Trumpet

21 May Trumpet

OVERVIEW

The trumpet has been a prominent instrument for a very, very long time. It was mainly used to signal from great distances when trouble was on its way. It is used in almost every common genre of music throughout the world. In the USA it is found in classical, jazz, pop, Latin, rhythm and blues (R&B), and as an a cappella voice.

TRUMPET HISTORY

The trumpet is one of the oldest instruments known. It has changed dramatically over the last 3500 years… yes, 3500 years. There have been trumpets found in the tomb of King Tut, in Asia, South America and Scandinavia. The trumpet was an important part of society as a signaling device for the military or at the sides of royalty. Starting out as the Shofar (ram’s horn) or the Conch shell it evolved with the discovery of copper and brass. In the Renaissance era, the trumpet became keyed with holes, and not until the 1800’s did they have valves and appear as the modern trumpet.

WHEN TO START

Trumpet playing involves the ability to hold a rather heavy instrument in an awkward position. It relies on the structure of the teeth to seal the mouthpiece, therefore younger children who have lost their baby teeth will have some difficulty. Braces are another issue with younger players. This being said, it is not impossible to play with missing teeth or braces, just something that will need to be worked around.

TRUMPET BRANDS

There are many brands that have been around for many years, beginners should find a quality horn that they can use for several years. These beginner instruments can also be used later in school for marching band and an additional instrument for practice. Brands like Bach, Getzen, Yamaha, Benge, Schilke, Calicchio, Callet, C.G. Conn, Monette, F.E. Olds and King are great beginner-professional player horns. This is just a list of quality brands recognized by musicians.

TRUMPET PLAYERS

Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, Clifford Brown, Bud Brisbois, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Bobby Shew, Doc Severinsen are phenomenal trumpet players in the jazz idiom as well as Maurice André, Armando Ghitalla, Hakan Hardenberger, Adolph “Bud” Herseth, Malcolm McNab, Rafael Méndez, Maurice Murphy, Sergei Nakariakov and Philip Smith in the classical genre.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

Learning the basics will take you easily down the path that you would like to go. Classically trained trumpet players may also play in broadway shows, pop bands, jazz bands and rock and roll. It becomes more of a style of playing the instrument and understanding the basics of the trumpet that will take you to all of these varying genres. There are many sites that discuss the trumpet one being www.trumpetguild.org.