Jimi Michiel

Hi Wilmer,

Do you find yourself using a lot of E-flat trumpet? I'm trying to trim down my trumpet/mp collection and I got to thinking... I don't think I've ever gotten paid to play E-flat trumpet. I've gotten a much wider variety of work since I left school (orchestra, musicals, church, rock band, etc...) and it seems like the only thing I use my Eb for is practicing the Haydn (and even military bands are requiring it on B-flat now).

Thanks,
Jimi

wiseone2

I use the Eb for Le Sacre, and only a few other things. I use the D side of the horn much more. Almost everything written in F trumpet works on the D. Try the Sibelius Second Symphony on the D
Wilmer

bachstrad72

Eb works pretty well for Messiah if you are going for a broader sound than a piccolo affords. It puts everything in B (which isn't that much of a drag when you are basically playing scales out to the fifth) and makes the trills in "Trumpet Shall Sound" lay well and on more in tune partials than trying it on D.
D trumpet also works great for the offstage solos in Mahler 3, Pines of Rome and Lt. Kije! Also, I echo Wilmer's opinion regarding F parts.

tpetplyr

Do you use the same small D trumpet that you use for the "D Trumpet" repertoire for works like Sibelius, or do you use a bigger horn?

Stuart

rowuk

I find the Eb useful when I need to take it easy. A wind band rehearsal on the Eb is a lot more relaxed than on the Bb.
Your point is good, we really do not NEED the horn all that often unless WE force the issue. I use the D/Eb for non-baroque orchestral high trumpet parts. I do not like the bright, clear laserlike sound of the picc on Strawinsky, Ravel, Bernstein, Mussorgsky and the like.

wiseone2

Even though the Bach 304 Eb/D is on the small side, it more than holds it's own in the company of larger horns. I go to a slightly smaller mouthpiece for J.S.Bach and others of that period.
Wilmer