I voted "don't know" because I am not sure if it is extremly achievable. Not extremly but yes, with some effort almost everything is possible :)
Probably there are easier instruments than trumpet. I tried some instruments which I don't play (violin, violoncello, clarinet, guitar, drums, trumpet) and trumpet was FOR ME really hard. Harder than guitar or clarinet. I guess it's also harder than to play a flute (that I play).
But everybody is different so...


Bandteacher, I see your signature "If you're listening to music right now, you should probably thank a music teacher."
I would add to this sentence it depends a lot WHO is this teacher. I had some teachers in school for music lessons, some in music school and there were very big differences. I play a flute and it is my big hobby because my first teacher was very very good. Every lesson was pleasure and free time with many emotions. On the other hand I tried to play piano but my teacher was soooo boring that I lost my interest to play this instrument.

And listening to music is matter of taste or personality. No teacher influenced my musical taste, it was only me and people around me, no teachers. Somebody listen to what they can find on radio or MTV and they don't need more. Some people search to find new music because they are curious and they want to know more and not only something what TV sais that it is good music.

Maybe in other countries it's different, I am not sure. But in czech schools, teachers talk only about classical music, little bit about jazz but nothing more. Other genres don't exist in czech school lessons and that's why influence of teacher is really really small. Students are more into another music than classical music and they often ignore talking about classical music. That's sad but on the other had I think we would need some new way how to make music lessons better and more interesting for teenagers.

I think with enough studying/time/motivation/determination any instrument could be self taught.

'extremely' achievable? don't think so.

achievable through determination and practice? absolutely.

Blue: No really, what gave it away? Perhaps bandteacher1 was a clue? Not to mentoin the fact that I didn't write it. I just quoted it.

And guys, I said self thought, which I meant without a teacher. Perhaps I should have stated that.

Blue2: What logic??? I said it was an idle point, that I wanted opinions.

you can be self taught, albeit it being a slow and perhaps incorrect curve.