TOPIC:- The Trumpet

The Trumpet is in the family of instruments refered to as "Brass Instruments". More generally this family of instruments is referred to as "Metal Wind Instruments" The Trumpet has a cylindrical bore, the last quarter of which widens to form a "bell". It is played with a cup shaped mouthpiece. During the middle of the nineteenth Century three valves were added each proportionally lengthening the brass tube thus enabling the player to play the complete chromatic scale.
The earliest reference to an instrument that at all resembles the Trumpet is contained within the Tomb of King Tut. Although accurate this portrayal really only represents a warning vehicle for "Battle Signals" later taken over by the Bugle.
Within western culture the first time the Trumpet appears as a recognizable instrument is during the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries when a simple coiled tube of brass with a bell at one end and blown into the other (see Natural Trumpet) began to be used in musical groups (that later developed into orchestras). This was a very limited instrument as it could only play certain notes based on the length of the tube of brass. Even with the added use of "Crooks" (see Topic Natural Trumpet), different ways of coiling the tube (see Topic Clarino Trumpet) and holes place in strategic places in the tube length, the instrument was clumsy, it's intonation questionable and more suited to fanfare playing than ensemble participation.
The Modern Trumpet on the other hand, is a versatile instrument employed in Orchestras, Jazz bands, Military and Brass Bands or as solo instruments. It has an official range of two and a half octaves but in the hands of a virtuoso player this can be extended by as much as a further octave. Players of the modern trumpet who specialize in this extended range are called "Screech Trumpeters" and although the sounds they make are indeed "awesome" they do sacrifice the art of playing in the normal range of the instrument.
Modern Trumpets appear in a number of forms. The most common is set in the key of Bflat; that is the "fundamental" of the brass tube (see Topic "Harmonic Series") is a Bflat. Trumpets are, however, also manufactured with C, D, and Eflat Fundamentals and are all used at different times by the modern Orchestral Trumpeter. Players that specialize in Jazz or other popular forms of music tend to keep to one instrument, usually the trumpet in Bflat.
The Trumpet and Brass Instruments feature significantly in the works of Kerry R. Scott. In particular the Music CD "Brandy Butter Brass and Bells" include a selection of Mr. Scott's compositions and arrangements of works that feature the trumpet and brass instruments.

For further information concerning music compositions of Kerry R. Scott and the topic above use the links below:-

Trumpet Voluntary

Piccolo Trumpet

Clarino Trumpet

Natural Trumpet

Cornet

English Brass Band

Harmonic Series

Trio for Bass Clarinet, Trumpet and Percussion By Kerry R. Scott.

Follow the following links for more information about the topic and navigate the:-

ScottOpus Productions Website

Further information on Kerry R. Scott's life and Compositions
A listing/portfolio of the music compositions of Kerry R. Scott
Further Information on The Tudor Rose School of Music
Further information on the Music CD -- Bubble and Squeak
Further information on the Music CD -- Rattle and Rhyme
Further information on the Music CD -- Beyond the Virtual Creation
Further information on the Music CD -- Brandy Butter, Brass and Bells
Further information on the Music CD -- The Old, The New, and an Eclectic Medley
Further information on the Music CD -- Mass 2100
Orchestral Suite from Mass 2100 and Mass 2100 original performance edition.
Further information on the Music CD -- Smphony No. ! -- Soundscapes of a Forgotten Britian
Further information on the live recording of the first performance of Mass 2100
Further information on compositional and composition commissions.
Further information on the stories and writings of Kerry R. Scott.