Summerhays Music stocks a large variety of trumpets from the best manufacturers in the world; Yamaha, Gerhard Baier, Bach, Accent, Sonare, Courtous, and Conn. We have over 50 intermediate and professional trumpets in stock, and over 200 student-level trumpets, so you can find the one that is right for you. Why buy from a mail order company you don’t know when you can play and demo every major brand of trumpet right here in Salt Lake City?

Check out some of our outstanding Trumpet specials below!
Call or visit our store for more information on any of these, or other trumpet models.

Not all trumpets are created equal. A quality trumpet should be constructed of high-quality brass, thick enough to hold up against daily use. The valves should fit perfectly, and move smoothly. The soldering (welding) that holds the trumpet together should be clean and strong. The mouthpiece should be perfectly shaped to allow the most beautiful sound to be produced. Quality trumpets will naturally play in tune, and produce a beautiful sound. Many of the best trumpets in the world are made right here in the United States. Europe also produces very high quality instruments, especially Germany.

What to avoid
Sadly, some overseas manufacturers, more interested in corporate profits than the success of the beginning student, are producing extremely low quality, poor sounding, cheap instruments trying to draw parents away from the high quality instruments that cost more. Summerhays Music Center refuses to carry instruments of such poor quality. To the untrained eye, it can be difficult to see the difference between one of these low quality trumpets, and high quality instruments. Watch out for uneven finish work, poor soldering or welds, sticky valves or valves that do not move smoothly. These instruments do not play in tune, produce a beautiful sound, or stand the test of time.

We suggest...
For the beginning trumpet player, we suggest renting a high quality, student line instrument. At Summerhays Music Center we carry only the best in student line instruments, with brands including Yamaha, Bach, Accent, and Jupiter. After a few years, the student will be ready to upgrade to a professional quality (also known as "step-up") trumpet. When that time comes, Summerhays Music Center will help find the best instrument for you. And at Summerhays Music you build up a trade credit while renting your student line instrument, which can be applied to the purchase of your new professional trumpet!

Your best resource
Your best resource is a knowledgeable musician who knows the instrument inside and out. Stop by Summerhays Music where we’ll help you determine the best instrument for you! Then choose from our large selection of high-quality student- through professional- level instruments. Stop in and see us today!

The trumpet is one of the oldest instruments in history. Primitive trumpets are found on every continent and are usually associated with ceremonial and tribal rituals. Many of the early trumpets were actually large sea shells or animal horns, and were used as a signal by “buzzing” the lips into the smallest end of the shell or animal horn. As technology improved, trumpets began to be made of brass, and were long, straight instruments with a small end with a mouthpiece into which the lips were buzzed, and a flare at the end called a "bell," as it is today. The early trumpet players would change the note by buzzing their lips at different speeds, and blowing faster and slower speeds of air.

The greatest advancement for the trumpet came in the mid-1800's, with the creation of the valve. There are three valves on today's trumpet, which, when pressing them down, opens up more tubing making the trumpet longer. Buzzing the lips at different speeds, and using different valve combinations, allows a modern trumpet player to play all the different notes.

Today the trumpet is part of the "brass" family of instruments. In the brass family you will find the trumpet, trombone, french horn, baritone, and tuba. All the instruments in the brass family are made of brass, and coated or plated with a silver, black, or brass finish. Each instrument uses a mouthpiece, into which the player buzzes his/her lips. The buzzing sound is amplified (made louder) through the rest of the instrument, until the sound comes out the bell.

The Trumpet Today

There are many different variations on the trumpet, including the cornet, flugel horn, and piccolo trumpet. The trumpet used in band, is called the B-flat trumpet, and B-flat trumpets are all made the exact same size, so one size fits all.

Trumpets can be found in all kinds of music, from concert band, marching band, orchestra, jazz, funk, ska, rhythm and blues, and more. It is one of the loudest instruments in the band, and a trumpet player needs to have the confidence to be heard over the rest of the band or orchestra. Almost anyone can learn to play the trumpet, as long as they are physically capable of holding the instrument and has enough strength in their lips to buzz into the mouthpiece.