(Part 2) Best brass accessories according to redditors

If you can afford it, I would highly recommend getting a Silent Brass System. I've had the original version for many years, and used it to practice in my office while working as a web application developer.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-SB7X-2-Trumpet-Personal-SB7X2/dp/B01MTOAHSA/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1WHDVSLKCUSHQ&keywords=silent+brass+trumpet&qid=1562803676&s=gateway&sprefix=silent+brass%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-3

Grab a bottle of Al Cass valve oil, a bottle of a bit thicker oil, like Hetman #12 or #13, then some Bach pink tuning slide grease. The Al Cass will be used on the inside of the valves and the Hetman will be used behind the valves and under the valve cap. These three should last you a very long time. I've had my bottle of Al Cass for 3 years now, and my Bach grease for over 5. You'll eventually also want a mouthpiece brush and a lead pipe snake.

In terms of books, it depends on how you learn. If you know nothing about reading music, you can pick up one of the beginning band method books like Essential Elements, but if you are easily bored by simple melodies then this book might not be the one for you. If you are a reader, you may want to consider picking up a horn pedagogy book like Farkas's The Art of Horn Playing, Frøydis Ree Wekre's Thoughts on Playing The Horn Well, or Eli Epstein's Horn Playing From the Inside Out. These books are geared more towards someone who already has some facility on the instrument, but if you lack a teacher, they contain information on things such as embouchure formation, breathing, articulation, dynamics, range, and other things.

The most common etude books are Kopprasch 60 Selected Studies and Maxime Alphonse Deux Cents Etudes Nouvelles, but even at the beginning they are pretty advanced with regard to range and technique. I'd start with Getchell's First Practical Book of Studies for French Horn. There is a second book to this series, but at the end of book one you may want to jump to Miersch's Melodious Studies for French Horn. At the end of that book, you can probably make the jump to Kopprasch.

I'd also grab a scale book like Pares Scales for French Horn, though at the beginning it may exceed your range, so it's fine to wait on this one.

If you have any other questions, let me know!

Edit: as /u/Conn10D said above, I'd highly recommend getting a teacher. Even a month of lessons is enough to nip problems in the bud before they become bad habits that hinder your progress and ultimately take the fun out of it.

Protec gig bag - $40 from Amazon.

It has a side pouch that can hold mouthpieces, music, and a couple of mutes.

I also have my Bach case, but I don't carry it around.

You really need a trumpet teacher sitting right next to you to help you with this. But I will try to answer.

First of all, stop caring about range and start caring about correct, musical playing for every single note you produce out of the trumpet. For example, it doesn't really mean anything if a trumpet player can hit a grand C but can't play (and read) a nice, lyrical melody.

Now, on to your embouchure and your question. The tongue should be behind the lower teeth when paying. You articulate by hitting the top of your upper teeth with your tongue. You bracing your lower lip actually sounds kind of interesting, but over time you may utterly destroy that lip.

You need to replace your bad habit with a good one. This means you must consciously notice every time you brace your lower lip with your tongue, and move your tongue behind the teeth. Every time you notice the tongue doing the wrong thing you must correct it. This will take time, you need to ingrain this as a new habit and stop the old. Sometimes you will sound bad. Practicing will be filled with you just correcting this problem, but you gotta do it. I've been there, many trumpet players have when it comes to the embouchure.

You must support your playing with proper air support. Your shoulders must be relaxed, and your abdominal muscles must do the work of pushing the air. This must be a habit, if it isn't already. When you play those high notes instead of pushing your bottom lip, your strong abdominal muscles should do that work. You're probably young and strong, work your abs!

Even though your embouchure problem seems to be internal, you may benefit from doing some other things. Try standing in front of a mirror to keep an eye on your embouchure. Buzz, a lot, on the mouthpiece. Hold the mouthpiece near the end, away from the cup. This is difficult at first but will train you to produce sound without pressure. Maybe make use of one of these things.

Good luck, but you can do it. Many trumpet players before you have. Also, don't get down on yourself, if it's difficult just tell yourself to keep at it because it takes time (weeks). If you keep at it you will benefit greatly. You obviously don't have a problem hitting the high notes based on your post, so if you make this change you will surely be making some great music on the trumpet.

But, like I said, seek out a teacher. Let us know how it goes. If you really want I can give you a skype lesson (for free), I've been wanting to try that out.

Super cool uncle! I'll be thinking about this one and come back if I think of something. At the moment, the only thing that I could think of are finger buttons with wood inlays instead of the usual mother of pearl or metal. Those would be the little caps that screw on top of the valve stem, here's an example. Not sure if this is what you were thinking, but it's an idea! I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

I don't have one, but I've heard good things about the sshhmute, and it's not nearly as expensive if price is an issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Sshhmute-Trumpet-Cornet-Practice-Mute/dp/B014LBYWSO/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=sshhmute+trumpet&qid=1565713569&s=gateway&sprefix=Sshhmut&sr=8-4

It might be a bit dry with the oil but it also seems like the slide itself might have a few kinks. Try either the Yamaha brand (personal favorite) or Slide-O-Mix brand of slide oil.

I have the "travel light" which I like because it's a different color than everyone else's (and thus easy to find) but doesn't have a ton of storage, so I always have to carry separate mute and music bags. Also, the backpack straps (you have to purchase them separately) are sort of upside down from the rubberized feet that allow you to set the case on end. It's a bit weird, but not weird enough for me to send the thing back, so I've just been adjusting.

The "contoured" version has a bit more storage (though I think still not big enough for mutes, but definitely can handle oils) and can also accept backpack straps. If I had to buy it again, this is probably the one I'd get.

The "standard" version has enough storage for mutes inside the case, but I'm fairly sure you can't put backpack straps on it (from the image on Amazon, it doesn't look like it has the correct loops available), and backpack straps are somewhat necessary for me.

I haven't seen the platinum series in persion, but I'd be hesitant to use it based on it's images...looks like a semi-soft case (it advertises wood panels at the "back" and bell only, instead of all the way around). I have enough hustle and bustle in my life that I wouldn't feel secure that the case wouldn't get tossed around. IT's probably lighter than the other choices, but doesn't work in my life. That said, the permanently attached backpack straps look better than the detachable ones that go with the other cases.

I realized that I forgot to mention some vital stuff you'll need and some important things you'll want to do if you do buy a trumpet.

---------------

The number one is valve oil. There are a million and a half different brands out there. I've used Blue Juice ($4 per bottle), Al Cass Fast ($7 per bottle), and Hetmans No. 2 ($7 to $8 per bottle for my horns. The first two are petroleum based and the Hetmans is synthetic. No matter what brand you buy, make sure you thoroughly wash the horn inside and out before oiling, especially the inside of the valve casing and the actual pistons themselves. If you don't, different varieties of oils can react together and gum up the valves. One bottle of valve oil will last you a while, so don't worry about stocking up.

You will also want some slide grease. I've only ever used Superslick ($2.30) , but any brand should be fine. I've even heard of people using vaseline.

-----------------

For cleaning, you'll want a trumpet snake ($2 to $3), a valve casing cleaner ($3 to $4), and maybe a mouthpiece brush ($2 to $3). You will also need a soft cloth that doesn't leave fibers behind. I use a microfiber cloth.

Here's a short video explaining how to clean a trumpet.

And a short video explaining how to oil the valves.

----------------

General trumpet resources:

Fingering chart

Intro to reading sheet music

Trumpet Basics playlist


And some good youtube channels about brass:

Trent Hamilton. Very entertaining and informative videos. He covers alllll sorts of brass isntruments, so if you've ever wanted to know more about the brass family, check this channel out.

Rufftips. Where Trent Hamilton focuses more on the instrument side of things, Rufftips focuses on the playing. His channel is great for playing tips, helpful hints, and general really useful stuff about playing and practicing.

Matonizz. This channel focuses on euphonium, but a lot of what they talk about can be applied to trumpet.

I personally use the Contoured PRO PAC.

It’s pretty light, and takes up less space than a traditional hard case while still providing solid protection.

This is one I've really had my eyes on: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002E569Y It has a removable mute bag that looks like you could attach it to the case as well, although as another poster mentioned I don't know how cumbersome that might be. For the price point though I'm sure I could live with it.

You’re Welcome.

PAMPET Lightweight Practice Trumpet Mute Silencer for Trumpet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797KQFL2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_t8hTDbKPYEF54

I found this to be a really great silent mute for a really good price. It’s not as quiet as a silent brass but this should do what you’re wanting it to do.

Something like this would be great: https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Trumpet-Cleaning-Oil-Everything/dp/B01H2UAAN2/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=trumpet+cleaning+kit&qid=1573651549&sr=8-4

If $20 is too much you could probably just buy valve oil and a cleaning snake. You can use Vaseline for slides. The two levers are spit valves to let you release condensation that forms. There's a specific order the valves. It will take a little while to get the hang of buzzing and producing a steady sound, and then of being able to play higher or lower using different lip (embouchure) tension. It is a fun instrument! I bet you'll be playing some nice tunes in a few weeks.

Seriously. This! You're the one who should have the 13 points. I just don't get all the people who insist it is easy to get as much or more for something you have used. I doubt many of them actually have had success doing that. There are legit retailers selling barely used (store demo) Holton and Conn double horns for ~$3K. Less actually. Why on earth would I buy a well used one from some stranger for ... any amount of money.

Oh, while I am working on my downvote personal best, I might add this: Horns require consistency and commitment. 40 days on and 40 days off doesn't sound like a winning formula. Don't even think about doing this without a practice mute. This is the one I use.

I recently got this ProTec Platinum bag (from a local store, but this is the same one). I really like it! It's lightweight, got lots of storage in the extra pocket, and has a variety of options for carrying. I got this one because of the backpack straps (which tuck away if you don't need them), but ProTec has others without them.

I've been using a Glory Silver Plated Mouthpiece, here's a link

I've been using this for a short amount of time and it seem's to be working a bit better than the Stock mouthpiece that I was using before, I'm open to recommendations though!

I don't know how good this brand is (probably not that good, but if you're just starting off, you might not need a whole lot), but you can get a metal 12C from Amazon for $10. Probably cheaper than even that Kelly is (which is the only one your local music store has that'll fit your horn; those Denis Wicks are large-bore mouthpieces).

This plus a small spray bottle with water is what I use. I can get away with oiling 1-2X a week, and spraying my slide with water when it gets a little dry

Edit: words

I'm a big fan of Protec Cases. I used to have the Triple Gig Bag when I carried around a bunch of horns all the time, and I LOVED it, my wife even put a nice monogram on it.

Now I use their Double which is modular. It holds one horn and all my mutes & junk, plus the pocket on the side is beg enough for a music folder.

Based on the demo video, this looks like an embouchure visualizer, except instead of a stick you hold on to the larger, outer ring, then buzz into the smaller end. For some reason there are springs separating the two halves, I guess to cushion the impact force on your face?

Their product description uses some confusing terms ("aperture strength"?!) and makes some big claims.

Personally, I think there is some merit to lip buzzing or using a visualizer, but you might need some guidance from a trumpet teacher familiar with these techniques. On your own, you can do more harm than good. Many trumpet players do not believe in lip buzzing or do it at all, so I certainly wouldn't say you need to do it.

However, my biggest reaction is that this costs $70! You can get a visualizer for less than half of that. Or spend even less and just use a pair of scissors or a ring. Or if you really want to shell out $70, get one of these bad boys.

If it's just your horn you need to carry go with a single trumpet bag like a protec single trumpet bag. They also have a triple trumpet bag that has an awesome front pocket and plenty of inside space. It's called the ipac triple trumpet case.

http://www.amazon.com/ProTec-C238-Protec-Deluxe-Trumpet/dp/B0002D03ZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377733666&sr=8-1&keywords=protec+trumpet+bag

Here it is

I realize now that PB301 essentially just means trumpet case from them

Firstly, a dish soap washing rinsing, scrubbing, and drying (use a very soft cloth for both) followed by valve oil is likely what you need.

Second, not paid or affiliated, but try different valve oil. I use blue juice, and that stuff is CRAZY good. I've heard this stuff is good as well.