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The Trumpet Evolution

Manuel Márquez

Music teacher in public conservatories in Andalusia, Spain.

Publication date:

ISSN: 2792-8349

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International Journal of Music

The Natural Trumpet (15th to 19th Century)

The term “natural trumpet” originated during the Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries) when composers began creating music specifically for this instrument. The natural or baroque trumpet reached its pinnacle during the Baroque era (17th and 18th centuries), gaining prominence as a solo instrument alongside the violin and flute. Notable composers such as Bach contributed significantly to the trumpet’s repertoire during this period.

Key figures in the field today, such as Jean-François Madeuf, continue to champion the natural trumpet’s unique qualities, as demonstrated in performances like his rendition of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2.

Parts of the Natural Trumpet

Constructed without soldered joints, the natural trumpet comprises two tubing lengths, a bell section, and two bows. The parts fit together, secured with resin or beeswax. Lacking valves or holes, the trumpet’s design demands mastery from the player, relying on lip tension adjustments to navigate the harmonic series.

The Harmonic Series on the Natural Trumpet

The natural trumpet’s harmonic series, produced through lip tension variations, encompasses a set of notes. Trumpeters, like those in the Baroque era, skillfully manipulated their lips to correct impure harmonics. While the series theoretically extends infinitely, practical limitations result in only a few examples of extreme high harmonics.

Bach’s Trumpet Parts

Compositions by Bach, notably his trumpet parts, often required mastery of specific harmonics. The choice of trumpet key corresponds to the fundamental of its harmonic series, defining the range and tonal characteristics.

The Keyed Trumpet (19th Century)

With the decline of the clarino style in the late 18th century, efforts to enhance the trumpet’s chromatic capabilities led to inventions like Anton Weidinger’s keyed trumpet around 1793. Despite its brief popularity, the keyed trumpet, showcased in Haydn’s Concerto, eventually fell out of favor due to its limited repertoire.

Despite its success with Haydn’s Concerto, the invention of Weidinger’s keyed trumpet failed to gain popularity and rapidly fell into disuse. In fact, its repertoire is quite limited:

• Concerto per il clarino (Franz Joseph Haydn) was written in 1796, although it wasn’t premiered until 1800 due to its difficulty. Weidinger tried the instrument out before performing Haydn’s Concerto on two pieces by Kozeluch and Weigl.
• Sinfonia concertante  (Leopold Kozeluch) in 1798.
• Opus symphonicum  (Joseph Weigl) in 1799.
• Unnamed aria for female voice and keyed trumpet (Franz Xaver Sussmayr) in 1800.
• Sextet   (Ferdinand Kauer) in 1800.
• Trio  (Johann Nepomuk Hummel) in 1802.
• Concerto a tromba principale (Johann Nepomuk Hummel) in 1803, premiered on January 1st, 1804.
• Polonaise   (Antonio Casimir Cartellieri) around 1807.
• Requiem  (Sigismund Neukomm) in 1815.

Parts of the Keyed Trumpet

Featuring a conical bell section and keys for chromaticism, the keyed trumpet aimed to revive the trumpet’s solo role. However, its repertoire remained constrained, with only a handful of compositions showcasing its capabilities.

Harmonic Principle of the Keyed Trumpet

Similar to modern woodwind instruments, the keyed trumpet relied on specific holes and keys to produce different harmonics. The mechanism, though innovative, failed to secure a lasting place in musical history.

The Modern Trumpet (19th Century until Today)

In the early 19th century, innovations such as the rotary valve and piston valve revolutionized trumpet design. The rotary trumpet, common in German-speaking regions, boasts a distinctive dark sound. The piston valve, widely adopted and perfected over time, became the standard mechanism, dominating the global trumpet landscape across various musical genres.

Parts of the Modern Trumpet

The modern trumpet retains the basic structure of the natural trumpet but incorporates valves for chromaticism. The tubing length is approximately half that of the natural trumpet, influencing the harmonic series.

How do we produce chromatic notes?

Valves and tuning slides allow trumpet players to achieve chromaticism, altering the pitch by modifying the length of the tubing. Different valve combinations create a range of tones, enabling musicians to navigate a chromatic scale.

Trumpets in Other Keys

Apart from the B flat piston trumpet, other keys such as C, Eb/D, F/G, and Bb/A Piccolo trumpets cater to specific musical demands. The choice of trumpet key affects the instrument’s pitch and tonal characteristics.

Other Instruments in the Trumpet Family

In 1814, the invention of pistons gave rise to the cornet, which featured conical tubing and produced a warm, velvety sound distinct from the trumpet’s penetrating tone. Composers began assigning separate parts for trumpets and cornets, with the latter excelling in agility and expressiveness. Notable cornet virtuosos of the time included Jean-Baptiste Arban, Jules Levy, and Herbert Lincoln Clarke.

Derived from the German bugle, the flugelhorn originally resembled a natural trumpet but with a conical section. Around 1840, Adolph Sax added keys to create the keyed bugle, and today’s flugelhorn incorporates pistons. Widely used in bands and jazz groups, the flugelhorn is tuned in B flat. Renowned flugelhorn players include Clark Terry, Chuck Mangione, and Paolo Fresu.

The evolution of the trumpet from its natural form to the modern instrument showcases a fascinating journey marked by technological innovations and artistic adaptations. While the natural trumpet thrived in the Baroque era, subsequent developments like the keyed trumpet and, ultimately, the modern trumpet with piston valves, expanded the instrument’s capabilities. Each iteration, shaped by the musical demands of its time, contributed to the trumpet’s versatility and enduring presence in various genres. Today, trumpeters continue to explore and celebrate the rich history of this remarkable instrument, bridging the traditions of the past with the demands of contemporary music.

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The history of the trumpet: its invention, evolution and famous trumpet makers

The trumpet has undergone one of the most significant makeovers of all musical instruments, transforming from valveless natural trumpets using harmonics to the versatile instrument used in classical and jazz music today

The trumpet has always had a heraldic role in music-making, with composers such as Bach, Handel, Mahler, Strauss, Stravinsky and Prokofiev making full use of its heroic nature in their writing with fanfares and bold announcements from the brass. The trumpet is also an ideal voice for expressing 20th-century anxiety and stress, and enjoys renewed popularity with contemporary composers . Here, we run you through the history of the trumpet, and how its beginnings as a valveless natural trumpet gave way to the multifaceted instrument played all over the world today.

History of the trumpet: when was it invented?

Early man fashioned trumpets from animal horn, wood, and then metal. Development of this natural trumpet peaked with mid-18th-century virtuosi, who could produce up to 24 notes from their single trumpet tube. In ancient Greece and Rome, the trumpet became irrevocably linked with the sounds of war, used by royalty in its military music. The modern-day bugle continues this military tradition.

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What are the different types of trumpet throughout history?

After the reign of the natural trumpet, the historical slide trumpet was developed in the late 14th-century for use in wind bands. These were natural trumpets with sliding leadpipes, but the range of the slide was relatively limited.

While the most common type of trumpet is the B-flat trumpet, there are also trumpets in A, C, D, E-flat, E, low F, and G also widely available. Piccolo trumpets are available in different models, with tubing about half the length of the standard trumpet, which makes it sound an octave higher. The bass trumpet is pitched the same as the trombone, and usually performed by a trombone player.

The trumpet is often confused with the cornet , a similar instrument with a differnet tubing shape. The cornet has a slightly mellower tone. The flugelhorn is another instrument from the same family, but has an even mellower sound still than the cornet.

Berlioz often used cornets in his orchestral writing, and penned a treatise on instrumentation in 1855 which read: 'A phrase that would appear tolerable, when performed by violins or the woodwind, becomes flat and intolerably vulgar when emphasised by the incisive, brash and impudent sound of the cornet.'

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Who are the famous trumpet makers from history?

The slide trumpet was used in the late-18th century and was particularly used in orchestral writing. The best-known maker of the English slide trumpet was Kohler, who made two designs with three piston valves each.

Bach has been making trumpets since 1885 and is one of the most widely-known trumpet manufacturers working today. They are particularly good for amateur instruments, as are Yamaha, a brand that has been around since the late 19th century and also manufactures a wide range of different instruments.

Gautrot aîné produced woodwind and brass instruments during the 19th century and was one of the largest in Europe, pioneering the use of steam power. Courtois is another famous maker, having started life in a family-run workshop during the French Revolution. Besson began manufacturing band instruments at the beginning of the 19th century in Paris. Its founder Gustave-Auguste Besson was an expert in acoustic science and developed a new cornet which revolutionised the instrument.

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How has the trumpet changed over time?

The history of the trumpet shows its evolution through many styles and iterations. In the 17th century, the trumpet began being used in chamber and ensemble playing. At this time, however, it was still natural trumpets that were being used – i.e. trumpets without valves, which were only able to be played using harmonics. This made it a much more challenging instrument to approach.

After the era of the natural trumpets, the Industrial Revolution spawned a mechanical trumpet (c.1816). Soon, completely chromatic trumpets, with three valves, giving access to seven interlocking tubes, were the norm. Later trumpet technology refined this basic desing, producing easier high notes, and a 'bigger' sound with a more sophisticated instrument.

Find out more about the jazz trumpet and the best jazz trumpeters in history here .

Where were trumpets first made?

With all history, the further back you go, the foggier the specifics get, but it's believed that the metal trumpet dates back to 2000 BC in Egypt. This will have been a natural trumpet, with sounds made using harmonics.

What was the first piece of trumpet music ever written?

While it is unclear what the first piece of trumpet music was, it's believed that the trumpet repertoire dates back to 1500 BC. The so-called 'Golden Age of the Trumpet' in the Middle Ages and Renaissance was probably a particularly ripe time for trumpet music development, however. The natural trumpets of this era would have had virtuoso players and a vast body of music to perform.

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Natural Trumpet Music and the Modern Performer

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The history of the trumpet - Essay Example

• Subject: Music
• Type: Essay
• Level: Masters
• Pages: 4 (1000 words)
• Downloads: 2
• Author: cloydwunsch

Extract of sample "The history of the trumpet"

However, this is only the recorded history and the presence of trumpet can be older. Initially trumpet was not used as a musical instrument, but for martial and religious purposes. Historically, trumpets were of grand importance as militarily, they were employed by trumpeters for delivering commands to troops present at far away distances. Bugle, a form of trumpet is used in place of trumpet in today’s military just as a conventional instrument. Trumpet as a musical instrument go through betterment during the middle Ages and Renaissance (Downey 29).

The technique of designing and crafting the trumpet also got better with time. This paper elaborates the historical presence and importance of trumpet and traces it back to its origin. Trumpet has got the reputation of highest register in terms of brass musical instruments. Historically, trumpet is among the oldest most musical instruments. When a trumpet is used, a buzzing sound is created that is made by blowing air with the support of a whistling posture of the lips. The trumpet that is found today is made up with brass tubing that is a quality that it gained after the fifteenth century.

It is present in many forms nowadays and is used as a musical instrument while its historic form was not altogether musical (Tarr 62). During the sixteenth century, military and courts both used the trumpets for their own purposes. Usage of trumpet started becoming famous in Germany during the sixteenth century. The ending of this century marks the usage of trumpet in musical terms and before this, it was mostly used for courtly and military reasons. Initially, the trumpeters made use of low pitched sounds, but later on, they also made use of high pitched sounds.

The musicians also started to use diversified harmonic series (Brownlow 78). The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw the heighted version of the trumpet. Famous composers like Leopold and Michael were famous in terms of their musical compositions. For courtly purposes, the D and C keys in trumpets were employed while for military purposes, Eb and F keys in trumpets were employed. Diverse registers of trumpets were played by the musicians of the era (Barclay 46). When the valves were introduced to the trumpet, the interest of musicians in the usage of trumpet increased.

In the nineteenth century, the trumpet was no more a common musical instrument as it became an orchestral instrument. At this time, the F key in trumpet along with crooks were employed that made the trumpet more interesting as a musical instrument (Tarr 93). The shape and form of trumpet had improvements with the passage of time. The valves took the place of crooks with the time and improvement of the trumpet as a musical instrument. The size of the trumpet also saw transformations. The improvements in the trumpet enabled the musicians to play the trumpet with much ease and sound (Wallace & McGrattan 116).

The trumpet’s first known form was Alphorn that was constructed by means of a tree trunk. The trumpet has high pitched sound and big appearance. It was generally employed for flocking cattle, beckoning groups of people, religious preaching and war related messages by military. The 17th century that was also called baroque era saw the transformation of Alphorn into trumpet (Smither 358). The initial trumpets were called natural trumpets, which was constructed by means of metal. Previously, tree trunk was used in place of metal.

The trumpets that were created then were in form of elongated cylindrical tubes having a

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• History of the Trumpet

Trumpets are one of the oldest instruments. In ancient times, people used animal horns or shells like a trumpet. It was first used for signaling in ancient China (2000 SC), Egypt (1 500 SC), and Scandinavia (1000 SC). It was long and had no valves. In Roman times, the trumpet was played at military and civilian ceremonies. The first musical use of the trumpet was in the late sass’s where it had acquired the folded shape similar to today’s. In the 1 ass’s, Emergent, Germany became the center of trumpet making.

During that time, the first music for trumpets was written. In the late sass’s, the trumpet became a regular member of the orchestra. Short pieces of tubing called ‘crooks’ were invented and used to lengthen or shorten the trumpet so it could play more notes. In the 17th to 18th century, trumpets were mostly in the key of D of C for courtly purposes and E flat or F in the military. The valve trumpet was invented in 1815, making crooks unnecessary. Today, trumpets are usually played In orchestras, Jazz bands, brass ensembles, popular music and bands.

Different sized trumpets have different pitches and are used in different musical groups. Most trumpets in bands are in the key of B flat major. Historically, trumpets were used for many different things but music was not thought of until the late sass’s. Louis Armstrong , born In 1901 and died In 1971, was a trumpet player. He was one of the most famous and Influential trumpet player In Jazz history. Many people thought he was the greatest Jazz cornet and trumpet player In the world.

He was born in New Orleans and he learned to play the trumpet while serving a sentence for leniency In the Home for Colored Waifs. Dizzy Gillespie, born In 1917 and died In 1993, was also a trumpet player. He was an American trumpet player, composer, and band leader. Dizzy Gillespie real name is John Barks Gillespie. He was born In Chewer, South Carolina. Dizzy co founded the bebop Jazz movement with Charlie Parker and Theologies Monk. I have chosen a recording to listen to, from a CD called Trumpets In Modern Jazz. It Is called ‘Cush’ and the performer Is Dizzy Gillespie.

I chose this recording because I new Dizzy Gillespie was famous and I wanted to hear how he played the trumpet and to see If he really Is as good as everyone says. Trumpets may be loud and annoying sometimes but they have survived through the years so treat trumpets with respect and It might let out the best music In the world. Today, trumpets are usually played in orchestras, Jazz bands, brass ensembles, Louis Armstrong , born in 1901 and died in 1971, was a trumpet player. He was one of the most famous and influential trumpet player in Jazz history.

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