INSTRUMENT SPOTLIGHT: TRUMPET
by Carolina Lumetta
Most people are familiar with the trumpet. It is popular to play and to hear. This instrument is used in a variety of music genres: from jazz to classical. While it started out as a low register instrument, the trumpet is now known as the highest register brass instrument.
The main image of a trumpet that comes to peoples’ minds is seven or so of them draped with royal standards. They envision medieval men in bright colors blasting a fanfare at a jousting match; but the trumpet goes farther back than that. It is mentioned several times in the Bible: “With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!” (Psalms 98:6) “Praise him with trumpet sound...” (Psalm 150:3). It’s original function was to communicate to troops in a battle, to announce royalty, to praise God, and to call people for the Sabbath and holy day celebrations. The biblical times trumpet was made of bone, and then it was made with sheets of metal in the Middle Ages.
It wasn’t until roughly the 14th century that the trumpet came to be viewed as a musical instrument. In fact, trumpets didn’t even have valves until the early 1800s! The problem in pre-valve days was that the trumpet couldn’t be played chromatically. “Put your hand in the bell,” Anton Joseph Hampel suggested in 1750. In 1777, musicians took his advice and the trumpet was bent so that the musician’s hand could more easily reach the bell. However, this arrangement only served to create more problems and didn’t solve the original one. By the 19th century valve trumpets were invented and playing became much easier. Though it took several trials, a 3-valve trumpet was created that could play chromatically. The same form is used today. It works as pretty much every other brass instrument does: open valves mean the air can flow freely through all the turns and out the bell. However, pushing down one or more valves blocks off the main path for the air which means it has to take a detour. By pushing down a combination of valves, several different notes can be created and by changing embouchure (the formation of the player’s lips) several ranges are added to the several notes!
Today, most trumpets are made in B-flat. In the past centuries, though, this was not the case. The first valve trumpets were in D, E-flat, and G. These new instruments, with three to four valves, inspired composers such as Handel to write pieces including them in orchestras. For example, the famous Handel’s Messiah made use of the trumpet as an orchestral instrument. Haydn and Hummel also wrote new trumpet concertos, which was a rather radical idea at the time. Indeed, the trumpet has come a long way from being a simple horn made of bone to now being a popular instrument.
Even though the it plays all genres beautifully, most of the famous trumpeters are jazz musicians. See if you recognize any of these names: Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Chris Botti. And who could think of the trumpet without remembering the amazing Louis Armstrong?
As for the trumpet’s sound, Berlioz called it, “Brilliant!” The trumpet is known to be crisp and sharp with the capability of wonderful attacks; yet a trumpet can also be played smoothly and in an impressive legato style. It takes several years to obtain a good embouchure but once a player does, he/she can have that dynamic range and style for which the trumpet is known.
by Carolina Lumetta
Most people are familiar with the trumpet. It is popular to play and to hear. This instrument is used in a variety of music genres: from jazz to classical. While it started out as a low register instrument, the trumpet is now known as the highest register brass instrument.
The main image of a trumpet that comes to peoples’ minds is seven or so of them draped with royal standards. They envision medieval men in bright colors blasting a fanfare at a jousting match; but the trumpet goes farther back than that. It is mentioned several times in the Bible: “With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!” (Psalms 98:6) “Praise him with trumpet sound...” (Psalm 150:3). It’s original function was to communicate to troops in a battle, to announce royalty, to praise God, and to call people for the Sabbath and holy day celebrations. The biblical times trumpet was made of bone, and then it was made with sheets of metal in the Middle Ages.
It wasn’t until roughly the 14th century that the trumpet came to be viewed as a musical instrument. In fact, trumpets didn’t even have valves until the early 1800s! The problem in pre-valve days was that the trumpet couldn’t be played chromatically. “Put your hand in the bell,” Anton Joseph Hampel suggested in 1750. In 1777, musicians took his advice and the trumpet was bent so that the musician’s hand could more easily reach the bell. However, this arrangement only served to create more problems and didn’t solve the original one. By the 19th century valve trumpets were invented and playing became much easier. Though it took several trials, a 3-valve trumpet was created that could play chromatically. The same form is used today. It works as pretty much every other brass instrument does: open valves mean the air can flow freely through all the turns and out the bell. However, pushing down one or more valves blocks off the main path for the air which means it has to take a detour. By pushing down a combination of valves, several different notes can be created and by changing embouchure (the formation of the player’s lips) several ranges are added to the several notes!
Today, most trumpets are made in B-flat. In the past centuries, though, this was not the case. The first valve trumpets were in D, E-flat, and G. These new instruments, with three to four valves, inspired composers such as Handel to write pieces including them in orchestras. For example, the famous Handel’s Messiah made use of the trumpet as an orchestral instrument. Haydn and Hummel also wrote new trumpet concertos, which was a rather radical idea at the time. Indeed, the trumpet has come a long way from being a simple horn made of bone to now being a popular instrument.
Even though the it plays all genres beautifully, most of the famous trumpeters are jazz musicians. See if you recognize any of these names: Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Chris Botti. And who could think of the trumpet without remembering the amazing Louis Armstrong?
As for the trumpet’s sound, Berlioz called it, “Brilliant!” The trumpet is known to be crisp and sharp with the capability of wonderful attacks; yet a trumpet can also be played smoothly and in an impressive legato style. It takes several years to obtain a good embouchure but once a player does, he/she can have that dynamic range and style for which the trumpet is known.