The Trumpet

The trumpet is a wind instrument of the brass family. The trumpet is a very versatile instrument with a wide range of playing techniques and has thrived in both classical and jazz music. In the realm of jazz music the trumpet, like the saxophone, has become a mainstay due to the music of talented trumpeters like Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis.

Trumpet Design

Trumpet's are made of brass tubing bent twice to form an oblong loop. Its parts consist of a mouthpiece, a number of sections of straight and curved tubing, a tuning slide, the valve assembly, and a bell. The mouthpiece is usually nickel and fits into a receiver that is connected to what is called the lead pipe - the first section of straight tubing. The U shaped tuning slide can be adjusted to compensate for intonation problems. The tubing then leads into the valve assembly, which contains three, or sometimes four, valves that are operated by pistons with internal air passages. These air passages either divert or channel the air from or into lengths of tubing called valve tubes. There is one valve tube per valve and each is of a set length, which determines the change in pitch. However, two of the valve tubes are adjustable in order to correct intonation problems. The tubing continues on the other side of the valve assembly, turning another 180 degrees and extending into the bell. The size, shape, and materials used for constructing both the bell and mouthpiece have a great deal of influence on the trumpet's tone.

Trumpet History

The trumpet has a long history stretching back to at least 2000 BC and includes early prototypes such as the sheneb of Egypt, the lur of Scandinavia, and the salpinx of ancient Greece. For most of its history it's been used as a military and religious signaling instrument, which has given it strong associations with pomp and pageantry. Connected as it was to the pomp of royalty and nobility, trumpet playing during the middle ages was a restricted and protected occupation. However, around the beginning of the 15th century, the trumpet playing in the western world began to take on musical functions as well. The long straight tube of the past changed into one with two bends, forming a single coiled tube of oblong shape. Due to the fixed length of these natural trumpet and its properties as a closed cylinder, special lip techniques (embouchure) were required to play the diatonic notes of major and minor scales. These techniques were developed by trumpeters Giovanni Gabrieli and Girolamo Fantini during the Renaissance and Baroque eras. This style of playing became known as clarino playing and with it composers began incorporating the trumpet into their musical compositions.

However, in an effort to make all of the chromatic notes in the octave available, various adaptations were tried during the baroque and classical eras. One such method involved fitting extra crooks of different lengths near the mouthpiece, which increased the overall tubing length and allowed it to played in a variety of keys. Other methods involved the use of a sliding mechanism along with the addition of tone holes and keys. None of these proved entirely adequate, however, as they had a negative impact on the trumpet's tone quality. In the early 19th century a valved trumpet was invented by Heinrich Stolzel, which introduced three extra lengths of tubing that were opened and closed by valves operated with finger buttons. Through the use of valves the player now had access, without changing instruments or crooks, to all 12 chromatic notes in the octave. In addition, the valved trumpet doesn't suffer from the inferior tonal problems that plagued the slide and keyed trumpets. The valved trumpet did not fully catch on until the century's close, but since it did it has remained the most common type of trumpet in use. The natural trumpet receeded in popularity for a time until it was resurrected in the 20th century as the baroque trumpet.

Trumpet Acoustics

Among the orchestral brass section, the trumpet plays the highest pitches, usually in the alto to soprano range. The trumpet's range spans about three octaves from beginning at F# below middle C and extending up. Like the trombone it has a cylindrical bore, which gives it a bright and penetrating tone. The similar cornet, by comparison, produces a more mellow tone due to its conical bore.

Sound is made by bowing air through pursed lips and into the mouthpiece. This vibration excites the air inside the trumpet, which then produces a pitch. Like most brass instruments, the pitch is largely determined by the player's embouchure (the position and tension of the lips). The instrument basically amplifies the pitch produced by the embouchure. The complex nature of trumpet acoustics means that only a limited range of notes is available within each overtone series. Suffice it to say that the valves, which open extra tubing lengths and change the pitch a set number of semitones, are what allow the trumpet to be fully chromatic. However, the wide range of lip techniques also have a great deal to do with the trumpet's overall musical versatility.

Types of Trumpets

• By far, the most common type of trumpet played is the B flat, though many other pitched trumpets are available. In the orchestral setting, the C trumpet is quite common and plays alongside the B flat trumpet.
• Piccolo trumpets have a higher range than the standard trumpet. They are often used for playing the higher pitched parts of many baroque and classical pieces, but their use has become more common in popular music genres as well. Their tubing is half the length of a standard trumpet and most have four valves. Depending on the lead pipe used they play in either A or B flat.
• The bass trumpet is pitched much lower than the standard trumpet and it's tubing length is about as long as the trombone's. It uses rotary, rather than piston, valves and its mouthpiece is similar to the trombone's, which is why it is typically played by a trombonist. However, the tone quality is much more similar to the trumpet rather than the trombone.
• The cornet and flugelhorn are often mistaken for trumpets due to the similarities in appearance. However, these two instruments have conical bores, which give them substantially different acoustical properties.