Trumpet facts for kids
B♭ trumpet
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| Brass instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification |
Brass |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 423.233 (Valved aerophone sounded by lip movement) |
| Playing range | |
Written range:
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| Related instruments | |
| Flugelhorn, cornet, cornett, Flumpet, bugle, natural trumpet, bass trumpet, post horn, Roman tuba, buccina, cornu, lituus, shofar, dord, dung chen, sringa, shankha, lur, didgeridoo, Alphorn, Russian horns, serpent, ophicleide, piccolo trumpet, horn, alto horn, baritone horn, pocket trumpet | |
A trumpet is a cool brass instrument. People use it a lot in Classical music and jazz music. The most common trumpet is called a B♭ trumpet. This means if you play a C note on it, it sounds like a B♭ to someone listening. To play the trumpet, you blow into a small part called the mouthpiece. You make a "buzzing" sound with your lips. The trumpet has three buttons, called valves. You press these valves to change how high or low the sound is (the pitch).
Contents
History of the Trumpet
Trumpets have been around for a very long time. They have existed for about 3000 years! One of the first brass instruments was called a shofar. People still use the shofar in some religious ceremonies today.
Over time, people started making trumpet-like instruments from different materials. Some were made from wood, like the cornetto. Later, they began using brass. Modern bugles are quite similar to these early metal trumpets.
Many years ago, musical instruments became more popular. Trumpets became very important in music. Early trumpets were long and did not have valves. This meant players had to change the sound's pitch only with their mouths. This was very hard to do! Because it was so difficult, everyone respected trumpet players a lot.
A new type of trumpet, called the chromatic trumpet, was made in the late 1700s. Then, in the 1800s, better valves were invented. These valves made it much easier to play different notes on the trumpet. Even with these improvements, the trumpet is still a challenging instrument to learn well.
Where Trumpets Play Music
Trumpets are used in many types of music. Classical music often has pieces written just for a solo trumpet. Trumpets are also a key part of big groups like orchestras.
They play a very important role in Jazz music. You can also hear trumpets in other popular music styles. Sometimes, they even play short, exciting parts in rock songs to make certain sections stand out.
Famous Trumpet Players
Many amazing musicians have played the trumpet.
Some famous classical trumpet players include Adolph Herseth, Sergei Nakariakov, and Maurice Andre.
Well-known jazz trumpet players are Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Arturo Sandoval, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Maynard Ferguson.
Images for kids
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Trio of trumpeters in Toledo, Ohio, around 1920
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Silver and gold plated trumpet and its wooden mute from the tomb of Tutankhamun (1326–1336 BCE)
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Trumpet with "stonelined" straight mute inserted. Below, left to right: straight, wah-wah (harmon), and cup mutes.
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Reproduction baroque trumpet by Michael Laird
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Trumpet in C with rotary valves
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Gottfried Reiche, chief trumpeter for Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig
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Trumpet-Player in front of a Banquet, Gerrit Dou, c.1660-1665
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Louis Armstrong statue in Algiers, New Orleans
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Miles Davis statue in Kielce, Poland
See also
In Spanish: Trompeta para niños
