drongomala

Hi All,

I'm keen for your advice on choosing a Bb vs C trumpet.

I am doing some work with Indian Ragas and they mostly describe the raga using C as the shurti/tonic. For this reason I am drawn to a C trumpet.

My reasoning is:
- I don't read music and I'm not interested for now so the fact that most music is for Bb trumpet doesn't bother me
- The simple match to the 250 ragas I have in C tonic will probably be easier with a C trumpet
- Anything I learn can be played back on a Bb trumpet albeit that my head will be bent with remembering that it is down a semitone

Is my rationale correct?

Also - is it possible to tweak a C trumpet up to a Db somehow as most sitars play in Db.

Many thanks
Drongomala

trumpetnick

Drongo,

to the forum! Don't forget to introduce yourself in the greeting forum.

1. B flat trumpet is actually "down" with a WHOLE tone, not a semitone.
2. Many C (and all higher pitched trumpets) trumpets present more intonation problems than most B flat trumpets. For this reason it is better to start on B flat trumpet.
3. It is possible to cut down a C trumpet to get a D flat trumpet, but must be done by an expert repairman.
4. It is very uncommon to use anything else than B flat trumpet for folk/pop music.
5. You can buy an e flat trumpet and transpose a whole step down, but first read again #2

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

drongomala

Hi Trumpetnick,

Many thanks for the quick reply.

I think you have helped me gravitate back to the Bb

Drongomala

operagost

You could try one of these: BerkeleyWind C & Db Trumpet (Silver Gold)Only 1in World - eBay (item 390106519316 end time Oct-18-09 12:16:51 PDT)

As a plus, once you learn to read music you can play old piccolo parts as written!

__________________
2006 Yamaha Xeno 8335RGS
1987 Conn 100B "Doc Severinsen"
1946 Conn 22B "New York Symphony"

drongomala

Hey Operagost,

Now that looks good - shame the auction ended a week ago :(

BUT I notice the seller has a bunch of 'variants' on there...the C and Bb combo looks really nice too....great prices...

these can't be good trumpets for that money surely?

D

Gaucho Viejo

"these can't be good trumpets for that money surely?"

A: Nope - and don't call me Shirley. Sorry, couldn't resist.

__________________
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them;
otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven” - Matthew 6:1

operagost

They really are terrible. Pretty, but terrible. There's a guy who bought and reviewed the B flat trumpet, flugel, and cornet on there and they all had valve problems (like most Chines horns) within a year. The cornet also had severe intonation problems.

__________________
2006 Yamaha Xeno 8335RGS
1987 Conn 100B "Doc Severinsen"
1946 Conn 22B "New York Symphony"

Pedal C

Here's the description of the C-Db trumpet from one of their other Ebay ads.


"I play trumpet in church since i am 14, i can pick any key when people singing. but only this 3 key is not easy for me. its Db F# and B, if you are the trumpet player then you know what is my talking about.
today only one in the world have this crazy trumpet is perfect for this 3 key. if you have this horn that main you can play all the key easier.
berkeleywind people hope all the kids can play music. and best way to lean trumpet is take your kids to the church like my father take me to the church. they can know a lot of bible and a lot of good friend. also know music in fast way. if you don't know where is your local church , just by typing on google.
this trumpet have reached the top smooth Berkeleywind C and Db, look this Silver and Gold hand engrave beautiful heavyweight berkeleywind have .459" bore; 4-7/8" hand-hammered, one-piece, yellow brass bell; one-piece drawn mouthpipe; Perfect pistons; 2-piece valve casings; 1st valve slide thumb hook; double main tuning slide braces; clear epoxy lacquered finish. Includes case.this trumpets have won a place in the world's most prestigious symphonies and among top-level concert band and jazz players. we flagship trumpets are heavyweight instruments, made with a metal that has been specially treated to deliver more power, better control, and a richer sound. All feature hand-lapped steel pistons and slides; 2-piece valve casings; an improved mouthpiece receiver length for better response; pressure-formed tubing that is perfectly round for a smoother air flow; metal valve guides; gold brass mouthpipe; and hand-hammered, one-piece, annealed 4-7/8" bell. The combined result of these features is a highly responsive instrument with a dark tone that does not break up with volume. All Berkeleywind instruments come with a limited 5-year warranty and when 5 years later you can resale this old horn for more then you pay for today.and that time you already have this trumpet in your head, and no one can take away from you.what a deal."

__________________
"The oboe's A is to make sure we still play it 1 and 2" - Bud Herseth

"One way or another, every patient stops bleeding." - Scrubs

trumpetnick

I wish they named who are these "world's most prestigious symphony orchestra" using Berkeley's instruments....

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

ExtraTeeth

You also have to consider what sort of sound would work best in your music. The smaller trumpets tend toward a brighter, more compact sound. Is this the kind of sound you want? If you want something mellower (and much more unusual) for playing with instruments in Db, you could consider an Eb contra alto trumpet. Before investing any money, try borrowing an Eb tenor horn to see if that concept could work.