Troubleshooting: The Baroque Trumpet

It is only natural that you will experience some problems when starting to play the instrument. Here are some common problems and their solutions.

Q. I cannot move the pipes/ I am struggling to put the pipes together gently.

A. Try putting some slide grease on the end of the pipes so that they can move freely. It is important to be gentle with the instrument when assembling and deconstructing- never force the pipes together!

Q. The instrument sounds airy and is hard to play.

A. Make sure all the pipes are in the instrument properly- particularly the vent holes and lead pipe. You should hear a little ‘click’ when they slot into place correctly. Also, make sure you are covering all the vent holes with your fingers. If they are not completely covered air will escape making the trumpet harder to blow and airy. If the instrument still sounds stuffy despite being assembled correctly it might just be that your instrument is relatively new and still needs playing in, with regular playing this should right itself over time.

Q. I cannot pitch the notes.

A. It is important to remember that vent holes are different to valves. They only help tune the notes! In order to pay the instrument successfully you need to hear the different intervals in your head before you play them and have an ‘inner ear’. Try playing passages slowly both on the instrument and on a piano to confirm you’re playing the correct pitch. If you are still struggling, try playing duets with someone- it’s always more fun practicing in a group!

Q. How do I get the instrument in tune?

A. To tune your instrument you need to: firstly, assemble the instrument with all the pipes inserted fully, then gently pull the crook out until you are in tune. Remember not to pull the lead pipe out as you would on some modern valved trumpets, this won’t work as the leadpipe will slide back in with the pressure on the mouthpiece.

Q. I don’t know what to play!

A. You can play whatever you want! I would suggest to try something relatively easy when starting perhaps some Haydn or Mozart Symphonies to get started. Then as you get more comfortable with the instrument you can move on to something more challenging like Handel, Purcell and Torelli. Then if you really want a challenge why not try some Bach and Telemann’s Trumpet Concertos!