Or have you played something else in the past? What’s your favorite piece to play?
Edit: thanks for everyone that has replied. This has been so heartwarming to read :)
Or have you played something else in the past? What’s your favorite piece to play?
Edit: thanks for everyone that has replied. This has been so heartwarming to read :)
I learned in this order: clarinet, trumpet, piano, penny whistle, kalimba, guitar, and harmonica. I don’t actually play most anymore, the joy of music to me is in performance and I was never good or passionate enough about instruments to perform with them.
My favorite always was the trumpet. I love the sound and the feel of it. It’s just got a punch and energy that I haven’t gotten from other instruments. I haven’t played since I was a teen though because it’s just too loud for me to be able to practice without bothering people.
Get a mute for your trumpet, and head for the basement. Maybe even build a little insulated chamber to cut down the sound more, or play in a closet. Once you get your chops back and start improving, other people won’t mind hearing you.
Thanks for the tips! I never heard of a trumpet mute. Unfortunately I’ll have to work on getting another trumpet as well as a basement before I try your suggestions. I’ll still save your comment, maybe one day I could try again.
You can pick up used trumpets on Facebook Marketplace for cheap. The most common mutes are straight and cup mutes.
Jazz players use them a lot. It gives them a cool, quiet, strained sound. Miles Davis used a straight mute often. So did Dizzy.
Get a cheap trumpet, stick a mute in it, and stand in your closet door, and play into your clothes.
Yeah, they are a lot cheaper than I expected. I appreciate the push and I’m very tempted, but my final excuse is just that I’m hella ADHD. I’ve got a long history of picking things up only to quickly put them back down and I’ve grown to be very careful when I think of getting into anything new. It’s why I’ve mostly played small instruments, they’re cheap and easier to store. I gotta think about it and talk to some people.
Here’s the advice I give to new guitarists, but it could work for trumpet, too.
I always tell noobs to put their instrument on a stand next to their bed, so it’s the first and last thing you see each day.
Play for about 20 minutes when you first get up, and 20 minutes before you go to bed. Then find 20 minutes during the day. That will give you 60 minutes of practice each day, and if you miss one, like the middle one, you still got in 2 other 20 minute sessions. As a trumpet player, you may have to adjust your times to be less intrusive to neighbors and such, but the point is to establish a daily practice ROUTINE. That way, it will feel weird when you skip practice.
This sort of a schedule could work well with your ADHD, because it quickly becomes a daily habit, and it feels weird to skip it. Also, studies have shown that you improve quicker with multiple short practice sessions that one long one.
I always recommend that every person dedicate themselves to doing at least one thing in their life that is difficult - learn a language, learn to knit, work out, run, create a garden, etc. I chose to learn an instrument (guitar), my son is systematically reading classic literature, etc. Mastering something difficult, or even just trying it, and improving, does wonders for a person’s mental health, self-confidence, and ego. It would surely help you cope with your ADHD.