"Now I can play without pain" – Valentina Cappello's left-handed trumpet story
- Linksgespielt
- May 13
- 2 min read
Updated: May 14
Do you see yourself as left-handed or right-handed? When did you change to left-handed playing and why?
I’m right-handed and have always played the trumpet the conventional way. However, due to a neurological-orthopedic issue in my right arm, over the years I gradually lost full functionality. Almost three years ago, my teacher, Maestro Alberto Mandarini, suggested I try switching to left-handed playing.
Please tell us more about this process: What were the most difficult aspects of retraining and how long did it take?
The hardest part was retraining my left hand to do all the movements that my muscle memory had built up over years with my right hand. It took about a year to complete the transition.
Have you faced any reservations or concerns from other people about playing left-handed? From where did you get support?
To be honest, I’ve never received any criticism – only positive, encouraging comments. I’ve had so much support from my colleagues and teachers, especially Maestro Alberto Mandarini and Maestro Andrea Tofanelli, and I’ll never be able to thank them enough.
How did you come by your lefty instruments?
Thanks to Maestro Tofanelli, I was put in touch with Eddie Veit and Gianbattista Corti at Yamaha. They were incredibly professional and created two fully customized left-handed instruments for me – not only with reversed grips but also with adapted levers for the third valve slide. I’ll be forever grateful to them, because thanks to their work, I can now play comfortably without pain in my hands.
Is playing left-handed part of your identity as a musician? Are you connected with other musicians who play that way?
Playing left-handed has now become part of my musical identity. I’m not in touch with other left-handed musicians yet, but I’d love to connect and share experiences.
Has your left-handed playing ever caused any funny or strange situations?
One of the funniest recurring situations is having to remind sound engineers to place the microphone on the right side of the bell instead of the left! Also, many fellow musicians are really curious and often ask to try out my instrument. I’m always happy to let them!
Photo credits: Arturo Di Vita
