Jeffrey Reynolds

When you first start thinking about taking up the trumpet, finding an instrument that’s right for you is at the top of your to-do list. You need a mouthpiece as well — one that’s a good size and design for your needs.Of course, when you have a trumpet and mouthpiece, you need to know how to take care of them so that they last a long time and stay in good working order.

Trumpets are pretty easy to look after, and mouthpieces even more so. All you need are oil, slide grease, and a lint-free cloth to care for your musical equipment. Oiling the valves: A new trumpet has a breaking-in period of about a month during which you should oil the valves and give the valves an oil change more frequently.

First, the basics: Many kinds of trumpets, and cousins of trumpets, are on the market, but you’re looking for a B♭trumpet. In North America, you want piston valves. (Many European players use rotary valves.) If you’re shopping for a first trumpet for a young child, you may want to consider a cornet; the tubing of a cornet is wrapped more tightly so that the weight is distributed differently and the balance is more comfortable for small hands.

Here are the fingerings for the notes you’ll be playing on your trumpet for at least the first few months. The first valve is the one closest to you, the second valve is the middle one, and the third valve is — you guessed it — the one farthest from you. The notation “0” means no valves at all.