<p>My 9-year-old son started daily trumpet lessons this summer in a 3-week program at a very good music school. The first trumpet we rented was a disaster; the valves kept breaking and I finally rented another trumpet from a a different store. This one, a Jupiter, was much better and my son’s playing immediately improved. Now he is taking group lessons at school once a week. The Jupiter rental was for a 5-month period which is about to end. I rented another trumpet for the school year from a very well regarded music store (we are now on the 3rd store) that has a contract with the school. Their rental costs are much less than the store that rented us the Jupiter, they deliver to the school, their trumpet is in a very lightweight case (the Jupiter’s case is so heavy that my son can barely carry it). I’d rather deal with them.</p>
<p>My son has been complaining about the new trumpet. At first I didn’t take him seriously. He hates change of any kind. But his complaints have persisted, and he says that the new trumpet hurts his mouth. The mouthpieces look the same to me, but he says that it hurts to blow into it. The new trumpet is a Hunter. Any advice? Should I ask the 3rd music store for a different trumpet? I’m wondering whether we got one of their worst ones, because I arranged the rental very late. I don’t mind paying more to keep the Jupiter, but I’d prefer to work with the new store if possible.</p>
<p>When it comes to musical instruments, you generally get what you pay for. You may need to invest in a higher quality mouthpiece, or even a better trumpet. If he really wants to play, and you intend to make him practice, you may want to consider buying an instrument rather than renting–if he sticks with it, you will save money in the long run, and if he doesn’t, you can always sell it.</p>
<p>I would look into a different mouthpiece. My husband (plays trumpet in a band) has about two dozen mouthpieces and is always looking for the one that is juuuuust right. Both of my son’s also play (or played) the trumpet and each used a different mouthpiece then each other and their father.</p>
<p>My daughter also went through a lot of trouble with mouthpieces. When she switched to a new teacher, the teacher suggested changing mouthpieces to improve her ability to play (sorry I dont remember all the technical details). It was a pretty big deal to get used to the new one. In summary, finding the corrrect mouthpiece for the individual is very important. So it may not be the trumpet that is the problem, just the mouthpiece.</p>
<p>NYMom, I think it was size more than anything else. I’m not a horn player, but I think he replaced the original rental mouthpiece with a 3C. I’ll have to check with him tonight to be sure.</p>
<p>Try to discover what he means when he says the thing hurts his mouth. If he has dropped the mouthpiece and chipped it or something, it’s a problem. But it could be that the second trumpet resists more than the last, which will require a securer embouchure. If so, then it is possible the kid’s muscles are getting blown away a lot quicker. Ultimately it is a good thing because good players need remarkably tough embouchures. But his pain may come as a result of his jamming the mouthpiece into his chops in order to compensate for the lack of a tough/proper embouchure. If he is doing this, then his teacher needs to check it and help the guy make corrections.</p>
<p>If the trumpet’s resistance is just ungodly, then something is wrong with it. The thing ought not feel all that tough to buzz through. Have the teacher play it. If he/she can deal nicely with the horn, then the problem is with the kid. Size does matter (haha) when it comes to mouthpieces, but I suspect this is something else.</p>
<p>NYMom - The size of the mouthpiece should be stamped on it. He needs professional advice as to which size mouthpiece he should be using. His teacher should help him with that.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great advice. I know nothing about instruments, and this is a very unfamiliar world to me. I knew that I could count on CC for tour guides!</p>