A friend's daughter is keen to start trumpet lessons, inspired by her Dad who plays. She's 7 years old which sounds too little to me, but as I'm a pianist and violinist I'm not qualified to say. I guess trumpets come in different sizes just like violins.....?

What are your views? Thanks.

no they don't. You can get trumpets and cornets but they're like flutes and clarinets, if they're smaller (like a piccolo trumpet or a soprano cornet) then they're aimed at more advanced players.
however, my sister started the trumpet when she was seven and she was quite small for her age so it is definitely possible.

Hi, I'm 13. I started trumpet lessons at school in Year 3, that's first year juniors. I was seven and a half. Nobody I know has started lessons earlier than that except for a little girl who is the daughter of my band conductor. She's about 6 and is able to play two octave. I know that her father teaches her and he is very strict but it is possible.

Trumpets do not come in different sizes. Actually I had a cornet to begin with. They're kind of not so long, more compact shape. If you are using an instrument from school or renting one you can see which is heavier, etc.

THere arent very many girls who play trumpet.I don't know why that is. I presume girls are strong enough to play. It's nice to see girls play trumpet. I would say maybe start with a cornet then progress to a trumpet in a few years time if she still wants to play. She may not know the difference between a cornet and a trumpet.

All of us who started lessons in Year 3 are now in Year 8 and we have all continued playing. I'm doing Grade 6 this term and play in concert band and senior brass, so we were able to cope. I'm only very little. I'm 13 but only 4 and a half stone and I've managed it well enough, so there's no reason why I dont think your daughter couldn't do it. I remember we had a kind of an audition at first for 10 mins to see if we had lung capacity.

I remember at Primary School we had a brass tutor come in to offer 5 of us a lesson - I can't remember what age we were at but it can't have been much more than 7.

His approach to whether we could do it was if we were able to puff enough air through it! Perhaps this would be a good guideline?

I dont teach brass so can't give any further advice than that but I have a trumpet kicking round, which I use to annoy people with. Pretty loud, but great fun

Out of our 3 trumpet players in our jazz band at school, 2 of them are girls. 1 of them is in Year 8 and about Gr. 7 and the other is in Yr. 10 and Gr. 8. Both of them have county music bursaries and so does the Yr. 8's twin brother (who also plays the trumpet!). So girls do play the trumpet!

I started in year 3 as well, but i started on the cornet. I dont know about anywhere else, but generally here in Coventry, you start off on a cornet, then move to a trumpet like I did. That didnt work out and i eneded up on the euph!

Now i think about it: i dont think this helps much!! Sorry!!!

Good Luck to your friends daughter!!!!

7/8 is about the right age to start, and most children will start at this age in school.

We got the trumpet lessons offered in year 3... but ended up as general brass and how I ended up playing horn. Im born in July so if I was 7 I was only just.

Its recommended that the child has their front adult teeth (- correct me if Im wrong).

[quote name='mikeyc' date='Sep 19 2007, 04:39 PM' post='594125']
[quote name='rachelbr' post='594114' date='Sep 19 2007, 04:25 PM']



THere arent very many girls who play trumpet.I don't know why that is. I presume girls are strong enough to play. It's nice to see girls play trumpet. I would say maybe start with a cornet then progress to a trumpet in a few years time if she still wants to play. She may not know the difference between a cornet and a trumpet.

at our school, out of 5 trumpet / cornets 4 of us are girls. only 1 of us 4 plays the trumpet thought the other 3 play cornets. i dont think strength should really come into the equation, both are equal.

good luck to her starting!! its really good fun!

I was 5 or 6 when I started playing. I didn't begin with a cornet either. Okay the trumpet was big compared to me but I managed okay. I don't really see why she would have a problem.

I teach a little girl who has just turned 5; she plays the pocket cornet, as a full size one is too large for her to hold. I also teach a six year old boy on the cornet - no issues - and plenty of 7, 8 and 9 year olds.

Yes; its important to have their adult front teeth, as the pressure applied by the mouthpiece requires a solid wall behind the lip. If they dont have their adult teeth, then there will be a long time in which they are unable to play due to 'lack of teeth', which could hinder their progress and interrupt their lessons..
Most good brass teachers dont let children learn unless they have their adult front teeth.

Apart from that, as long as the child has their teeth and is mature enough to be able to look after an instument, I see no reason for them not to begin learning.

Good luck!

Yes, my son was in year 3 when he started to play, he would have been quite a young 7 because his birthday's in June. It was no trouble at all.