Trumpet
Bronze and silver trumpets emerged from the grave of Tutankhamun in Egypt, dating back to 1326, 1336 BC. These artifacts represent some of the earliest known examples of the instrument, alongside bronze lurs found in Scandinavia and metal trumpets from China that date to 2000 BC or earlier. The Salpinx was a straight trumpet approximately one meter long, crafted from bone or bronze during the Classical Period. Homer's Iliad contains the earliest reference to its sound, with frequent descriptions appearing throughout ancient texts. Salpinx contests were originally part of the Olympic Games, highlighting the instrument's role in public spectacle. Religious traditions also utilized these instruments, such as the Shofar made from ram horns and the Hatzotzeroth made of metal. They were said to have been played in Solomon's Temple around 3,000 years ago and remain in use on certain religious days today. The Moche people of ancient Peru depicted trumpets in their art going back to AD 300. Trumpets from the Oxus civilization of Central Asia featured decorated swellings in the middle yet were constructed from a single sheet of metal. This construction method is considered a technical wonder for its time. Early trumpets functioned primarily as signaling devices for military or hunting purposes rather than music in the modern sense.
The English word trumpet first appeared in 1300, derived from Old French terms meaning long tube-like musical wind instrument. Improvements to instrument design and metal making in the late Middle Ages led to increased usefulness as a musical tool by the late 14th or early 15th century. Natural trumpets of this era consisted of a single coiled tube without valves and could only produce notes of a single overtone series. Changing keys required players to change crooks of the instrument. Cesare Bendinelli developed the upper clarino register, lending itself well to the Baroque era known as the Golden Age of natural trumpet. A vast body of music was written for virtuoso trumpeters during this period. Berlioz wrote in 1844 that few instruments had been more degraded than the trumpet down to Beethoven and Weber. Modern instruments generally have three piston valves to change pitch, though some use rotary types common in German orchestras. The first valve lowers pitch by a whole step while the second drops it by half a step. The third valve reduces pitch by one and a half steps. Having three valves provides eight possible combinations but only seven different tubing lengths because the third valve alone gives essentially the same length as the 1, 2 combination. When a fourth valve is present on piccolo trumpets, it usually lowers pitch by a perfect fourth.
The trumpet is constructed of brass tubing bent twice into a rounded oblong shape. Sound production begins when air blows through slightly separated lips, creating a buzzing sound into the mouthpiece. This action starts a standing wave vibration in the air column inside the trumpet. The player selects pitch from overtones or harmonics by changing lip aperture and tension known as embouchure. The mouthpiece features a circular rim providing a comfortable environment for lip vibration. Directly behind the rim lies the cup which channels air into a much smaller opening called the back bore. Dimensions of these parts affect timbre, playability, and comfort. Generally wider and deeper cups produce darker sounds. Most notes in the harmonic series are slightly out of tune. Modern trumpets have slide mechanisms for the first and third valves to compensate. Renold Schilke designed the tuning-bell trumpet to overcome intonation problems. Removing the usual brace between bell and valve body allows use of a sliding bell. Players can then tune the horn with the bell while leaving slides pushed in. Trumpets can be constructed from other materials including plastic. The overall pitch raises or lowers using the tuning slide. Pulling the slide out lowers pitch while pushing it in raises it.
The most common type is the B trumpet but A, C, D, E, F, and G variants exist. Piccolo trumpets are the smallest instruments built to play in both B and A keys. Their tubing length is one-half that of a standard B trumpet making them sound an octave higher. Maurice André, Håkan Hardenberger, David Mason, and Wynton Marsalis are well-known players on piccolo trumpets. Bass trumpets sit at the same pitch as trombones and usually feature C or B pitches. Historical slide trumpets were probably developed in the late 14th century for alta cappella wind bands. Renaissance versions had a single slide moving the entire instrument with range no more than a major third. Pocket trumpets are compact B models with smaller bells and tightly wound tubing. Jazz musician Don Cherry was renowned for playing pocket instruments. Herald trumpets have straight tubing long enough to accommodate hanging banners for parades. David Monette designed the flumpet in 1989 for jazz musician Art Farmer. It is a hybrid of trumpet and flugelhorn pitched in B. Rotary-valve German trumpets are commonly used in professional Austrian orchestras. The Vienna valve trumpet serves Viennese brass ensembles like the Vienna Philharmonic.
Pressing valves indicated by numbers produces written notes depending on transposition. Engaging the fourth valve drops any pitch by a perfect fourth if present. Notes in parentheses represent the sixth overtone which is flat relative to equal temperament. Trumpeters can play extremely high registers including Maynard Ferguson, Cat Anderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Doc Severinsen, John Madrid, Wayne Bergeron, Louis Dowdeswell, Thomas Gansch, James Morrison, Jon Faddis, and Arturo Sandoval. Flutter tonguing rolls the tongue tip as if rolling an R in Spanish to produce growling tones. Berio and Stockhausen widely employed this technique. Growling involves simultaneously playing tone while vibrating the uvula with the back of the tongue. Chicago Jazz of the 1950s often utilized plunger mutes with this method. Double tonguing uses syllables ti-ki while triple tonguing employs ti-ki-ti or di-gi-di. Glissandos allow sliding between notes by depressing valves halfway and changing lip tension. Microtones appear in works by Scelsi and Stockhausen using quarter-tone steps. Ibrahim Maalouf uses such trumpets invented by his father for Arab maqams. Circular breathing allows uninterrupted tone without pauses for breaths.
Louis Armstrong was well known for virtuosity and improvisations on Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. His switch from cornet to trumpet heralded the instrument's dominance over the cornet in jazz. Dizzy Gillespie built upon Roy Eldridge's style adding new layers of harmonic complexity. He had enormous impact on virtually every subsequent trumpeter both through playing and mentorship. Miles Davis is widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. His distinctive phrasing and sense of space became models for generations of jazz musicians. Cat Anderson played with Duke Ellington's Big Band known for extremely high volume and range. Maynard Ferguson came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own band in 1957. He was noted for accuracy in a remarkably high register. These players expanded technical possibilities and shaped the modern role of the instrument within popular music ensembles.
Anton Weidinger developed the first successful keyed trumpet capable of chromatic play in the 1790s. Joseph Haydn wrote his Trumpet Concerto for him in 1796 startling contemporary audiences by its novelty. At the first performance in Vienna in 1800 a melody appeared in lower registers than previously practicable. The concerto featured stepwise melodies played low in the instrument's range. Berlioz criticized composers down to Beethoven and Weber for confining the trumpet to filling up or sounding commonplace rhythmical formulae. Modern repertoire makes extensive use of pedal tones below standard ranges. Extreme low pedals are produced by slipping the lower lip out of the mouthpiece. Claude Gordon assigned pedals as part of practice routines expanding on lessons with Herbert L. Clarke. Bohumir Kryl pioneered this technique. Contemporary music utilizes extended techniques like split tone producing more than one tone simultaneously. Multi-phonics involve sustaining a note while humming a different note at the same time. Composers have called for trumpeters to play under water or with slides removed. Preparations include alternate constructions such as double bells and extra valves.
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Common questions
When were the earliest known trumpets created?
Bronze and silver trumpets emerged from the grave of Tutankhamun in Egypt, dating back to 1326 or 1336 BC. These artifacts represent some of the earliest known examples of the instrument alongside bronze lurs found in Scandinavia and metal trumpets from China that date to 2000 BC or earlier.
How did the trumpet evolve during the Baroque era?
Cesare Bendinelli developed the upper clarino register which lent itself well to the Baroque era known as the Golden Age of natural trumpet. A vast body of music was written for virtuoso trumpeters during this period before Berlioz wrote in 1844 that few instruments had been more degraded than the trumpet down to Beethoven and Weber.
What materials are used to construct modern trumpets?
The trumpet is constructed of brass tubing bent twice into a rounded oblong shape though trumpets can be constructed from other materials including plastic. Sound production begins when air blows through slightly separated lips creating a buzzing sound into the mouthpiece.
Who are famous piccolo trumpet players mentioned in the text?
Maurice André Håkan Hardenberger David Mason and Wynton Marsalis are well-known players on piccolo trumpets. Piccolo trumpets are the smallest instruments built to play in both B and A keys with tubing length one-half that of a standard B trumpet making them sound an octave higher.
When was the first keyed trumpet invented?
Anton Weidinger developed the first successful keyed trumpet capable of chromatic play in the 1790s. Joseph Haydn wrote his Trumpet Concerto for him in 1796 startling contemporary audiences by its novelty at the first performance in Vienna in 1800.