silverstar

Wow. You guys really know everything about trumpets!

Thank you! I've been toying around with the idea of getting a C, but like you have pointed out and my teacher has pointed out, it would spend most of its time in the case.

Hmm...more stuff to think about.

Lara

Bourbon City

I play trumpet for a large church orchestra in my area. I have a C trumpet but we play B-flat. Like others, I play the C 1/35 or less than I play the B-flat.

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Dale Schmidt, P.E.
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dcstep

What got up your butt ST?? You said there isn't much "opportunity" to play C trumpet in non-pro orchestras. I said something like, "what do you mean, the music is the same as pro orchestras". Now you say if you can transpose on a C you can transpose in Bb. That's something totally different.

I find the transposition to F, D and Eb much easier for me on C than on Bb. A is easier for me on Bb. I can transpose to C on a Bb trumpet, but I prefer, generally, to play it on a C, but that will depend on the piece. Someone planning a pro career should learn to transpose on both Bb and C and even consider a E/Eb as a fifth horn, after a picc (I think that the picc should generally come well into a college level, but there are exceptions).

Lara is saying she wants to pursue being a free lance trumpeter. To me, that means pro. Depending on her jazz proclivity, I'd recommend either a flugel or a C, since she already has an excellent Bb.

Dave

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iguananaught

When I had a great C, that is all I played, with the exception of lead/jazz work. If you find a great C, it is much more fun to play then a good Bb. Playing principal in a wind ensemble is similar to an orchestral situation. To me, playing the C is just more fun. Unless the horn is piece of poo. At any rate, the more options you have, the better. Why get another Bb? A flugel or C makes soooo much more sense. More options means more gig opportunities to me. good luck with your decision Lara!

JackD

If I can just weigh in a bit here: There's more use for a C than just orchestral music (which there is quite a lot of!) - any modern French music (think Tomasi, Bozza etc etc) really works much better on a C than on a Bb. Out of interest, if one were to audition for a US college, do they ask for excerpts on a C?

I agree that the majority of practice would still be done on a Bb, but I think if I had a C I'd use it quite extensively. That might be a personal thing, so FWIW.

I agree with Iguana - I would reckon something like the Xeno would do a student very well all the way through college. Of course it's not everyday that someone offers you a free custom horn, so might want to consider the option of selling the Xeno to get a C or flugel (or Eb, or picc depending on where your playing is at) of some sort and getting an Eclipse Bb.

Lara, if this gets a little heated, it's because I think people are trying to help you make the right choice - but I'm sure you've got some pretty good ideas of your own what you want / need!

Cheers,

Jack.

davidjohnson

lara:

that's goofy. it only stays in the case if you leave it there. i play everything with mine, but i love my Bb too. get a C & always use it when you wish. I played a great bach C for over 20 years, then, instead of a 2nd overhaul i bought a new schilke. they were/are both super.

dj

Jimi Michiel

Hey all,
First, GET THE C!!!! That's my personal opinion. When I was at Interlochen, a friend of mine had a really great Malone Conversion C trumpet. His B-flat was a little more of a junker, so other than jazz, and two orchestral excertps (Carmen and Ein Heldnlaben), he used the C exclusively. Being a poor student myself (and a heck of a lot poorer now that I bought my Monette), I decided that it would be a good idea, as I upgraded equipment, to go for quality, even if it meant having a C trumpet that is in a whole 'nother league as the B-flat.
Not only did this save me money, but it also made for a smooth transition to C trumpet. When I got my first C, I locked away my B-flat and forced myself to transpose everything. That way, the music I was playing was sounding the same, the disoientation was different fingerings. As a result, I can now transpose very well, although, curiously, I have problems transposing with a B-flat (hearing the right note mostly).
That having been said, I have met many good student and professional trumpet players who only play B-flat trumpets. Tops on that list would probably by Chris Gekker. One of my classmates at NEC has also switched to B-flat almost exclusively and he sounds great. Also, as far as I can tell, C trumpets are rather exotic in many European countries. Last spring break I visited a friend (bass player) who was studying at the Royal Academy in London. I met one of the trumpet players there and she told me that, at least at RAM, almost all piston literature is done exclusively on B-flat trumpet. She had only played a C trumpet a few times in her life. You can imagine the look on her face after I let her try my Monette 997 C trumpet...
Anyways, hope that helps, or at the very least doesn't hurt
-Jimi

dizforprez

The question is, do you want to master the trumpet? Either you want to be able to play or you don’t. If you do, playing on the high trumpets is needed to be a “competent” legit musician. I also think C is a good jumping off point for the other high horns.

And why would it sit in the case if you got it? Play it in Band every day, use it for some of your etudes or vocalise studies, learn to transpose. It will only strengthen you trumpet wise.