Trombone or trumpet?
 

My sixth grade son has to choose between the trombone and the trumpet for the middle school band. Mr. C. and I are band-impaired and can't help him much...we know only that the trumpet plays the melody and the trombone generally doesn't.

He did great when they tested him for both instruments--about blew us all out of the building when they had him blow into both horns--but now he can't decide! Can any of you music and band people help with advice? Does either have any strong advantages or disadvantages?

I am the person you are looking for!
 

Hey Carnation!

I am so glad that your son has decided on band! Woo hoo!

I am a band person although I will be teaching Elementary Music for the next few years.

In addition to that, my principal instrument is Trombone. I have been playing since 1989! I just graduated in May, but I have been teaching private trombone, euphonium/baritone, and tuba lessons for 4 years. So I have tons of practical experience specializing in brass.

Since the band director(s) think his sound is pretty good on both, there are some physical and personality questions that should now come into play. First of all, will your child get braces? Braces are more difficult for playing trumpet than for playing trombone simply because the trumpet mouthpiece is much smaller. Is your child super outgoing? Trumpet and trombone get to play the melody, but the trumpet get is more often and sometimes can have more solos which can put kids on the spot. A shy kid might not be as successful whereas more outgoing kids are just right for that.
Are his lips full, thin, bottom lip full? Fuller lips can be a problem for trumpet (not always) but are sort of desirable for trombone. Also, thin lips are NOT desirable for trombone, but are okay for trumpet.

You should also realize that whatever beginner horn a child plays on will need to eventually be upgraded. For instance, if they ask you to rent/purchase a cornet, you will need to get him a trumpet for his second year (they won't force you to, but that is most people's professional recommendation). And for trombone, you get the beginner model, but at least by 8th grade the child needs a horn with an F attachment or "trigger". This is why it is important to do a rent to own program if you can so that when you are done with the beginner horn, you take it in to trade up and the previously paid amount is counted towards the new horn.

Phew! That was a lot of info! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You should be really happy to have your kid in band. Band kids are usually the most well-behaved and academically sucessful students in the school, not to mention that you have an instant group of friends who you have something in common with!

dzsaigirl

Trombone definately!!! My primary instrument is the tuba but I played the trombone for 3 years. Low brass instruments are so much better! Not to be mean to trumpet players but they usually have really bad attitudes. Anyway it is great that your kid is going to be in band. I will admit I am a band geek!

Anne Marie

dzsaigirl- DANG< That was impressive!
I had no idea WHAT to expect from your thread Carnation, but it sure wasn't about BAND!:D

TROMBONE...

...I am a bit biased though :)

Ive played it for 14 years!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHY EVERYONE IS SAYING TROMBONE. :(

I played the flute for 9 years (4th grade to senior year of HS). My first choice was the trumpet, but I wasn't chosen to play trumpet. :( My second choice, saxophone, was not a success either. So I pretty much just picked the flute b/c it also carried the melody, although it is not as loud as the trumpet or saxophone. As a woodwind, the trumpet is pretty much the only brass instrument I ever liked. They almost always have the melody and the sound of the trumpet is just beautiful. The trombone has a lower pitch and I just don't care for it much. Of course, this is all my personal opinion, but I would go for the trumpet. :)

I'll echo everything that dzsaigirl said -- particularly about mouthpieces, braces, etc. Over the years, I've played pretty much all of the brass instruments and I would say trombone, no contest. It's just more fun. Sure trumpets have the melody, but in my opinion it is often much more fun (and more interesting and more educational musically speaking) to play the harmony, and a trombone's slide can give it fun harmony to play.

Besides, the low brass guys in the band are always a lot cooler. ;)

All the info that DZSAI girl gave was right on. I also graduated with a Bachelor's in Music (read: Band Geek ;) ) and I will add this...Less kids are apt to choose the trombone while there will be a TON of beginning trumpet players. Playing trombone might give your son more of a chance to shine and excel with less kids in competition for top spots initially. And the lip/braces thing is so incredibly important...it might not be obvious initially but as his skill level gets higher, details such as this make a ton of difference. Feel free to PM me with any questions as well :)

Ask his teacher what his voice range will be after it changes. If he's a tenor, i would go with trumpet. If he is baritone then trombone. If he's good at both, then he can play both. :)

Y'all have been so much help! I let him read these and he's been grinning from ear to ear. Let's see...he won't need braces and his changed voice will almost certainly be baritone or bass like all his male relatives. His lips are medium, I suppose. Someone also suggested that he might need long arms for a trombone..no problem there, at 11, he's already 5'3"! He has to choose his instrument by the first week of August.

Until our fifth daughter chose band (the rest have cheered), we had no clue how instruments were chosen. When she went in for her test, she blew okay into the instruments and then when she told them she had all A's, the band people wanted her on French horn. We were puzzled but the director said that a student who gives extra attention to grades should do the same with a more difficult instrument. He also said it's easier to get a college scholarship if you can play a French horn well. Yessss!

I still can't figure out how trombone players in marching bands keep from running into each other with their horns!

Hey! I am a Soprano, and I still kick ass on trombone! I also do not have long arms, actually, I have only had one student ever who could not reach past 6th position, and that was because he had a pituitary problem and was the size of a second grader...99.9 percent of 6th graders can reach all 7 positions if you teach them how to use their arm and how to extend their fingers.

Anyway, the whole bumping into each other thing...it happens. The slide is VERY fragile though. One dent can make it difficult or impossible to move, so trombone players will instinctively protect it. Plus, you don't march until you have been playing a few years anyway, and by that time, you have a pretty good handle on how far it sticks out and stuff.

Has the band director mentioned how many students are playing each instrument? Normally, he or she would need to balance things out so that they don't end up with 50 trumpets and 3 trombones or vice versa.

BTW, I very strongly recommend private lessons from the very beginning. I don't know if your other band kid studies privately, but the kids who do are consistently the best players. There is stuff that you do in lessons that is more in-depth that really helps. Plus you get the personal attention.

Verrrrry carefully. Actually, it's only challenging on a backwards march, otherwise it's a piece of cake.

Now, marching (or in most casees, jazz running) while spinning a flag....

And actually, in my high school band we only used trombones in parades and concerts. On the field we used bass trumpets -- not quite the same sound and not nearly as much fun to play.

congratulations!!
 

I'm so happy your son is going into band!! It's going to make scholorship searches much more easier once he's old enough for college!
I'm kinda leaning towards trumpet...I mean..my music scholorship is for it..lol :) But I will say being a low brass is -very- fun, especially when playing some of those throaty-deep-seat-shaking songs!! But, have you looked at maybe clarinet? I started out on it (5th to 7th grade) then went to bassoon (7th grade to college) and played trumpet for marching (9-college). The colleges absolutely LOVE those 'odd' instruments like the bassoon, baritone sax, baritones, and will give out very nice monies for experience in those!! So when he gets up to middle school let him switch to a larger instrument!! It'll break the boring-ness of the starter horn phase and give you the chance to have less money to pay out for his college!!
....and one more thing..don't let him quit!!! ;)

So a year later, I'm happy to say that he's an accomplished trombone player and now his brother is going into band. He has chosen :( the drums. OMG.

Carnation, I will say a prayer for you and your son. ;)

Throughout elementary, high school, and college, almost all of the dummers that I have met have been ummmmmm....not sure how to put this..... either just totally nuts, or stoners/troublemakers of some sort. In elementary and HS, they were the kids always getting in trouble, smoking pot (well, HS, not elementary), etc.

Also, hope you can deal with him banging on things all the time and playing air drums. :D

Never fear carnation. That's what practice pads are for!

dzsaigirl ;)

Trumpet is fun for park and blow sections. I was also in the UCI drumline and drumming is fun as well.

Trumpets and trombones are a dime a dozen though.

My little brother played the drums for 8 years. You have my sympathies.

I think the trumpet is sexier in the long run!!LOL
I love jazz players!
Trombone, I just think of a big, duffy 1920's parade!
LOL

Personal overtime imagination problem, don't mind me! :D

Heck, I'm no help. I'm lucky if I can help my 7 year old with her piano lessons!

I just wanted to give a shout out to my sisters Anne Marie and Marti - you ladies know your stuff! :D

from one band geek to another:

The low brass being cooler than the trumpets...?? I don't know about that...;) :p :)

I played flute for 3 years but my hardcore band geek (I use the word geek lovingly, cuz we are the coolest people I know) days came from when I became a drummer in 8th grade (percussionist for the sophisticated). Band ruled, marching band especially (drummer boys do have a tendency to get a little ego about them though so I'd watch out;) :D :D ) I loved my time in band sooooo much the friends I have from HS are my band friends, I even went back to alumni night at band camp last week and I was filled with alot of the same feelings I get from being greek. I also miss playing with a group, I used to love to play the xylophone....sigh.. anyway, I'm drifting off into nostalgia. Congrats to both your sons, I'm sure they do very well and will go far. I suggest buying some ear muffs though;)

It's so cool that you're being so supportive of your kids. Especially if they become "really good" (which I'm sure they will!) you will be doing a lot of work yourself, fundraising, hauling them to clinics, lessons, masterclasses, honor bands etc. But seriously they'll appreciate it. I played a total of 4 instruments during my 7 years of band (flute, tenor sax, piano, and french horn) and I feel like I'm a better person for it. My sister is a drummer, so you have my sympathies! Maybe you'll luck out and he'll like the xylophone or marimba so he can only practice at school. ;)

Why a brass instrument!?

It's not too late! The kid can play the violin!

-- Actually, you want an instrument that can pay the way through college? Harp! Harpists are a rareity and can probably earn the kid a full ride without even having to be a music major (if they agree to play in orchestra).

My violin put me through school. They handed out strings scholarships to many folks. Band scholarships were harder to get as more folks applied -- plus there's marching season.

My soon to be 7th grade sister plays the bassoon. It's about as tall as she is, the double reeds break super easy and it sounds like a duck call. But she loves it! Oddly enough the other bassoon players in the band have the same personalities as my sis and are all in the gifted program together. Go smart musicians!

Yay for bassoonists! I played for eight years and I still miss it every once in a while. It's not a common instrument. Most people are easily intimidated by the bassoon, so I think it attracts the "smarties." There are just so many keys and everything about it so expensive.

In high school I also played percussion in marching band because you can't march a bassoon very well and my director would not allow you to only perform during concert season.

Drums or Percussion?

Drums, well, my brother played for years and year, I learned to tune it out while practicing piano.

If he's doing percussion - good for him! Percussionists are hard to come by. (Make him learn timpani!!!)

Haha, get ready for him to be "picking"(tapping, drumming) on every little thing....tables....cars...himself. I personally LOVED the drumline in High school marching band(although, I played clarinet). For one, all the hot guys were drummers, and two, I just loved all the cadences and things. They got me pumped up for games. I still love them.

amen on "percussionists are hard to come by" I was more of a percussionist than a drummer, I was first chair my senior year, not really because I had the best hands, but because I could read treble and bass clef!!!

I was a big mallet (xylo, marimba) player, also one of the few timpani players. Those drummer kids always end up hanging with the DCI crowd.