Although you might still be considered a beginner, you are actually gaining a lot of knowledge in the first 3-4 months. You've learned how to produce sounds consistently and are getting the hang of scales and rhythm, which means you’re starting to play some songs. You’re also figuring out how to deal with sticky valves, slow slides, discovering the importance of the spit valve, and some of you may have already experienced getting your mouthpiece stuck at least once. While you’re not professionals yet, you’ve reached a stage where it might be time to start considering your first accessory upgrades.
Now that you are making consistent sounds, a central goal for the rest of your career will be to improve that sound. With that in mind, you might think about upgrading these 3 minor accessories that actually have a huge impact on sound.
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Mouthpiece: An instrument designer manufactured your student instrument, and included a mouthpiece that is low cost and functional. All sound starts with the mouthpiece, so upgrading to a mouthpiece that was actually designed by a mouthpiece specialist is a low cost way to improve comfort, sound, and playability. We suggest an American Classic 7C or 5C. Built with a very comfortable rim, and a throat that allows for and open-blowing projecting sound, the American Classic is great for every style you will encounter during your career. If you are an intermediate player (playing for more than 2 years) you might consider the 3C.
Mute: If you don't need one yet, you will need one soon. Composers often ask for strait mutes and cup mutes and so these are usually the first two required by students. The mute gets placed in the bell and manipulates the sound of your instrument. A mute that is poorly tuned will throw off the whole tuning of your instrument resulting in bad sound, and lots of "cracked" or "split" note entrances. A good mute is built for sound and tuning. We highly recommend either the Denis Wick Synthetic Straight Mute, or the Denis Wick Aluminum Straight Mute. These 2 affordable mute options are 2 of the top selling mutes in the world because of their sound production, impeccable tuning, and long-lasting construction.
Tuner: The best musicians practice tuning every day. Your sound will be best when you play in tune. Buying a tuner, or downloading a tuner app is a great way to start upgrading your sound. Add the tuner to your warm up every day will help train your ear to hear the notes in tune, and will improve your sound. Once you are playing on a well tuned mouthpiece and mute, this is the next step to creating beautiful sound for the rest of your career.
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