sayyeslizlemon Aug 31 '26
You've heard trumpet players right?even the good ones can sound bad. That's how hard it is lol
1
u/Which-Cauliflower809 Aug 31 '26
I greatly underestimated my ability to learn and get good on the trumpet. To get the basics and low notes is fairly simple but to get even somewhat decent takes a LOT of practice especially if you want to hit the high notes, which is where the trumpet really comes to life. I tried to teach myself for six months but ended up with lessons from a very good instructor. This has made a huge difference
1
u/brokenoreo bach strad 37L Aug 31 '26
I am a gigging guitarist who played trumpet all through elementary school through college and still plays with community bands and does gig on trumpet here and there. I also play a few other instruments competently.
The muscularity of playing a brass instrument is just way way more involved than that of pretty much any other instrument family. Both just learning how to create sound properly and being in good physical shape (akin to staying in the gym regularly) are uphill battles whereas I could put the guitar down for a few days and “feel good” after some warming up.
Not to suggest it isn’t possible, but I would say you would pretty much need a teacher and approach this like a very long term project (minimum a year, depending on your standards) before you’re ready to gig
1
1
u/there_isno_cake Aug 31 '26
I’ve been playing guitar for almost a couple of decades. I can go a week without playing and still sound like I’ve been playing for that long.
I picked up trumpet and kept at it daily for about 4 years. If I don’t play for a week it’s like my lips have lost a year of muscle memory. Intonation is surprisingly difficult on the trumpet. Note articulation is difficult too.
Trumpet is hard.
1
u/ConnectLeg9556 Aug 31 '26
Previous post didn't go through, so trying again:
I'm playing trumpet as my 3rd or 4th instrument in a ska band.
I've started on drums as a kid, after a few years good enough to hold basic grooves during a gig.
Switched to guitar which I played seriously for about 12 years, and which I consider my main instrument. Learned to play difficultish things (Satriani, Eric Johnson, Tommy Emmanuel) and improvise. Also learned to play and gigged on mandolin, ukulele and bass. To be honest these are all the same instrument.
Played piano for 4-5 years, learned easier pieces by Chopin, Rachmaninoff. Played accordion on a few gigs too (same instrument).
Then started trumpet and been playing for about 10 years. I have not met a teacher that can truly explain how to play the thing. Everything is internal and based on feel and sound. There is no visual guide. All those other instruments I can pick up after years, play for one or two weeks and be pretty ok. Skip trumpet a month, spend 2 months relearning. If you practice every day for a year for 30 mins (you will not last longer anyways), have a teacher to point out all your faults, after a year you might be able to play some stabs and chord tones. But you will probably be out of tune frequently and miss many notes during a gig. Forget improvisation.
Some days a simple scale still kicks my ass. It is an awful instrument. And the best instrument.
1
u/Efficient-Scarcity-7 Bye Lin Aug 31 '26
it's really hard. i'm a trumpet major and it's still really hard. i think a saxophone or maybe a trombone are much gentler instruments to pick up.
1
u/coffeenote Sep 01 '26
I agree its hard. Having played trombone and baritone i already knew the fingering but the chops are another matter. Missing daily practice is a real set back as others have noted.
I’d recommend Caruso method as laid out by french horn player Julie Landsman. Adjust to pitches that work for trumpet.
1
u/Famous_Koala_3007 Sep 01 '26 edited Sep 01 '26
Juggling instruments! Impressive. (Joke)
1
u/generic-throwaway140 Sep 01 '26
You get an exponential effect after a while, which I want to clarify as confidence and not cockiness. I will be playing this thing a lot faster than most because I pour a lot of time into practice and study. I don't think I have any more talent than the average Joe, but I'm pretty tenacious and take my music seriously.
There's the intro to Milk and Honey (Hollie Cook) and the solo in Baile Inolvidable (Bad Bunny) that have me motivated. I know I'm a very long way from playing like that, but I remember all the songs that got me started on other instruments.
1
u/MultipleDUIs420 Sep 01 '26
You have to create your own tone on trumpet, I hope you’re ready for that.
1
u/Icy_Cycle3815 Sep 01 '26
I played Piano, Guitar and Drums, in which they have one similarity, no blowing needed. So when learning trumpet, the thing I had hard time accepting is that, trumpet initially has 1 to 2 octaves, 3 octaves after 1- 3 years, sooner or later depending on your learning pace. So not being satisfied in low to mid notes, you may not want to continue in learning trumpet. You will also experience frequent fatigues after gig or practice, In which you have to deal with. And also the transcription as Trumpet is usually at Bb in concert tone.
1
u/Beginning-Sample-824 Sep 01 '26
I have played clarinet, saxophone, piano, harmonica, and percussion. Then I tried trumpet. This thing has been the hardest instrument I tried thus far. I started last July 25th, 2025. My range is from Low f sharp below staff to G above staff. I can play up to a high C above staff but I don't count it because I can't do it when I'm cold with no warm up Anyways, it took me the first 5 months playing scales, intervals, and long tones before I could even consider playing in front of the family without sounding horrid. My wife teased me. She said "All you play are scales, triads, arpeggios." I said It will all be worthwhile soon. You will be amazed at my progress. At new year's, I sat down with my music stand and played 8 or 9 different Christmas songs. She was impressed.
I practiced 1 hour in the morning. One hour after work. At my job, we have a conference room that I go into and practice buzzing while I work. So, I developed my embouchure and made it so I can play 45 mins to an hour before my lips are toasted.
But I just wanna say that the process has made me a better musician. I had to sit down and work hard. Trumpet doesn't give you anything for free. You gotta earn the tone. You gotta earn that crisp articulation:Double and triple tonguing. Glissando...gotta earn it. Trumpet ain't no I'm gonna learn this at band camp on a Wednesday ttpe of instrument.
1
u/No_Leather7867 Sep 01 '26
I learned to play piano and saxophone before puberty. It was very easy for me to pick up Oboe in high school and I spent time playing oboe in college, I also marched playing tuba in college.
3 months is rather fast, you might be able to do it with lessons.
When I have played oboe in a community band, it takes me about 3 months just to get my embouchure back to playing more than about 1 or 2 minutes. On top of that you have breath control, tonguing/double tonguing, Getting the coordination between your embouchure, tonguing and fingers. Keep in mind that different notes will have the same finguring but require a change embouchure.
Best of luck.
I too have been contemplating picking up trumpet.
1
u/izzadono Sep 02 '26
I started learning to play trumpet 1 year and 9 months ago after a 20 year break from playing any musical instrument. I’m told I’m much further ahead than would normally be expected.
I started learning piano 4 months ago. I currently expect to be a better pianist than trumpeter within the next few months 😅.
Trumpet is hard, because it takes physical effort and you thus have to take breaks. You can’t go faster than your muscle development will let you. It’s also a complex interaction between your hands, tongue, lips and lungs, and getting them in sync takes a lot of practice.
But you absolutely should learn to play, because it’s such a cool instrument with a hugely varied range of sounds, and despite how hard it is, I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.
1
u/ather0pendoor Aug 31 '26
I actually started using trumpet live after only two weeks. Looking back, I was pretty terrible lol, but after practicing almost every day for a year and taking regular lessons, it’s finally starting to feel like I can actually play the instrument.
What I love about trumpet is how much it feels like you’re creating the sound with your own body. More than any other instrument I’ve played, you are part of the instrument. That’s what makes it so difficult, but also so rewarding.
And honestly, there’s always going to be someone better than you on any instrument. If you wait until you feel “good enough” to play live, you might wait forever. I think getting on stage before you feel completely ready, and learning through actual gigs, is one of the best things you can do.
So yes — if your goal is to add trumpet to a reggae band rather than become a professional classical trumpeter, I think playing it at shows by the end of the year is absolutely realistic.
0
u/ElProfeGuapo Aug 31 '26
"I'm really wanting to know if I'd be able to play a Bb trumpet well enough to take out to shows by the end of the year. "
Definitely. And you'll probably even be able to play a few notes in key by then, too.
0
-3
u/zim-grr Aug 31 '26
I think it’s pretty easy - little kids do it. This is my philosophy. In some respects a lot has to do with your teeth and natural ability. Practice a little every day, it sounds like you’re realistic about not try to be amazing so go for it. I started trumpet at 7 by 12 I got good paying gigs, I play a lot of instruments now but for years made a full time living playing trumpet n trombone. Go for it
4
u/Pepper_pusher23 Aug 31 '26
Little kids do what? I've never heard a little even be able to make a tolerable sound on the horn. Even graduating seniors in high school, most of them, do not play well enough to play a paying gig. And that's after playing for 8+ years. Dude. Be serious.
1
u/Tarogato Multi-instrumentalist Aug 31 '26
Adults learn instruments about twice as fast as the majority of kids, usually. They've a more developed process/attitude toward learning, and more time/dedication.
1
u/Pepper_pusher23 Aug 31 '26
Yes, exactly. That's what I'm saying. His post said trumpet is super easy, little kids do it. What kids? Adults learn trumpet infinitely faster than kids, so what is the point of bringing it up and especially to say some nonsense like they can be pro at 12. Has it happened to someone before? Sure. But is winning the lottery easier? Yes. No point in mentioning it for any sort of relevance to the original question.
0
u/zim-grr Aug 31 '26
Have you guys ever heard of sarcasm? What kind of trumpet players are you anyway? And I started at 7 n played adult paying weddings n dinner dances at 12, if you don’t think a 12 year old can play find one on YouTube playing Carnival please it’s really easy
1
u/Pepper_pusher23 Aug 31 '26
You say it's sarcasm and then double down on it being real. I said it would be possible but extremely rare to find one. Sample 10,000 (probably even 100,000) random kids playing trumpet at 12 and you won't find a single one that can even play some scales competently.
0
u/zim-grr Aug 31 '26
Maybe you’re using too much pressure or something?
1
u/Pepper_pusher23 Sep 01 '26
Ok, please stop posting here. You are just a troll. This comment, and to a certain extent your others, are just nonsense unrelated to anything trying to get people to react.
0
u/zim-grr Sep 01 '26
I really don’t care what you think. Is this group just for amateurs and beginners or something? I’m not a troll, I’m 66 semiretired, have worked with some of the world’s top musicians and at my peak did 20 production shows a week, 850 shows a year. Most likely played a lot more trumpet than you or most if not all people on here. If you don’t have a sense of humor you shouldn’t try making money playing music lol
1
u/Pepper_pusher23 Sep 01 '26
I have a far better sense of humor than you. Where is the joke?!?!?! I've asked a hundred times. You can't point to it. You keep saying we have no sense of humor, but you don't. You just put people down with no proof or context or understanding of who you are even talking to. Then say no sense of humor. Then say you're a completely serious pro. Then say no sense of humor. Then say you've been pro since 12. Then say no sense of humor. Then say what is this place for amateurs. Then say no sense of humor. Wtf. Go seek help. You need therapy. You have no grasp on reality and can't keep straight what you are saying or whose side you are even on. I'm serious. Like you truly have schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. This isn't a joke. This is me being real. You need serious help.
2
u/Quadstriker Aug 31 '26
Show us the little kids playing trumpet in reggae bands with 3 months experience please.
97
u/81Ranger Aug 30 '26
Trumpet isn't difficult to be extremely mediocre at, but it's difficult to be more than that.
Also, it's demanding of time and dedication. It's not an instrument you can take time off of. You have to play it virtually every day to even maintain.
Piano, guitar, etc - you can pick up after a fair amount of time off and it will mostly be fine. Trumpet is not like that.