The Trumpet

Joel Garcia, John Koehler, and Brianna Rude

The History
The trumpet has been with us for a very long time: as early as 1500 BC or maybe even
longer. Early man discovered that animal horns, open at both ends and played with pursed
lips, would make loud, resonant sounds that carried long distances. Craftsmen decorated
these prized horn and eventually began recreating them in metal and ceramic to form the
earliest man made trumpets.
By 1500 BC, trumpets were being crafted to high standards across the world in Africa,
Europe and Asia from sheets of silver and bronze metal. Some were ceremonial trumpets
and others were purely functional, so these instruments were made in a wide array of styles
and decoration. Their intended purpose was mostly wartime signaling, warning sounds and
religious ceremonies.
The History Continued..
It wasn't until the end of the Middle Ages that players began thinking of the trumpet as something with which to
make music. At the time, trumpeters had a limited vocabulary, because the horns of the age were limited to one
primary tone and that tone's related harmonic series. To change keys, the player had to select a different trumpet.
Still, gifted trumpeters were able to produce pitches as high as the twentieth pitch in the overtone series. Also, by
playing in a high register and using a variety of techniques, it was possible to play a wider range of pitches next to
the harmonic series and perform melodies. The "natural trumpet" and its attendant Baroque period compositions by
Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and others represents the pinnacle of this sound, though the natural trumpet persisted through
the Classical and Romantic periods.
A new pitch changing idea came in the 18th century, when horns began to be outfitted with an invention called
"crooks" or "shanks." These were short sections of extra tubing that could be added to the trumpet to tune its primary
note to a new pitch. One trumpet could now serve the use of many, though the player still had to stop playing and
physically change the crook to choose a new primary tone.
The History Continued...

The keyed trumpet emerged at the end of the 18th century. This instrument was one of the
first to allow the trumpeter to play a full chromatic scale in any register by manipulating
keys that open and close tone holes along the trumpet's tube. Haydn in particular was an
enthusiast of the keyed trumpet, though the nature of its design hampered the tone in
comparison to that of the natural horn. Soon after, the invention of valves relegated the
keyed trumpet to limited use.
In 1818, the modern valve trumpet that we know today was born. Once perfected, this
invention allowed almost perfect intonation and beautiful tone across the full range of the
trumpet.
Types of Trumpets

Bb Trumpet 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.
Types of Trumpets
A close relative to the trumpet, this instrument
was most commonly used in American concert
Bb Cornet bands during the early decades of the twentieth
century and as a beginning band instrument in
the school systems. The principal difference
between the cornet and the trumpet is the
construction of the bore. The trumpet is
primarily a cylindrical-bore instrument, and the
cornet has a conical bore. The cornet appears
to be a shorter instrument because the tubing is
more tightly wrapped than the trumpet, but it is
the same length as the trumpet. The cornet has
a darker, more mellow tone quality compared
to the trumpet.
Types of Trumpets C trumpets are similar in size and appearance to Bb trumpets.
They are sometimes used by classical soloists and orchestral
players in situations where certain finger combinations or tuning
would be awkward on a Bb, or to make use of the trumpet’s
brighter and more direct tonal quality
C & Eb/D Trumpet
Eb/D trumpets are smaller and
brighter sounding still than C
trumpets. There is a significant
difference in the tone of an Eb/D
trumpet compared to the Bb. Certain
orchestral and solo works are
typically performed on the
instrument, such as the famous
Haydn Trumpet Concerto in Eb.
Eb/D trumpets are often equipped
with interchangeable slides and
sometimes different bells to change
between each key.
Types of Trumpets

Piccolo Trumpet The smallest member of the trumpet

family. Piccolo trumpets are usually
pitched in Bb and A, an octave above the
Bb, with separate lead pipes to play in
both keys. They usually also have a
fourth valve which extends the range of
the instrument down to a low F#. The
sound of the Piccolo is much brighter and
‘zingier’ than the Bb and very distinctive.
Music from the Baroque era is typically
performed on the Piccolo. Famously, the
piccolo was used in the instrumental
section of Penny Lane by The Beatles.
Popular Names and Models

Beginner Models Professional Models

- Bach TR300H2 - Bach: Stradivarius LR180S37 (Bb)

- Etude ETR-100 - Yamaha: Xeno (Bb)
- Blessing BTR Series - Kanstul: 1000 Series (Bb)

Blessing BTR Series

Bach Stradivarius
 Accessories for the Trumpet

The most common accessories for the trumpet are mutes.

Straight mute Cup mute Harmon/Wah-wah/bubble mute Plunger mute

This mute produces a kind of stuffy
sound when it’s made from
cardboard (the “Stonelined” mute)
and a more piercing, brighter sound
when made out of aluminum.
This mute produces When the brass player uses his It’s usually manipulated by the
a softer, more or her hand to open and close the brass player to cover and then
muffled sound than end of the mute, it makes a uncover the bell of the trumpet
the straight mute. “wah-wah” sound. in a similar manner to the
“wah-wah” sound, but without
the metal sounding quality.
Accessories Continued

● Valve oil- This keeps the trumpet valves clean and lubricated

to be able move fast.

● Tuning Slide Grease- This keeps the tuning slides

lubricated and able to move.

 VIDEO

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idGvKFbYgI4

Maynard Ferguson- Birdland

How to Play!

- For any brass instrument the embouchure is probably considered the most
valuable part of the instrument. It’s where the vibrations happen!
- So let us work on our embouchure.
- Bring your lips together as you would for saying “mmm”
- We’re going to think of keeping the corners of our lips firm so that air does not escape.
- We want a flat chin as we play as well. (When you bunch up your chin, that adds tension)
- Begin buzzing to give an idea of what occurs
- The mouthpiece can now be applied and it will be placed more on the
upper lip than on the lower lips (60% upper lip 40% lower lip, or ⅔ upper
and ⅓ lower)
- There is a constant need of air to keep the buzzing going so that’s when
we get into air.
How to play! (cont.)

Breathe
- Make sure there is proper posture.
- Sitting up
- No obstructing your airway
- Shoulders relaxed during breath
- Take full breaths to ensure the use of as much air as possible.
- Shallow breaths give poor support once playing
- Don’t hold in the air as that will leave you with stale air
How to play! (cont.)

How to hold the trumpet.

- Left ring finger in the ring. (in front of Valves)
- The middle and index finger are around the valves.
- The thumb will go behind the valves where another
valve will be.
- The right hand is over the trumpet
- Pinky does NOT go in the crescent on the trumpet
- Thumb is placed against valves under the upper
pipe.
 How to play! (cont.)
The speed of the air will determine the note you get out in the beginning.
- The slower the air the lower the pitch
- The faster the air the higher
- By changing the air we put into the instrument
we can come in on a note in the Harmonic Series
- Harmonic series is the collection of notes
formed by the frequencies multiplied off the
Fundamental Tone
- The Fundamental tone is the lowest pitch and
slowest frequency.

Yamaha.com
Fingering Chart

● These are the fingerings combinations

for the trumpet.

Famous Trumpet Players:

● Louis Armstrong- Born into extreme poverty in the 20th century, Louis
Armstrong became one of the best jazz trumpet players of all time.
● Dizzy Gillespie- one of the founding fathers of jazz and bebop.
Well known for his 45 degree bent trumpet.
● Miles Davis- He was a very respectable band
Leader, Composer, and jazz trumpet player.
● Maurice Andre- Classical French trumpet player
known for playing the piccolo trumpet.
Discussion

- How long has the trumpet been around?

- What century did valved trumpets come into the music world?
- What other “type” of trumpet besides the B flat?
- What’s a popular brand name associated with trumpets?
- Some accessories that go with the trumpet.
- What are a couple key features in the trumpet embouchure
- What goes into a good breath.
- How is a trumpet held?
- How does air take part in the pitches of the trumpet?
- Who are some famous trumpet players?