Ds has been offered the chance to learn trumpet, he wanted to play saxophone but the music school have assessed him, let him try all the different instruments (euphonium, sax, trumpet, trombone, clarinette and flute) and he's been chosen for trumpet. Does anyone have a 9 or 10 year old who plays trumpet? I once (pre-children) looked after a boy who had to learn trumpet becuase his dad wanted him to and he hated it and could hardly get a note out of it. It was my job to supervise practise after homework.

Ds is really please danyway, I just hope he won't be dissapointed if it's hard to play.

Depends. I can offer you experience of 10-yr-old cornet player, 9-yr-old euphonium and 7-yr-old tenor horn.

Cornet is shorter, lighter and easier to hold, and the larger brass (euphonium, tenor horn) are easier as they take less pressure to produce a good sound. On the other hand, you can be a real prima donna with a trumpet, and play jazz -- great for a would-be saxophone player! If he loves it, that's half the battle.

Thanks Pussinwellies. I hope he enjoys it and I was secretly pleased he got the trumpet - my first true love in teen years played one too and he was in a band! Wonder how much a trumpet will cost, he uses the music school one - or more like we rent it from them but he has alreday said if he likes it he wants one of his own for Christmas!

Maybe I should add that not all those children are mine (though as we share music lessons, transport and spare clothes, it gets hard to remember which are which).

Trumpet is really versatile, and much more chance of getting into a band or orchestra than if he was the umpteenth clarinet player in the school. Good luck to him!

My daughter was playing the cornet last year in school band.I went to hear their first concert, bless them.From what it sounded like it must be quite hard as they could only do very very basic notes!!!She is ten and was in year 5 last year which is when they all started.

Yay! My son learns the trumpet...well actually the cornet at the mo (he is 9 ) and has been for the last 2 years. (I am a music teacher)The cornet is a good one to start on as is the clarinet and the violin too for making a nice-ish sound at the beginning. But, its up to what will inspire your kiddie - if they want to make the sound of an instrument rather than what it looks like...they have to love its sound

I played the trumpet through school and I loved it. I was in the school orchestra and jazz band and boy did we have fun. It is great fun and I met so many friends from this experience.
So I would recommend it to anyone

My daughter plays cornet (and piano, guitar and recorder) and thoroughly enjoys it.

She makes a reasonably nice noise most of the time and says the lessons are fun.