The Brass for Beginners® Natural Trumpet is the ideal introduction to brass playing for all ages. It is constructed from safe, strong, non-toxic polymer and is built to last, without moving parts that can become lost or damaged. It also includes a two-year limited warranty against defects in materials or workmanship (details included in the Owner’s Manual). The instrument’s overall design is supported by significant research and development, ensuring it offers accurate intonation and sound quality.
The BfB natural trumpet was designed for use both as a stand-alone learning instrument and in conjunction with the Brass for Beginners own brass music programme which offers an innovative, engaging and informative introduction to brass music and instruments, whilst helping to establish the vital fundamentals of brass playing.
The Wallace Collection and the BfB Natural Trumpet
The Wallace Collection have utilised numerous sets of these instruments to deliver a variety of education programmes over recent years. Significant projects include a London-based Discovering Brass project, involving 90 children from three primary schools and a finale concert at the Royal Academy of Music; as well as a learning tool for over 80 beginner players as part of the ongoing StAMP project (a 5-year collaborative music project with University of St Andrews), launched through its inaugural StAMP Brass Camp in the summer of 2020.
See the Brass for Beginners Natural Trumpet in action as part of our Discovering Brass project:
What Makes the BfB Natural Trumpet Special?
The BfB Natural Trumpet enables the student to learn the fundamentals of brass playing, distraction-free (no valves or slides), and significantly helps to develop their production skills by focusing on the instrument’s natural harmonics – the basis of all brass playing.
There is also no movable tuning slide – the instrument is designed to help the player learn to produce the range of harmonics of the instrument and so the notes will fall naturally into place when they develop their ability. Where the centre of the note is not achieved (especially in the early days of learning), the tuning is adjusted by the player’s own intonation technique through listening and adjusting their embouchure accordingly. This is another great advantage of the BfB Natural Trumpet – it promotes a great listening discipline within a controlled harmonic range.
The Chicago-based originators of the instrument and Brass for Beginners education programme have also authored a student book (and numerous other support materials), which gives access to the Brass for Beginners music programme’s core resources with many additional offerings provided online.
Whilst ideal for an introduction to brass playing either one-to-one or as part of a larger learning ensemble, the instrument’s tonal accuracy and quality of build also makes it a worthy candidate for more accomplished brass players wishing to explore the natural trumpet repertoire.
