Article / Updated 03-26-2016
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.