Where can I purchase a baroque trumpet? 

There are many baroque trumpet makers, but the most prominent dealer in the US is The Baroque Trumpet Shop.  The store is owned and operated by trumpeter Barry Bauguess and offers a fine selection of instruments, mouthpieces, cases and other related gear.  If you shop there, tell him Chris Coletti sent you!

What mouthpiece should I play on baroque trumpet?

Baroque trumpet receivers are much larger than modern trumpet receivers, meaning you will need to get an adapter to use your modern mouthpiece on a baroque trumpet.   The adapter is a good thing to own as using your own mouthpiece will aid in learning the instrument's other difficulties, but eventually you will want to play a more historical mouthpiece.  Baroque trumpeters had many size options back then, just as we do today, but generally mouthpieces were much larger (bigger/deeper cups, longer design), had very flat rims, and the cup entered the throat at a sharp angle.  I will post more information about mouthpieces soon--baroque trumpet mouthpieces are a small obsession of mine!  I also have way too many so I am willing to sell some of my extras that I no longer play regularly.

Do you play a baroque trumpet that uses the 4-hole, 3-hole (or no hole system)?

I LOVE playing baroque trumpet with no holes.  Holes were not invented until the 20th century so there is absolutely nothing historic about the holes on baroque trumpets.  That being said, the intonation and accuracy of a modernized baroque trumpet is significantly better, and the sound is very similar, so nearly all baroque trumpeters use trumpets with either a 3 or 4 hole system.   I play the 4-hole system which has, in my opinion, more difficult fingering but better accuracy and intonation.  I also like that the 4-hole system trumpets are wound more similarly to the trumpets of the baroque period; 3-hole system trumpets are wrapped tighter (easier to travel with as they fit in a normal trumpet case), and come apart quicker (better for discreetly emptying spit in a concert), but they do not much like trumpets made in the baroque period.  Click here to get a free 4-hole fingering chart, and here for the 3-hole chart.

What is the best baroque trumpet brand/maker to buy?

I play and Egger and it’s awesome. They are a bit expensive, but you can sometimes get used ones. THere are also more makers these days than when i was in the market for one, and if you’re truly interested, send me an email and I will send you an updated list.

This post is admittedly short and incomplete. Leave questions and I will expand further, or maybe get a guest artist to do an interview to the subject! Stay tuned….

-Chris

PS I have some Baroque trumpet mouthpieces that I 3D printed in PLA plastic so I could try them out before buying the metal versions; stay tuned and I will post these pictures and maybe even record a video sampling each one and it's different qualities.

PPS Check out my other posts on the baroque trumpet, including a picture of my playing a beautiful replica (no-holes!) trumpet from Nuremberg!

Piccolo trumpet is a super fun instrument to play.Invented in the 20th century, the modern piccolo trumpet is pitched in Bb (or A), one octave higher than a standard Bb trumpet. 

Many contemporary pieces are written for the instrument, but is often used to play baroque music which tends to be in the higher register.

Baroque music composers, however, had a very different instrument in mind.  

You can read about baroque trumpets here, but for now, listen to the difference between 2 baroque trumpets and 2 piccolo trumpets playing this excerpt from Johann Sebastian Bach's Easter Oratorio.

This simple tool trims your warm up down to the bare essentials–it’s is the 80/20 principal at it’s best!

I’d love to know what you think — It’s a work in progress but so far it works great for people:

“…your routine, which I do religiously, has definitely made a difference in setting me up for a good day- thank you!”

-M, Toronto

“The warmup worked wonders and I’ve been playing all around my horn since I starting doing the warmup before playing!” – Sal, NYC

Signup below and I'll email it to you straight away! 

-Chris

I owe my success as a trumpet player to my parents, my teachers, and many many of hours of practice from the books listed below.

I've categorized each book based on 3 criteria:

• Difficulty Level (easy, medium, hard),

• Focus (technique, phrasing, transposition),

• Practical Use (auditions, practice, technique).

You won't find a professional trumpet player who hasn't used most, if not all, of these books.

As always, if you think there are books that should be listed here that aren't, let me know in the comments!

-Chris

PS I've added a few books to the list that I didn't personally use much but use all the time with my students - enjoy this revised list as of 2025! 

Daily Drills and Technical Studies by Max Schlossberg

 One of the best books for developing flexibility.  I learned how to lip trill using this book--this is a major moment in any trumpet or horn player's life as the instrument immediately becomes WAY easier. Do yourself a favor and get this book!

• Difficulty: progresses from easy to hard

• Focus: technique, focus on flexibility

• Use: personal practice

___

Technical Studies for the Cornet by Herbert L. Clarke

 Herbert L. Clarke was one of the most virtuosic cornet players of all time, redefining what was possible on the instrument. This method book includes some of the most quintessential exercises for trumpeters... go back stage to any major concert hall or conservatory and you will surely hear the best trumpeters working on passages from this book.

• Difficulty: progresses from easy to hard

• Focus: technique (articulation, finger exercises)

• Use: personal practice

___

Inspired by composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reiche, Tys Music and Brandon Ridenour, this flashy duet never stops! It takes advantage of finger combinations that sound harder than they are, enabling blazing speed and constant motion.

The world premiere was done at Rafael Mendez Summer Brass Institute 2024 in Denver, CO and was part of an ongoing experiment to create my own content using portable equipment many people already own. Video and audio was recorded with 3 common devices: an iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 11, and iPad Pro 12.9. Video editing was done in DaVinci Resolve (FREE professional software - I highly recommend it!).

-Chris