From a Miles Davis solo crooning in a jazz lounge to the eerie echo of taps in the crisp morning air mourning the loss of a military service member to the blaring solo in a movie score announcing the hero’s impending triumph, modern trumpet pieces add dynamic musical flavor to our lives. What most people do not realize is that the trumpet actually represents an entire musical family.
In this article, we offer a comprehensive guide to the different types of trumpets, their history, and what makes them unique.
Table of Contents
The Bb Trumpet
The first few trumpets discussed are named after the keys in which they play.
When most people think of a trumpet, it’s most likely that the Bb Trumpet is the one that comes to mind.
The Bb trumpet is known as a transposing instrument, because when you play a C note, what you actually hear is a concert Bb pitch note.
Bb trumpet parts are therefore written according to this transposition and dependent upon the key of the song.
It is not only the most common trumpet, and the trumpet that most beginner brass players learn first, but it is also one of the most commonly played and highlighted brass instruments in marching bands and orchestras.
The Bb trumpet was invented in 1800s France to replace the cornet (discussed later in the article) for a brassier sound in orchestral symphony music.
Previously, the F and G trumpets were used to accomplish this, but they were large instruments, so the smaller Bb and similar trumpets eventually replaced those entirely.
It was also a pivotal instrument in the development of jazz music, in which it plays a starring role to this day.
The Bb trumpet is also the longest type of modern trumpet as if you uncoiled it, it would be over four feet long!
This build is responsible for the richer and more mellow tone of the Bb trumpet as compared with the C, D, Eb and piccolo trumpets discussed next.
The C Trumpet
The C Trumpet, you guessed it, plays in the key of C which means that when you play a C note, the instrument does not transpose it, and you hear a straight concert pitched C.
For this reason, C trumpets are often played for solo pieces where an instrument in a different key would require extra fingering and tuning work.
The C trumpet also produces a brighter sound one pitch above than the Bb trumpet, making it the best choice for orchestral ensembles and tunes that are written to highlight this type of sound.
The C trumpet made its debut in France right around the same time as the Bb trumpet as part of the movement to create a brassier sound than the cornet without the bulk of the F and G trumpets.
At first glance, the C trumpet looks very similar to the Bb trumpet, but, a closer look will reveal slightly shorter tubing, which is responsible for the distinction in sound type.
The D/Eb Trumpet
The invention of the Bb and C trumpets got musicians excited about the diversity in sound they were able to create.
During the Baroque music period, the D Trumpet was created to add an even more bright and piercing sound.
The D trumpet is so piercing, in fact, that it is meant to highlight pieces and reach notes that other instruments cannot reach.
You will therefore not find whole pieces or solos written for the D trumpet.
Most famously, you will hear the D trumpet throughout Hendel’s Messiah.
Similar to the C trumpet, the D trumpet produces its distinct sound as a result of a slightly shorter build and tubing.
Another thing worth mentioning is that you can also get an Eb trumpet which actually a modification to the D trumpet!
A D trumpet comes with additional tubing and in some cases a fourth valve.
Players add the additional equipment to reach the desired Eb pitch.
It sounds like a lot of work, but it makes all the difference in adding the desired tone to a particular piece.
The Piccolo Trumpet
Piccolo is Italian for small, and that is exactly what a Piccolo Trumpet is – the smallest member of the trumpet family.
This little trumpet technically plays in the key of Bb, one octave above the Bb trumpet and so is also a transposing instrument.
With its higher, brighter pitch and range, the piccolo trumpet was effectively created as an alternative to the D trumpet.
Invented in the early 1900s and predominantly used in religious music, but you’ll also hear its starring role in The Beatles hit song Penny Lane.
The decision of whether to use a D trumpet or a piccolo trumpet is up to the stylistic preference of the player, the occasion, the ensemble and the particular piece.
It also holds the option for an additional piece of tubing that allows musicians to play in the key of A.
The piccolo trumpet owes its tone, pitch, and range to its short and uniquely arranged tubing and its fourth valve.
The Pocket Trumpet
People often confuse the piccolo trumpet with the pocket trumpet or incorrectly assume that they are interchangeable.
Whereas the piccolo trumpet is a small trumpet whose size difference contributes to an entirely different sound, the Pocket Trumpet is essentially a Bb trumpet in sound that has been wound tighter to make it smaller and more ‘pocket‘ sized.
Some players report a slightly warmer sound quality with the pocket as opposed to traditional Bb trumpet, on account of how tightly wound the coils are.
For the most part, players enjoy this smaller version of the Bb for convenience.
For more information, check out our article on the best pocket trumpets here.
The Natural Trumpet
Before any of the above trumpets were invented for the ease of creating specific notes, the original trumpet had no valves at all.
Today these instruments are known as the Natural Trumpet which was a popular instrument of the baroque period.
They were typically played in the key of D, which was the most common key for music of that time.
Players changed notes entirely through embouchure, or lip positioning and flexibility which is known as the harmonic series.
All trumpet players know how to do this because it is how you get different notes out of the same valve combinations.
Playing a natural trumpet simply involves a great diversification of this skill.
With a total of about 8 feet of tubing, the natural trumpet is larger than the Bb trumpet.
The Bugle
In the early 1800s, the natural trumpet gave way to the Bugle.
This valveless trumpet cousin was created and used almost exclusively for military purposes, as its simple coil structure produces an echoing tone quality ideal for military services.
Here’s a video of one being played in a military remembrance service.
Most common in the current bugle corps is the soprano bugle created in a low key of G.
Despite most bugles being played without valves using the harmonic series, nowadays, many modern bugles do include valves for ease of play and note change.
The Slide Trumpet
During the 15th century Renaissance music period, the Slide Trumpet was a very popular instrument.
You might find it unsurprising that the slide trumpet eventually gave birth to what we now know as the trombone, a popular lower-toned brass instrument.
Although the slide trumpet employed a similar mechanism as the trombone, using the slide to achieve different notes, the build was very distinct.
Rather than holding the instrument in place and moving the slide, slide trumpet players hold the mouthpiece and move the majority of the instrument.
With the advancement of more modern trumpet varieties, the slide trumpet is certainly cumbersome and difficult to play, but it makes for a fun skill to showcase!
The Flügelhorn
Created in Germany in the mid-1800s, the Flugelhorn is another trumpet cousin that was invented to add range to the trumpet’s sound quality.
The flügelhorn has a distinctly larger and looser coil than the trumpet, which produces a softer sound.
This instrument is therefore well suited for jazz ballads and elegies requiring longer and fuller notes.
The Cornet
Last but not least, we come full circle to the Cornet, previously mentioned as the precursor to the Bb trumpet.
The cornet also plays in the key of Bb, but its tone is more mellow than that of the other trumpet instruments due to its more compressed build.
This also makes it easier to hold and ideal for new players to learn on.
For more information, check out our post here about the differences between a trumpet and a cornet.
That’s it for Trumpet Types
That wraps up our article on the different trumpet types you might see, we hope you found it helpful.
Long before its musical debut, some variation of the trumpet has been used for military and ceremonial purposes for over 3000 years.
Many different nations and eras of music have left their mark on the evolution of the trumpet, creating a diverse family of brass instruments, each member with a unique purpose and quality.
The different trumpet styles and cousins presented in this article expose your many possibilities as a musician.
As stated above, there are more than ten different types of trumpets. They differ from one another based on the type of key that they play and are categorized according to the size, the material used to design them and, importantly, the quality of sound they can deliver.
The piccolo trumpet is half the size of a normal trumpet and is pitched an octave higher. Piccolo trumpets are also commonly made with four piston valves, not three, as with standard trumpets.
Bb Trumpets are by far the most common type of trumpet around. Students through to professional trumpet players around the world play the Bb and it can be seen in practically every Western genre of music, from Orchestras, Wind Bands, Big Bands, you name it..... there'll be a trumpet!
What are big trumpets called? The tuba is the biggest and lowest brass trumpet. They anchor the harmony on the brass family and the whole orchestra with its deep rich sound.
In the Book of Revelation, seven trumpets are sounded, one at a time, to cue apocalyptic events seen by John of Patmos (Revelation 1:9) in his vision (Revelation 1:1). The seven trumpets are sounded by seven angels and the events that follow are described in detail from Revelation Chapters 8 to 11.
As the sixth trumpet sounds in the Apocalypse, Saint John, seen in the right margin, hears a voice from the golden altar. The illuminator identified the voice as the Lord's by including the bottom of a mandorla with the Lord's feet resting on an orb.
The highest note ever played on the trumpet is a written C four octaves above middle C (C8). Since the trumpet is in the key of Bb, that note sounds like a Bb7, which is higher than the violin, which can go up to an A7. The pitch is also about as high as a piccolo can play.
Good quality trumpets will last around 60 years when cared for properly. The valve pistons are typically the first things to break. Some trumpets will last close to 100 years and still be fully functional if they are well-taken care off and haven't been played much.
The C trumpet is a trumpet that is made to play in the key of C. Various kinds of trumpets are built for different keys, much like other kinds of instruments. Modern chromatic trumpets can play in any key, but are built to play naturally in a particular key. Overall, the most common trumpet is a B flat.
The standard key for trumpets is B flat (Bb). Most trumpeters will start out on a B flat trumpet and that's also where you find the iconic trumpet sound. The Bb trumpet is also the most-sold trumpet. Most trumpets can be adjusted down to the A key by pulling the adjustable tuning slide out as far as possible.
Its inventor was Anton Weidinger, an Austrian from Vienna, and he got to work in 1793. 5 years later, it was played in public for the first time. But it wasn't very popular – in fact, it was only played 9 times. The keyed trumpet worked in a similar way to modern day flutes or saxophones.
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
His image and story have evolved over the years, and the Devil has been called different names in various cultures, including Beelzebub, Lucifer, Satan, Baphomet and Mephistopheles, with various physical descriptions including horns and cloven hooves instead of feet.
The Seven Seals of God from the Bible's Book of Revelation are the seven symbolic seals (Greek: σφραγῖδα, sphragida) that secure the book or scroll that John of Patmos saw in an apocalyptic vision. ... Contents
3 Enoch mentions only three fallen angels called Azazel, Azza and Uzza. Similar to The first Book of Enoch, they taught sorcery on earth, causing corruption.
Trumpet players do not have bigger lips but they sometimes have bigger cheeks, depending on the technique they use. However, people with bigger lips might have more control over the mouthpiece, which theoretically could result in more trumpet players having big lips.
To create the different sounds on a trumpet there are three valves. Between these three valves a trumpeter will learn all the notes in the full range of the trumpet which is up to three octaves (around 39 notes). It isn't easy to get the very high notes and only a very good brass player will be able to reach these.
The longest sustained note on a wind or brass instrument is 1 min 23.04 sec and was achieved by Hav Shambhu Kumar (India) in New Delhi, Delhi, India, on 27 March 2021. After breaking the Guinness World Records title for longest note on a conch shell, Hav decided that he had the ability to break this record title.
A natural trumpet (often referred to as a Baroque trumpet) is a long, double-folded trumpet without valves. It was the trumpet used across Europe from the 15th through the mid 19th centuries, and is a common ancestor to all modern brass instruments.
In this page you can discover 32 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for trumpet, like: blare, bugle, brass wind, cornet, musical-instrument, clarion, instrument, shophar (heb.), herald, publish and wind-instrument.
Musicians have many methods to create captivating music, and their connection to an instrument is often one of them. Musicians often name their instruments because they feel a special bond with it, and many have said their instruments feel like an extra limb or an extension of themselves.
But the loudest is the sperm whale. It makes a series of clicking noises that can reach as high as 230 db making it the loudest animal in the world. The click lasts for only 15 to 30 milliseconds and can stay audible to a sperm whale as much as 10 miles away.
Those who play trumpets are called "trumpeters," and those who play horns are called "horn players," or less commonly, "hornists." If you are interested, check the dictionary to see what people who play other instruments are called.
These early "trumpets" were made from the horns or tusks of animals, or cane. By 1400 B.C. the Egyptians had developed trumpets made from bronze and silver, with a wide bell. People in India, China, and Tibet also created trumpets, which were usually long and telescoped.
“Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. “… But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.” Ezekiel 33:3–5.
The Bb trumpet is the most commonly used trumpet. The C trumpet has less tubing, producing an overall pitch that is one whole step higher than the Bb trumpet.
As the sixth trumpet sounds in the Apocalypse, Saint John, seen in the right margin, hears a voice from the golden altar. The illuminator identified the voice as the Lord's by including the bottom of a mandorla with the Lord's feet resting on an orb.
Before you select a trumpet to purchase, it is important to understand the key pieces that combine to form a trumpet and produce its unique sound: the bore, the leadpipe, the valves, the bell and the finish.
Therefore, when buying a trumpet, it's important to choose one with well-constructed, reliable valves. Valves are made from three main materials: nickel-plated nickel silver, Monel (an alloy of nickel, copper, and manganese), and stainless steel.
the trombone is easier to get your first sounds on because it has a larger mouthpiece, which makes it easier to make a 'buzz' initially. the trumpet is easier to get to grips with in terms of hold and posture, and is easier to make progression once you're up and running as valves are simpler to operate than a slide.
If the needle is pointed to the left, the note is flat. That means that the note you are playing is lower (even incrementally) than where it should be. This means that you need to make an adjustment to the length of your trumpet by pushing in the main tuning slide to raise the pitch.
It lacks a sustain pedal, making it one of the most difficult instruments to master. To play the organ, the musician must keep the key pressed for as long as the note is to be played. It takes a lot of practice to master this talent with your hands.
The trumpet has only three valves and is smaller and easier to transport than a violin. A violin doesn't require embouchure, breath exercises, or strong lungs. Both air support and the violin strings and bow are difficult to learn and take time.
One of the easiest instruments you can take up, which is also very popular in a variety of styles, is the harmonica. The great thing about harmonicas is that no matter what note you play, it will be in key, which means even complete beginners can sound good.
Most definitely, the trumpet was the most difficult instrument to practice in this year of learning. I would say vocal training was #2 because it also requires very subtle training of micro movements in the body you're not usually aware of.
Children as young as 4 can play the horn, but they will experience some difficulties during the first few years since their “baby” teeth will still be there, so it is better to start playing trumpet when teeth have become permanent between the ages of 10 and 12.
Tutankhamun's trumpets are a pair of trumpets found in the burial chamber of the Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The trumpets, one of sterling silver and one of bronze or copper, are considered to be the oldest operational trumpets in the world, and the only known surviving examples from ancient Egypt.
The first known metal trumpets can be traced back to around 1500BC. Silver and bronze trumpets were discovered in the grave of King Tut in Egypt, and other ancient versions of the instrument were found in China, South America, Scandinavia, and Asia.
Wind instruments are typically grouped into two families: Brass instruments (horns, trumpets, trombones, euphoniums, and tubas)Woodwind instruments (recorders, flutes, oboes, clarinets, saxophones, and bassoons)
Although most trumpet players choose to play a Bb trumpet, there are many different sizes of trumpets to choose from. Each offers a different length and bore size, from piccolo trumpets to bass trumpets to create a different tone.
The most common place to find the brand name is on the trumpet bell. Brands will typically engrave their name when making the trumpet. If you can't find the brand on the bell, look at where you connect the mouthpiece to the trumpet. That's called the mouthpiece receiver, and you might find the trumpet brand there.
Its inventor was Anton Weidinger, an Austrian from Vienna, and he got to work in 1793. 5 years later, it was played in public for the first time. But it wasn't very popular – in fact, it was only played 9 times. The keyed trumpet worked in a similar way to modern day flutes or saxophones.
The JP039 Bb Slide Trumpet is a well engineered and lightweight Bb slide trumpet, sometimes known as a mini or soprano trombone. Owing to its small size, this versatile instrument is sometimes used as an introduction to playing the trombone as it can be held by those with small hands.
Bassoons are the largest member of the woodwind family and with the lowest pitch, similar to that of the cello. The bassoon is a long pipe, doubled in half, made of wood, with many keys.
Tuba. This is the grandfather of the brass family. The tuba is the largest and lowest brass instrument and anchors the harmony not only of the brass family but the whole orchestra with its deep rich sound.
The C trumpet is a trumpet that is made to play in the key of C. Various kinds of trumpets are built for different keys, much like other kinds of instruments. Modern chromatic trumpets can play in any key, but are built to play naturally in a particular key. Overall, the most common trumpet is a B flat.
The standard key for trumpets is B flat (Bb). Most trumpeters will start out on a B flat trumpet and that's also where you find the iconic trumpet sound. The Bb trumpet is also the most-sold trumpet. Most trumpets can be adjusted down to the A key by pulling the adjustable tuning slide out as far as possible.
Good quality trumpets will last around 60 years when cared for properly. The valve pistons are typically the first things to break. Some trumpets will last close to 100 years and still be fully functional if they are well-taken care off and haven't been played much.
The Bb trumpet is the most commonly used trumpet. The C trumpet has less tubing, producing an overall pitch that is one whole step higher than the Bb trumpet.
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