Probably this one, more so the further into the video you go... _________________ 2nd Trumpet, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
2nd Trumpet, Central City Opera Orchestra
Joined: 22 May 2020 Posts: 624 Location: Here and there
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 1:57 pm Post subject:
I have a Reynolds Argenta. As it is 100% nickel silver, it is the hardest trumpet ever made _________________ 1936 King Liberty No. 2
1958 Reynolds Contempora 44-M "Renascence" C
1958 Olds Ambassador
1962 Reynolds Argenta LB
1965 Conn Connstellation 38A cornet
1995 Bach LR18072
2003 Kanstul 991
2011 Schilke P5-4 B/G
2021 Manchester Brass flugel
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 12658 Location: Gardena, Ca
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 2:33 pm Post subject:
annvill wrote:
Sorry, I meant Brands and models of horns in Bb
I understood your question and chose to indulge my sense of humor. My apologies.
I think you might want to define what you mean by “hardest to play”.
For some slippery slotting will be top on their list of what makes a trumpet hard to play. For others, tight slots that lock in the notes might be less desirable, such as when playing jazz.
For some it might be physical, like holding a herald trumpet with banners for a long period.
Or it might be difficulty playing outside the money register. Or for trumpets that facilitate playing the upper register, difficulty playing in the staff.
Or it could be the horn is too dark and it is hard to get a warm, section blending tone. Or just the opposite.
There is nothing wrong with an open question that you pose, but I suspect that many posts will not fully communicate what aspect(s) make the poster feel the trumpet is hard to play.
Like the third world post above by Tom. I assume poor tone, poor valves, poor intonation would factor into Tom’s thoughts, but possibly not.
But ignoring my attempt at humor in my first post, the piccolo is difficult to learn to play well. They tend to be very bright, especially for new players. Hearing the pitches in one’s head that are an octave above is a challenge for some. Using the third and fourth valves can be challenging for some.
Hence my listing it first.
And many struggle with the tuning quirks some C trumpets have. And again the issue of hearing a pitch a step off from what the Bb sounds for the same written note can be challenging.
Joined: 15 Nov 2001 Posts: 1825 Location: Terre Haute, IN USA
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 4:54 pm Post subject:
Calicchio. I can't explain it - all of the Calicchios I have tried have left me confused.
Stock 37/25 Bach Strad. No confusion, I don't like the type of resistance I feel with the 25 leadpipe. It might be the venturi setting. It does bad things to my lips in just 3 or 4 minutes. Any other leadpipe and I'm fine. (Oh, any brand of trumpet that tries too closely to clone a Strad.)
Roy Lawler did a nice custom horn for me once and several conversions but he did have one trumpet that was hard to play ...
OK - It had a square bell and square tubing. He did it for ITG 20 or 25 years ago. I guess it was like the bumble bee - the amazing thing is not how well the bumble bee flies but that it flies at all. Same with the trumpet.
Joined: 21 Jan 2020 Posts: 194 Location: NW of ORD
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 5:53 pm Post subject:
Quote:
The hardest trumpet to play is the one you put away after high school and try to play again when you're 30.
Nope.
The hardest trumpet to play is the one you put away after high school and try to play again when you're 60. _________________ Bach190ML43
Kanstul 1001
Bach NY7
Yamaha 631 Flugel
Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 9008 Location: Hawai`i - Texas
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 6:11 pm Post subject:
She asked a sincere question. I can't answer or I would. Perhaps someone else could? _________________ "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
Joined: 26 May 2005 Posts: 9345 Location: Heart of Dixie
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 7:29 pm Post subject:
The hardest trumpets to play well are either old worn out ones or cheap student models that respond poorly, have a dead or tinny tone, intonation problems, and so-so valves. As far as good upper level Bb trumpets go, “hard to play” is much more subjective and depends on the player and the genre(s) of music being played. _________________ "Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2022 1:55 am Post subject:
I guess I've been lucky. If you look at my list of horns, I can honestly say that I find them all quite an easy blow. However, a horn that is easy to play doesn't necessarily mean much if you are not playing it well.
George _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
However, a horn that is easy to play doesn't necessarily mean much if you are not playing it well.
Indeed. And it doesn't always have to be the horn either. I've struggled quite a bit with a long cornet I own. It really closed up on me above the staff until I learned how to play it properly. It plays a lot easier now. _________________ 1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mouthpieces
Sorry English is not my language. By hard I mean....I consider the Bach 180 37 more difficult to play than the Yamaha Bobby Schew, so to speak. More difficult, but on good branded and professional trumpets
Joined: 29 Jul 2004 Posts: 654 Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2022 3:39 am Post subject:
annvill wrote:
Sorry English is not my language. By hard I mean....I consider the Bach 180 37 more difficult to play than the Yamaha Bobby Schew
If you find a Bach 180/37 harder to play than the Yamaha 6310 / 8310 Z than your sound concept doesn't match with a Bach 180/37
I owned once both horns and found them both easy to play but since my sound concept doesn't match with dark sounding horns I sold the Yamaha.
I think you have to stick with a horn that matches your sound concept because than you don't have to fight the horn to produce the sound you desire. Than you can spend your energy to become a better trumpet player and that is what we all want don't we? _________________ Technology alone is a poor substitute for experience. (Richard Sachs)
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2022 5:58 am Post subject: Re: Hard trumpet
annvill wrote:
Can you give me a list of the 3 hardest trumpets to play?
I cannot because, as you may have gathered from other responses on this thread, there is no universal answer. Personally, I can't name three horns, but on every Bach I've tried with a 37 bell, I seem to run into a 'brick wall' at "A" above the staff.
Pardon me for digressing, but is your avatar a self-portrait? I only ask because that head-on gaze is kind of unnerving. _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
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